Now You Can Post Your Open Jobs at No Cost for Highly Trained Unemployed National Guard Members!

 

Now You Can Post Your Open Jobs at No Cost

for Highly Trained Unemployed National Guard Members!

American Jobs for America’s Heroes is a non- profit alliance with the National Guard to help un- employed National Guard members, veterans and spouses find skilled jobs in the private sector. 

There are National Guard units in all 54 states and U.S. territories. Thousands of members are unemployed.

Job Posting is Free and Easy!

Direct Access: Your job postings are plugged directly into the National Guard Employment Network, the flagship employment initiative of the National Guard.  State National Guard employment counselors are waiting to match your posting with qualified job candidates!

Ongoing Program: This is not a limited-time event.  You can post jobs at no cost as openings arise throughout the year.

World-class Case Management: An internet- based platform is rolling out, enabling the state National Guard and nonprofit employment counselors in the alliance to work collaboratively to fill postings.  This enables higher quality control and helps to ensure prompt and quality support.

Hands-on Support to Fill Your Jobs

The first step is for you to register using the link below. It takes 5 minutes.

Case Manager: Your case manager will contact you by phone within two days to answer questions and receive job postings that will be uploaded for you into the National Guard Employment Network Job Portal website.  Members of all military branches can view them in addition to the National Guard.

Personalized Support: Your case manager will actively match National Guard candidates with your job requirements.  You will receive tailored help in screening candidates and understanding how military training experience relates to your requirements.

You Are in Control: Then, you can contact each applicant with whom you want to talk.  You will continue to receive selected resumes until you fill your open positions.

National Guard Training in 107 Categories

National Guard members are valuable employees. Only one in four applicants are accepted into the National Guard.

Members train continuously in programs provided in 107 categories, from leadership, administration and logistics to electronics, operations and maintenance.  They demonstrate a readiness for learning, responsibility for good teamwork and reliability, and they understand how to perform in a disciplined organization.

Watch the 5 minute video:

www.CenterForAmerica.org/video.html

Register for Posting at:  www.CenterfoAmerica.org/register.html

For information on how your company can support American Jobs for America’s Heroes, please contact Steve Nowlan, President, Center for America at SNowlan@CenterForAmerica.org or 201-513-0379

Q&A: How Employers Post Jobs

How much does it cost for associations, employers and applicants to participate?

No costs; all services are free.

What do I do first to get started?

The first step is to register on www. CenterForAmerica.org — it takes 10 minutes.

What happens next?

After registering, you’ll receive a call within two business days from Stacey Cummings with Corporate America Supports You (CASY), a campaign alliance nonprofit. Stacey will answer your questions, review your specific needs and provide electronic forms for you to use to submit postings. You can also call Stacey at 757-262-1295 or email her at s_cummings@CorporateAm- ericaSupportsYou.org.

Do I fill out the posting forms?

Yes, you can cut and paste from an existing job description or use the form to compose the posting. It takes only a few minutes. Then you email the forms back for staff review.

Why do the postings need to be reviewed by CASY-MSCCN?

This is a quality control step. There is often different military and civilian terminology for the same or similar skills and training.

Experienced counselors at CASY and Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN) help translate qualifications and duties to ensure that jobs and candidates are not overlooked because of jargon.

How does the job actually get posted?

When the posting is ready, it will be posted for you on the National Guard Employment Network online Job Database and distributed to National Guard employment counselors and nonprofits in the states. The counselors work directly with unemployed National Guard members and will look for matches between your posting and candidates to email to you.

National Guard members and all applicants from all other military branches can access your posting on the CASY-MSCCN job board.

How do I find out about possible matches?

National Guard employment counselors will contact you by email or phone so you can review the candidates and contact those you wish to.

Also, applicants searching the job board on their own can contact you directly based on the preferences you indicate in your posting.

How is the job posting tracked?

The National Guard Employment Network (NGEN) and CASY-MSCCN use a world-class secure internet software platform donated by Kenexa, an IBM company.

This enables NGEN counselors to log every interaction and communication with applicants. Every viewing of your posting by applicants using online access is also tracked. Those looking at your posting through distribution channels beyond online access cannot be tracked.

