Time travelin…
Happy new year!
2010 brings not only a new year, but also a new decade. Coming back from the holiday break, I’m already looking at a full calendar for web projects here at ATR.
As I embark on these projects, I thought it would be a fun exercise to take a look back at what ATR’s website looked like in the past and follow the progression to what it is today. Thanks to Internet Archives, you can walk Memory Lane with me. Enjoy!
atr1.com in 1996:
Whoah. Look at that beauty, and high-tech at its time! You can’t see it here, but those cylinders moved and revolved! Very cool. 
Quick tidbit: did you know that our website was published even before Cisco’s? Based on data from the Internet Archives, ATR’s website was published in October 1996. Cisco’s was published in December, 1996.
atr1.com in 2000:
With the new millenium came a new design and new colors. I came on board ATR as a recruiter a few months after this design came out.
atr1.com in 2004:
We were still very fond of the purple, but the website was “growing up” to be more than just an online brochure to a resource for jobseekers and employers. Though that was true in the 2000 version of the site, this design was clearly created to help job candidates go directly to what they need: jobs.
New domain name, new site: atrinternational.com in 2005.
In 2005 we went through another transformation. Advanced Technical Resources re-branded as ATR International to reflect our global recruiting reach and capabilities. We also launched division websites in their own domains. Hello, new colors!
atrinternational.com today:
In 2008 we went through another redesign, though the biggest change here is that this site is built on the open-source content management system Drupal (6.x). On the front-end we wanted to feature the work our employees do in our client companies with our centerpiece “One Job at a Time” presentation, and just like the previous designs, we wanted to make sure that our site visitors got to what they needed right away.
So, there you have it. ATR’s websites, from 1996-present. As we move right along into 2010, we are hoping you’d stay tuned as we venture into new developments, new services and resources, while we continue to keep our corporate website as a useful resource for our employees and clients.
Happy 2010!
Lisa Amorao is ATR’s Manager of Web Experience and Technologies. Among other things, she administers ATR’s Facebook page and tweets for ATR. You can connect with her on Facebook and on Linkedin.
Quick thoughts on the VMS/MSP Panel at Staffing World 2009
Filed under: Staffing, Staffing World 2009, Steven Ranson
The VMS/ MSP panel discussion held at Staffing World 2009 ended much like my last blog post. We (as an industry) need to be vocal as to what works and what doesn’t. There is a need to retain the service levels that many of our respective firms were built on. At the root of this conversation we must highlight that staffing has been about relationships and that the transaction is simply one aspect of what we represent.
Interestingly enough, there were few questions posed to us during the panel session. Rather, attendees were vocal as to what they are experiencing in regards to VMS/ MSP. More specifically, the frustration of having a direct relationship with healthy revenue stream that is re-directed into a “black hole” situation. Coupled with the perceived preference to “new” suppliers that the VMS/ MSP are bringing in painted a picture of concern and anger.
One distinction of interest that emerged was the difference between the actual tool utilized in a managed solution versus the service provider. It is easy to point to the challenges faced when dealing with a VMS and many of us will lump the tool and provider together. As was referenced by the panel in our 75-minute session, the tool is simply a tool. It is who represents the program that can make or break the relationship. With that said we are back to where we started.
There is little doubt that VMS/ MSP is a part of industry moving forward. Key accounts will adopt this model and we as suppliers run the risk of losing revenue stream and/ or being displaced as a primary. So what can we do? We as an industry must retain the fact that our businesses were built on relationships. That where and when ever possible we must retain a relational value in the transaction. Programs should be responsive to the supplier community and when they are not, we must speak up and share our concerns. First with the management team that runs the program and if concern still exists, then with the end client themselves. Our industry is responsible for the direction it takes and it is up to us to hold true to our value propositions. One of those values is the relationship.
As ATR’s executive vice president and general manager, Steven Ranson is responsible for the implementation of corporate vision and strategic direction for ATR International. Steven has over 20 years of staffing industry experience. Prior to his role at ATR, Steven served as both a vice president of CRM and national accounts and was responsible for team development on both a regional and national level for a leading international staffing firm. You can connect with Steve on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Upcoming panel discussion on VMS
This year Staffing World 2009 has provided a panel discussion for attendees that is focused on the terms VMS and MSP. There is sure to be a wide range of reaction to this session and the staff at American Staffing Association (ASA) believe that there will be a full house in attendance. Scheduled for Friday, October 23, 10:30-11:45am this program will attempt to separate fact from fiction while speaking to how the staffing industry can benefit from vendor managed operations.
