The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce and Kirtland Air Force Base are hosting their second annual job fair at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque on August 4 from 9AM to 2 PM.  Technology Ventures Corporation is also a major sponsor.
This year in addition to the government sector jobs available through KAFB and their partners, nmtechjobs.org and NM WIRED Project are expanding the employer list to include private sector technology job opportunities as well as administrative positions in the area. 
Opportunities in the government sector include: Federal Protective Service project managers and criminal investigators; Air Force Research Lab in physics, space sciences, geophysics, chemistry, computer sciences, all engineering field, and management positions; US Fish and Wildlife Service openings, and many more. 
In the private sector: Mechtronic Solutions software engineers, controls engineers, technical writer and others;  Analytical Solutions software programmers; Wells Fargo bank tellers, and others to come.

As part of this event there will be subject matter experts at the KAFB booths, as well as work stations to help job seekers navigate the USAJobs site to apply for government positions.  This is a great opportunity to learn about the jobs available with some of our largest technology employers. Check out the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber website for updates:  ahcnm.org.

Tags: candidates, hiring talent, industry news, job fair, job seeker

These are interesting times for job seekers and employers.  Because of the economic environment, the same old tools aren’t as effective as they used to be.  For one thing, there are many more job seekers than jobs, and that has been the case for awhile. 
Even so, groups are hosting job fairs on a regular basis.  Their reasons vary, but for the one thing it is a visible way to try to help the community and the candidates looking for opportunity.  Also, for the educational institutions it is a way to highlight a new group of graduates and bring alums back to the alma mater.  Events like these provide networking opportunities for both companies and candidates, and can give a good overview of the economic activity in the community. The question is, then, how does someone looking for work get the most out of an event where there may be 1000 people in line with them? 
A recent article in the Albuquerque Journal talked about the frustration some job seekers felt after attending a job fair at Expo New Mexico where there were approximately 5000 attendees and few opportunities.  Many companies were sending people to their online websites to apply, and there were few onsite interview opportunities.  Many employers participated as a show of support, but because of internal hiring policies weren’t able to actively interview at the booths.  Their online applications may include a prescreening process to determine if the candidate fits their needs. Also some employers may be anticipating a new contract and are collecting resumes in advance to test the waters.
So for the job seekers:  the best policy is to plan ahead.  Find out what companies are in attendance and check out their websites before you go.  Target the booths that have jobs to meet your talents.  Also it’s a pretty good bet that if there are no jobs listed on the company site that they are collecting, or just being a good citizen! 
Here’s a news flash – papering the booths with your resume without checking to see if you have the skills they need doesn’t get you points or even an interview.  It is also not a good practice to say “I’ll take anything you have” whether you are qualified or not.  There are still jobs available, and more coming.  Keep looking and do your research.  In the meantime, these fairs are a good way to learn about what is happening in your area, and maybe learn new techniques for your search.
Good luck!

Tags: applications, hiring process, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job fair

Economic development folks always mention that new companies with new ideas are a good source of new jobs. An article in Inc. Magazine (July/August 2010) cites a statistic that young companies, (younger than 6 years old) provided the bulk of new jobs. In 2007 they accounted for 64% according to a Kauffman Foundation survey conducted in 2009. So, how do we support the folks that start these new companies—an average of 500,000 per year?

There were a number of suggestions provided in the article, and interestingly New Mexico was used as an example of how to grow a local investment community. The program created through the state committing funds to venture capital firms that opened an office in New Mexico greatly increased the number of VCs in the community. The presence of national venture capital companies has more than one benefit.

Initially of course this presence provides a more direct access to capital for local entrepreneurs. Add to that the fact that these representatives provide invaluable feedback to startup companies in the state and it does give entrepreneurs a leg up. It also makes it easier to attract investment from out of state, as the investor usually wants a local firm to partner with who knows the territory.

Another suggestion that New Mexico has also followed is having local non-profits that provide resources and training to entrepreneurs. Technology Ventures Corporation, University of New Mexico’s Science and Technology Corporation and local economic development groups can give entrepreneurs access to tools and learning to help them with their startup efforts.  The national laboratories, Sandia National Labs and Los Alamos National Lab offer tech support grants to small businesses, and encourage technology business development.

