Heres How Job Specification Helps Recruit Employees

Heres How Job Specification Helps Recruit EmployeesHeres How Job Specification Helps Recruit EmployeesA job specification describes the knowledge, skills, education, experience, and abilities you believe are essential to performing a particular job. The job specification is developed from the job analysis. The Importance of the Job Analysis The job analysis is a process used to collect information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job. The job analysis is useful in providing an overview of the fundamental requirements of any position. You need as much data as possible to put together ajob description, which is the frequent result of the job analysis. If you miss critical information, you could end up not paying an employee correctly or hiring someone who lacks an essential skill needed for performing the job. Ideally, also developed from a detailed job description, the job specification describes the person you wa nt to hire for a particular job. 3 Essential Components of a Job Specification The key elements of job a specification include the following Experience.This defines the number of years of experience one needs to be well-suited for the job you are seeking to fill. This can be an exact number (e.g., at least 20 years experience) or it can be a range (e.g., 15 to 20 years of experience). This is also the area where you specifically note whether the position requires progressively more complex and responsible experience, as well as supervisory or managerial experience. Experience may also extremely specific. For example, if the position to be filled is a pharmaceutical marketing executive, the job specification may note that one needs 20 years familiarity marketing specific brand or generic pharmaceuticalproducts. Education.This category varies greatly. For example, the job may require a two-year or four-year academic degree, or a graduate degree or post-graduate degree. You may al so need to note that certain training welches required, or certifications are required for the position. If there are no educational requirements for the job, that should be stated as well. Required skills, knowledge, and characteristics.This category examines the skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics of individuals who have successfully performed the job in the past. Or, you may choose to use the job analysis data to determine the attributes you need from your ideal candidate. Your recruiting planning meeting, or email participants, can also help determine these requirements for the job specification. Either way, this is an area where you need to be extremely detailed to attract the skill-appropriate candidates. Other Ways Job Specification Aids the HR Process A job specification is useful for recruiting because it helps you write your job postings and your website recruiting material. The job specification is also useful for disseminating job posting information acro ss all the popular social mediaplatforms- such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also use the information to screening resumes and comes in handy when interviewing. It also allows employees to accurately gauge what is needed on a daily basis in order to succeed in the job. And, if you tend to be inundated with hundreds of resumes, a job specification is a useful approach and tool to narrow the field down to those candidates that truly make sense. If youve never developed a job specification, then it will help if for you to take a look at a sample job specification.

The distracted mind (How to increase your attention span)

