The Work Buzz » Kate Lorenz

Is there a reason you’re late … or is it just an excuse?

Kate Lorenz — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:35:34 +0000

Who invented the standard nine-to-five workday? He or she must have been a morning person because if I were setting the workday hours, I’d push it to start at 10 a.m. at the earliest. Why?

While I’d love to be the type of person who just jumps out of bed alert and perky every day, it just doesn’t work for me that way. Take this morning:

When I heard my favorite DJ through my alarm at sunrise, I hit my snooze several times in an attempt to squeeze as much time out of my slumber as possible. This is my typical M.O. — not very good for someone who actually read an article yesterday about how to become a morning person.

But, despite my tendencies to linger in bed as long as possible, I have to say I am fairly punctual arriving to the office … most of the time.

Seems I’m not alone. A new CareerBuilder survey reveals that 16 percent of workers said they arrive late to work at least once a week, but that’s down from 20 percent in last year’s survey. Another 8 percent said they are late at least twice a week, down from 12 percent last year. What’s the cause of the decline in job tardiness? Could it be the economy?

“Some workers may be more concerned with the nuances of their on-the-job performance these days, resulting in fewer late arrivals,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “Regardless of the economy, though, getting to work on time can be more of a priority in some work places than in others. It’s important for workers to be aware of their company’s tardiness policies and make sure to be honest with their manager if they are going to be late.”

In the survey, workers shared a variety of reasons for being tardy, led by traffic (32 percent) and lack of sleep (24 percent). Seven percent said getting their kids ready for school or day care was the cause of their lateness, while the same amount (7 percent) said bad weather was the culprit. Other common reasons included public transportation, wardrobe issues or dealing with pets. All of these reasons seem legitimate and I’ll bet all workers have fallen victim to at least one.

In my defense, I’d have to say that not waking up on time — once in awhile – is a fairly typical (and acceptable) reason for being late to work. So is adjusting to daylight saving time. (Note: This is only legit in springtime when we lose an hour from the time change.) But then there are the excuses. It seems people will use any excuse for being late for work. Here are some of the real-life excuses hiring managers have heard from their employees explaining their tardiness:

I got mugged and was tied to the steering wheel of my car.
My deodorant was frozen to the window sill.
My car door fell off.
It was too windy.
I dreamt I was already at work.
I had to go to the hospital because I drank antifreeze.
I had an early morning gig as a clown.
A roach crawled in my ear.
I saw an elderly lady at a bus stop and decided to pick her up.
My dog swallowed my cell phone.

A final word of caution to those of you who are punctuality challenged: While some employers are more lenient with worker tardiness, others have stricter policies. More than one-third (34 percent) of employers said they have terminated an employee for being late.

What’s the best excuse you’ve heard or used? Tell us below!

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Ask us your question and win a prize!

Kate Lorenz — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:41:40 +0000

Last week we kicked off our contest, Talk to The Work Buzz! You submitted your great questions about interviews and we picked one to answer. Our winner is getting a copy of the book Career Building.

We like you. You like prizes. So we’re back with a new topic for the contest. This week we want you to submit your questions about accepting a job offer. Any issue that arises during the process of deciding whether or not to accept an offer is fair game.

Remember, we need your questions submitted to us in the comments section of this post by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night. Just scroll down to the bottom and leave your question. Be sure to enter a valid e-mail address where we can reach you in case your question is chosen. Your e-mail will not be published, so don’t worry.

Also, here are the rules and regulations in case you have any questions.

On Friday we’ll answer the winning question and notify the winner.

So talk to us and let us know what’s on your mind!

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Workers tethered by the e-leash in some strange places

Kate Lorenz — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:27:24 +0000

They do it while walking — oh so slowly — down the sidewalk. They do it at the gym. They do it at the movies. They even do it in the bathroom.

They are using their smart phones. While some people are checking out Facebook, getting directions, reading the news or just plain addicted, many are still on the clock.

While smart phones have made it easier for workers to stay connected to the office, they have also made it more difficult to disconnect during personal time.

CareerBuilder conducted a survey on this very topic and workers with smart phones said they are checking in with the office on their smart phones from virtually anywhere and everywhere, including:

During a meal – 62%
On vacation – 60%
While in the bathroom – 57%
Lying in bed at night – 50%
At a movie, play, musical, etc… – 25%
On a date – 18%
Working out at the gym – 17%
At a child’s event of function – 17%
At church – 11%

Here are some other interesting things workers admitted to:

14% of workers said they feel obligated to constantly stay in touch with work because of the current tough economy
21% of workers say they check their mobile device every time it vibrates or beeps
18% report they are required by their company to be accessible beyond office hours via mobile device
23% of workers who are required to be accessible beyond office hours report that being too connected to their jobs via technology has caused issues or arguments with their friends and family.

