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2012 Cleantech Trends
Breakthrough science hinges on economics
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Gwinnett County Police want to know if you have what it takes to join their ranks.
The department will host a job fair Sat., Feb. 18, 2012, at the Gwinnett County Police Training Center located at 854 Winder Hwy. in Lawrenceville.
Visit www.gwinnettcounty.com for details and to download the job fair brochure.
Gwinnett continues to post job growth according to County Employment and Wages data released in January by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The county saw a 2.3 increase in employment between June 2010 and June 2011 equating to roughly 7,000 net new jobs added. The increase puts Gwinnett 33rd nationally among the 322 largest U.S. counties. This announcement coincided with the Georgia Department of Labor’s preliminary January numbers showing that Gwinnett had the lowest unemployment rate in the five core metro Atlanta counties for the 30th consecutive month.
“Gwinnett’s overwhelming successes have not happened by coincidence. They have been a direct result of the partnership of dedicated individuals from the public and private sectors working in sync to generate results through the community implementation an effective economic development strategy,” says Raymer Sale, president of E2E Benefits Services, Inc., and Gwinnett Chamber chairman. “This great news on the employment front will propel us to further success; with the second phase of our plan aimed at creating even more jobs and wealth in our county.”
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has been ranked among FORTUNE magazine’s elite list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America. It is the seventh consecutive time the not-for-profit pediatric health care system has been named to the list. Landing at No. 49, Children’s is the only hospital in Georgia to appear on the list, and one of only four companies headquartered in Georgia (joined by Aflac, Alston & Bird and InterContinental Hotels Group.)
When broken down by size, Children’s placed 19th in the midsized company sub-category, and earned special recognition for being a top company for women and minorities. Additionally, Children’s placed 25th and 41st in sub-categories recognizing top pay for hourly and salaried employees, respectively.
Calibratior II Stella Fritschi, WIKA Instrument Corporation
Gwinnett County ushered in 2012 as a Georgia Certified Work Ready Community. A master vision set in motion five years ago laid the groundwork for Georgia counties, like Gwinnett, to transform their economies. The first metro Atlanta ‘core’ county and the largest county in the state to achieve this designation, Gwinnett continues to attract new businesses by cultivating the talent necessary to staff existing jobs and to master future innovative technologies.
Georgia Work Ready began in 2006 when then Governor Sonny Perdue launched a statewide initiative to establish a purposeful link between industry and education to create a regional talent pool. The State’s commitment is three-pronged: provide a mechanism to understand skills of a company’s current workforce, develop training programs and establish reliable hiring criteria. To become certified, counties must meet education benchmarks and certify a percentage of the available and current workforce.
Gwinnett Parks and Recreation will hold an ‘in pool’ interactive job fair Feb. 3, 2012 from 6-9 p.m. at Bethesda Park Aquatic Center in Lawrenceville to share details about lifeguard and instructor opportunities. The fair is free and is open to both certified and uncertified lifeguards. Be sure to wear or bring a swimsuit.
Teens 15 years of age prior to the last day of the last certification course are eligible to become certified lifeguards for the 2012 season. Parents are also welcome to attend the job fair.
For further information about certification training or for questions about the County’s aquatics program visit www.gwinnettparks.com or call 770-822-8849.
Despite the high unemployment rate, a majority of employers surveyed for a recent Robert Half professional employment report cited difficulty locating qualified candidates.
Andy Decker, senior regional vice president for Robert Half International’s Georgia division, indicates, “In Georgia and other states in the South Atlantic region, hiring is particularly strong in the healthcare, financial services and manufacturing industries.”
Added to these growth areas, consider the speed with which the mobile marketing is gaining traction as a significant strategy for many business sectors. Jenifer Mauney, metro market manager for Robert Half Technology and The Creative Group in Atlanta, explains that, “Web platforms translating over to mobile devices have quickly created demand for marketing/creative and tech talent with specialized skill sets.”
Four distinct, age-based cohorts now coexist in the workplace.
Visionary thinker Diane Durkin, president and founder of Loyalty Factor LLC, promotes that increasingly the challenge is how to integrate the best traits of each generation into a corporate culture. Durkin’s insightful research reveals how birth year influences typical behaviors in the workplace.
Veterans (1922–1944): This generation is driven by duty before pleasure. In the workforce, they are stable, loyal and hard working. To them, work is a privilege. They respect the institutions and leaders they work for and believe that work and sacrifice pay off in the long term. As a result, Veterans seek a directive leadership style, with clearly defined goals, directions and measurements designated by the leader.
Small businesses entrepreneurs exert great influence on hiring decisions, sometimes to the detriment of the long-term health of their companies. Follow these dos and don’ts when adding staff.
Problem 1: no hiring plan. Without a deliberate hiring strategy, entrepreneurs often gravitate toward candidates who share their personality traits, then inadvertently populate their companies with CEO-level egos.
Solution: be strategic about the company culture. Evaluate candidates based on their ability to mesh with the company’s core values and long-term goals. Involve key managers and employees in the interview process to gain different perspectives.
Problem 2: skills or attitude? Entrepreneurs tend to value intangible qualities above bullet points on a resume, but promote an excessive “must have” checklist.
Solution: define essential qualifications versus on the job skills training. Develop an on-boarding program that will allow even the most experienced hires time to adjust to a new environment.
by Andy Decker
Seasonal work can serve as a bridge to full-time employment if you play your cards right. Here are tips on turning what’s supposed to be a temporary job into a full-time position:
Show initiative. Adopt a full-time mindset rather than viewing yourself as “just a temp.” Prove yourself indispensable from day one by going the extra mile and volunteering for projects outside of your job description, as appropriate.
Act (and look) the part. Astutely observe the office culture and then adapt your work style and behavior accordingly. In addition, carry yourself with a quiet confidence and consider dressing a step above what’s expected. Put simply, act like you belong and that you want to be there.
by Andy Decker
Shopping for a new job this holiday season? Don’t let up as the year winds down. In fact, now’s the time to kick your employment search into high gear. Here’s why:
There are excellent jobs to be found. Despite the unemployment rate, a majority of employers report difficulty locating qualified candidates. In Georgia and other states in the South Atlantic region, hiring is particularly strong in the healthcare, financial services and manufacturing industries. In-demand positions include:
Hiring managers may have time and money to spare. When it comes to staffing budgets, many companies have a “use it or lose it” policy. If supervisors don’t use all of the funds set aside for hiring personnel in 2011, they risk having that portion of their budget cut in 2012. Moreover, at some firms, business activity tends to slow down a bit in December. Swamped mangers may finally have breathing room to review resumes and conduct job interviews.