By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman The lackluster economy has taken its toll on employees. A research report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that only 29 percent of workers in the 31-to-61 age group were “very satisfied” with their job. The rest were either “somewhat satisfied” or not satisfied at all. To avoid losing […]
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By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman In the dog-eat-dog world of engineering, managers are constantly seeking new ways to lower operating costs. That’s why savvy managers are taking a hard look at the return on human capital and strategically integrating contract professionals into the engineering talent pool. Four Cost-Reduction Strategies No. 1: Control ancillary employment costs Although managers […]
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Look for traits and behaviors that reveal the presence of customer-centric DNA By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Engineers are renowned for their ability to solve problems and manage details, but they aren’t typically known for their customer service skills. Frankly, finding customer-centric contract professionals is so difficult that engineering managers often employ product managers or other go-betweens […]
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From the Business Times (reprinted with permission) As the economy goes, so goes the business at PEAK Technical Staffing USA, and, right now, business at PEAK is looking pretty good. The company, based in O’Hara Township, is opening three new offices to meet the growing demand it is seeing from customers for specialized contract engineers. […]
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It takes a unified front to win the battle for top-notch contract engineers By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Imagine heading into combat without support from allies or a strategic battle plan. Unthinkable, you say? Well the unthinkable happens every day when managers try to win the war for top-notch engineering contractors by relying on vague connections with […]
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By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Managers performing engineering recruitment need to evaluate a contract engineer’s commitment and work ethic in addition to their engineering skills. However, they often ask illegal questions to uncover relevant information. Unless each probe is carefully worded, it may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or a slew of […]
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Optimizing the Balance between Core and Augmented Staff By Joseph Salvucci Every company confronts the essential question of how much core staff is needed. Too few and you run the risk of diluting your core competency. Too many and you wind up with bloated salaries and benefits you staffed up for during peaks. When the […]
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By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman It was the shot heard ’round the employment world back in 1999, when the U.S. District Court ruled that Microsoft’s long-term contractors were entitled to participate in the company’s tax-qualified employee stock purchase plan. While some companies responded by capping the length of contract assignments and scrutinizing the status of independent workers, […]
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Growing reliance on flexible workers requires new strategies By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Were the first contractors the American builders and engineers who traveled to Russia to help rebuild the country after the Russian Revolution? By accepting 6 to 12 month assignments and offering their talents on a freelance basis, those early trendsetters may have unknowingly launched the […]
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While the job market is heating up, prospective employees are sure to notice a few differences when compared to the past. Most notably, employers are adding more contract or temporary workers as opposed to full-time employees with benefits. According to a recent CNNMoney.com article Say goodbye to full-time jobs with benefits, the government estimates that 40+% […]
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