Nepotism in the WorkPlace – Are you a Beneficiary? A Facilitator? Or a Casualty? – By DARWIN

Readers ,

This article is worth reading .

Nepotism creeps up in all manners in everyday life and in the workplace as well.  Have you ever been asked to get someone a job?  Float their resume around?  To lobby for a particular candidate because it’s someone’s brother, cousin, spouse or friend?  I have.  And it’s always a bit disconcerting to reconcile the different thoughts and emotions that accompany such a request. On one hand, you have someone who’s in need of a job asking you for help.  If you were in their spot, you’d probably be doing the same right?  Especially in this economy.  On the other hand, should “networking” (politically correct) or nepotism (calling it what it is) be a factor in which candidate ultimate lands that spot and which one doesn’t?  Does this guy deserve your spot?

I’ve been confronted with this situations a few times and in two prior cases, it didn’t turn out well.  And more recently, I don’t know what the outcome is just yet.

Nepotism in the WorkPlace

Nepotism Case #1 – Early in my career, a friend of ours was looking to get into the biopharmaceutical industry.  I had been in the industry just a couple years and following a lot of hard work and some luck, I had built what I would consider some “professional capital” and a better job title after some promotions.  I was however, confined to a particular niche of the company and didn’t have a lot of contacts in other areas outside of manufacturing.

Our friend asked if I could forward their resume to a business area to see if they could get their foot in the door.  I knew this friend pretty well and thought they’d make a good addition to the company and figured “what the heck?”.  Inside my head, admittedly, there were also some other thoughts going on in the background.  On the positive side, I had thoughts like “they’re a good person, they’re cool, I’d love to see them working here”, “they’d do it for me, right?”.  On the negative side, I was thinking, “what if it doesn’t work out?”.  Since I had no contacts in the area, I had to go through an old college contact that I hadn’t kept in touch with and ask who the decision-makers were, make contact with a hiring manager, introduce myself and basically sell this friend to just get them to take a look at the resume and line up an interview.  I highlighted some positive interactions I’d had and some demonstrated leadership examples and past work experience that I was familiar with.  I don’t know if my call had anything to do with it, but I understood that my friend got a call back for an interview.

Well, a few weeks later, I asked how the interview went when we saw our friend next and I was mortified to hear that our friend “missed the interview”.  They said something happened with their calendar or cell phone or something and completely missed the interview.  I felt like I totally wasted the one shot I probably had at helping someone out with that group and now I looked like a fool for recommending them.  Concurrent with this event, our friend got an offer from another company.  So, I’m not sure if this was an honest mistake or they just blew off my company once they accepted another job or what, but either way, it left me regretting my decision to help them out.  I had expended considerable time, effort, and professional capital in trying to make something happen and it was all for naught.

Nepotism Case #2 – A year or two later, I was approached by a friend’s relative who was looking to get into my field actually.  They had an engineering degree, wanted to get into a higher paying industry and seemed intelligent, mature and responsible.  I didn’t know them very well, but because they were a relative of a good friend of mine and they genuinely seemed like a good candidate, I figured I’d at least pass their resume on.  We’d hung out a few times and I knew them at least well enough to pass on the resume to the right people.  This time though, having been somewhat burned the first time, I was resolved to just facilitate getting the resume to the right person, but made no particular endorsements or rave reviews.  I inquired a bit into their interests, ability to relocate, etc. and then put the resume into the hands of some hiring managers.  I was actually hiring at the time, but didn’t think it would be appropriate to hire them myself, nor was their personality a perfect fit for my particular area (production supervision vs. technical/engineering require a different demeanor/culture often times).

So, this person made it into the candidate pool and they attached my name as a reference.  When questioned on whether I could endorse them, etc., I had just replied that I met them a couple times and they seemed qualified, but given my lack of professional/personal history with them, I couldn’t really make an endorsement one way or the other.

Well, when the friend’s relative called one day to check in, they pretty much alluded to the fact that the only reason they wanted to get in was so my company would pay for their PhD, which is somewhat common in Biopharma, but was not offered in their current role.  They were basically looking for me to facilitate their taking advantage of my company.

Again, while I had a very minor role in just passing along a resume, I felt partially responsible for another lousy situation involving networking/nepotism or whatever you want to call it.  I didn’t act on it and was curious how it panned out.  Through whatever means during the interview process, I presume one of the interviewers picked up on the agenda and they opted to not extend an offer.  If they did extend an offer, what was I supposed to do, ignore the situation?  Or intervene?  I was questioning how and why I even involved myself in the situation and was relieved when it ironed itself out through natural means.

