Investing In Employees' Future
If your firm is hiring younger employees, keep this advice in mind: 89 percent of those recently surveyed say that they would be more likely to stay with an employer who paid for all or part of an employee's continuing education.
The survey, from George Mason University, Fairfax, Va., and Washington-based, Potomac KnowledgeWay, an organization focused on the information technology industry, polled 400 college graduates nationwide who have worked at least 10 years since college and are under 55.
It found that many college grads take their first job with the goal of getting a higher degree at the same time.
Many employers are wary about paying for continuing education for fear that employees will move up and out of the company, possibly to competing firms. However, surveys indicate that reimbursement helps build loyalty and career satisfaction, not high turnover.
Shelley Spector, president, Spector & Associates in New York, favors PR employees getting a higher degree in business, not public relations.
"My hope is that in the coming years, MBA students will be required to take PR classes and that public relations students will graduate from the business school," she says. (Hope Heyman, Spector, 212/943-5858, Dan Walsch, GMU, 703/993-8785).
Younger Employees Unhappy
You should start thinking about those lower on the totem pole in your agency or PR department, according to a new study. Two out of three Americans say they are very satisfied with their current employer.
But a study released this spring by CDB Research & Consulting Inc., New York, states that this high degree of overall satisfaction overlooks the fact that only 58 percent of adult employees under the age of 35 are happy with their employers.
This gap especially affects public relations, an industry that attracts young employees.
In comparison, 93 percent of workers over the age of 55 say they are satisfied with their employer. The study was completed in November 1997 with 155 random telephone interviews with employed adults nationwide, 18 or older.
In PR, many fresh employees will have to do administrative work like filing, faxing and creating databases. Employers should communicate expectations about career goals and advancement to their younger employees during the interview process, says Larry Chiagouris, managing director of CDB. (CDB, Larry Chiagouris, 212/367-6858)
Companies Hiring Externally
More companies hiring senior executives look outside their firm for fresh talent, reports Thorndike Deland Associates. A survey, conducted last spring with 700 U.S. companies, found that 70 percent are turning to other companies for managers.
The practice may not be smart, as 40 percent of new management hires fail within the first 18 months, finds Manchester Partners International, an executive search and coaching firm.
The Manchester study of 826 human resources managers nationwide indicates the failure is caused by lack of communication and teamwork.
Many new hires also fail because employees do not understand expectations and tactics for judging performance. (Carol Finman, Thorndike, 212/661-6200, Sal Vittolino, Manchester, 800/220-1234)
Job Candidates Rule Salary Negotiations
Sixty-three percent of companies responding to a survey by Marra, Peters & Partners, a New Jersey search firm, say that job candidates have the upper hand in salary negotiations.
Only 13 percent thought the hiring company had the advantage. (Phil Ryan, 212/206-0033).