How is NGEN and CASY-MSCCN different from military "job boards?"
These integrated teams offer extensive personal help and coaching to both employers and applicants, personalized to individual needs.  You can draw upon as much help from experienced staff as you want without charge.

How Your Company Can Claim Federal Veterans Tax Credits

This new free publication for employers prepared for the campaign by Caplin & Drysdale provides a clear and concise understanding along with step-by-step guidance.  It includes links to the required IRS and DoL forms employers need to submit.  Whereas most media articles generalize and leave out key eligibility and filing details, this guide includes what you need to know to decide if your company is eligible and how to file.  The guide covers four federal tax credit programs: Returning Heroes, Wounded Warrior, Activated Military Reservist Credit for Small Businesses, and the Federal Empowerment Zone Employment Credit.

Download here:

http://www.CenterForAmerica.org/tax_benefits.html

To Post Jobs:

Call Stacey Cummings at 757-262-1295

Getting More out of Employee Appraisals in 2014

by Connie di Primio, Customer Account Manager at Halogen Software

Where has the year gone? It is almost time for employee appraisals again. As an HR professional, you are in a strategic position to help managers and employees recognize and reap value from a process that for many feels like a necessary administrative evil. And, while you are at it, why not use the process to gather valuable information to help with your organization’s overall HR strategy?

An essential part of an integrated talent management strategy
Employee appraisals bring the most value when, rather than seen as isolated events, they are integrated as an essential element in a comprehensive performance management process that itself is part of an end-to-end talent management strategy that includes recruitment and selection, rewards and recognition, employee development and succession planning.

Potential insights from employee appraisal data
There is much information that employee appraisals can supply to help drive an effective Talent Management strategy. Collect and analyze performance appraisal data across the organization to:

Identify high performers who may become part of a high potential candidate pool that can provide successors to critical roles.

• Identify areas of high and low performance within the organization. Examine these closely  to determine the best strategy for taking advantage of strengths and mitigating weakness.   
• Assess leadership. Appraisal data can yield important information about the supervisors and managers who deliver them. A single manager with consistently highly rated employees may be one with effective leadership who can be further developed and advanced and/or serve as a mentor to those who may be struggling with the process. A caveat to investigate is whether the high ratings represent real data or are the result of an “easy grader” who doesn’t understand or value the performance appraisal process.
• Similarly, supervisors and managers whose employees are consistently poorly rated may need help in learning to coach their employees to higher performance or, if they are “tough graders,” in recognizing and appraising good performance.
• Identify training and development needs. Appraisal discussions can be opportune times to discuss employee development plans. By rolling up development information, HR can identify training and development needs to make the best use of the training budget. A pattern of low performance in certain skill areas can also be a clue that training and development is needed here.
• Identify retention risks. Consider providing tools and instruction to supervisors and managers to enable them to assess levels of retention risk among high performing employees and those in critical roles. Just opening the discussion with employees about their ambitions and passions can go a long way to encouraging employees to stay in an organization that wants them to succeed.

Getting good data

The old adage “garbage in / garbage out” certainly holds true when attempting to gain insights from performance appraisal data across an organization. Fortunately, the steps that HR can take to ensure good data will also help managers and employees get the most out of their annual appraisals. Here are some ideas to improve the employee appraisal process:

• Provide descriptions and rating criteria for critical competencies. This will help managers and employees to identify and understand what key competencies are required for success in their current role as well as one they may have their eye on for the future. Include descriptions of observable behaviors that indicate lacking, developing or proficient levels of the competencies.  
• Coach managers in the process and hold them accountable for giving effective appraisals. New managers in particular, especially those who are now appraising their former colleagues, will need help in evaluating performance and providing effective feedback.
• Gain input from multiple sources. Provide tools so managers can solicit performance input from employees themselves as well as key customers and teammates who may be able to fill gaps in the manager’s knowledge of their employees’ performance.
• Invite feedback on the process from managers and employees for continuous improvement.

Taking the necessary steps to ensure you get good, high-quality data out of your performance review process in 2014 will yield some great results that will help drive your business forward.

October is a Busy Month!

