Boomer... Wiser Worker

There has been a lot written over the last year about the emerging need among employers to tap into older workers as a resource to fill positions that require skilled labor. You do not have to look beyond the Boomer generation to understand this phenomenon. The Boomers, who represent the largest generation, are beginning to exit the workforce. Boomers are folks that were born between 1946 and 1964. They represent the most populous generation in the United State's history. When they begin leaving the workforce in masses, they are going to leave a big void in the workforce, and we are all going to feel it. Even in the face of a recession, it would be wise for employers who have or anticipate having a need for skilled labor to start figuring out how to tap into the Boomer generation. The Boomer generation has greatly influenced our culture and will end up being the generation that redefines what retirement means in America.

Okay, so we know this need is coming. So how can employers begin to tap into this valuable, skilled labor force. First of all you have to know what is important to the folks you are trying to recruit. For Boomers this is increasingly not monetary. Priorities for many of these folks are based on flexible work schedules, quality of life, being able to maintain benefits, etc. Many of these individuals will only want to work part-time. That being said, you can also expect that they will only be working in jobs or fields that they enjoy.

How would you define an older worker? Is it someone 40 or older? Does someone become an older worker at 50? One third of the workforce in America will be 50 or older by 2010. How about 55? Share your feedback with me via a comment. I have read that 50 is the new 40 and that 40 is the new 30. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects individuals 40 years of age or older from age discrimination. If the Fed recognizes that age discrimination begins at the age of 40, is that the age by which companies should gauge their older worker recruitment strategies? If 50 is the new 40, maybe Uncle Sam needs to update this bit of legislation.

We at The Employment Guide invite you to check out our newest job board designed for the "Boomer" or "Wiser Worker." Despite the fact that this demographic represents the fastest growing segment of online users, there are only a few other job boards out there as of today that target this valuable audience. We invite you to check out our latest offering http://www.wiserworker.com/ which is live for indexing purposes but has yet to officially launch to the masses (that is coming shortly). Be sure to let us know what you think. Thanks!

What's New No. 2

So what else is going on at The EG that is new and exciting in addition to the recent introduction of video? Over the course of the later half of 2007, our talented product development team and programmers went to work on constructing a new solution for recruiters in the health care industry. Breaking from the platform of traditional job boards, our team, after researching the industry, decided to incorporate a social networking component into our new site. It was clear that people in the health care industry needed their own community online; therefore, we introduced our social networking section of the new HealthCareerWeb.com called, "MedCom."

After the soft launch of the site at the end of 2007, we started to see an influx of medical professionals starting to find their new networking space. As we near the hard launch date, more than 2,000 individuals have already created networking profiles in addition to uploading resumes and actively applying for jobs. We are also very excited to have Denise Tanner leading our HealthCareerWeb.com efforts in the capacity of business development manager. Denise has professional experience within the health care industry and has a great understanding on how to best position our products to meet the needs of both job seekers and recruiters. Denise has already contributed greatly to our efforts in preparing HealthCareerWeb.com for the upcoming hard launch.

At the rate new jobs are being created in the health care industry, we understand the importance of developing a product that can readily meet the needs of the industry. The aging population in the United States is the primary reason for the increasing health care hiring bubble, and when an economic trend is demographically supported, it typically come to fruition.

A large part of our motivation in developing this new product is to meet the needs of our customers (job seekers and recruiters within the health care industry). Another large part of our motivation is to be a partner in proactively meeting the health care needs of the aging population base within the United States. We have a large group of hourly job seekers that utilize our products and services that represent a great base for educational programs to tap into in order to re-career individuals for new careers in health care. As manufacturing jobs, construction jobs, etc., are on the decline, there are great opportunities for individuals within these respective professions to embark on a new rewarding career within health care.

We are very excited about our newest product offering! A special thanks goes out to all of the individuals who worked together to pave the way for our newest offering, HealthCareerWeb.com.

What is New at The Employment Guide

I spend a lot of time comprising posts on my blog about my thoughts on leadership and how my thoughts coincide with what is going on within our business and industry. The next few posts are going to be dedicated to new, exciting products that I am personally excited about and that we are now offering at The Employment Guide.

Video Job Postings and Employer Profile Videos - Video has been an emerging medium online. Video is definitely here to stay, and it makes quite an impact as a complement to recruitment advertising packages. Video helps recruiters paint a better picture for job seekers. It allows the job seeker to enhance their understanding of the job description and have a better perspective of the company for which they are contemplating as a prospective employer. According to a study I recently read completed and published by Borrell Associates, Inc., "local online video advertising" is expected "to more than triple to nearly $1.3 billion" in 2008. We at The Employment Guide have a local online, cost-effective video product ready to meet your recruitment advertising needs.

The emerging metric for how the success of a video is measured is called EOI (Expression Of Interest). The expression of interest refers to the playing of the video, which then translates into increased conversion rates of a higher quality candidate based on using the video as an additional filtering tool. Adding video to a recruitment campaign will help to improve the process by which recruiters find the right candidate. Adding video will also allow recruiters to spend less of their precious time working on the wrong candidates by improving the means by which the advertising works as a filtering device.

Video is a cool addition to a job posting and increases a posting's effectiveness. It appeals to all generations. Until lately, it has also been very expensive. Not anymore! Just like the impact our organization, The Employment Guide, had on the newspaper industry when we introduced the first national network of alternative cost-effective recruitment publications, we are also now ready to change the landscape and current expensive nature of recruitment videos.

Stay tuned to EmploymentGuide.com for more details, or you can always call one of our 55 offices across the United States and speak to one of our team members in a market nearest you.

How do you feel about video as an online recruitment tool?