Other ideas were to expand microfinancing, fund big science, rework the SBIR and expand funding, cutting paperwork overall, and passing an energy bill. All these ideas would have a positive impact. Finally, for those who have been looking for their next job opportunity, there are opportunities to work for yourself building your dream company. Historically in times of high unemployment there are more small business startups. Good luck.

Tags: change management, entrepreneurs, Executive jobs, industry news

Interesting survey result: one in four high-potential employees believe they will be working for another employer in a year.  This statistic is from a survey done by the Corporate Executive Board of the Corporate Leadership Council.  An article in the Harvard Business Review , May 2010 summarizes results and ideas for resolving some of these issues. 
The survey, done in September 2009, found that one in three high-potential employees (rising stars and high achievers) admit they don’t put all their effort into the job, and one in five believe that their personal aspirations are different from what the employer has in mind for them.  This in spite of the fact that most companies have some form of program designed to nurture future leaders, and with good reason, as these individuals have major impact on business results. 
The survey also found that the sense of disengagement of these employees has been remarkably high since the start of the recession.  Results suggest that as the economy rebounds and the labor market warms up, companies may see the best employees leaving in large numbers. 
Working with HR departments the Corporate Executive Board studied more than 20,000 employees that were considered high-potential at 100 organizations worldwide.  Findings show clearly that management teams stumble when trying to develop the next generation of leaders. 

Mistakes noted:
- Assuming that high potentials are highly engaged.  Disenchantment has increased since the economic downturn began, and so renewed efforts to engage these employees as well as regularly checking in with them is important.
- Equating current high performance with future potential.  The survey showed that 70% of the high performers lacked critical attributes important to handling future roles
- Delegating down the management of top talent.  If you leave the selection of future leaders primarily to line managers, the selection will be based heavily on current performance.  Suggestions are to develop a leadership program handled by the executive level to help both candidate and managers to understand future potential.
- Shielding rising stars from early derailment.  Just as in the education system where there’s a halo effect if you are perceived as a good student, rising stars are given more help along the way rather than being tested more rigorously.  
- Expecting star employees to share the pain.   Research indicates that under normal circumstances the star employee puts in 20% more effort than others in the same role.  Therefore, when salary freezes and layoffs occur, it is important to find a way to shield the top employees from that pain.  Bear in mind that other companies are scoping out your stars and may lure them away.
- Failing to link your stars to your corporate strategy.  On the other hand, don’t hide the pain from your high potentials.  Keeping them engaged means keeping them involved in the process.  Find ways to share future strategies on a privileged basis with your stars.

Finally, always make these high potentials aware that the designation is mainly an assessment of future contribution.  Don’t just celebrate current achievement.

Tags: candidates, change management, employee morale, Executive jobs, performance management

An article in the Society for Human Resource Management’s staffing publication  (Staffing Management) reviews the results of the Leading Indicators of National Employment Survey released May 7.  According to the article by Theresa Minton-Eversole  the unemployed might have a better chance of finding a job in the next few months . 
Overall the survey shows that the percentage of manufacturing companies that are hiring is the highest since fall of 2007 and in services the highest since summer of 2007.  Also the survey indicates that good workers are getting harder to find.
The LINE Employment Report surveys four key areas:  employer hiring expectation, new-hire compensation, recruiting difficulty for top level talent and job vacancies.  The survey covers HR departments at more than 500 manufacturing and 500 service sector companies, which employ more than 90% of the nation’s private sector workers.
Results include employment expectation increases of 48.7% in manufacturing and 37% in service sector.  This is the seventh straight month of predicted increases.  In recruiting difficulty, manufacturing indicated an 18.9% increase and services a 14.2% increase.  New hire compensation increased in April by 7.2% in manufacturing and 10.9% in services.
LINE survey results for job vacancies cover both exempt and non-exempt positions.  This indicator can be one of the early indicators of a shift in supply and demand in the labor market.  In the manufacturing sector 18.7% of respondents reported an increase in vacancies in April. 
The survey noted that most companies had held their salary levels through the period of high unemployment and are now increasing some compensation for the harder-to-fill positions.  Job seekers are still accepting lower wages and benefits than in the past overall.   Employers may have to change tactics as the pool of candidates for positions of strategic importance gets tighter. 

Tags: applications, candidates, Executive jobs, For Employers, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job seeker