I will be a panelist along with other staffing suppliers. We have fielded numerous questions that are common to the VMS / MSP and will provide perspective as to how firms today can re-assess their role and determine if there are benefits to working with clients that have engaged these services.
While this session is intended to challenge long-held beliefs and to create thought provoking dialogue, it is also expected to highlight the negative aspects that these managed programs represent. It is my personal belief that the industry is straddling a significant challenge and that dialogue must come to the surface in order to provide regulation and direction for the development and use of vendor management tools. Specifically, an anticipated “hot” topic is the term vendor neutral and how a staffing firm can present and sell a managed service tool as neutral?
On a more personal note, I have enjoyed the prep sessions with my fellow panelists. The intent to deliver an informative and beneficial session is obvious and we have kept the format simple in order to create an open dialogue. The three of us represent varying views and experiences relating to the staffing world and the use of managed services and we intend to bring those differences to bear in this 75 minute session. I’m sure that there will be a range of reaction to the content and the Q&A session should be lively but that is what is needed both from the company level and industry level. We need to be vocal as to what works and what doesn’t. There is a need to retain the service levels that many of our respective firms were built on. At the root of this conversation we need to highlight that staffing has been about relationships and that the transaction is simply one aspect of what we represent.
More employers are hiring based on what’s on your Facebook profile…should you worry?
A recent report published by Careerbuilder.com showed that 45% of employers use social networking sites to research candidates, and using the information they see on candidates’ profiles as basis to hire or not hire.
Was talking about this with a few folks and got mixed reaction. Some say employers really shouldn’t look, that people’s online activities isn’t anyone’s business, some people advice to keep your Facebook profile bolted down and shield them from anyone who might be prying.
In my opinion, we can cry all day and say employers shouldn’t be looking at our social networking profiles, that it’s an invasion of privacy, that what we do on our personal time isn’t anyone else’s business, but the reality is that by having an online profile, we are sharing stuff on the Internet, and we cannot control who’s looking, whether they are supposed to, or not.
We can see this two different ways – we can see this as a negative thing and lock everything up and not participate in social networking, or we can see this in a positive light and look at it as an opportunity.
I personally like to look at the brighter side of things. Sure, some employers have rejected candidates based on what they saw on their social networking profiles, but 18% of employers surveyed also said they found content that convinced them to hire.
According to the study, 50% of those employers who hired after seeing a candidates’ profile did so because the profiles they saw “provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit,” 39% said “candidate was creative,” and 39% said “profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications.”
I think social networking presents a great tool for candidates to standout from the other applicants. It’s something I personally preach to anyone who cares to listen: Sure, you can use social networking sites to connect with your friends and family and share drunken photos with your college buddies, but if I can use it to enhance your career development without any extra effort at all, why wouldn’t I?
I don’t have the numbers or the research to prove this, but in my opinion, I don’t think employers are clicking at candidates’ Facebook profile to specifically look for negative things, but to just get a sense of who this person is, perhaps before they bring them in for an interview. (On the flipside, the same applies to candidates. Social networking sites offer a great way to research the hiring manager before you show up for your interview.)
Now, I’m not going to go on to write about how you should totally censor your Facebook and Twitter profiles and put up an alter ego that’s more attractive to employers. On the contrary, I would advise to be as true to your real self as you can, because most of the time, that is what they are looking for. If they want to see a polished, more professional profile, they’d look at your resume, your LinkedIn page, or better yet, they are just going to wait for the interview so they can see you all cleaned up and in a suit.
The line between personal and business networking is definitely fuzzier than ever, but I think that the two can also coexist quite nicely on the same profile page.
I’m not here to play Profile Police, but pictures of drunken revelry, promiscuity, drug use, are in poor taste and should not be put anywhere online, regardless of who’s looking, potential employers or not, in my opinion…unless, of course, that is the type of personal brand you would like to put out there.
A good rule of thumb: if anyone were to meet you at a party and decides to hang out with you, what kind of person would they be talking to? What kind of things would they be discussing with you? Another way to think about it: what kind of things would they find displayed in your cubicle? What kind of things can people expect to chat with you about if they were to hang out with you in the break room? Chances are, these are the same things that your employer will find on your Facebook or Twitter profile. These are very personal, yes, but they definitely have their place in a professional environment. If this is the case, I say there’s really nothing to worry about.
What do you think?
