No it's not an error in the title, fools really do get respect and flexibility at this multi-media company in Alexandria, Virginia. The Motley Fool's benefits are the epitome of a great way to attract qualified candidates to their company. We already know of companies like google which provide great perks to employees, but it's The Motley Fool's ability to describe these excellent benefits in their job listings that lure candidates to the site. I often get calls from employers who aren't receiving a good amount of resumes to their listings, and I notice a common issue with these ads: lack of company information. This can range from description of the actual field the company works in (type of company, clients, past awards, links to projects,etc.), to listing benefits and rewards for employees. Aside from Xbox, yoga, indoor soccer, free parking, pizza day, massage therapy, camping trip, and omelet & waffle day, The Motley Fool also offers flexible work schedule, matching 401K, and a NO vacation policy! Of course not all companies can provide such great benefits to staff members, but the point is to highlight any special compensation packages for employees. Even if a job title may seem like a great fit for a job seeker, it's just as important to find incentive to join a company and become a full-time member.

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We've all done it, we still come into work even when feeling sluggish or stuffed up from cold medicine. Many of us want to "save" our sick days for dire emergencies or those perfect sunny days in the summer, but the productivity of work from employees under the weather can be negative AND more expensive for the company than frequent absences. It's called "presenteeism", and although employees are physically present at the office, the efficiency of work isn't up to par - not to mention the chance of a contagious virus spreading to other co-workers.

Presenteeism is now associated with workplace-related stress. According to Dr. Ballard from the American Psychological Association, one-third of Americans are living with extreme stress, with 74% of respondents saying work was the main cited source of this stress - 15% above last year's results. Some large companies like GlaxoSmithKline and PricewaterhouseCoopers provide health assessments and discussion groups to alleviate struggles involved with workplace stress. Although these efforts can definitely help overall performance, taking a day off when necessary doesn't seem like such a bad option. After all, it IS better off for the company as a whole, isn't it?

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It really is a bear market out there. The news this past weekend strengthened people's fear of a recession taking place, when JPMorgan purchased Bear Stearns. What was once considered one of the largest global investment and securities firm in the world, has now sold each share for $2 - a year ago it was $170 a share. There is still a lot of trepidation for further losses related to mortgage investments and people are preparing for any negative effects due to this, especially in job cuts. One great piece from ABCNews provides the five hottest places to find a job in America despite the slowing economy. Texas took 3rd and 5th place with booming job growth in Austin and Fort Worth for teaching, construction, and technology. Atlanta, GA and Wichita, KS also made it to the list for jobs in accounting, aircraft/petroleum, and health care, but Salt Lake City, UT was placed as the #1 hottest place to find a job, with many positions in nursing, education, and banking. It doesn't hurt to be have a backup plan in case there are blows to the economy, especially to those unfortunate ones who might have placed all their eggs in one basket.

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We all know how stressful job hunting can be, settling for any mediocre job doesn't seem to cut it in the long run. Hiring an individual for a company is not an easy task as well. Although attractive on paper, a candidate may not be the best fit once you meet him in person. A simple search for job titles and criteria does not mean that the position may suit you the best. As popular online sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn started helping recruiters find top talent, there are improved recruiting tools now offered, which can change the way companies hire potential job seekers. Kevin Wheeler from ere.net lists the hottest trends for 2008, including interactive websites that allow companies of any size, the chance to build a great recruiting website. Standout Jobs created Reception, a suite of web-based tools to power companies' online recruiting efforts. A company can showcase its culture and team through videos, blogs, pictures, and other applications. Aside from marketing jobs and company profile, Reception also features an applicant tracking system. Instead of sending a resume to a database, an intimate relationship is built between you and the job seeker.

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Although America witnessed one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history, it seems like that's the only thing looking up in our country's morale. The crisis in the sub-prime mortgage industry as well as a downward trend in the employment index resulted in quite a few layoffs in all sectors of the economy. According to the Monster Employment Index, January Index for Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media Occupations was down 15% vs. January 2007, and down 9% vs. December of 2007. So how do you survive an unexpected job cut and get back on your feet to find employment? Fastcompany.com provides a guide to layoff survival, from dealing with the job loss to getting back in the game of job hunting, the article breaks down the essentials of turning a tragedy into an opportunity.

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"People don't leave companies; they leave managers." This was a statement that 55% of survey respondents agreed to on Yahoo! HotJobs annual job satisfaction survey Additional studies from the survey indicate that 43% of workers would take a new job in 2008 due to a dislike in a boss' performance. So how can companies create a better boss/employee relationship? The job satisfaction survey lists strategies that can improve communication and thus higher retention rates. According to Greg Smith, President of Chart Your Course International, part of creating a retention strategy within a company is to train managers or higher level executives on how to develop and provide performance improvement coaching. Questions or surveys to each employee can provide the best feedback and individual attention. If you're in need of a little guidance, Smith also provides a free retention course that may help boost employee confidence and provide great tips on creating the best model for high retention within your company.

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It's a competitive job market out there, and it comes as no surprise that resumes sent from job applicants may at times be slightly embellished or exaggerated. This may include listing certain skills you don't have or listing past experiences that may not have occurred. Although it's easy for an employer to miss them amid the massive pile of resumes in a database, there are more managers who actually catch these lies and end up dismissing the prospective candidate because of it. Careerbuilder conducted a survey that resulted in 57% of hiring managers finding a lie on a candidate's application, while 93% of managers who caught an applicant lying on his/her resume did not hire that person. An article from The Christian Science Monitor states that many employers do actually investigate whether or not an applicant received a bachelor's or master's degree. If there is faulty information in a resume, the article says that managers should give applicants the opportunity to respond to any discrepancies. The main advice given to job seekers was to be honest because lying can come back to haunt you.

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Although resumes on print/web are still the standard means of applying for a job, video resumes don't seem too far behind. Sites such as YouTube allow people to post video resumes for the public to view. Video resumes have become a great tool for job seekers and employers alike, providing another way for individuals to include a creative touch when applying for a position. Career related websites such as CareerTV also post employer videos along with video resumes so that potential candidates can go online to learn about the actual company that they are interested in applying to.
A concise but informative video stating one's experience and background can be the pre-screening process before actually considering a face-to-face interview. But not everyone agrees that video resumes are the best source to find new recruits. A TIME article states that some employers are worried that legal issues might interfere with using video resumes as a recruiting platform, candidates may claim bias based on race, gender or age. While there are valid arguments to support such a case, video resume creation is just another step towards the online culture we live in today. It's a matter of adjusting to a new method that may completely take over the hiring procedures of most companies some time in the future, and paper resumes will seem like something from the past.

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Online networking sites aren't just for social use anymore. Internet applications such as Facebook offers users to advertise a company or product. People can even become a "fan" of your page, allowing your users to view updates, photos, videos, etc. Facebook also offers social ads, where users can connect with a brand or business and target a specific audience. Employers can use this tool to advertise for a position and keywords can be used to drive traffic to the right demographic. You can also view the actual numbers behind the traffic, performance metrics are offered in Facebook Insights

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With such a tight market in the recruitment world, employers are having a tougher time now than ever to source qualified candidates. According to a questionnaire, Sourcing Today's Candidate: What's Working to Attract Top Talent, a survey was conducted among 904 job seekers, where one in four surveyed candidates stated that the main challenge in finding a great position was due to "finding a good job fit" based on the job posting. A poorly written job description may be the deciding factor as to whether or not a job seeker would apply to a great job. So what does "finding a good job fit" mean? There may be several great positions that match a talented candidate but if the job posting does not describe this well, say in a vague or uninteresting manner, it can result in a missed opportunity for recruiters.

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