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  • Atricle Dump - 5 Key Factors to Consider When Selecting an Outplacement Firm

    Know It Before You Are Handed The Pink Slip
    “When death cometh calling, it cometh not empty handed, it also brought the pink slip.”I think this is the remark of a person who did not even care to read the signals regarding his impending layoff. Even though I am not suggesting that he doesn’t deserve to continue in his job for some reason, we can’t forget the body blow that job loss delivers.Events Leading Up To LayoffsYou can’t expect the sequence of events to be long enough for you to notice that something is brewing. The timeframe could be very short or your name could be added to the long list in the case of a mass layoff. However, the situations vary from time to time and from employer to employer. The following indications might be helpful for you to prepare for the worst and your next steps:1. OVERALL ECONOMIC SITUATION: All depressions, recessions and general downturns have caused lots of job losses regardless of their timing. In gradually slipping economies, the results manifest themselves on the performance of companies. Unfortunately, sudden economic emergencies such as the ones created in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 can’t be anticipated.2. COMPANY LOSING OUT TO THE COMPETITION
     

    If you determine that Internet savvy is an important evaluation point for an outplacement firm, check to see whether the outplacement firm recognizes the importance of the Internet by having a web site.  Are they aware of the top online career sites?  Do they offer a service to post displaced employees resumes on these top online career sites?  Do they have the ability to distribution resumes electronically to a select group of employers and recruiters?

      

    Chinese Steel in Giant Dam Project Questioned by Think Tank
    Recently a Think Tank questioned the steel used in the giant Chinese Dam Project. The massive project is clearly the largest in the World and a bold step for China. Yet some feel too many corners were cut and not enough new technologies were used, they are even questioning the quality of the steel inside the dam, type of concrete mix used and the over all strength in case of an Earthquake. Although the area or region is not known for Earthquakes it sure as heck will be once the dam is in place and all that water weight is redistributed in a different way from which the land mass has become accustomed.Is the quality of steel being used good enough? And why all the quick shuffling and mergers in the Chinese Steal Industry lately, as that really does not make much sense. The competition for steel in the world is moderate and although the prices are down around the world certainly the demand in China is up 10-fold over a decade or two ago. Especially, with the Chinese Navy on the warpath and looking to flex its muscle and all the ship building there should not be any surplus. Consider also all the massive infrastructure going on right now in China?Well, steal industry ind

    With today's economy, more and more companies are finding themselves faced with the situation of having to reduce headcount to remain competitive.  Here are five key factors to consider when selecting an outplacement firm if your company is ever faced with a workforce reduction.

     

    1. Types of Services Provided.  One decision you will need to make regarding outplacement is whether your displaced workers would benefit most from group or individual one-on-one outplacement.  For the majority of outplaced employees, if your budget permits, individual outplacement is the preferred option since it provides one-on-one support that will help them move forward more quickly than they would on their own.

     

    If you decide they would benefit most from individual outplacement, you will then need to determine what services would be most valuable to your displaced employees.  One option would be to select an outplacement firm that develops their resume and cover letter for them.  Another option would be an outplacement firm that offers office space and a computer for the displaced worker to prepare their own job search materials.

     

    2. Areas of Specialty.  Another factor to consider when selecting an outplacement firm is whether it is important to you that they have experience working with the type of displaced employees you will be sending them.  A related factor is whether it is important to you that the outplacement company specializes in dealing with companies like yours. 

     

    If their areas of specialty are important to you, review the outplacement company's web site and other marketing materials to see what their specialty is or ask them directly.  If an outplacement firm's expertise lies in serving large companies displacing administrative staff and your small business is displacing experienced managers, this outplacement firm may not be the best fit for you. 

     

    3. Experience with Current Job Search Practices.  How important is it to you that the outplacement firm be experienced with Internet job search techniques?  Is it likely that the Internet will play a key role in your displaced employees' job search strategy?

     

    If you determine that Internet savvy is an important evaluation point for an outplacement firm, check to see whether the outplacement firm recognizes the importance of the Internet by having a web site.  Are they aware of the top online career sites?  Do they offer a service to post displaced employees resumes on these top online career sites?  Do they have the ability to distribution resumes electronically to a select group of employers and recruiters?

