(Not) Out of Office

U.S. workers continue to struggle with work/life balance.

According to Randstad’s Engagement Study, 42 percent of U.S. employees surveyed feel obligated to check in with work while on vacation and 26 percent feel guilty about using all of their allotted vacation time. Additionally, 45 percent feel obligated to respond to email after hours, and 47 percent feel guilty if they don’t work, either on site or from home, when sick.

In the U.K., 20 percent of workers say they contact the office during vacation and 17 percent say they feel it is expected to check their email, according to a separate study undertaken by Careerbuilder.uk.

Not Satisfied

While at its highest level since the recession, job satisfaction is still low.

A majority of U.S. workers continue to be unhappy at work, according to a survey by The Conference Board. The report found 47.7 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs, up from 47.3 percent in 2012 and an all-time low of 42.6 percent in 2010.

Job satisfaction in the 1980s and ’90s routinely neared 60 percent or higher; 2005 was the last year in which a majority of Americans was satisfied at work (52.1 percent).

The Apprentice

U.K. employers are taking on apprentices in unprecedented numbers.

The number of apprenticeships available each month in the first half of the year has grown by more than 87 percent compared with the 2013 average, according to data released by job board reed.co.uk.

Of the 944 apprentice-ships posted on reed.co.uk in May, for example, 370 were in business and administration and 243 were in IT and telecoms. The biggest year-over-year increases were in the retail (up 483 percent) and construction and property sectors (up 360 percent).

Beyond the Biceps

Diversify your client base and strengthen your recruiting rm.

When you want to get stronger physically, you don’t just do rep after rep of bicep curls. For real strength, you’ll do a variety of exercises that will make you stronger overall. But in recruiting, companies often implement a “biceps only” regimen, putting all of their effort into one specific area. While staying within your niche is a good strategy, your recruiting firm will be stronger if you diversify your client base.

— Source: “Beyond the Biceps: 3 Ways to Diversify Your Client Base and Strengthen Your Recruiting Firm,” The Staffing Stream, by Phil McCutchen, marketing manager, Bond US.

‘Like’ This

The psychology of online dating can help or hinder recruiters.

On dating websites and recruiting sites, people list them- selves the way an eBay vendor lists goods: sharing only the best photos and information that others will find attractive. Wanting to know if the person is worth the time, suitors and recruiters can speed up the processes by analyzing social content — but they can also eliminate candidates prematurely by making assumptions base on what they find.

Source: “How the Psychology of Online Dating Can Help or Hinder Recruiters,” The Staffing Stream, by Brandon Metcalf, COO and co-founder, Talent Rover.