You may not know this, but October is:

• National Disability Employment Awareness Month:  Declared in 1988 to raise awareness of the employment needs and contributions of people with disabilities
• Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month (Texas):  Declared in 2011 to celebrate the achievements of those with disabilities, throughout history
• White Cane Safety Day is observed Tuesday, October 15:  Since 1964, this day celebrates the achievements of people who are blind and/or visually impaired

We'd also like to share with you the link below, where you may view and/or print the Fall 2013 Calendar of Events related to the support, education, partnership, and awareness of disabilities in the Austin area:

http://governor.state.tx.us/disabilities/committees/calendar/

You’ll find a wide variety of events, from Information to Parents, Caregivers and Professionals on Special Education and Services for Students with Disabilities through the ARC on 10/8, to the White Cane Day Celebration walk at The Capitol on 10/15, to Disability Mentoring Day at Goodwill on Norwood Park on 10/16.

To further celebrate and recognize these observations, October 17^th is AHRMA’s Annual Diversity and Inclusion Day and Event.

Our lunch speaker, Zach Anner, has cerebral palsy and will speak to our attendees about his life struggles resulting from his disability, and how he’s overcome obstacles and attained success through his powerful work ethic and sense of humor (just to name a few!).

A second disability-minded session happening on the 17th will be presented by employment lawyer and AHRMA D&I Committee volunteer Wilson Stoker. He will speak to the current EEOC and DOL disability directives and how they impact HR professionals, as well as a session

Registration for October 17th is open now – for members, all day is just $85 – we’ll see you there!
www.austinhumanresource.org

Upcoming Presentation: Why Should HR Care About Social Media?

by Bryan Chaney
(Reposted with permission by http://careerconnects.org)

As the founder of CareerConnects and producer of the second HR focused event, I am proud to feature Curtis Midkiff, Director of Social Engagement for SHRM.

Curtis and I met originally online, then in person at an HR event in Austin two years ago. He works tirelessly to increase awareness of the power of social media in HR, and to help practitioners leverage it more effectively.

Have you struggled with the technology, the time, or the legal ramifications of using social media? He will address the fears and failures that some human resources professionals have faced and overcome. Don’t miss his session “Why Should HR Care About Social Media.”

You can earn HRCI credits for attending the Austin HR strategy event. Tickets are limited, so get yours through AHRMA today.

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Bryan Chaney is a global talent branding and attraction strategist. He has most recently led employment branding and social media for corporate recruitment at Aon. He serves on the board of Social Media Breakfast in Austin and founded careerconnects.org, Find out more at http://about.me/bryanchaney.

September 2013 Member Volunteer Profile - Julia Menegay, SPHR

Julia Menegay, SPHR is the Director of Human Resources for the Texas Nurses Association and has been a member of AHRMA since 2001.  In her early years with the organization, she admits she just attended an occasional monthly meeting and the annual conference, mainly for the HRCI credits.  Then, she learned about the Workforce Readiness Committee and, since helping prepare students and young people to successfully enter the workforce is her main interest, she joined this committee in 2009.  She volunteered on the Mentoring Subcommittee, which eventually merged with another subcommittee to become “School 2 Work.” 

For two years, she volunteered as Project Manager (first as Co-Chair and then as Chair) for Workforce Readiness Day, which she credits a wonderful team of volunteers with helping make this such a success.  This year, she is serving as Co-Chair of “School 2 Work”, and their mission is to work with schools and community agencies to help students become prepared to enter the workforce.  Julia says Workforce Readiness is such a passion to her because, as HR professionals, we have an opportunity to help students by sharing our stories through mentoring, Career Days and other volunteer opportunities. 

She enjoys the Workforce Readiness Committee because they have so many opportunities to give back to AHRMA and the community.  They have a diverse set of goals every year, but are focused on bridging the gap between workers and employers to help employees become more successful.  They have various subcommittees focusing on everything from K-12 students, HR professionals and Military Veterans in transition, as well as working with community organizations to improve the skills of tomorrow’s workers. 

Before Julia joined Texas Nurses Association in 2010 as their Director of Human Resources, she was an HR Consultant for a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) for 13 years, where she worked with numerous small businesses to provide guidance to the business owners about HR, payroll and benefits. 

