Study: Lose weight, gain productivity

I came across the article below on The Cincinnati Enquirer's website. Not sure if I truly believe it (I've represented, and worked with, several obese people and they were some of the hardest working people I've ever met), but I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Regards,

Mary Stewart McGovern
President
Stewart McGovern Enterprises
http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/

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Study: Lose weight, gain productivity
THE ENQUIRER

Workers who are moderately to extremely obese have reduced productivity on the job even when compared to overweight or mildly obese workers, according to a University of Cincinnati researcher.

Donna M. Gates measured productivity in a random sample of 341 manufacturing employees.
Most of the workers were overweight or obese, and the study found that employees with moderate to extreme obesity had increased health-related absenteeism compared with other workers. The number of days employees are at work but performing at less than full capacity was also higher.

Health-related losses in productivity averaged 4.2 percent for workers with moderate to severe obesity and 1.8 percent higher than for all other employees, the study found. Based on an average hourly wage of $21, the annual cost for moderately to extremely obese workers working at less than capacity was nearly $1,800—about $500 higher than for other workers.The study's results found that a weight loss of 10 percent would bring substantial health and economic benefits."Even modest weight loss could result in hundreds of dollars of improved productivity costs per worker each year," Gates reported in a press release on the report.

The study was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

"Why Should I Hire You?" and other questions you should anticipate at your next interview.

These days, it's getting more and more crowded on the interview path. How can you make sure you stand out and are the one the hiring managers remember at the end of the process? Easy, BE PREPARED. Anticipate the type of questions they may ask and work on your answers (both for clarity and content.)

To help you along, here are some of the most frequently asked interview questions (and why they are asked.)

Describe the toughest assignment/part of your current position so far.
This gives the prospective boss an immediate feel for what you perceive as a weakness. This one tells a lot about you and how you overcome professional challenges.

Share a conversation you have had with your supervisor where you were given feedback that was less than positive.
This little gem tells much about your character and how you handle criticism/feedback. This question gets sticky because it forces you to show yourself in an unflattering light. The best way to deflect it is to tell the story and emphasize what you did to improve/overcome.

What will you do if you don’t get this job?
Now is not the time to say something snarky. This question tells the hiring manager how serious you are. If you are prepared and have a solid answer, it shows you’re really thinking this through. If you don’t have a solid answer, you end up looking like this isn’t something you take seriously. Plus, if you mention that you’re interviewing at other places, it tends to light the proverbial fire under their rear ends. My favorite answer is, “I’ll work for your competitor.” If you can sound confident (but not cocky or arrogant), it just bolsters your value to the firm.

Why should I hire you?
This question shows how much you want this position. Your answer tells if this is something about which you are passionate.

Have you ever had to fire someone?
Your response tells how well you work with others, whether you are willing to help subordinates get up to par, and how well you handle tough career decisions.

What are your long-term goals?
This shows your initiative and vision. Best answer? Easy… tell them you want THEIR job. It lets the hiring managers know you’re prepared to work hard and that you value and appreciate what they’ve done to progress their own careers.

What book is currently on your night stand?
This tells a lot about you as a person. Most managers just want to hear that you are reading something, as many equate reading with a thirst for learning. Just be honest about what you’re actually reading. If you say that you’re reading the IRS tax code changes for the upcoming year. You’re more likely to have someone roll their eyes at you for this blatant suck-up than if you were to say that you’re pretty busy and only have time to read whatever magazine came in that day’s mail.

- Comments welcome.

Mary Stewart McGovern

President

Stewart McGovern Enterprises

http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/

*****Check out Mary's new ebook, I've Graduated from College. Now What? Or, How to Go About Starting Your Career and Not Finding Just Another JOB. Now available for purchase on our website, http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/!

Why “I Go To Extremes” Wasn’t Just a Billy Joel Song Title to Me

How many of us have a 40-hour work week at our current job? Wow, check out the lack of hands going up at that question! Well, everyone can stop laughing. Looks like we’re not alone. According to the December 2006 Harvard Business Review, it’s estimated that 1.7 million Americans have “extreme jobs.” An “extreme job” is defined as “high pressure positions that require 70 hours or more a week.”

Geez! All us accountants are “extreme”?!? And we all thought that 70+ hour work weeks was called “tax season” and are what it took to get recognized, promoted, etc.

Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it, though? “Extreme jobs.” Seems the United States is a culture that thrives on “extreme” everything – from TV shows (Extreme Makeover – Home Edition) to sports (extreme Frisbee, anyone?), if it’s “extreme” – Americans embrace it.