After these two cases, I’d pretty much had it with the “hook me up” thing.  While anecdotal, in hearing similar stories from other friends, I can only imagine that the aggregate outcome is net negative.  For the one case that works out well, where 5 years later, someone looks back and says, “Hey, that college buddy of mine is doing a great job and loves it here after I helped him land an interview”, there are probably many more cases where someone got burned.

Current Situation – This brings me to the current situation.  We have an acquaintance who was recently laid off and just now started looking for work again.  The other day, they approached me and asked if I’d forward their resume around and speak with the hiring managers visible on the external job board.  On one hand, again, with someone with a young child out of work, nice person, responsible, etc…how can you just say, “No, I’m not helping?”.  Conversely, I barely know them and I’ve been burned before on this.  So, I’ve agreed to pass along the resume to someone I actually do know in the particular field they’re in to review and forward along if they felt appropriate and I also checked around on another upcoming job posting that will go external and I passed that along.  But I haven’t contacted hiring managers and the like, as I don’t know them, and I barely know the candidate.  If things go their way, great – it’s by natural means through the established system, if not, I was at least honest in my reply that I’d pass it along to some folks I did know who may be looking for someone with similar qualifications – which I did.  But given my past experiences and my conflicted feelings over the ethical aspect, I’m not going over the line in trying to give them a significant advantage over other candidates coming in with no such advantages.

Positive outcomes of nepotism and networking – I think there are some clear pros and cons to having current employees recommending or hiring people they know for jobs.  On the plus side, you already know something about the person and there’s some “skin in the game”.  You’d like to think this person won’t make you look bad and will be appreciative of the opportunity you’ve afforded them in getting in.  Perhaps someday, they’ll help you out in a similar situation?  Let’s think about the networker themselves – isn’t an aggressive “go-getter” a sign of someone with initiative – someone who’s going to sell your product, advance your agenda, get results?  Well, maybe, but that’s the going viewpoint.

Negative outcomes of nepotism and networking – Is it right?  Is it ethical?  If you have two candidates – one is rather outgoing, charismatic, has tons of friends and family and has 5 people vying for them for a coveted role, do they deserve a leg up on this next guy?  Candidate 2 is rather introverted and doesn’t really go out of his way to play politics and popularity.  They just work hard and get their hands dirty and figure by doing the right thing, they’ll be afforded the right professional opportunities.  All other things being equal, in the real world, Candidate #1 is often going to get the job.  But is that right? Some workplaces actually have policies against nepotism and there are nepotism law cases, but the reality i that it is quite pervasive in society today, almost expected.

Perhaps you have your job because of nepotism.  Perhaps you were passed over for a job because you didn’t know the right people.  Perhaps you don’t even know it.

Disclosure: I landed my first job in industry by chance (and I guess I was qualified and made a good impression) and didn’t know a single person that worked at my company.  I found a flyer advertising for Chemical Engineers in a production facility in one of my campus halls senior year and checked it out and it eventually led to a job.  In hindsight, that was sheer luck that I happened to come across that obscure flier.  If I hadn’t landed a job post-graduation, would I have resorted to asking someone I knew to “hook me up”?  I don’t know, probably.  Wouldn’t you?

Incidentally, The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos (meaning “nephew” or “grandchild”). (wikipedia)

BeKnown Facebook App from Monster-By Alison Doyle

Monster’s Facebook app BeKnown provides an easy way for job seekers to search for and apply for jobs without leaving Facebook. The app is fully integrated with Facebook, but enables users to keep their personal Facebook information private.

Once you’ve set up a BeKnown profile, you can view and apply for jobs, see company information, get endorsed, and apply for jobs directly from the app. You’ll have an online version of your resume, which can be printed as a PDF. Even better, you’ll be automatically matched with jobs, based on the information in your BeKnown profile.

BeKnown users can connect on BeKnown with professional contacts as well as with their Facebook Friends. Job seekers can view and apply for jobs, get endorsed and apply for jobs directly from the app. Even better, you’ll be automatically matched with jobs, based on the information in your profile.

What I especially like about BeKnown is that it’s for everyone – all levels and types of job seekers. You don’t need to be a professional to use BeKnown. BeKnown provides networking on Facebook, regardless of the position you’re seeking. In addition, with availability in 19 languages, it’s a truly international networking tool.