The distracted mind (How to increase your attention span)The distracted mind (How to increase your attention span)Humans have a very limited reservoir of will and discipline. We spend half of our waking hours with wandering minds.Our attention spans are getting shorter.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWere distracted a lot.Your ability to focus is severely limited but sustaining attention on a task is crucial for the achievement of your goals.According to an Adobereport, the average white-collar worker spends about six hours a day on email. That doesnt count other online distractions.The number of distractions and interruptions that want your attention in real-time can be overwhelming.Even a phone on your desk can be distracting if you are aiming for hyper-focus, according to research. The mere presence of any phone reduces your ability to concentrate or make better connections.I n their book,The Distracted Mind Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World,Adam Gazzaley and Larry D Rosen writesA recent study by Professor Bill Thornton and his colleagues at the University of Southern Maine demonstrated that when performing complex tasks that require our full attention even the mere presence of the experimenters phone (not the participants phone) led to distraction and worse performance. In the saatkorn study, the presence of a students silenced phone in a classroom had an equally negative impact on attention.Distractions come in two main kinds, which Daniel Goleman explains inFocus The Hidden Power of Excellencesensory distractions(things happening around you) andemotional distractions(your inner dialogue, thoughts about things happening in your life).Cal Newport, a professor at Georgetown University and author of five self-improvement books thinks the ability to stay focused will be the superpower of the 21st century. InDeep Work, he argues thatfocus is the new I.Q.Y our ability to focus suffers when your mobile device beeps, blinks or thrusts red numbers in your face.You lose concentration and are forced to start over even though you think your task will get done. It takes longer to complete.You may spend a lot of time yet achieve very little since you could never gather enough attention to be highly productive.Notifications are designed to capture your attention and create a sense of urgency. But how often are any of these interruptions truly urgent?Almost never.Turn off the triggers. Notifications are killing your ability to focus.The net is designed to be an interruption system, a machine geared to dividing attention, Nicholas Carr explains in his bookThe Shallows What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains.We willingly accept the loss of concentration and focus, the teilen of our attention and the fragmentation of our thoughts, in return for the wealth of compelling or at least diverting information we receive, says Carr.The brains craving for novelty, constant stimulation, and immediate gratification creates something called a compulsion loop.A compulsion loop is a habitual, designed chain of activities that will be repeated to gain a neurochemical reward such as the release of dopamine.Our brains have complex reward circuitry that can easily be triggered by an influx of pleasing feedback.We need more and more to get the same effect.If you dont consciously break the compulsion, and the urge to stay informed in real-time, you will find it hard to maximize deep work.While some people are able to easily get through the day with many achievements ticked off their list, others seem to accomplish very little because of attention leaks.Tony Schwartz, author ofThe Way Were Working Isnt Workingexplains, Endless access to new information also easily overloads our working memory. When we reach cognitive overload, our ability to transfer learning to long-term memory significantly deteriorates.Its as if our brain has become a full c up of water and anything more poured into it starts to spill out.With so many tasks and distractions pulling you in so many directions, it can take time to focus on the important, and urgent tasks that need your maximum attention.The connections between paying attention, filtering out interference, and remembering are critical to your long-term success.Start building attentive capacityAttention is a muscle. It must be exercised.Commitment to practices like journaling, meditation, exercise, and taking purposeful breaks can build and expand your attentive capacity over time.These activities support your ability to direct your focus, filter out distractions, and manage your emotions.Theyre investments in your ability to operate at peak effectiveness.It pays to improve your ability to focus. Focused techniques such as to-do lists, timetables, and calendar reminders can help you stay on task.Multitasking is an attention-destroying practice.Your brain was never designed to multitask well. Research shows that we cant multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.While insignificant tasks requiring minimal cognitive effort can be performed in parallel, truly meaningful work require a much more intense level of focus.Multi-tasking can result in significant inefficiencies as you switch contexts and lose focus before returning to a deeper level of thought.Across the board, multitasking lowers productivity. But if multitasking doesnt work, why do you do it so often? It makes you more emotionally satisfied as it makes you less productive, says Eric Barker, author ofBarking Up the Wrong Tree The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong.Schedule blank space for intentional thinkingto replenish your store of attention. Protect your time and manage your time like an investment portfolio.This inevitably means you will disappoint others, all of whom believe their issue is worthy of your limited time. The truth is you cant meet every request from friends, family, and colleagues at work.You need time for yourself to focus on your productive work. And when youve made time for yourself, block all distractions and interruptions that may break your flow.Preventing leaks is like eliminating unnecessary expenses. Its good for your finance but you must go beyond that and invest in products with the highest returns. Similarly, you should invest your attention on things with the highest returns.Choose to be less reactive and more intentional about where you invest your attention. To improve effectiveness, decide the night before on the most important thing you want to accomplish the next morning.Put your first few hours to good use without interruption.You could work in sprints.Challenge yourself to work at a stretch on only ONE thing. 60 to 90 minutes of focused work without interruption works well for me every morning.I take 15 minutes break between sprints to restore energy.You c an make a remarkable shift in how any task is done by considering where you want to place your attention.Start every day with a plan and commit to it. Own your attention. A lack of ownership of attention can only make you waste precious time.Congratulations on finishing this post.This article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How To Find a Remote Job

How To Find a Remote JobHow To Find a Remote JobWhether youve decided to rejoin the workforce after raising kids, or you need a little mora work flexibility in your schedule, a remote job might be just what the career doctor ordered. Its fairly easy to find a job that allows you to telecommute, if you know how to structure your search.Here are some tips on how to find a remote job.Pursue your passion. If youve always dreamt of teaching kindergarten children, now is your chance to pursue that passion- remotely. There are certain traits of great flexible workers (such as self-discipline and resourcefulness), youll need to love what youre doing as you transition to working independently.Connect with contacts. While its always a good idea to keep a (positive) connection with former bosses and colleagues, youll need those contacts now more than ever as you search for a remote job. Reach out to your most current ex-bosses and colleagues from previous jobs to see if they (or someone they kn ow) is looking for a remote worker.Think local.If your connections well runs dry, its time to do a little legwork- literally. Scour your area for businesses that are in the same industry youre interested in, and find out if they need off-site help. Emphasize the benefits of remote work to your potential employer (i.e. they wont need to pay for extra office space for you, plus all overhead costs such as electricity and office equipment).Think globally, too. After youve reached out to local businesses in an attempt to work remotely, its time to think bigger. As in, globally. Dont be deterred by borders- look for companies and organizations worldwide that youd like to work for and find out if they already employ remote workers. If they dont, that shouldnt stop you from applying for a position, though. When sending your resume and cover letter to a potential hiring manager, explain why youd like to work for that organization and highlight how your work experience can help benefit the co mpany.Restructure your resume. Sure, your resume shows all your accomplishments and successes. But when youre looking to find a telecommuting job, youll need your resume to spotlight your ability to work at home. So showcase your at home job skills (such as your excellent communication skills, your ability to meet deadlines and your laser-like focus) to show that you are a very capable candidate.When applying for a remote job, the companies that you can work for are limitless. Doing a little company research, highlighting your work at home job skills and previous experience can help you find a great job anywhere in the world that you can perform from your home office.Readers, have you applied for a remote job? Tell us about your experiences in the comments section below