Julia’s dedication and enthusiasm for AHRMA and her volunteer efforts with the Workforce Readiness Committee is best summed up in her own words.  Julia says, “AHRMA has great things to offer members, if we get involved.  It’s so easy to pay dues, attend a couple of meetings and go to the conference every year, but that’s not really what AHRMA is all about.  It’s about taking advantage of what our association and members have to offer.  There are so many ways to get involved and those naturally lead to networking opportunities, which gives us the opportunity to learn from each other and grow both personally and professionally.  I’ve met a lot of great people through AHRMA and plan to stay involved for a long time.” 

You Are NOT Just Another HR Professional

by Angela Loëb, Career/Personal Vision Consultant, InSync Resources

(Reposted with permission by http://careerconnects.org)

There’s one underlying question on everyone’s mind during the hiring process.  And, as an HR professional, you know this is the big one, whether or not you’ve ever been involved in the recruiting function.

That question is… “Why Should I Hire You?”

Guess what?  The answer lies not only in what you can tell them about about your qualifications, your hard-earned degree or certification and your fabulous work history.  While those things are all important, what I’m getting at is that your answer needs to go deeper than that. 

Why?

Because there are many other HR professionals in the market who also have suitable backgrounds and qualifications for the job opening.

The deeper and most important part of the answer is how you are different.  

In order to answer the question well, you must know HOW you are different so you can articulate it clearly and according to their needs.  

What’s So Different About You?

There is definitely something unique about you. You were born with this uniqueness.  Others know what it is because they come to you for it.  Since you’ve had this uniqueness all your life, you might be too close to it to see it.  You live in the skin you’re in, and it’s hard to look at yourself from the outside.

But there is, indeed, something unique and different about you.

A client once told me that she is known for being the glue that holds everything.  Another said that she is very tenacious and that walls only appear when she stops.  

These are great examples of compelling and memorable ways to describe uniqueness.

Uniqueness Formula

Over the years, I've developed an easy way to figure out your uniqueness.  I call it the Unique Promise of Value Formula, which is Talent + Passion + Impact.

It’s simple.  You identify your unique core talent – the one that you are most passionate about using – and then cross check it by determining how you’ve made an impact using it. 

For the Talent part of the formula, make an inventory your special talents and skills.  Write down everything that comes to mind, even if it seems too obvious.  Chances are what comes easy to you may be just what makes you unique and special.

There is a distinction between talents and skills.  Talents come easily to you – they’re inborn abilities.  Skills are what you have learned to do.  Skills may or may not be related to your talents.  Some of your talents may still be raw and undeveloped.  For example, maybe you had natural music ability when you were younger but never had the opportunity or perhaps chose not to develop skills like reading and writing music or playing a musical instrument.  Start with the skills you enjoy using and see if they track back to a natural talent that you have enjoyed developing. 

When it comes to Passion, you should think about the talent that you have the most passion for when using it.  If you need help figuring this out, pay attention to what tasks you do that energize you or that you enjoy doing so much that you lose track of time (in a good way, of course!).  

If passion isn't a word that resonates for you, try approaching it as what makes you feel deeply satisfied and contented.  Like everything is right in the world during the time when you’re working or performing that particular activity.  Basically, you can’t not do this… whatever it is.  In fact, you’d do it (and probably already do it) for free.

When you're looking at the Impact part of the formula, look at those accomplishments that came out of the work you really enjoyed doing.  I’ve noticed that many of us have the tendency to be good girls and boys who get results because we are trained to be that way or because we need to get the gold-star recognition or because it’s the right thing to do when we’re on someone’s payroll.  What I’d like you to focus on is what you did to make a difference because you were all in.  

The core talent you’re so passionate about using that you can’t not do it will have a positive impact in some way.  So look for examples of results that validate the other parts of the formula.

You make a difference – and add value – when you do something that not only gets results, it ignites you and satisfies your soul.

Pull these three elements together, and you’ll be able to articulate why they should hire you.  You’ll be able to tell them why you are NOT just another HR Professional. 

“Everyone has been made for some particular work 

and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.” 

– Rumi

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Angela Loëb has been in the career services field for over 20 years and is the author of two books about job search. Connect with her at http://about.me/angelarloeb.

And if you want to learn more about the importance of finding and leveraging your own uniqueness as an HR professional, please come to the 2013 CareerConnects event sponsored by AHRMA on September 26 at the Long Center.  Click HERE for more details.