But why do we continue to do it – even after the promotions, raises, recognition? Why are there those of us who feel the need to work 70, 80, 90 hours a week after the raises push compensation packages into the 6 figure range – placing them in the top 6% of American salary earners?

For most people, it’s just their personalities. Most accountants are Type A people. To quote Sir John Gielgud in Arthur, “It’s what I live for…” Others, it’s the trill of working excessively long hours. Yeah, some do find a thrill here that others (myself included) just don’t see. And, I’m sure, many find those increasingly larger paychecks very alluring! The Harvard study shows the majority of these “extreme” employees love it. Yep, they claim that there doesn’t appear to be too much employee resentment (notice there’s no mention of the family’s reactions to these long hours.)

Now, I’m not going to question the choices made by “extremers.” Having spent almost 15 years in accounting and finance, I’ve been “extreme.” Of course, my husband and children will be the first ones to tell you how much they hated it. Long hours in the office, coupled with constant cell phone calls during dinner and e-mails all weekend tend to make even the most supportive families resentful.

Of course, I didn’t see how bad this all was until I was grocery shopping at 7:00am on a Saturday (because I just didn’t have any other free time) while discussing monthly and quarterly P&L statements with the president of my company.

Not too long after this did I begin to realize how wrong it all was. Yes, the money, power, and prestige were nice. But at what cost? I was constantly breaking out in hives (from the stress), I was pushing family obligations to the back burner (come on – grocery shopping at 7:00 am on a SATURDAY?!), I was hardly seeing my kids (and boy did they let me know it!), and my husband joking about talking more to my office’s receptionists than with me. Yes, I was in full-blown burnout.

At the time, we were renting a house in a very ritzy suburb of New York City (Greenwich, CT) and knew we couldn’t afford to stay if I wasn’t going to continue to be an “extreme” employee. Three months later, we moved into an incredible house in a very middle class suburb of Cleveland, OH – Mentor, where I actually spent the bulk of my childhood. Not only did our mortgage become one-third of what we were paying for rent, I could finally wind down my “extremeness.” Granted, I still work 60 + hours a week, but it’s on my terms. I own my own executive recruiting firm. There is no one to complain that I’m taking a half-day off, to help with my older two daughters’ classrooms. And if I choose to take an hour off and attend a tea party hosted by my 4 year old daughter, who’s going to yell? And if my 19 month old daughter is having a rough night sleeping, there’s no “tsk tsk” from other “extremers” because I’m not starting to work until 9:00am.

A lot of companies are trying to combat “extreme employee burnout.” That’s why more and more firms every day are offering concierge-style services, like dry cleaning pick up and delivery, on site child care, and massage therapists on salary. They are hoping these incredible employees won’t do what I did back in 2004 – burn out and run away like the wind. It’s because these companies are now listening to their human resource managers. These managers know that it’s increasingly difficult to replace an “extreme” employee. Let’s be realistic here – how many new employees are going to devote themselves to an organization knowing that the previous employee hit burnout and fled? Companies are forcing employees to utilize their vacations. Some firms even occasionally cover the costs for a spouse to go along on certain business trips. And we’ve all seen the upswing in telecommuting and flextime.

Would all these perks have encouraged me to stay at my old position? Probably not. While I loved my job (and the two offices that came with it – one a corner office on Park Avenue in the Upper West Side of NYC and the other, a waterfront office in Greenwich, CT), enjoyed working with my coworkers (some of the hardest working people I have ever met), and the pleasure of working for one of the most brilliant minds around, none of this could ever make up for the looks of relief and gratitude on my family’s faces when they realized that they really did come first.

Plus, there’s a lot to be said for not breaking out in hives during the past three years!

- Comments welcome.

Mary Stewart McGovern
President
Stewart McGovern Enterprises
http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/

*****Check out Mary's new ebook, I've Graduated from College. Now What? Or, How to Go About Starting Your Career and Not Finding Just Another JOB. Now available for purchase on our website, http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/!

Networking - Cleveland, OH

So, am I the only one bemoaning the fact that August begins next week? To me, August always used to mean the "end of summer." Of course, as a parent, I am now look at August as being the "beginning of the new school year."

Either way, I noticed that August is almost here and there hasn't been a decent local networking event that isn't "career specific." I mean, I attend lots of great networking luncheons and cocktail hours, but most focus on either Accounting and Finance (my primary recruiting areas) or professional development.

Why not have a great networking cocktail hour at one of the fabulous bars in Cleveland? And why not have it be just so all of us can *finally* get a chance to meet in person?

Here's what I'm thinking... I want to set up a networking event somewhere in Cleveland toward the end of August. It would be a cash bar (sorry, folks) and the sole purpose would be for everyone who knows each other online (either by MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to finally meet in person. Or, even if we know each other already, it's a great way to say "hi" in a way that doesn't involve email!