      

    Data Entry Job
    Thirty years ago data entry job was handled very differently from the way we do things today. From keypunch, key to disk and now one thing has not changed that is data entry remain key to success, only the tools and the workload have changed. Data entry job today is just as essential as it was 30 years ago. As business depends more on enterprise, Resource planning, customer relationship management and other enterprise applications. More and more of the information needed to run a business must be online.Now a day’s data entry job online is to make money sitting at home. Data entry duties include the inputting of correspondence, reports, and spreadsheets into a home computer and then transmitting that data using the Internet. Work at home data entry personnel may also proofread text, edit information, and maintain databases. Data entry jobs usually offer flexible scheduling, allowing people to work when they want to and as little or as much as they want to. Some of the growing fields for work at home data entry include medical and legal transcription, medical coding and litigation coding.This type of work is becoming so popular that many fraudulent websites have emergeority of outplaced employees, if your budget permits, individual outplacement is the preferred option since it provides one-on-one support that will help them move forward more quickly than they would on their own.

     

    If you decide they would benefit most from individual outplacement, you will then need to determine what services would be most valuable to your displaced employees.  One option would be to select an outplacement firm that develops their resume and cover letter for them.  Another option would be an outplacement firm that offers office space and a computer for the displaced worker to prepare their own job search materials.

     

    2. Areas of Specialty.  Another factor to consider when selecting an outplacement firm is whether it is important to you that they have experience working with the type of displaced employees you will be sending them.  A related factor is whether it is important to you that the outplacement company specializes in dealing with companies like yours. 

     

    If their areas of specialty are important to you, review the outplacement company's web site and other marketing materials to see what their specialty is or ask them directly.  If an outplacement firm's expertise lies in serving large companies displacing administrative staff and your small business is displacing experienced managers, this outplacement firm may not be the best fit for you. 

     

    3. Experience with Current Job Search Practices.  How important is it to you that the outplacement firm be experienced with Internet job search techniques?  Is it likely that the Internet will play a key role in your displaced employees' job search strategy?

     

    If you determine that Internet savvy is an important evaluation point for an outplacement firm, check to see whether the outplacement firm recognizes the importance of the Internet by having a web site.  Are they aware of the top online career sites?  Do they offer a service to post displaced employees resumes on these top online career sites?  Do they have the ability to distribution resumes electronically to a select group of employers and recruiters?

      

    RFID Companies
    In any rapidly emerging market sector, there are companies that proceed with bold plans but fail to achieve their targets. Then there are those that calmly build lucrative businesses. As far as RFID (radio frequency identification) is concerned, many companies are re-evaluating their policies after disappointment, while others are succeeding.The internet is the best source of searching for RFID companies. Some examples are Baxtek Solutions, Datex Corporation, Kornyk Computer Solutions International, Inc., The L D S Corporation, and Miles Technologies, Inc. Productivity of RFID operations can change by market sector, label frequency, and position in the value chain. In RFID, profitability is not associated with the size of the market, but many people are attracted to the largest markets despite the success rate being low. Also, customer reluctance may cause prices to decrease.Also, technical problems may cause an even graver situation. There is a high probability that companies having good positions with expert technology and business acquaintances will prosper. Some examples of sectors having prevalent RFID activities are airlines and airports, animals and farming, bt-font-family: 'MS Mincho'"> 

    2. Areas of Specialty.  Another factor to consider when selecting an outplacement firm is whether it is important to you that they have experience working with the type of displaced employees you will be sending them.  A related factor is whether it is important to you that the outplacement company specializes in dealing with companies like yours. 

     

    If their areas of specialty are important to you, review the outplacement company's web site and other marketing materials to see what their specialty is or ask them directly.  If an outplacement firm's expertise lies in serving large companies displacing administrative staff and your small business is displacing experienced managers, this outplacement firm may not be the best fit for you. 

     

    3. Experience with Current Job Search Practices.  How important is it to you that the outplacement firm be experienced with Internet job search techniques?  Is it likely that the Internet will play a key role in your displaced employees' job search strategy?

     

    If you determine that Internet savvy is an important evaluation point for an outplacement firm, check to see whether the outplacement firm recognizes the importance of the Internet by having a web site.  Are they aware of the top online career sites?  Do they offer a service to post displaced employees resumes on these top online career sites?  Do they have the ability to distribution resumes electronically to a select group of employers and recruiters?

