“And the sign says Long-Haired Freaky People Need Not Apply………”

Posted on September 8, 2011 by showington

Do you remember these lyrics from the song called “Signs?”

Today, anyone, looking any way they want, can apply for a job.  We can’t stop them from applying and we can’t not hire them because we don’t like the way they look. Our country has created laws to protect people from being judged out of their right to find employment, and from making an honest living.

We are to hire people based upon their qualifications and talents.  Making hiring decisions based on age, ethnicity, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual preferences, children, pregnancy, past illnesses, weight, clothing, body piercing, and yes, tattoos are illegal – or close enough to it that we wouldn’t dare admit that we aren’t hiring someone based on any of these personal characteristics.

For kicks, try changing the words and singing the following NEW lyrics of “Signs” to say:

“And the sign says People Who Lost Their Jobs in This National Recession Need Not Apply…..”

Today, talented, educated and successful people are ousted from corporate jobs through absolutely no fault of their own.  Companies are merging and buying and divesting, and as a result of these business dynamics, the workforce of one company wins, sending the people filling redundant positions out on the street for no reason other than one company gets the upper hand on determining who stays versus who goes.

Anyone who is living in this country, who pays any attention at all to what is happening in the local, national and international business arenas, and the financial debacle of state and federal governments, has to have some level of awareness and understanding of the fact that there are a lot of complicated issues and dynamics going on that negatively impact respectable and hardworking people.

Who would have thought that in this day, after all we have been through, we would see signs that say “No Unemployed Will Be Considered.”

How could we turn our backs on this group of people? How do we heal our country’s damaged economy if we don’t hire the unemployed?

I am flabbergasted at such insensitivity and short-sightedness. I don’t understand what the rationale for this could possibly be and until I do, I think this selection practice is socially irresponsible.

There, I’ve said it.  It’s wrong.

Please help put a stop to this senseless hiring trend and let’s help fuel the economy by hiring the unemployed.

Susan Howington is the Founder and CEO of Power Connections Executive Outplacement and Leadership Coaching Service.

 

Posted in Executive Career Management | Leave a comment

Fuel the Economy: Hire the “Over-50″ Year-Old!

Posted on April 28, 2011 by thedailyjobhunt

I am a huge believer in our country’s free enterprise system. I am inspired by entrepreneurial stories, and I am very fond of corporate America. I am fascinated everyday by stories about what makes our economic world go round.

I want to see people, regardless of age, education, and demographics, pursuing meaningful professional goals, making money, employing others, spending money, and contributing to the U.S. and local economies in whatever way they can. To have professional opportunities and viable career paths awaiting American young people injects a healthy enthusiasm and energy into our society.  It concerns me that our young people are discouraged and hindered by the lack of job opportunities that exist today.

And yet, the young adults in this country have the great luxury of time on their side. In time, they will find their way into the professions they were educated to pursue, and into careers that will be complimentary to their talents. They will find ways to make money and to build their futures. They have the time ahead of them.

Contrarily, baby boomers, the 50+ year-old professionals in our culture, do not have time on their side. Many of these professionals never anticipated they would be out of work at this stage in their careers, and no one ever anticipated how difficult it would be to get back to work!  So many boomers have experienced unemployment for 9, 12 and even 24 months at a stretch in this recession.

The “protected” age class in the U.S. is 40 years-old and older. As a Career Transition Coach, I really don’t see many 40 – 49 year-olds being discriminated against. I do, however, see many 50+ year-olds being laid off, flat-out ignored, or disregarded in the job search process.

It is this group of people we need to employ. This is the demographic that needs our attention at this moment in time; they have gone through their savings, and tapped into their 401Ks and IRAs. Whatever financial cushion they had three years ago is seriously threatened or gone.

If boomers were all employed, they would be spending to keep themselves healthy, to put their kids in college, to go on vacation, and essentially to live full lives that fuel our economy.  If Corporate America continues to disregard the talents, contributions, and energy of this demographic, the expense of supporting the baby boomers as they continue to age will be an astronomical burden to our children as they begin their career and wage-earning years. And, yes, the expense will be carried by every other taxpayer as well.

