|
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
On Saturday, Jun 12, the Calgary Herald featured an article about BOWEN’s Bullying in the Workplace seminars.
If you haven’t had a chance to read it, check it out here:
//www.calgaryherald.com/life/Bullying+workplace+rise/3145498/story.html
Interestingly, the story resulted in some great responses from Herald readers who were happy to see that this important topic was being discussed!
Yesterday, newspapers across Canada were picking up the story based on Queen’s University’s School of Business research that shows workplace bullying can be more damaging than racial or gender harassment. Interestingly,the Province of Ontario is preparing to pass a bill that will require employers to “develop and communicate workplace violence prevention policies, assess the risks of workplace violence, and take reasonable precautions to protect workers from domestic violence in the workplace”.
(http://http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/Bullying+work+worse+than+gender+racial+harassment+Report/3151623/story.html
Quebec and Saskatchewan already have similar legislation in place. Let’s hope it is not long before every province follows suits. Workplace bullying is wrong - plain and simple!
Tags: Add new tag, career resources, human resources, management
Posted in General, HR Management | No Comments »
Monday, June 7th, 2010
This week is Staffing Week in Canada, and I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the incredible team of staffing professionals at BOWEN, as well as the employers who come to us seeking assistance for a wide variety of workforce needs, and to the job seekers who ask for our help with their careers.
I recently celebrated my 26th anniversary with BOWEN and can honestly say I still love coming to work each day. This is a dynamic and challenging industry, that is also very rewarding. There is such satisfaction in helping people find a job that will carry them along their career path and balance their work / life responsibilities! At the same time, I am honoured that so many of Canada’s top companies have trusted BOWEN’s experience and expertise, and invited us to essentially become part of their human resource and business teams.
The past few years have been particularly challenging for the staffing industry, as we were so directly impacted by the economic downturn and the effects on business. However, there is a positive shift happening and I know that regardless of what the future holds, we will continue to give our best to the employers and job seekers who want our help. Congratulations to all who are part of the staffing industry and enjoy the week!
Tags: employment, human resources, recruitment support, workforce planning
Posted in Economy, General, Seasonal, Thank You | No Comments »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
I’m on a learning curve but am excited to be venturing into the world of social media. From all I’ve been seeing and reading, it is becoming an essential part of an organization’s entire marketing approach. I know there is still much to learn but one of the things that really appeals to me about social media is the opportunity for virtual networking and dialogue in such an informal, easy way. My tweets are somewhat infrequent, but I am starting to post more regularly. If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me at http://twitter.com/sbowensmed. I’d love to hear from you and look forward to more chats in the future.
Tags: human resources, networking, social media, social network
Posted in General, HR Management | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
The results of the Calgary Herald Reader’s Choice Awards were announced this week and once again, BOWEN was one of the top picks for staffing companies. This particular award has always been especially meaningful to me because it is a “people’s choice” award.
One of our highest priorities at BOWEN is to provide both job seekers and employers with exceptional customer service. This has been a foundation of our company since it first began in 1974.
There is no doubt that this past year has been particularly difficult for people looking for work. It is my hope that when candidates come to us seeking help, they feel that we are genuinely committed to helping them through a tough job market.
The same goes for employers. BOWEN continues to offer our expertise and support to these organizations, becoming part of their team to navigate through these difficult waters.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for BOWEN for the Reader’s Choice awards. Your support and acknowledgement of our work is deeply appreciated by all of us.
Posted in General, Thank You | No Comments »
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser for Inn from the Cold featuring keynote speaker Christopher Gardner, the inspiration behind the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness”.
It was truly a remarkable evening and he is one of the best speakers I have ever heard! Many of you are probably familiar with his story , as portrayed in the movie, of being homeless on the streets of San Francisco. As a parent, I was deeply touched by the sacrifices he made to try to shield his son from their hardships and give him as normal a life as possible.
Chris was working during their period of homelessness and had a burning desire within to become successful in the field of finance. After earning a spot in the Dean Witter Reynolds training program, Chris began to pursue his dream of becoming a broker. He talked about how he would make 200 calls a day in hopes of building his “book” or business.