3 Common Myths About Age Discrimination Busted!

3 Common Myths About Age Discrimination Busted3 Common Myths About Age Discrimination BustedHi, Jewel. My harte nuss is I do great on the phone. In the phone interview Im told my resume is excellent and it seems like I would fit right in. But that high automatically turns into a low when I show up for the in-person interview. Meanwhile, my stakes are getting higher and higher, because my regular job ended more than 6 months ago, and Ive been piecing together some consulting since then, but not enough to sustain me for any period of time.The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says the average length of unemployment for someone age 54 is nearly 1 year. While age discrimination is a real phenomenon, its not an impossible hurdle. Candidates in their 60s are getting placed week in and week out. You can achieve the saatkorn thing, but first, lets bust some common age discrimination myths that may be holding you back.Myth 1 The Older You Are, The More Age Discrimination Youll FaceAge discrimin ation can happen at 40. It can also happen at 62. But it doesnt automatically go up with each passing year. Believing that can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, believe in something that you can control you have the power to sharpen your job search skills.Sharpen does not equal, increase. The strategy is not to apply for more jobs. The strategy is to dive deeper into each opportunity. What companies do you want to work for? Focus there. Who can you identify as relevant people to speak to in those companies? Use LinkedIn to find out. Dont know them? So what? LinkedIn is no longer a platform on which you need to know the person in real life, have a mutual connection, or be affiliated with the same college, etc. For every opportunity, devote the time and effort to starting a conversation with a real person.Myth 2 Deleting The Years From Your Resume Is The Best ApproachRemoving the dates from your education is the 1st fundamental move to make. But sometimes you can swing th e pendulum too far in the other direction and take all the years for everything off your resume. What this can quickly lead to, however, is skepticism on the part of the employer, who wonders what youre trying to hide.The problem is not the dates. With or without dates, there are numerous ways for the prospective employer to find out your age. The problem is concentrating on covering something up, instead of concentrating on showcasing what you have. The key here is to present yourself as something other than a commodity. Your job in order to get a job is to position yourself differently from the other candidates, which leads directly toMyth 3 Your Experience Is Better Than The 30-Year-OldsNaturally, your experience is richer and more nuanced. Youve seen things in the professional realm, youve been through things, and youve made things happen. But you do yourself a disservice if you slap everything onto your resume and expect the reader to automatically be impressed. Just having the experience is no longer good enough. What youve done with that experience, and how you can use that background to benefit the next employer thats what matters.Youve been in operations for 20 years? Bring your past knowledge to the table in a way that impacts and influences today. When you apply for a role at a new, state-of-the-art logistics center, float a theory about how well youve seen facilities of a similar size in a similar industry benefit from automation. Bonus points if the automation you talk about is something youve used, better yet implemented in your recent past.New case studies are coming out detailing how a 62-year-old, another 62-year-old, and a 63-year-old all just got hired. Theyre featured in our free presentation, How To Get Hired In HALF The Time, Without Getting Ghosted Because Of Age Discrimination. Learn what they did, and find out what to say to get calls back from the recruiters and decision makers you need, plus the magic response you can use immediatel y if they tell you, youre overqualified.