By not employing this demographic group of talent, we can potentially “defuel our economy” by paying later for their lack of financial solvency now.  And do you want to know the real kicker about this situation? BOOMERS WANT TO WORK! They have always believed that hard work would pay off for them. They have always planned to create a retirement for themselves through their own efforts. The average boomer today is  knowledgable, tech-savvy, and counting on being productive for many more years.

Please come back to keep reading as I blog about why it is advantageous for a company to hire from the 50+ year-old talent pool.

This is just one of the entries in my blog that is part of the Fuel The Economy series.  I believe that each of us with decision-making influence can help fuel our local economy.  By helping our local economy, we can help lift America out of the economic ditch, and back onto the road to recovery.  If each of us does our part to help make this happen, a difference will surely be made.

Susan Howington, Founder and CEO, Power Connections Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, and Outplacement Service

Posted in Executive Career Management, Executive Coaching, Outplacement Services, Job Hunting | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Job Search and Zumba Dance: The Right Moves Will Come!

Posted on March 23, 2011 by susanhowington

In my resolve to get some exercise back into my life, I recently enrolled in a Zumba dance class. The advertisement spoke to me: “Why go to the gym to work out when you can have FUN getting fit?”  I liked the sound of this!

I would have never imagined what a challenge this class was going to be. And what a work out!  In an hour, I was told that it is not uncommon to burn 500 calories – wow!

The cardiovascular workout is substantial. But what is really astounding to me is all the moving body parts that one has to coordinate. Correctly done, being able to “move your body like you are made of Jello” would be the best way to describe the required movements.

One night after my second class, I went to the instructor in complete amazement of her moves and asked, “How do you do that one move where you…?”

She answered, “You mean this?”

“Yes! That!” I replied enthusiastically.  I was referring to a particular move that, let’s just say, required an expert level of upper and lower body flexibility.

“Oh, you’ll get it eventually,” she said. “I’ve been dancing since I was three years old, so this comes easy for me.”

Well, regrettably, my muscles were not trained, even at a wee age, to have this kind of flexibility. There were no ballet or dance classes in my history that helped to program my brain or my body to make the Zumba moves.

There are some people in the class who dance like they know all the moves. Then there are others in the class who look like me – behind by 2-3 steps and looking lost half of the time. I aspire to get to the proficiency level of the people in my class who appear to know what they are doing.

It is not unlikely for me to get incredibly frustrated at not understanding how all the body parts and muscles are supposed to move. As a result, I often find myself shutting down completely. It’s too much simultaneous movement. When I get to this point, I have learned to focus on just one movement at a time. Once I master that move, I focus on adding another move. If I came to class after having a whacky day, and find it hard to concentrate on the dance, I stop, get a clear mind, and begin again working on one movement at a time.

I liken my Zumba experience to the job search process, and how some people handle all of the moving parts. Some have been through job search before – they are often more confident, and they move about easily because they are familiar with the basic moves, if you will, of the search dance. In some cases, they know what they are doing, or at least they think they do.

Some people in job search are like me, trying to get into the rhythm of their search, feeling foolish and frustrated because they know they have not mastered the moves, or are doing the moves all wrong. To those of you who feel this way, I encourage you to reach out for help. When you’re confused, focus on one or two moves, and don’t worry about all of the moving parts. Doing it all at once, and doing it well, can be difficult.   Create one or two strategies and stick to them. When you have mastered the act of one strategy, try another one. Find a career coach to break it down for you, move by move, strategy by strategy. Stay with it, and I promise you, the coordination will come.

I am feeling more comfortable with the Zumba rhythm now, and each class is becoming less frustrating and more enjoyable. I think I’ll sign up for the next group of classes!

Susan Howington is the CEO and Founder of Power Connections Inc., an executive coaching, career management, job hunting, and outplacement firm.

Posted in Executive Career Management, Executive Coaching, Outplacement Services, Job Hunting | Tagged , | 2 Comments