This year Lola Gonzalez, CEO of Accurate Background Check of Ocala Florida had a difficult decision to make.  After crunching the numbers for her business, she determined that she would need to layoff one of her 8 person staff.  In a company employee meeting, she dropped the bombshell news that someone would have to be let go.  Her employees braced themselves to hear who it would be, and then much to their surprise, she announced that it would be herself that would be cut in order to save another person’s job.

The story is a little different with the CEO of Johnson and Johnson, William Weldon.  He has led one of the largest corporate layoffs in the country with 8,900 people losing their jobs in the last year.  During this time, Mr. Weldon earned over $22 million dollars for his efforts (more ceo salaries).

In both cases, each CEO did what he or she felt was right for their company and in one case, the CEO also did what was right.

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Here is an uplifting story about an innovative plan that a Pennsylvania man has put together to spur hiring for unemployed workers.  Successful entrepreneur Gene Epstein wants businesses to start hiring people needing jobs and he is putting his money where his mouth is.

He has offered to donate $1,000 of his own money to a charity of the employers choosing for every worker they hire and keep successfully employed for at least 6 months.  The plan has been advertised in local media and so far he has commitments from over 80 businesses and will continue until 250 have signed up.  It is catching on with people who are in positions to hire and is spurring them into action.

Mr. Epstein is motivated by memories of his childhood when his family came close to foreclosure after the death of his father.  His hope is that the “Hire Just One” plan as he calls it, will spawn other jobs creation initiatives across the country.

For more information on this program, you can visit his website here.

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Job Boards – When using the boards, you need to be as strategic as possible in your approach, because there is an enormous amount of information posted on the boards and employers receive multiple responses for each position they post. One of the best strategies for managing your presence on the job boards is to stick with niche boards that best match your professional level, industry, or job function rather than spending time on a board that claims to be all things to all people. This allows you to be a big fish in a smaller pond and potentially garner more immediate recognition from a hiring authority. For example, a senior-level executive is generally better-off creating a presence on a six-figure job site than on a general job board that posts jobs at all professional levels. Another way to optimize your time spent on the boards is to set up job alerts based on keywords and geographical preferences to streamline the amount of time spent on the boards and optimize the amount of relevant leads.

Recruiters – A recruiter can be a great ally during a search, but keep in mind that recruiters are generally only going to be interested in your candidacy if your skill set matches a position in their current job requisition portfolio. In addition, recruiters can only expose you to the positions from the companies that are willing to pay a recruiter to manage the search process. When you partner with a recruiter, you only get to see a small percentage of the available jobs in the market.

Cold Calling – People in search often find their jobs by cold calling on potential decision makers in companies. By creating a marketing letter that communicates your skills, accomplishments, and value-add, you can attempt to forge relationships with key people in the companies you would like to work for. The goal of the letter is to build a relationship with people in companies where no relationship existed before. If you can create and nurture a relationship before there is a need to fill a position, you are much more likely to be considered as a candidate when there is an opportunity because you are now part of the inner circle of contacts within the company. This method takes work and may not yield immediate results, but if these new relationships are nurtured over time, they can grow into opportunity with the company down the line.

Networking – Networking is the art of exchanging information continuously and graciously with members of your professional and social communities. People are more likely to share information with people they know and trust. Sharing information about job leads comes naturally in networking circles. Attempt to give more than you get and don’t keep tabs on your goodwill versus someone else’s and eventually you will find that you can almost always find a connection for whatever you need…whether it’s a recommendation for a great restaurant, advice on a project, or a tip on a job lead.

Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it is quite rewarding to help others and receive their help in return. Now it’s time to put these strategies to work. Best of luck in your search and beyond!

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