Lisa Amorao is ATR’s Manager of Web Experience and Technologies. Among other things, she administers ATR’s Facebook page and tweets for ATR. You can connect with her on Facebook and on Linkedin.
Thoughts on H-1B Visa Fraud and Abuse Protection Act
Immigration has always been a hot topic for the staffing industry. As the CEO of a staffing firm, my position and goal is to provide our client companies with the best talent, regardless of where they come from in the world. But as we know in business, nothing is ever this simple.
In this current job market with unemployment at record highs, there is a concern that the H-1B and L-1 visa programs are displacing American workers today and contributing to the job shortage. But based on the requirements we continue to receive from our client companies, there still seems to be a shortage of highly skilled IT professionals. the surface, H-1B and L-1 workers provide a solution to this shortage, but upon closer look, there is a question on whether the program itself puts US workers at a disadvantage.
It is true that the H-1B and L-1 visa programs attract talent, but it is also true that the program is abused. Sadly, more then a few are undermining the intentions of the program by being non-compliant. Kudos to senators Chuck Grassley and Richard Durbin for introducing legislation called the H-1B Visa Fraud and Abuse Protection Act. It is about time that it is taken seriously without any additional setbacks. If passed, this bill will amend the Immigration Act to reform and reduce fraud and abuse in H-1B and L-1 visa programs for aliens working temporarily in the United States. The primary objective of the program is to meet a critical shortage of highly skilled technical professionals to fill current needs without displacing American workers or be placed in positions where unemployed American workers might otherwise have an opportunity.
While the bill definitely has its flaws, I believe it is a good start in reducing the fraud and abuse that exists due to some shady practices by third party agents holding the H1B visas. The program definitely has its merits in addressing the shortage of IT workers, but it is also true that abusive practices exist. For example, some of these workers are receiving wages that are far below actual market rates. This puts American workers at a competitive disadvantage.
It is time that our governmental agencies take top priorities and start scrutinizing H1-B visa holders specifically for prevailing wages and conformity with applicable federal, state and local laws including labor and IRS regulations.
I recognize the issue of H1B visas may be contentious to many; however it is my belief that we can not afford to build our economy by just bringing any guest worker by undercutting prevailing wages. We must create a vehicle by increasing the oversight over the foreign work visa programs and over the visa holders themselves. Better yet, perhaps allow the end-user companies and their direct clients to sponsor the visas and any abuses of the program should carry significant penalties, severe enough to discourage fraud and abuse.
Jerry Brenholz is the president and CEO of ATR International. You can also connect with Jerry on LinkedIn and Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.
When vendor neutral isn’t
We’ve been receiving quite a few requests for proposal in recent months. We routinely receive [VMS] RFP’s and I’ve been personally involved in working on some of them in the past so receiving one isn’t necessarily a blogworthy occasion, but a few of the RFP’s we’ve been receiving recently raise interesting questions.
Not all RFP’s for a VMS are the same, but some are more stress-inducing than others. There are RFP’s that you can complete in your sleep because they come with standard questions and requirements: company history, locations, number of contractors placed under specified skills sets, etc. There are the questions that leave you scratching your tilted noggin, but hey, it’s great mental exercise. Then there are those that cause fully grown adults to yell at inanimate computer monitors. (I’ve seen it. It makes for great office entertainment.)
From the perspective of a staffing supplier, receiving an RFP from a VMS provider owned by a competitor can sometimes leave you reaching for some heartburn meds.
Let me pause right here. This is not a post to bash VMS providers who are owned by other staffing firms because it would be unfair to make sweeping generalizations, especially to those we have awesome relationships with (there are actually quite a few of them). But just like in any industry, there are always those who make everyone else look bad.
So why does it matter that a VMS is a subsidiary of a staffing company? In the world of VMS, there is a thing called “vendor neutrality.” It is the term commonly used to describe a contingent workforce program that has no inherent bias towards any particular supplier. Companies love the concept because, in theory, it provides a “level playing field” among suppliers. No one gets special pricing, smaller firms can compete with bigger firms. Again, in theory, the client company gets their reqs filled with the best people at competitive rates.
The issue is that there are VMS providers whose parent companies are staffing firms. Again, not that this makes them evil, but it definitely raises questions when the VMS provider’s parent company is also participating supplier.