Think about it! 200 phone calls a day! He joked that his finger was permanently crooked from dialing the phone!
I can’t help but think there is a lesson in his story - particularly as it relates to having the persistence to overcome tough situations. He was willing to start at the bottom, work hard and set big goals. Through persistence and a whole lot of hard work, he has exceeded beyond even his wildest dreams.
Each day at BOWEN, our recruiters meet with unemployed candidates who are discouraged by the soft job market and who have knocked on a lot of doors to try to find a new opportunity.
I use the Chris Gardner story as an illustration to encourage anyone who is currently looking for work or wanting to better their current work situation to keep trying. Keep calling, sending resumes, following up with your network and talking to people. Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom. With persistence and a belief in yourself, the doors will open and you will create a new opportunity.
Posted in Career building tips, Economy, Employment opportunities, General | No Comments »
Monday, July 13th, 2009
Budgets can be tight during a recession - and those usual “must-haves” start turning into “must-waits” as we watch our wallets and learn to say no to those non-necessities (as much as it pains us to turn our heads as we pass by those used-to-be-must-have killer red pumps at Towne Shoes). But how can we, as fashion-forward males and females, still look great at work- without breaking the bank?
The answer is to step into the shoes of the modern-day recessionista - who, according to the MacMillian Dictionary online, is “a person who is able to dress in a fashionable way even though they do not have a lot of money to spend on clothes.” Instead of splurging on those $200 shoes, a recessionista spent $20 on fixing up a pair from a couple seasons ago.
Try some of these cost-saving ideas:
- Actually spend some time with your closet to see what’s there – letting inspiration strike! New ways to mix and match or layer clothes can create endless wardrobe possibilities.
- Host a clothes-exchange party! Gather some friends (and a couple bottles of wine) and swap used clothes. Be sure to gather the leftover pieces and donate them to a local charity such as Women In Need (they will even pick up your gently-used clothing).
- When you do shop, be a bargain-hunter. Check out outlet or consignment shops to pay a fraction of the price, or scope out some hot deals online. Sites like BeyondtheRack.com scout great sales from various designers and post them on their website.
Remember – just because we’re in a recession, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. Get creative, and your wardrobe will remain wow-worthy!
Posted in Economy, General | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Going into the summer months can be a challenging time to look for work. Even if you aren’t on vacation, it can seem like many are in “vacation mode”. Given the recent numbers from Statistics Canada and the government of Alberta, there are more people looking for work than we’ve seen since 1996. Both the Alberta and Calgary unemployment rates are pegged at 6.6 per cent for May 2009, up from 3.6 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively in May 2008 (http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Jobless%2Brate%2Bdoubles/1668680/story.html).
Some of the candidates who have recently been to the BOWEN office have told me that they don’t really expect to find work until September, when business returns to a more normal routine. So…what to do in the meantime?
For those who have the luxury of financial stability- be it from another source of household income, a buy-out package, savings or whatever - summer can be a time to partake in a little “funemployment” - a hot new buzz word.
The blog Recessionwire (www.recessionwire.com) defines “funemployment as “a period of joblessness that you actually enjoy - maybe you get to lay out, sleep in, work out, read up. It helps to have savings, severance or an unemployment check to help pay the bills.”
A recent article in the LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-funemployment4-2009jun04,0,7581684.story) profiles people who are making the most of their new-found free time and who have a “funemployment” attitude towards their out of work status.
So, if you are unemployed, how do you turn this time off into a time of “funemployment”? Here are a few tips:
- Know that this too shall pass. There are several preliminary indications and expert reports that suggest the world economies are starting to strengthen and that we are slowing moving out of this recession. As history shows us, things do turn around and there will be new opportunities in the future.
- Enjoy this time as much as you can. You may not have another opportunity to spend time with your family and friends.
- Take a non-career job if you must make ends meet, and again, have the perspective that it is a means to an end.
- Look for volunteer opportunities that may help you build your career experience, or simply because it is a cause you are passionate about.
- Capitalize on this time for professional and personal development, reading books, magazines and perusing online web sites of interest.
Do you have ideas on how to turn unemployment into “funemployment”? I’d love to hear from you.
Posted in Economy, General | No Comments »
|