Another important feature of BeKnown is that it separates personal from professional. Your BeKnown profile is separate from your Facebook profile and it stays that way. You don’t have to worry, any more than usual, about your personal life and what you post on Facebook overlapping with your work life.

Get Started on BeKnown

It’s easy to get started on BeKnown. Install the app, then import your Facebook profile and photo from your Facebook page. You can also import your profile from LinkedIn or Monster. If your Facebook profile photo isn’t as professional as you’d like, and it should be for this app, upload a new photo. Edit your profile to include all your experience and education.

BeKnown Profile = Resume

When you’ve completed your BeKnown profile, it will look just like an online version of your resume and you’ll be able to use it to apply for jobs. That’s why it’s important to brush up, if it needs it, the information you import from your Facebook profile. Monster users can import their resume from Monster into BeKnown. In addition to your online profile, there’s also a PDF version you can print.

Connect on BeKnown

The next step is to connect on BeKnown. You don’t have to be Facebook friends to make a connection on BeKnown, but you can, of course, connect with with some or all of your friends, if it makes sense from an employment perspective. Being careful about who you connect with is a good way to keep your professional Facebook profile on BeKnown separate from your personal life. . You’ll also be able to invite your connections from other accounts, including Twitter, Gmail and other email accounts, to connect on BeKnown.

BeKnown for Job Seekers

When you’re job searching, BeKnown provides active assistance with several job search tools. Monster’s job search is built into the app, so you’ll be able to search for jobs on Monster from BeKnown. You’ll see job openings at your friend’s companies, and you’ll also see featured jobs.

The featured jobs are automatically matched with your profile, which is why it’s a good idea to make sure that your profile is complete and accurate. Monster’s matching service provides personalized job leads based on your experience and qualifications.

When you find a job you’re interested in, you can either apply now or apply later. When you’re ready to apply, there’s a one-click process where you’ll send your BeKnown profile to the company. You’ll also be able to read more about the company on its BeKnown company page. If there’s a company you’re interested in that doesn’t have an opening at the moment, you’ll be able to follow the company to see new job openings once they are posted.

BeKnown Endorsements

Know someone who is great at what they do? Give them an endorsement on BeKnown and you’ll earn a badge. The badges you earn will be posted on your profile. When you receive an endorsement, it will show on your profile, as well, once you approve it.

BeKnown for Employers

On the employer side, BeKnown provides company pages and job postings for employers. Job postings are free to list for your 1st and 2nd degree connections, there’s a fee if you’d like to expand your posting to reach more job seekers.

Infosys to hire 12,000 people in Q2, 45,000 in FY12 – Update on 12 July 2011

Keeping up the hiring momentum, the country’s second largest software exporter Infosys on Tuesday said it will hire about 12,000 people this quarter. The company currently has over 1.33 lakh employees.

“We are looking at a gross addition of about 12,000 in our workforce and we are continuing with yearly target at 45,000 people,” Infosys CEO and Managing Director S Gopalakrishnan said today.

With the improving business sentiment and revival in IT spends , IT firms are stepping up hiring to meet demand for their services.

At the beginning of the current financial year, Infosys had announced plans to hire about 45,000 people. Of this, about 26,000 offers have already been made in college campuses.

The company today posted a 15.72 per cent jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,722 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2011. During the first quarter, Infosys and its subsidiaries saw over 7,000 employees leaving.

While the company and its subsidiaries hired 9,922 employees (gross), the net addition stood at 2,740 for the reported quarter. The company also gave a wage hike in the said quarter, which impacted margins to some extent.

“In April, we said the margins in Q1 could come down by around four percentage points and actually it came down by three percentage points. The main impact was on account of an increase in offshore wages by 10-12 per cent and onsite by 2-3 per cent,” Infosys Member of the Board and Chief Operating Officer S D Shibulal said.

“I think we were able to control other costs; we were able to maintain our margins. The only impact which came in the Q1 is wage increases,” he added.

Regards,

Venkatesh.K

My favourite recruitment catch phrases-Posted by Luke Collard on July 10, 2011

Recruitment lends itself as well to catchphrases as any other other industry. On my travels through the industry I have worked with some very creative individuals who have a beautiful knack of summing up a situation or person with a few well chosen words. I have also worked with others that have developed what seems like an entirely different language and make little sense unless you have the appropriate translation phrase book.

 Regardless, what I have found is that a good catchphrase can go a long way to adding a bit of humor to what is a serious and often stressful job.