An RFP that is administered by a competitor’s subsidiary naturally makes you more cautious. It’s one thing for an end client to ask us “standard” questions. Sure, we’d be happy to provide references and sure, we’d be happy to tell you what our typical rates are. But when asked by a competitor, “standard” questions become “unreasonable.” When you are selling a service, as we do in staffing, we have no designs or source codes to protect. Client company names are no secret, but end users, customer contacts, financial statements (for private companies, this is simply out of line), operating practices, the resources we use, recruiting processes…these are all considered trade secrets.
Bring up the term VMS to any staffing supplier and I’ll bet 100 pushups on this that you will come across the $64,000 question: “can a VMS provider who is owned by a staffing company be truly vendor neutral?”
Again, this post is not about making sweeping generalizations. There are VMS providers out there that are owned by staffing companies that are very much aware of this issue and have actually taken steps to address it. I’ve seen parent [staffing] companies decline participation to avoid conflict of interest if their subsidiary is the VMS. We work with a few of these VMS providers and maintain successful working relationships with them.
But then there are also those who claim vendor neutrality while blatantly favoring their parent company.
Case in point: we’ve received a few RFP’s in recent months for tiered VMS programs. The VMS provider was a subsidiary of a staffing company and the programs were specifically labeled “vendor neutral.” Their definition of “vendor neutral” was to make their parent companies tier 1 vendors. Some went all the way and on top of making their parent companies tier 1 vendors, they also gave their parent companies “24 hours exclusive” on all requirements that went through the VMS.
Now I have two comments about this. The first concerns the customer: how exactly does a 24-hour “exclusive” for one supplier benefit the client? The customer has a need and the customer has several vendors ready to serve them, but only one vendor can work on them for a period of 24 hours. How silly is that? Now, the Tier 1 vendor (who also happens to be the VMS’s parent company) might say “it’s so we don’t overwhelm the client,” but seriously? Managing that process so the client does not get overwhelmed IS the job that the client hired them to do in the first place.
The second comment to that 24-hour vendor exclusivity concerns the suppliers. In the world of contingent staffing where we fill orders in a matter of hours, a 24-hour advantage is lethal to everyone else in that program. For any VMS program to give such an advantage to their parent company makes a mockery of the concept of vendor neutrality and would no doubt make for an adversarial relationship between the VMS organization and its suppliers.
Unfortunately, we are seeing quite a few of these heartburn-inducing RFP’s coming through. Perhaps it’s because it’s a tough market out there and there are smaller firms who can’t afford to say no to these RFP’s, no matter how horrible they are. Business is scarce and everyone wants a piece of the quickly diminishing pie, so we can only expect more of these to land on our desks. It might sound like suppliers are whining about how we are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to VMS, but at the bottom of it all, it is the customer who suffers. They want the best contingent workforce available and a streamlined process so that they can effectively deal with their suppliers. I’m pretty sure that a program that involves conflicts of interests and unavoidable adversarial relationships is NOT what they have in mind.
It’s a tough call, but sometimes we have to make the difficult decision not to respond to an RFP. It’s simply not profitable to chase after adversarial relationships when we could be nurturing the ones we currently have and take our time courting new ones. We’ve been around long enough to know that it pays off.
Lisa Amorao has been with ATR since 2000 and has held roles in recruiting and sales before moving to her current position as marketing programs manager. You can connect with her on Facebook or LinkedIn.
VMS Best Practices, a Quick Overview
Vendor Management Software (VMS) is a very common topic of discussion in the staffing world. How should it be used? When should it be used? Is a company big enough to implement one? How is a VMS implemented properly? And the list of questions goes on and on. The positive aspect to this whole subject is that over the last few years some best practices have emerged. So let’s take a brief look.
1. All parties that will interact with the application should be included in the initial planning stages.
This includes all stake holders at the implementing company. This may include hiring managers, procurement, human resources, accounting, etc. In addition, the vendors that will be using the application to submit and track candidates need to be included. Making this effort in the planning stages often eliminates process bottlenecks and costly errors later on.
2. The VMS should not be used as a barrier between hiring managers and staffing vendors.
I know this sounds self serving since I work for a staffing firm but please hear me out. A recruiter at any staffing firm often has to prioritize a large number of job requisitions. And while a good recruiter can successfully cover all requisitions that he/she is assigned, inevitably every recruiter puts more focus on the requisitions where he/she has the best chance for success. And those requisitions are almost always the ones at clients that encourage productive and effective conversations with hiring managers. This is still a people business and communication is key.