“The lines between work and life can be very blurry these days — 17% of workers said they feel like their work day never ends because of technology connecting them to the office,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “To reduce burnout and avoid potentially risky behavior, workers should allot technology-free time when away from work.”

In related news, watch the clip below of Jerry Seinfeld doing stand-up in his recent appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. At the 2:45 mark, he starts his bit about smart phones. Can you relate?

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February job numbers redux

Kate Lorenz — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:36:03 +0000

We’ve been a little crazed here at TheWorkBuzz lately and just realized the day has passed without posting our regular breakdown of the BLS’s monthly unemployment numbers. Luckily, our colleagues at TheHiringSite.com have already written about that very subject so we’ll refer you to their post.

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10 ways to make your resume stand out

Kate Lorenz — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:16:35 +0000

When a house has been on the market for an extended time without an offer or even a showing, homeowners often get help staging their property and even make over important rooms, like kitchens and bathrooms. When it comes to your job search, perhaps you should use this approach with your resume.

With electronic job applications and ATS systems being the norm, it’s difficult to really make a statement because hiring managers are often viewing stripped down versions of your resume. All that time you spent formatting your resume might not even matter depending how a certain employer receives and processes job applications.

And even if your expertly formatted resume reaches the intended hands, it’s even tougher now to stand out from the competition when there are more and more job seekers vying for fewer jobs. You really need to do all you can to differentiate yourself.

If you’ve been using the same basic resume for your entire job search and are getting ho-hum results, it might be time to do a gut rehab — deconstruct your resume and rebuild it. Watch this video from CareerBuilderTV to learn 10 ways to get employers to notice your resume:

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Nearly 40 percent of workers have flirted with romance on the job

Kate Lorenz — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:20:08 +0000

When you think of TV’s most famous romantic duos — Jim and Pam, McDreamy and Meredith, Turk and Carla, Sam and Diane, Mr. Burns and Smithers – they all have one thing in common: They met on the job.

But when it comes to finding love, it’s not just reserved for primetime. Regardless of the economy, one thing remains the same: The workplace fuels romance.

“Employees are working longer hours and under increased pressure, creating an environment that could cause relationships to bloom,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

CareerBuilder’s annual office romance survey of more than 5,200 workers found that nearly four-in-ten (37 percent) workers said they have dated a co-worker at some time during their careers. That’s in line with the 40 percent who said the same in both 2009 and 2008. Almost one-third said they went on to marry the person they dated at work.

And what about the office crush? While eight percent of workers currently work with someone who they would like to date, with more men (11 percent) than women (4 percent) reporting they would like to do so.

Twelve percent of workers reported that their relationships started when they ran into each other outside of work. Some other situations where Cupid’s arrow flew between co-workers:

Happy hour
Lunch
Working late at the office
Company holiday party
Business trip

The question remains: Once the relationship is established, should workers keep it a secret?

“Workplace relationships are more accepted these days, with 67 percent of workers saying they aren’t keeping their romance a secret. However, it is the responsibility of the individuals to understand company policy and make sure they adhere to it,” said Haefner.

The survey also showed the repercussions of workplace romance, with 5 percent of workers saying they have left a job due to an office romance. To be on the safe side, Haefner offers these tips if you want to spark a workplace romance:

Know your company’s office relationship policy: While some companies are completely open to office romances, others may have stricter policies. Make sure both parties in the relationship are aware of potential rules or consequences.
Beware of social media: Before you start posting pictures and status updates about your newfound coupledom, it may be better to inform your co-workers or boss in person. That way, there is less chance for gossip or speculation.
Always take the high road: If your relationship should end, do your best to maintain professionalism and not let the issues affect your performance on the job.

So tell us your office romance story. Was it a success or did it fizzle?

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January job numbers redux

Kate Lorenz — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:59:56 +0000

The BLS released January’s jobs report this morning, and while it wasn’t complete cause for celebration, it was encouraging. The unemployment rate fell from 10.0 to 9.7 percent in January, and nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged, down -20,000 compared to -779,000 in January 2009.

Here are the highlights:

The number of unemployed persons decreased to 14.8 million
Employment fell in construction by -75,000, in transportation and warehousing by 19,000, and in financial activities by -16,000
Temporary help services added 52,000 jobs, retail trade employment rose by 42,000, the federal government added 33,000 jobs (including 9,000 temporary positions for Census 2010) and health care continued to trend up by adding 14,500 jobs.
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) continued to trend up in January, reaching 6.3 million. Since the start of the recession, the number of long-term unemployed has risen by 5.0 million
There were 1.1 million discouraged workers — not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them — up from 734,000 a year earlier.