 There must be thousands, and one could probably put together an entirely alternative Thesaurus based around recruitment. Here are just a small selection of some of my favorites and the appropriate translation (with apologies for some choice language).

Whose who in the zoo:

The process of mapping a market sector or company for headhunting purposes.

 

Teflon vacancy / client:

A vacancy or client that is so awkward you will never make a candidate stick.

Chuck enough mud at the wall, hope some sticks:

The numbers game approach of sending lots of unqualified candidates to a client in the desperate hope that one of them is successful.

Beatles shortlist:

When you have 4 excellent candidates to shortlist for a vacancy (as in ‘Fab 4’). In more recent times this has been amended to the ‘TakeThat shortlist’.

Stocking filler:

An average candidate that you submit just to make up the numbers on a shortlist.

Shit Sandwich Shortlist (or TripleS):

Similar to above, when you put an average candidate in the middle of the shortlist to hide them as best as possible.

Paris Hilton:

A candidate that initially looks OK but it very quickly becomes clear when you talk to them that there is no substance (can also be known by many other names).

Bird shit placement:

A lucky placement that comes from no where.

F.U.B.A.R:

Acronym to describe a placement that once looked very positive but has gone very wrong (F****d up beyond all recognition).

Can’t polish a t**d:

The impossible process of trying to make a poor candidate sound good.

The Bridesmaid:

A candidate that often gets to the final stages but never gets an offer.

Have fun

Cisco Said to Be Cutting as Many as 10,000 Jobs -Update on July 12, 2011

Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO), the largest networking-equipment company, may cut as many as 10,000 jobs, or about 14 percent of its workforce, to revive profit growth, according to two people familiar with the plans.

The cuts include as many as 7,000 jobs that would be eliminated by the end of August, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans aren’t final. Cisco is also providing early-retirement packages to about 3,000 workers who accepted buyouts, the people said.

Cisco Chief Executive Officer John Chambers is slashing jobs and exiting less-profitable businesses as competitors such as Juniper Networks Inc. (JNPR) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) take market share in Cisco’s main businesses with lower-priced, simpler products. Sales of Cisco’s switches and routers, which made up more than half of revenue last year, will continue to slip, said Brian Marshall, an analyst at Gleacher & Co.

Eliminating jobs will help Cisco wring $1 billion in savings in fiscal 2012, the company said in May. Cisco expects costs of $500 million to $1.1 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter as a result of the voluntary early retirement program, it said in a quarterly filing.

“We will provide additional detail on the cost reductions, including layoffs, on our next earnings call,” Karen Tillman, a spokeswoman forSan Jose, California-based Cisco, said in reference to an earnings call scheduled for early August. She declined to discuss job-cut figures.

‘Too Many Employees’

The voluntary retirement packages included one year’s pay and medical benefits, and were offered to about 5,800 employees, two people said.

“The revenue trajectory hasn’t been where it should be,” Marshall, who has a “neutral” rating on the stock with a target price of $17, said in an interview. “The company is not staffed on an appropriate level. They simply have too many employees.”

Cisco fell 31 cents, or 2 percent, to $15.43 yesterday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock had dropped 24 percent this year before today, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index had risen 4.9 percent.

Analysts at Gleacher and Miller Tabak & Co. said yesterday that the company would cut at least 5,000 jobs as part of a turnaround effort.

Cisco’s share of worldwide switching revenue dropped 5.8 percentage points to 68.5 percent in the first quarter of 2011 from a year earlier, according to a May report from Dell’Oro Group, a Redwood City, California-based researcher. Hewlett- Packard gained switching share in that period.

Router Losses

In global router sales, Cisco lost 6.4 percentage points to 54.2 percent of the market, while Juniper gained, Dell’Oro said.

Cisco’s revenue is projected to rise 7 percent this year to $43 billion, less than the 11 percent growth posted in 2010, according to the average estimate of analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Analysts have an average stock target price of $20.62, Bloomberg data show.

Cisco said in May that it shuttered the Flip video-camera unit and cut 550 jobs. The company may eliminate more positions in the consumer-product unit, which makes Linksys home- networking equipment, Marshall said. Some investors have said the company should exit consumer products entirely to focus on traditional enterprise offerings such as routers and switches. Cisco’s equipment is used by corporate networks and telephone and Internet service providers to direct Web traffic.

Trimming about 5,000 jobs would reduce operating expenses by about $1 billion annually and boost 2012 earnings by about 8 percent, Marshall said.