3. All staffing activities must go through the VMS application.
This is the only way to get accurate information for continual improvement of the program. No staffing activities can take place outside the VMS. Business rules need to be put in place to ensure this.
4. Limit the number of resumes each staffing vendor can submit.
At first blush, one might think the more resume a company can get the better. But this is not true. Let the staffing firms do their jobs. A smaller number of quality resumes is ideal. Limits are a good idea for both clients and vendors. Limits prevent clients from being deluged with resumes and encourage vendors to be selective in whom they submit. A reasonable number of resumes per vendor depends upon the size of your vendor list, but two or three per vendor seems to work well. This allows the vendor to be selective and still realize an acceptable fill ratio – assuming that the client’s vendor list is not overly large.
There are more
Now I realize I am coming from the angle of a staffing firm on all this. But I think its fair to say that a VMS is put in place for the purpose of increasing efficiencies, reducing costs, and increasing the track-ability and visibility of a temporary staffing program. So that is the angle I am taking here. Something else to consider is that over the years ATR has participated in dozens of VMS programs. Some of them have been very effective and some of them have not. But the common factors of a successful VMS program have become very apparent. And by successful I mean the programs are able to successfully and sustainably facilitate the placement of quality contract employees.
My colleague, Lisa Amorao has written a more detailed and well thought out white paper regarding this subject. If you are interested in a copy, please email me.
Put excellent customer service and top quality candidates first
Last week I took part in the webinar on the topic of Staffing Industry Trends and Outlook in light of the current economy. It was presented by the Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA).
It was an exclusive event for the Corporate Members of the SIA with a video presentation showing and overview of staffing trends based on their recent study. It was designed to help boost the staffing business. There was really no news there. The economy is on a slump, the industry as a whole is taking a beating. But one slide stood out during the presentation: “Staffing Firm Top Priorities.”
The highest priority were:
• Growing revenue
• Expending/diversifying clients
We all want to grow our revenue and expand our client base. But what I found astonishing was that on the very BOTTOM of priorities were:
• Recruiting quality candidates
• Excellent customer service.
What a shocker. What a shame to the staffing industry. I don’t know how anyone can expect to grow revenue or expand their client base without giving the highest priority to customer service, retaining top performing internal staff or recruiting quality candidates. I strongly believe that in the current economic environment it is more critical than ever for staffing firms to realize that revenue growth and an expanded client base only comes when the focus is on excellent customer service, an excellent internal staff and top quality candidates.
In fact it does not matter what the current economic outlook is, no company can allow — even momentarily – itself to neglect efforts to keep its key staff. Even in the current economical climate most professionals have many different options whether or not to remain with an organization. As business conditions become tougher every single day and the economic recovery is nowhere insight it is absolutely critical to maintain our core values and preserve the corporate culture the way we treat, value and trust our employees.
I am baffled how customer service is not at the highest priority. In a fiercely competitive market, excellent customer service is what differentiates high quality companies from the mediocre organizations. First rate customer service encompasses a steady commitment to learning what the customers’ needs and wants are, in addition to developing action plans that implement customer welcoming processes.
As the labor market continues to weaken and we see increased layoffs across many organizations, we have a golden opportunity to attract high-quality job applicants. Attracting and recruiting quality candidates should always be the primary goal for any organization that prides itself with a high degree of excellence. Companies need and will always want quality candidates, not just quantity. In spite of the current economic slump there is still a shortage of qualified people available. This is due to the rapid transformation in technology and business environment in general. Consequently, companies look to attract employees with knowledge, skills, and experience who can quickly adapt to changes and prosper as the markets turn around.
Live what you sell
I did my annual pilgrimage to the Web2.0 Expo and perhaps it’s a sign that social applications are finally “growing up” because most are now being marketed as “enterprise” this or that. I think it’s great that more companies are now marketing social apps for business uses instead of a way to tell the whole world what you ate for lunch.
I went to the expo armed with just my iPhone and my arsenal of basic social apps: Facebook, Twitterrific (a Twitter client) and LinkedIn. I brought business cards with me but purposely withheld them. I visited each booth, talked to some folks to learn about their product or service, and when they asked for my business card, I would say “I’m running low on business cards, but tell you what, I’ll connect with you right now on LinkedIn and Facebook and follow you on Twitter.” Then I would proceed to take my iPhone out and add them on the spot.
A lot of people were happy to oblige. Awesome, they would say. They’d take out their iPhone/Blackberry/G1/Windows Mobile-enabled phone and accept my invitation, on the spot.