Key Pieces of Objective for Teaching Resume

Key Pieces of Objective for Teaching Resume Type of Objective for Teaching Resume You need to have five objective stellungnahmes. If youre applying for at least one different kind of job, theres a fantastic possibility you will neglect to update your resume objective statement. Utilize your very best judgment concerning in the event you need to incorporate this or leidlage. Create your personal objective statement working with these phrases. If you have little teaching experience, include volunteer positions and co-curricular pursuits that involve teaching in some manner. Together with meeting all their requirements, you also need to include what differentiates you from different teachers. Most teachers should list all their certifications, or any time they anticipate receiving them. Beyond all the requirements that youve asked for, youll discover I am most likely one of the most energetic teachers you ever met. The 5-Minute Rule for Objective for Teaching Resume Focus o n how you would like to grow within the provider. In the end, stating an objective is optional, but it might help convince employers that you understand what you want and know the business. In your objective statement demonstrate what its possible to add to the new position and the organization and why youre a great fit for your new career. Make certain its tailored to not merely the position, but the business too. Objective for Teaching Resume for Dummies Please be aware that while its not always feasible to quantify results, strive to give no less than a subjective description of the outcomes you produced. Include other information only if its pertinent to your job target. The above mentioned information is meant for private use only. You may have already known that if you submit an application for work, among the documents that is critical to your application is a resume. Objective for Teaching Resume Secrets Dont let yourself be lazy in regards to writing a cover letter The resume objective statement ought to take the format of a job-focused description of what youre able to give rise to the employer. Finding the ideal teacher resume layout. Check to see whether the school takes a particular format. Objective for Teaching Resume - Dead or Alive? The purpose is to make an objective statement that captures the eye of the principal or school board, so they would care to contact you for a work interview. In the previous step, you are going to have to state the aim of the teaching resume. You ought to be patient and dedicated to the practice of learning. Otherwise, take some time to complete them. The Hidden Gem of Objective for Teaching Resume If youre traveling a lot, then you ought to secure a Skype in number or another approach to where youve got a consistent number that may be forwarded to the local number. Why the direction you frame your teaching experience makes a big difference. If youre focused on teaching children, this is a sup erb time to bring out some props and display your backboard also. If you are thinking about using one in your teacher resume, there is not any need. You are going to want to highlight various facets of your experience, based on the particular demands of the position available. Certifications on continuing education are proofs which you are devoted to increase your craft. When youre crafting your resume objective, you should concentrate on particular abilities and experiences which are directly associated with the job. Listed below are 3 substitute teacher resume format options which youll have the ability to customize based upon your experience in addition to your very own inherent abilities and competencies. In the competitive area of education, you are going to want your resume to be noticed, and highlight your capacity to learn and grow in the present atmosphere. The usage of a career objective will present what you could offer to the institution youre applying for. A r esume objective might also incorporate where you are, and where you would like to go in your career. Whether this Teacher Assistant resume example was not sufficient for you, youre absolutely free to review a few other samples and templates from our website. Career summaries onexecutive resume templates might not be excellent for teachers. For example, if youre currently a Social Studies Teacher, whos seeking to transfer schools, but maintain precisely the same position, simply state, Social Studies Teacher on top of your resume. Teacher Assistant searching for a position with XYZ School. Job seekers today have to make an application program thats as well thought out as a fantastic lesson program. Keep in mind, however, which you only need to include information which helps prove you are able to do the job. Finally, its occupation is to prove to employers that they need to take some time to interview you. Several organizations receive hundreds of resumes daily. Why Almos t Everything Youve Learned About Objective for Teaching Resume Is Wrong You might also have a peek at some useful resume keywords to further increase your resume. Best wishes, Samantha Bee There are a couple requirements that each resume should not have any matter the position or sort of job. Thus dont get discouraged if the idea of embarking on a work search makes you wish to have a time-out. Write 10-20 skill statementsthat prove you are able to do the job youre targeting in your objective (or at least prove that you could learn to do the work quickly). The variety of skills that could be helpful for a teacher is vast. If youre employed as a teacher or wish to get a job for a teacher, the very best option before you are going to face interviews. Your teacher resume needs to concentrate on demonstrating that youre the ideal teacher for this role, not necessarily that youre a wonderful teacher generally. Show them that youre a true professional on-line teacher.

