EMPLOYMENT TRENDS AND JOBS IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY

By Michele T. Beccarelli, SPHR

These days, we read and hear everywhere that the economic outlook for 2012 is improving. The Connecticut Department of Labor reports the Unemployment Rate dropped to 8.2% in January down from 9.0% a year ago. It appears better times are ahead, but what does that mean to you if you want to find a new job?

If you are paying attention to the job market and talking with recruiters, you will hear that there are jobs out there; but companies are finding many difficult to fill. The hot jobs with high demand include mid-level Accounting and Finance jobs, especially Financial Analysts, Sales Representatives, Healthcare professionals, Management Executives, and Administrative Assistants. According to Debra Jackson, VP,  Business Development at Right Management, a leader in talent and career management workforce solutions in Norwalk, “There is also high demand for talent in the areas of pharmacology, technology, engineering, science, and research and development; but the market is not meeting the demand creating a shortage of talent. As a result, we see candidates in job search mode for longer periods with many taking on contract consulting work or reinventing themselves to move into entrepreneurial roles in new businesses.”

Companies are cautiously optimistic but moving slowly. While there are needs to fill, they are still nervous about making job offers even for lower level jobs. They are being very selective and expect to see lots of candidates who have ten of the ten job qualifications they seek with industry-related experience. Jennifer Moran, Manager of Employment and Training, at Odyssey Reinsurance Company in Stamford, agrees: “Things are picking up for job seekers for skilled jobs, but there is very little growth for entry level candidates. Additionally, employers are still very particular about the specific skill set they are looking for, and typically, they will not hire anyone outside their industry.”

Corporations are also willing to wait a long time to find those right job candidates to hire and are not prepared to invest time in training. Maureen Mackey, a Principal of Mackey & Guasco Staffing in Southport says, “Junior or lower level positions used to take two to six weeks to fill; now it takes two to six months to hire. Professional level positions take as much as six to ten months to fill. Another phenomenon we are seeing is a significant increase in hiring “temp to perm.” Companies want to see lots of temporary candidates and “try before they buy,” but what’s positive is that they are converting them faster to regular full-time roles for fear of losing them!”

While there are many uncertainties in the job market largely dependent on improvement in the economy, there is a significant development that does support the idea of an optimistic outlook. Companies and agencies are again beginning to hire Human Resource recruiters and professionals to support increased recruiting levels and larger workforces. David Lewis, CEO and Founder of Operations Inc., a consulting firm offering HR outsourcing services in Stamford, currently employees 35 HR professionals and is seeking to hire more. David states that, “At the end of 2008 and 2009, local companies had eliminated HR functions and outsourced the work to firms such as mine. Because corporations have now begun to hire HR staffs and recruiters, it has again become difficult to find good HR professionals.” Immerging HR Talent Management jobs involving social media recruiting skills and strategies are hot! This development clearly indicates that companies expect to hire and that is good news for all of us!

Michele T. Beccarelli, SPHR, is a Human Resource Leader with over 25 years of experience as a Director of Human Resources in Fortune 500 and private companies in a variety of industries. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management in Stamford, CT responsible for chapter communications and website. For more information, go to their website: www.soctshrm.org or contact Michele at mbeccarelli@gmail.com.

LOCAL CEO BUSINESS GROUP ANNOUNCES NEWLY APPOINTED BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The CEO Roundtable - Leveraging the Insight and Knowledge of Peers

The CEO Roundtable (www.theceoroundtable.com), a business group that has proven to be an invaluable resource for CEOs and top-level decision-makers dealing with strategic and operational issues and opportunities, took steps to form a Board of Directors in April of 2011. The group, originally formed in May of 2001 by David Lewis, President and founder of Operationsinc, and John Engel, Realtor with Brotherhood & Higley is in its eleventh year of operation and has evolved to a point where such an Advisory Board has become a necessary step in its evolution.

While we have always operated in a collaborative effort with our members, the formation of a board will help set the direction the group takes in its next ten years and beyond, "stated David Lewis, President and Co-Founder of The CEO Roundtable and President of OperationsInc.

Members of the newly appointed Board of Directors include the following individuals selected from the group: David Lewis, President of OperationsInc; John Engel, Realtor with Brotherhood & Higley; Chuck Chesler, President of Old Rock Associates; John Hannigan, Principal of Choyce Peterson; Maureen Mackey, Principal of Mackey & Guasco Staffing, LLC; and Joe Chu, CEO/President of Chu Holding Company LLC.

The Board will assume responsibility for a wide range of initiatives including group Planning and Direction, Strategy, Membership, Special Events and Finances.

Current membership for The CEO Roundtable consists of approximately thirty local CEO’s – limiting the group to the best and brightest talent in the area. Held ten times annually, these dynamic, free-flowing sessions provide an opportunity for top-level executives to meet and network with their peers, and to discuss their business challenges, successes and opportunities. CEOs, Presidents and owners from over one hundred companies have participated in the meetings since the group’s inception, representing a diverse mix of industries and services. Additionally, the group now holds very successful Bi-Annual Invite-Only Networking Events presenting an opportunity for up to 150 CEO’s, Presidents and Principals in area businesses to connect for an evening for a mix of networking and learning.

To learn more about The CEO Roundtable, please contact David Lewis directly at 203.322.0538 or dlewis@theceoroundtable.com.

Through strategic networking, industry affiliations and being a leader in the staffing industry, Mackey & Guasco Staffing has had the opportunity to be featured in a number of news stories.

How to Jump-Start Your Career When you're Out Of Work!

Shepard Smith, News Anchor for the FOX National News Network, interviewed Maureen Mackey live on Studio B. The topic was "How to Jump-Start Your Career When You're Out of Work!" Maureen Mackey offered the following advice to those watching:

"The three Key components to finding a job, in any job market, are to have the very best resume possible, stay positive at all costs and continually work on building your professional network."

This interview was a prelude to a reality show on the FOX National News Network's "The Pulse News Magazine." This reality show followed six job seekers and their different approaches to the task of finding new employment. One of the six job seekers featured in the show was represented by Mackey & Guasco Staffing. Maureen Mackey and Lu Guasco were also featured as experts in the staffing industry.

At the end of the reality show their job seeker landed a phenomenal position with one of their corporate clients. This job seeker was the only one of the six that utilized the services provided by a staffing firm. At first the job seeker was averse to taking on a temporary assignment, as her main focus was to land a direct-hire position. Maureen Mackey and Lu Guasco explained to her that the current market place may not have many direct-hire opportunities. They suggested she take a temporary assignment which could open doors faster. Sure enough, at the end of two weeks, the temporary assignment turned in to a direct-hire position.