      

    Are You Playing Buzzword Bingo With Your Customers?
    Are you hoping your customers will suddenly yell out “Bingo – I’ve got it!”? Is your product naming strategy so complex that customers have no choice but to keep their own charts of each name or acronym along with a description of what the product is? Do you sell standalone products or integrated solutions? Are you a business to business services company that offers multiple products to potentially the same customer? Do you know if your brand identity is more strongly associated with the first product that you sold rather than your company name?Perhaps your company grew by acquisition and your portfolio includes legacy products that you have not integrated or renamed because you have been convinced by the members of the acquired entities that their strength lies in their brand identity and ability to continue to operate separately. Is that why you justified the acquisition in the first place, or was it to integrate their solutions into your portfolio? Unfortunately, all too often the long term strategy and broader needs of the customer seem to take a back seat to the interests of the managers inside the company.Whatever the reason that you arrived at this point,eb site and other marketing materials to see what their specialty is or ask them directly.  If an outplacement firm's expertise lies in serving large companies displacing administrative staff and your small business is displacing experienced managers, this outplacement firm may not be the best fit for you. 

     

    3. Experience with Current Job Search Practices.  How important is it to you that the outplacement firm be experienced with Internet job search techniques?  Is it likely that the Internet will play a key role in your displaced employees' job search strategy?

     

    If you determine that Internet savvy is an important evaluation point for an outplacement firm, check to see whether the outplacement firm recognizes the importance of the Internet by having a web site.  Are they aware of the top online career sites?  Do they offer a service to post displaced employees resumes on these top online career sites?  Do they have the ability to distribution resumes electronically to a select group of employers and recruiters?

      

    Why Do I Need An NPI? How Many NPI Numbers Do I Need? All About Billing With Your NPI
    What is an NPI? NPI or the National Provider Identification number is a 10-DIGIT unique numbers. It is a combination of intelligent numbers that does not carry information about the healthcare provider such as his provider type, specialty or in what state he is practicing. This unique identifier will eventually replace all of the provider’s insurance individual provider number issued by each insurance company that he participates with. But this will NOT replace the provider’s Tax ID Number which is required on claims submission.NPI number once issued will remain permanent to the provider regardless of change in practice location, group practice or change of job.NPI or the National Provider Identification number has been mandated by the Federal Government through HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This must be obtained by health providers from the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid (CMS). This mandates all covered entities effective May 23, 2007.So Why Do I need an NPI?It is a standard and unique identification number for all providers (t 

    If you determine that Internet savvy is an important evaluation point for an outplacement firm, check to see whether the outplacement firm recognizes the importance of the Internet by having a web site.  Are they aware of the top online career sites?  Do they offer a service to post displaced employees resumes on these top online career sites?  Do they have the ability to distribution resumes electronically to a select group of employers and recruiters?

      

    4. Length of Time Support is Provided.  Another factor to consider when selecting outplacement services is the amount of time you feel the displaced worker would require outplacement support.  In general, the more senior-level the position, the longer it will take the displaced employee to find suitable employment. 

     

    A second time factor to consider is whether the displaced worker will receive ongoing one-on-one scheduled sessions with a career transition consultant or whether the ongoing support merely includes access to job search support materials.

            

    5. Costs.  Outplacement costs must be considered when selecting an outplacement firm.  Check to see whether outplacement costs are clearly defined and stated on the outplacement firm's web site and in their marketing materials.  Are you charged only if the displaced employee elects to contact the outplacement firm for support or are you charged regardless of whether the displaced employee receives support?  Are there affordable packages available that provide the services you feel your displaced employees would most benefit from without providing unwanted services?  

     

    Another cost factor to consider is whether the outplacement firm gives you the able to select outplacement services a la carte to meet your needs.  Also determine whether the outplacement company has a minimum fee requirement or whether they will charge you only for the number of displaced employees you actually have even if the number is as few as one.

     

    By considering each of these five factors you can develop effective selection criteria for deciding on an outplacement provider to best meet the needs of your displaced employees while adhering to your budget constraints.

     

    Copyright 2001-2004, Quest Career Services, LLC.  All rights reserved.

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