The company is also reorganizing management to streamline its business and focus on areas of growth, Cisco said in May. To speed decision making, the company organized field operations into three geographic regions and reformed a council-style management structure.

Regards.
Venkatesh.K

HP Announces Organizational Changes

• New structure aligns HP to better capitalize on strategic market opportunities
• Livermore joins board of directors
• Donatelli, Veghte, Zadak to report directly to HP CEO Apotheker

The organizational changes will increase transparency for these business functions relative to the company’s strategic roadmap, sharpening the executive team’s focus on customer-facing businesses, further enabling opportunities for synergies across business units, and positioning HP for the opportunities it sees in the market. The company also announced that one of its most successful executives is joining the HP board of directors, and it has appointed executive sponsors for two of its most important growth markets.

Ann Livermore has been elected to the HP board. Her election reflects the success of her career as one of the IT industry’s most talented and respected executives. During her 29-year career with HP, Livermore has been instrumental in helping countless HP customers grow and transform their businesses. While she will step down from her day-to-day management of the HP Enterprise Business, Livermore will contribute valuable guidance to the organization as a member of the board. To effect a smooth transition, Livermore will continue to serve as interim lead for HP Enterprise Services and sponsor certain key accounts until a new services leader is named.

“Ann’s distinguished role as a leader of our largest business, deep relationships with our most important customers, institutional knowledge of the company and its employees, and insights on the technology industry will be tremendous assets to our board of directors,” said Ray Lane, non-executive chairman, HP board of directors. “On behalf of HP’s 320,000-plus employees, I would like to congratulate Ann on her election and offer our heart-felt gratitude for her long service and dedication to this company.”

Customer-facing business units to report to CEO

Elevating businesses most critical to customers and which play a key role in delivering on the opportunities the company sees as the IT industry evolves, Dave Donatelli, executive vice president, Enterprise Servers, Storage, Networking and Technology Services, and Bill Veghte, executive vice president, Software, will now report directly to Léo Apotheker, HP chief executive officer and president, giving their respective units greater visibility and support throughout the entire HP organization. Similarly, Jan Zadak, executive vice president, Global Sales, also will report to Apotheker, facilitating efforts to better leverage the full HP portfolio to deliver integrated solutions for customers and partners.

“These businesses play a vital role in our continued growth and success, and as such, Dave, Bill and Jan will report directly to me and help drive the overall direction for HP,” said Apotheker. “In our ongoing effort to accelerate our progress in executing our strategy, we will continue to make the necessary changes that streamline our operations, drive focus and agility, and position us for success.”

As part of the realignment to improve the company’s focus on customer-facing businesses, HP will streamline its administrative operations. HP will eliminate the chief administration officer role and broaden the role of its chief information officer. As a result, Pete Bocian, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, is leaving HP, effective immediately. The functions that make up that organization will be subsumed within other parts of HP. In addition, Randy Mott, executive vice president and chief information officer, is leaving HP effective immediately. The company will conduct a search for a successor. The company thanks Pete and Randy for their efforts and wishes them the best in their next endeavors.

Executives to sponsor key markets – China and India

As communicated in March, one of HP’s key priorities will be to deliver unique and innovative market-specific solutions to customers. Both China and India are critical markets to HP, and the company will increase its dedication to supporting these markets. To achieve this, in addition to their existing global business leadership roles, Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, will lead cross-business initiatives focused on expanding HP’s market share in China, and Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, will lead similar efforts in India.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world’s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the competitive pressures faced by HP’s businesses; the development and transition of new products and services (and the enhancement of existing products and services) to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2011 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements

Goldman to lay off 230 employees in New York

(Reuters) – Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) plans to lay off 230 employees in New York because of economic conditions, according to a state filing on Wednesday Jun 29 2011.

The layoffs will take place during the fourth quarter of 2011 and first quarter of 2012, the filing said.

Companies based in New York that have at least 50 employees are required to notify the state Department of Labor if they plan to reduce the local workforce by a significant number. They must file “WARN notices” 90 days ahead of the planned reductions.

Goldman and other large Wall Street banks have started reducing their workforces to cut costs amid the slowdown in economic and market activity. Several large Wall Street banks have begun laying off employees due to weak trading volumes and regulations that limit their ability to engage in certain activities, such as proprietary trading.

Goldman’s New York layoffs represent less than 1 percent of its 35,700 employees as of December 31. Goldman is still hiring employees in growth markets like China, India and Brazil, President Gary Cohn said at a conference earlier this month.