Even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics job loss numbers could were negative for January, unemployed Americans continue to be resilient in their job searches. In fact, 58 percent of those laid off in the last twelve months have secured new positions. According to an updated survey by CareerBuilder, 51 percent of workers who were laid off from full-time jobs in the last 12 months have found new full-time positions, up from 48 percent in June 2009.

Want to know how those people found their jobs? Watch CareerBuilder’s Jason Ferrara discuss the survey on First Business.

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Tips for the long-term unemployed

Kate Lorenz — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:17:45 +0000

Although there are signs the economy is healing, there are still 15.3 million unemployed workers in America according to the most recent BLS data. Among those unemployed, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) continued to trend up, reaching 6.1 million in December 2009. That means 4-in-10 unemployed workers have been jobless for 6 months or longer.

In addition, about 2.5 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force last December, an increase of more than half a million from the previous year. Marginally attached persons are defined as those individuals who were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed, however, because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Have they simply given up?

“Unemployed people are facing some historic numbers and formidable competition. However, they need to pinpoint those areas they may be able to change, make a difference and increase their chances for success. Despite the odds, people are still landing jobs every day. Job seekers need to continually make adjustments, learn to run a focused campaign and never give up,” said Bob Wilson, managing partner of OI Partners-High Potential Inc. in Chicago.

If you are feeling the stress of long-term unemployment, here are some tips from Wilson and his colleagues at OI Partners:

Double-check your references: “Make sure that your references are telling potential employers what you think they are, and they are up to date on your skills and accomplishments. We suggest that our clients ‘groom’ their references constantly and determine in advance exactly what their references will say about them. Finally, use only those that will ’sell’ you the best to potential employers,” Wilson says.

Be sure you are targeting the right industries: The health care industry has added 630,000 jobs since the recession began. Also, the financial services, manufacturing, and professional service industries are the most likely to re-hire people they have previously laid off, according to an OI Partners survey, indicating they may have cut back too deeply.

Increase your face-to-face contact: “Some long-term unemployed may be spending too much time looking for jobs and posting resumes online, and have not had enough face-to-face contact. Join networking groups, and increase your networking contacts by volunteering your services with civic, charitable, and religious groups. Continue attending professional association meetings, as well as finding out from your network what your target companies are doing in the marketplace,” Wilson says.

“You want to become knowledgeable in the areas of your interest. The often used term ‘networking’ is so very important. When you meet a contact and are able to tell your story, you don’t know who or how many that contact will be sharing your story with in the days and weeks to follow your meeting. That is why face time is key – be sure to keep your network up to date and informed. It is how jobs are being filled today,” Wilson adds.

Use social networking Web sites to identify contacts within targeted companies and possible jobs that have not been posted or advertised: Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter are particularly helpful for finding inside contacts. “Work these electronic networking media to identify fellow alumni, friends, and former colleagues who may be internal contacts who can be helpful in getting your resume reviewed,” Wilson says.

Focus on the immediate value you can bring to an employer: “You may not have clearly communicated to potential employers what you can do for them right now and within your first three months on the job. Be sure to clarify your value proposition, including a performance pledge and a timetable for achieving results,” Wilson says. ” Employers want to find people who can help with one of three things: increase revenue, decrease costs, or mitigate risk.”

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Handling job search desperation

Kate Lorenz — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:58:29 +0000

When you really want to — need to — work, is there anything worse than being unemployed? How about being long-term unemployed?

The number of long-term unemployed people (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) grew to 6.1 million in December 2009, according to the most recent BLS data. That means that four-in-ten unemployed workers were jobless for 27 weeks or longer. That’s means of all the people who are unemployed in the United States, 40% of them have been looking for work for six months or longer. Looking at those staggering numbers, it’s not difficult to see why so many people are getting desperate or simply giving up on their searches.

A word of caution: While you might be willing and able to do just about any job, it unfortunately could backfire on you if you admit this to employers or are constantly hammering your contacts for leads. Watch this video from CareerBuilderTV to learn more.

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What makes them want to hire you?

Kate Lorenz — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:42:41 +0000

It’s a new season of American Idol which means another batch of entertaining, yet all-too-often painful first-round tryouts in front of the judges panel. While some people get up there and blow the judges away by simply showcasing their skill and talents, others are memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Watching the tryouts is actually good for anyone who is going through the job search process. You can learn a lot about what to do — and what not to do – in an interview just by watching those American Idol hopefuls because just like job seekers, they will often try anything to impress an employer.

From certain skill sets to that cultural fit, it’s no wonder job seekers are confused about what employers are really looking for in their next hire. If you are wondering that same thing hoping to make some headway in your job search, watch our latest video from CareerBuilder TV about the things that can sway employers.

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