Now, there are people who are big fans of the business card, but I think I accomplished way more by withholding it:
- I did a little bit to save the environment.
- I made an instant, more meaningful connection — my new contact gets a picture, links to my personal blog, my employer, gets a complete story of what I’m really about (because ya know, it’s all about ME). It sure beats having my card end up in a box labeled “Web2.0 Expo.”
- I avoided SPAM by NOT having my business card end up as part of a mailing list.
But…to my surprise, there were quite a handful who told me “uh…I’m not quite on Facebook.”
Ok, how about LinkedIn?
I kid you not, but oh dear lord, someone did tell me “I have an account that I opened a while back…I have to figure out how to accept your invitation.”
Seriously?
It’s not a mortal sin to not be on Facebook or LinkedIn (I know plenty of people who don’t want any part of it), but this was Web2.0 Expo. In this particular situation, not being part of Facebook or LinkedIn is like going to a Weight Watchers meeting and proclaiming you don’t want to lose weight.
The saddest part was, I got this from someone who was selling a “social media aggregator.” Their application supposedly will allow you to see all the people you follow whether they are on Twitter, Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, their RSS feeds, FriendFeed…all in one spot.
“That’s awesome,” I told Booth Guy Who’s Not on Facebook and Can’t Figure Out LinkedIn (hereonto now referred to as Booth Guy). “But how are you going to use it?”
Booth Guy gave me a blank stare and started mumbling. When he told me that he can’t connect to me on Facebook or LinkedIn, I thought he was just making an excuse not to connect with me. I thought, maybe he didn’t like me. I mean…how can you sell a “social media aggregator” and not be part of a social network? But his blank stare told me that he really didn’t know how social media worked. Oh god, it’s true…you really aren’t on Facebook. ( I **almost** said).
Their CEO came to his aid and started talking to me. Did a demo. We had a conversation about the application, I told him how I’m going to use it. Then he said he wanted to talk to me some more, can he please have my business card?
Same deal. I took out my iPhone and offered to connect on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Guess what? CEO of Social Media Aggregator isn’t on there either!
I kid you not.
I suppose it’s a great application. Who knows? Unfortunately, I probably won’t find out. Yeah, it’s not going to cost me anything to use their application, but that’s not the point. There’s just something fundamentally unsettling about using something made by people who don’t really get what their creation is for. And this applies to pretty much almost everything. If you use staffing services, does your firm “get it?” Would they hire the same candidates as if they were hiring them to work on their own projects? If you’re a candidate, do you trust the recruiter you’re working with? Can they talk to you about a position they are recruiting you for as if they are the ones going on that assignment?
Lisa Amorao has been with ATR since 2000 and has held roles in recruiting and sales before moving to her current position as marketing programs manager. You can connect with her on Facebook or LinkedIn.
An evening at the Layoffs Cafe
I had the privilege last night of being asked to be a guest speaker at the most recent gathering of the Layoffs Cafe. For those of you that aren’t familiar with the Layoff Cafe, it’s a talented group of people that have recently, or not so recently, lost their jobs due to the current challenging economic times. The group is run and organized by Nilo Sarraf who, herself, was recently let go from her job as a usability engineer at Yahoo.
Because I was asked to be a guest speaker, I came to the meeting thinking I was going to be the one doing the teaching. I was mistaken. I talked about best practices for a job search and gave some tips on getting around some of the common hurdles one usually experiences during such difficult times. But by the end of the meeting, I learned so much more from this group than I could ever teach. There were a lot of very qualified and professional people at this gathering that have become victims of something that is much bigger than they are. Something that is far beyond their control. But the amazing thing is that they are determined not to let the bad economy determine their fate. A lesson all of us can learn.
Nilo is on to something here and I commend her for what she is doing. And her only pay is the thanks she gets from the members of the group. The Layoff Cafe is Silicon Valley based at this point, but it is growing quickly and has started to emerge in other cities. I hope that I was, in some small way, able to contribute to their cause and look forward to helping where I can. If you are in Silicon Valley and looking for a group like this I highly suggest you check out the Layoffs Cafe.
Jeff Monaghan is ATR International’s Director of Marketing, responsible for the strategic direction and management of ATR’s branding efforts as well as driving the company’s marketing and corporate communication initiatives. Connect on Facebook or LinkedIn.
Authors
Jerry Brenholz
President and CEO
ATR International
Lisa Amorao
Marketing Programs Manager
Jeff Monaghan
Director of Marketing
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