So Long and Farewell, Lon – You’re Simply Part of the CEO Trend

Ah, the perks of being a CEO.

We have all heard of the compensation packages it takes to bring someone into this role. It takes months of working with a search firm just to decide who and what type person is needed in the role to take the firm to the “next level.”  But one perk that is not discussed is tenure, and based on recent research, that is not one that any company or organization favors today.

When I heard the news about CEO Lon O’Neil of SHRM resigning with just under two years under his belt, I decided to take a closer look at CEO tenure within organizations. The findings are not all that surprising.
To give some background to the CEO’s role, 40 percent last no more than two years in the corner office. The average CEO tenure dropped from 9.7 years in 1999 to 8.3 years in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics were compiled by consultants Challenger Gray & Christmas, Crist Associates, and SpencerStuart. The median tenure – the number separating departures on the higher and lower halves – stood at 5.5 years in 2006.

LeBron James? He’s Just a Glimpse at Your Employee of the Future

This article was written for TLNT.com which is a great site for HR professionals.  My work is posted on their site approximately once per month.

By now, most of us have come up for air after being submerged in LeBron James fever over the past few days. I, for one, could really care less since I’m not much of a sports fan, but I love the passion of the fans in both cities and around the world. So to the two cities — both Cleveland in anguish and Miami in joy — my hat is off to both of you.
As is my wont however, I viewed this decision by LeBron through the microscope of human resources, and I came away with a totally different view.

Job Descriptions and Online Dating???

While having lunch with a friend who was a former CEO, we discussed our careers and the normal gossip at one of our former employers.  As with friends catching up, the discussion covered the full spectrum.  But the discussion took a weird turn when he mentioned his non-success with online dating.

I have always been skeptical of online dating because I felt that if you are in NYC metro area; there is no need for it. What will all the events, gatherings that go on daily; there is never a problem in meeting people.

He told me about filling the frustration of filling out the questionnaires. Trying to describe that perfect person, the qualities that he wanted to find in this person. The real must haves! This one is non-negotiable while this one is a maybe, no big deal. But the must-haves are the must-haves. He would occasionally get some nibbles and had a few meet and greets resulting in nothing. No sparks, Nada.

3-Step Plan to Beat the Competition as Jobs Return

July 05, 2010 (10:00AM) by Ron Thomas

This is a copy of my guest post at Pongo resume



The economy isn't as bad as it was a year or two ago. Unemployment has fallen to less than 10% and hiring is up over the last six months. These recent headlines may be leading to a light at the end of the tunnel.

But if you're out of a job and looking for work, this upbeat chatter is just that. You've been sending resumes, responding to job postings, following up leads and (hopefully) networking. But finding work today is nothing like it used to be.

What's different? For one thing, the competition is much tougher, and is likely to become even more so as the economy continues to improve. A Forbes article last year warned of a resume tsunami heading toward human resources departments, as employees leave the jobs they've been stuck in throughout the recession, and unemployed workers renew their efforts to land something.

So how do you increase your chance at landing a job? You have to have a plan. You'd be amazed how many people don't have a plan or strategy for their job search. They just check the job boards and click the "send" button with their resume attached.

If that's been your plan thus far, it's time to step it up. Beyond your resume and cover letter, develop a plan centered around the following three areas, and work it:

Networking: The Old Fashion Way

One of the advantages of living or working in New York is the availability or exposure to so many events. I thought about this on last week as I attended the launch party for Caribbean One magazine. What made this special is that I took my daughter, Lauren as my guest. Over the years I have always taken my son Sean, but she just graduated from college on last month and is now back home so she will be my permanent guest for a while.

Over the years, specifically since high school, I have always stressed to importance of meeting people, getting connected and the importance of being known in whatever industry you choose. They have for the most part followed this model and are constantly working on getting their careers in shape.

We met earlier in the day, had a glass of wine and she brought me up to date on her job search, 4 upcoming interviews that she got on her own. We discussed her research on the companies. We reviewed industry knowledge, we discussed their current marketing strategy and we reviewed her "2 minute pitch". She brought me up to date of the bio's (LinkedIn) that she had read on each person that she would be interviewing.

With that done we headed to the event. As we rode over in the cab, I gave her background on the event and who the key players were and the key points of her pitch to people she would be meeting. My role has always been to get them acquainted with the tools of career management at an early age. The first step is on this path is networking