Greater Milwaukee Jobs

When Gary Jankowitz interviews prospective employees, he hears lots of questions about the bank's employee benefits. Right now, he's pretty confident his answers help him win the talent war. Jankowitz, president of Bank of America's Kansas City, Mo., market, says the company's extension of its paid parental leave policy from 12 weeks to 16 weeks – for mothers and fathers – is a strong recruiting tool that also helps retain workers. "We get feedback from the people who already work here," Jankowitz said. "We hear their needs and goals. I feel like we're respecting their goals and life priori- ties." Business leaders are always looking for workers who will commit to the workplace for a reasonable tenure. It costs a lot to hire and train employees, and it's frustrat- ing when turnover is fast. Average employee tenure has shortened in recent years for many reasons, but a big one is that millennials, now the largest sector of the workforce, are in their child- bearing and child-adopting years. This doesn't apply to everyone, but a good seg- ment of 20- and 30-some- things are becoming parents, and they want more time with their babies. Add to demographic trends an economic reality: Voluntary resignations from jobs are up, partly because job growth makes re- employment easier. In the pit of the last recession and job- less recovery, new parents were inclined to accept six- week (or whatever) leaves because they wanted to keep their jobs and e m p l o y e r - s p o n s o r e d health insurance. Now it's easier to jump ship, stay home with the baby and plan on a job search later – assisted by Internet sites that rate com- pany culture and share what "best practice" employee benefits packages look like. I wouldn't bet on 16 paid weeks becoming the new parental leave norm quickly or broadly. It's expensive. Big companies may have the budgets and the backup help to cover lengthy leaves, but smaller workplaces don't. At any rate, Jankowitz said he's glad to be ahead of the pack. Bank of America is extending its parental leave benefit to full- and part-time employees who work at least 20 hours a week and have worked at the bank for at least one year. The leave More baby time helps recruit and retain employees By Diane Stafford The Kansas City Star (TNS) After nearly a year of "lost mojo," Sammons reinvented her- self. She decided to focus on finan- cial professionals, attorneys and entrepreneurs who wanted to shape their digital brands. She created Wired Advisor LLC in 2010 to help them build blogs and websites and develop con- tent strategies and branding. LinkedIn was becoming the business world's version of Face- book. "It became a way for me to get on the radar with potential clients and then cultivate rela- tionships with them," she says. In 2011, Sammons started writing for Social Media Exam- iner, a marketing website, and she often focused on LinkedIn as a career power tool. That led to speaking gigs, which led to her first book. "LinkedIn saved my life by giving me all kinds of opportuni- ties to make connections, find clients and build my reputation in a new digital world," she says. Alex Rynne, associate content marketing manager at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, selected "Linked to Influence" as a book marketers can't afford to miss. She says even she learned some things about LinkedIn – and she lives and breathes this stuff. "Stephanie's book is filled with tangible tips to help mar- keters optimize their profiles to attract their ideal customers. It will also help them build a smarter network based on quality over quantity." Earlier this year, Sammons decided to take her own advice and brand herself. She folded Wired Advisor into Stephanie Sammons Inc., and she's using the book as a marketing tool for expanded consulting services. Mike Stelzner, CEO of Social Media Examiner, says Sammons is one of his most popular online writers and event speakers. "LinkedIn has undergone mas- sive changes over the past few years, and Stephanie has helped marketers understand how to best leverage LinkedIn for their benefit," he says. Going out on her own is the scariest thing Sammons has ever done. "The fear has never left me," she says. "I still have it every day. I'm just more com- fortable with it." Sammons has never been one for conformity. She decided to try out for school mascot her senior year in high school because she thought it would be cool to wear a wild- cat costume and act crazy. When she tried out in front of the stu- dent body, she won their votes by rollerskating carrying a broomstick with a box of Cheer detergent on top of it. She took up basketball long before she realized that she'd top out at 5-foot-4. She had speed, quickness and could read the court to develop plays. She picked point guard because she wanted to be the team leader. She got her bachelor's degree in economics at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls on an athletic scholarship. You can find all of this in quick-hit form on her LinkedIn profile page. You'll also see: When I'm not working, I'm practicing hot yoga, writing songs, reading, traveling, and just experiencing life! I'm also a singer-song- writer, acoustic guitar player, snowboarder, hiker, wine enthu- siast, investor, and a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan. 2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • April 21, 2016 LinkedIn ... from page 1 see LINKEDIN . . . page 6 A beginner's guide to recruiting and hiring & A Q A. This is a good opportunity to put the "golden rule" into action, treating your candidates as you'd like to be treated if you were in the job market. There are several elements that go into this, addressing both con- tent and process. From a content perspective, before you start recruiting, clarify the role so that you're solid on the contributions you need your new hire to make.You'll then be able to know the experiences and skills you need to bring on board. Job titles can be opaque, and ambiguity can lead to a poor fit, wasted resources, and hard feelings. At the same time, be realistic. The wish list of ideal features can create a paragon who doesn't really exist. Just be aware of your absolute must haves and deal breakers.Also, being wedded to an ideal can cause you to overlook someone who could be a great fit. Consider, too, the culture you're trying to create in your organiza- tion. For example, if you want a collaborative environment, watch out for people who prefer "com- mand and control," especially if you're hiring in a leadership role. Your company – any company – will also benefit from a focus on diversity. If everyone looks the same and comes from the same general set of experiences, you'll miss a lot of opportunity. From a process perspective, the single biggest pain point I hear about is communication. Consider the times you've been in the job market. Often people are asked to submit through a portal that allows little room for displaying creativity and delivering nuanced information. In the worst cases, they do not even receive an auto- mated acknowledgment. So, one recommendation is to try to bring in a human touch, even at the screening stage. Once you've been in touch with someone, the stakes become much higher, because their emotional investment increases accordingly. I've heard people say that they just don't have time to follow up personally with people, but that's a short sighted point of view that can have negative consequences. Plus, it just isn't that hard, since you'll calibrate your follow-up to your level of engagement. If you've just had a quick screen- ing chat with someone and deter- mined they're not a fit, send an equally quick email letting them know and thanking them for their time. They'll appreciate it, you'll build good will, and it's the rare person who'll follow up to pursue the position further. (Sometimes, they can end up being your dia- mond in the rough, too!) If someone has been a serious candidate, give them the courtesy of a call.This isn't the easy call to make, and I think discomfort often keeps people from taking this step, hiding behind busyness. But again, this will help you stand out, build your brand, and create advo- cates out of potential employees. Q. For the first time ever, I have a role in which I will be recruiting and hiring people for my company. What are some things I should do to make sure it goes well? By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. A publication of Conley Media Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 18 • Number 31 April 21, 2016 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-338-5271 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2016 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. It is the advertiser's responsibility to be aware of the laws pertaining to employment advertising. Call 262-306-5008 for information. see BABY TIME . . . page 6

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