The Most Incredibly Ignored Solution for Resume Objective

The Most Incredibly Ignored Solution for Resume Objective Resume Objective the Ultimate Convenience Resume is a type of document utilized by individuals that are binnenseeking for employment. Strategies for making your Objective Statement Outstand Objective statement is easily the most important part of any sort of resume. The resume summary will function as their sale pitch. In most instances, a resume objective is merely a couple of sentences long. If your Objective says youre searching for a full-time job and youre asking for a part-time internship, you will probably be disqualified immediately. To learn to compose a resume objective isnt at all that difficult. As a result, while your resume objective should incorporate information on the career that you would like, you also need to spell out why you are the perfect candidate for the job. Objective is an essential part of each resume and youve got to be quite careful of the same if you prefer to contact a job. You might not know where to start in regards to writing a resume objective. My goal is to find the job. Your objective isnt just about what type of sales position youre searching for, its also about what you could do for the business that hires you. Want to Know More About Resume Objective? Your objective statement is the very first thing theyll see and read, as its the very first thing on the webpage. A similar kind of objective cant be used for every sort of job applied. It may vary for specific jobs. Also, the term objective ought to be highlighted along by means of bold fonts.

How to Find a Six-Figure Salary Job Using LinkedIn

How to Find a Six-Figure Salary Job Using LinkedInHow to Find a Six-Figure Salary Job Using LinkedInSix-figure salary jobs are scarceDid you know that according to the US Census Bureau, only 20% of US households make over $100,000, while only 5% make over $150,000? Finding a six-figure salary job requires more than spending all day applying for jobs online. It takes networking with the right people in the right way. If you are in the career position to do so, and you are ready to try something new, try ansicht tips for using LinkedIn the next time you want to find your six-figure salary job. Practice proper LinkedIn messaging etiquetteTime is money for both you and the recruiter. Since you are reaching out to the recruiter first, be sure you follow this etiquetteRead the recruiters profile before messaging. It matters.Write a subject line with personal info and briefly acknowledges the recruiter profile.Write a friendly, short and sweet greeting that quickly explains your interestQui ckly explain or offer what you can do in return for the recruiter.Always finish with contact info and a thank you.The deal here is you are not trying to waste a recruiters precious time while being respectful and wisely using the time you have with the recruiters eyes on your message. If you are contacted back and the message was a bust, be sure to show appreciation for the time spent in letting you know. After all, they did not need to reply. You made them want to reply. GreatUpdate your LinkedIn resumeLinkedIn has been around for over a decade. If you have not touched your LinkedIn resume in a while, it is most likely out of date. It may be representing what you were doing years ago, either with its lack of information or its format. Therefore, you will start attracting the wrong recruiters or hiring managers as you seek out your new six-figure salary job. Consider trying the following as your search for your next six-figure salary jobUse LinkedIn Salary to research what jobs are paying more than $100K.Research the profiles of people who work in your desired profession to see what your competition is doing on their LinkedIn resumes.Reach out to national services like Find My Professionor other local services that offer LinkedIn makeover services.Your resume on LinkedIn should be different from your personal resume. If a person shows interest in hiring you, It is redundant to send him/her an MS Word document with the same resume found on LinkedIn. The main difference between the two resume styles is that your LinkedIn resume will offer more information about you. Your personal resume usually focuses mainly on quantifiable achievements.Create a powerful headlineThe great thing about a LinkedIn headline is that it gives you the chance to show your professionalism, industry, and job function. This information is especially important because it will appear under your LinkedIn profile in a Google search result next to your location. The best things you can do with the 120-character space LinkedIn allowsSpecify your industryClarify your job functionUse a brief votum of what you intend to do for other companiesThere are many theories behind the usage of a headline. Just remember these simple facts before writing a LinkedIn headline that suits your industry and functionIt will show up in a Google search with your name.You need to show your industry and job function.LinkedIn is a social tool for people conducting business.Your creativity and professionalism should display a six-figure salary behavior for the industry and function you desire.The ultimate goal of your headline is making sure the right recruiter or hiring manager finds you.For more help with your LinkedIn headline, check out these LinkedIn headline ideas.Engage In LinkedIn discussionsRecruiters and hiring managers, like you, will read your thoughts, what you share, comment on, and post on LinkedIn when viewing your profile. They are looking to see how you professionally engage with others, what you are writing, and what you are sharing, as well. On the other hand, you can also engage in discussions with recruiters to see if you like what they have to say. This will help you see if he/she is the type of recruiter you should be working with. The easiest way to engage in such discussions is to do the followingUse the LinkedIn Search at the top of each page to find recruiters and hiring managersInvestigate the profiles and discussions of people working in professions with average median salaries of 100K or more.The more active and friendly you are, the more you will start to notice these individuals connecting with you.Engaging in professional discussions with recruiters and hiring managers is a great way to drive traffic to your profile. Always keep in mind, however, it is best to contribute only when one has something positive and generous to offer everyone. Commenting for the sake of engagement looks forced and opportunistic on LinkedIn, as it does in the real world. You want to comment only if you can make a great impression on the discussion.Now that you have learned some great tips to find a six-figure salary job using LinkedIn, its time to put it into practice. Get out there and start making some meaningful engagements that will get you hired

Top 10 Perks and Benefits

Top 10 Perks and BenefitsTop 10 Perks and BenefitsOver-the-top perks and benefits arent uncommon in some areas of the country, such as New York City or San Francisco. While some generous companies subsidize lunch options (and make sure theyre right there on campus), others comp them altogether.Now figure in some of the more unique corporate perks, like pet-sitting services and free dry-cleaning delivery, and employees may never again have to open their wallets at work.Like it or not, we spend the majority of our waking workweeks at the office. Many firms understand this and try to make the time away from our personal lives as comfortable as possible. After all, happy employees mean higher productivity, greater creativity and less turnover.One way to perk up your team? Invest in their overall contentment with appealing perks and benefits. A recent Robert Half survey showed theres a disconnect between the perks and the benefits workers want and what companies actually offer. The perks employees most want are flexible work schedules (88 percent), a compressed workweek (66 percent) and the ability to telecommute (55 percent). While many companies offer flexible work schedules (62 percent), our survey found fewer than one in five offer shorter workweeks or remote work options. When it comes to money, theres less of a disconnect between companies and employees The main type of financial rewards companies offer is annual or biannual bonuses (44 percent), which was also the most desired among professionals (77 percent) when considering a job offer.Whether you provide free food and coffee or the standard fare, here are the 10 top corporate perks and benefits - and why companies are wise to consider offering them.Defining perks and benefitsThey are sometimes used interchangeably, but for our purposes, heres how well define the two types of company extrasBenefits - as in employee benefits - are a form of non-wage compensation. If not offered by the employer, employees would likely have to fund them on their own.Perks - as in perquisites or corporate perks - are nice-to-have additions to an employees salary and benefits package. We define perks as above-and-beyond offerings that may sway an employee to value one employer over another. Think icing on the cake.HIRING? WE CAN HELP YOU5 benefits top employers offerHealthcare. After salary, this benefits staple is of the utmost importance to many job candidates and typically includes medical, dental, imagination and/or life insurance coverage for employees and their families. In our survey, health insurance was one of the two most wanted employee benefits, along with paid time off.Paid time off. Whether its for vacation, illness or bereavement, PTO - personal time off - is highly valued by employees and a great way to combat burnout. Two weeks is standard for new hires, but three or more weeks of PTO can be hard to pass up for many candidates.Retirement savings plans. A tax-advantaged 401(k) plan c an be an excellent way to motivate employees to save for retirement. Offering to match contributions up to a certain amount is a big plus in the eyes of workers and can encourage them to stick with your firm.Maternity/paternity leave. Employees want to feel like they can pursue career goals following the birth or adoption of a child. Hence, many companies offer paid time off for new parents.Professional development. Now more than ever, employees want opportunities for professional development, to master new skills and to grow into other roles. (This is especially important to millennials who are particularly concerned about career path options.) Funding training and continuing education can be incredibly beneficial to both employee and employer.Get the Robert Half Salary Guides now Starting salary ranges, insight into the latest benefits and perks, hiring trends - the guides have it all.5 persuasive perks to enhance recruitment and retentionWork from anywhere. Were all familiar wit h the work-from-home option, but how about the ability to work from anywhere, even when youre in the office? More and more companies are loosening up and allowing employees to choose the location and space that is most conducive to getting the job done. As highlighted above, telecommuting and flexible work schedules were the most desired perks among employees we surveyed.Workplace wohlbefinden programs. Your employees are the most valuable resources you have, so invest in their health and wellness. Whether its through a paid gym membership program, on-site yoga classes or health screenings (or all of the above), these perks keep on giving, considering how wellness affects productivity and creativity.Free food (and good coffee). Some companies, like Google and Pixar, go all out, offering every meal, snack and treat for free. This appetizing perk can save employees a lot of time and money. (Plus, its great for spontaneous eaters/poor meal planners.)Concierge services. Employees value work-life balance. And errands and chores are boring even when you have the time to do them. Win over employees (and recruits) by providing access to a concierge service that assists with daily tasks like dry cleaning pickup or basic auto servicing.Transportation or parking reimbursement. If employees have to travel long distances, pay tolls and parking, cross bridges, traverse tunnels or brave public transportation, offering to foot part or all of the bill can be a big plus.While great perks and benefits will no doubt help your efforts to recruit and retain good people, remember that job candidates want to work with companies whose values align with their own. Build and promote your attractive company culture and establish a reputation for fostering a supportive working environment.

Bioengineering May Provide Solutions for Joint Pain

Bioengineering May Provide Solutions for Joint Pain Bioengineering May Provide Solutions for Joint Pain Bioengineering May Provide Solutions for Joint PainThirty-two percent of American adults experience some kind of joint pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And that number climbs as people age Sports injuries, weight gain, and everyday wear and tear are common reasons why mora than half of people 65 and older report having joint pain.With most Baby Boomers age 55 and older, joint problems are getting attention in health care and research, and bioengineering may play a key role in treatment and prevention.Knee Relief in the LabKnees are the most common joint to have pain or injury. According to the American Osteopathic Association, one-third of Americans report having some kind of knee pain.Meniscus tears are a common knee injury, especially for athletes in sports that require jumping, sudden stops, and sudden changes of direction such as football, volleyball, and bas ketball. And help for meniscus damage may be coming from a laboratory.The Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education, a La Jolla, CA, facility that is part of Scripps Clinic, has grown a complete meniscus. The gruppe, led by director of orthopaedic research Dr. Darryl DLima, created the meniscus using a 3D printer.While 3D printing had worked in bioprinting cells, DLima said there had not been much success in printing spun fibers like those found in tendons and ligaments, key parts of joints.The projectwhich was supported through grant funding from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the Shaffer Family Foundation and Donald and Darlene Shileyused electrospinning, which is commonly used in textile 3D printing a customized drum to rotate and gather the threads in the shape of a meniscus and electrospraying, which the team hoped would allow for tissue cells to be placed between the fibers just as they are in a natural meniscus.We were skeptical, DLima said. We were afraid the voltage used would cook the cells, but they survived.The teams target is to get a printed meniscus just like a natural one. The timeline of getting the meniscus into a clinical trial in three years, DLima said, is an aggressive one. Clinical trials would take another 10 to 15 years. The holy grail is that by replacing the meniscus, patients wont develop arthritis, he said.This could also reduce the need for knee replacement surgeries. About half of all knee replacements are because of secondary arthritis, with meniscus damage being the most common cause of that. DLima said meniscus replacement could reduce the number of knee replacement surgeries, which cost on average around $31,000, by 30 percent.Fifty years ago, we didnt know what a meniscus did, he said. It was thought to be like an appendix, something our bodies no longer needed.The research, which also included abstract lead author Dr. Jihye Baek and research collaborator and abstract co-author Dr. Martin Lotz of the Scripps Research Institute, could also lead to creating tendons, ligaments and other kinds of tissues. One example, DLima said, is a spinal disc. Replacing a ruptured disc would be a more effective treatment than spinal fusion, he said, as that procedure provides relief but also transfers the problem to the remaining discs, which could lead to problems with them down the road.Prevention and TreatmentResearchers at the University of Utah have discovered that damage to collagen, a key component of all tissue, can occur before other signs of injury become apparent.Jeffrey Weiss, a University of Utah bioengineering professor who led the study with fellow bioengineering professor Michael Yu, said the discovery happened when Yu was using a probe called a collagen hybridizing peptide (CHP) to study denatured collagen. They stretched tendons and used CHPs to see if the CHPs could detect damage and discovered that collagen molecules show damage before tissue failure and injuries occur .We discovered that collagen molecules are more metabolically active than previously thought, Weiss said. Turnover is more frequent.While applications for treatment are years away, understanding how damage occurs at the molecular level offers many of possibilities in terms of joint health, Weiss said.Ultimately, we could use CHPs to determine at what level of tension damage is caused, he said. That would help in knowing when to modify workouts or physical therapy.The CHPs could also be part of treatment someday, Weiss said.Imagine attaching therapeutic drugs to the CHPs, and being able to target an area that has damaged collagen, he said.And there are more possibilities from there.This could extend to cartilage and bone, Weiss said. It could be used for diagnosing and tracking injuries as well as targeting treatment.The holy grail is that by replacing the meniscus, patients wont develop arthritis. Dr. Darryl DLima, Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education