Post your suggestions for days during the 3rd or 4th week in August, as well as possible locations. Based on the most agreed upon day and location, I'll set up "Mary's End of Summer Networking Cocktail Party" (yeah, I'm gonna need to come up with a better name than that!)

Comments -

Mary Stewart McGovern
President
Stewart McGovern Enterprises
http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/

*****Check out Mary's new ebook, I've Graduated from College. Now What? Or, How to Go About Starting Your Career and Not Finding Just Another JOB. Now available for purchase on our website, http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/!

Give Moms a Fair Shake

Below is an email I received today from MomsRising. As a woman, I am disgusted by this. But, as a recruiter, I know that this is the work world's "dirty little secret." It seems being a mother is one of the FEW areas where companies still discriminate.


Dear MomsRising member -

This weekend I took a walk with a good friend of mine, Karen, who started a job about six months ago after being at home with her children for a few years. She was very upset because her boss assumed that all the calls coming in on her cell phone at work were from her kids, when, in fact, they were from business associates. She only found out about this criticism during her performance review. "I was completely floored."

Karen isn't alone in having negative assumptions made about her at work. It's not uncommon for mothers to be held harsher work performance standards than women without children. In fact, a new 2007 study shows this unequal treatment often starts in the hiring process. This study found that mothers are 79 percent less likely to be hired than non-mothers with the same resumes! Another study found that mothers are taken off the "management track" with fewer late days than non-mothers. These studies show a pattern of consistent discrimination against mothers at work, yet the recent Supreme Court ruling, Ledbetter vs. Goodyear, dramatically limits employee's ability to challenge discrimination. It's time to turn this trend around.

TAKE ACTION: Click here to send a message to Congress telling them that all of us should have protection from discrimination at work, and urging them to vote YES on H.R. 2831 to reverse the Ledbetter decision: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12206

KEEP THE HEAT ON: The Supreme Court's ruling in Ledbetter vs. Goodyear that discrimination claims must be made within 180 days after the pay is set is a major setback in women's rights. How many of us know what our co-workers make? In fact, many employers forbid employees from discussing their pay, making it all the more difficult to discover pay discrimination within the short time frame now required by the Supreme Court. Congress can remedy this injustice by clarifying the intent of Title VII and restoring the ability of workers harmed by discrimination to successfully hold their employers accountable. Otherwise, Title VII is just an empty promise.

Given the growing evidence that mothers are routinely subjected to discrimination at the workplace, we need Congress to act now to remedy the recent Supreme Court decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear. This workplace discrimination shows in pay gaps: Studies show that women without children make 90 cents to a man's dollar, mothers make 73 cents, and single mothers make only about 60 cents to a man's dollar. Yet in their decision, the Supreme Court denied Lilly Ledbetter the right to sue because she didn't realize that she was being discriminated against by being paid between 15% and 40 % less than her male counterparts on the management team until late in her 19 year career. In other words, they shut her out!

*Make sure Congress knows citizens support H.R. 2831 by forwarding this email to friends, family, book group, sports teams, and any other of your 500 favorite people! The Ledbetter Supreme Court ruling undermines our fundamental protection from discrimination based upon gender, race, and religion. This core protection must be restored, and members of Congress are working to do so. Let's show our support.

Don't forget to tell your representatives you support HR 2831, and urge them to vote YES when it comes before them: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12206

Best - Donna and the MomsRising Team


p.s. If you haven't signed in the past, check out our petition for equal pay for equal work at: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/signUp.jsp?key=2302&t=petition.dwt

p.p.s. Click here to watch a new video of Lily Ledbetter, put up by People for the American Way, describing the discrimination she faced and calling on Congress to act: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhSFttshcPk

p.p.s.s. If you are experiencing discrimination at work because of your family responsibilities, call the Center for WorkLife Law Hotline at 1-800-981-9495 or email hotline@worklifelaw.org

Stating the Obvious...

CCH issued a whitepaper entitled Recruiting and Keeping Up-and-Coming CPAS at Your Firm. It's based on information gleaned from surveys, benefits, examination, tools, and technology review, and culture studies.

Based on the answers and information provided from the 150 CPAs with 4 to 7 years' experience, CCH concludes that the average CPA firm is failing. Fewer than half of the firms received a "very good" designation.

According to the study, young CPAs want the tools necessary to complete the job; performanced recognition and rewards; to be challenged; and to have a fair work/life balance.

So, does this sound like you? Do you feel your firm is failing you? That they are not providing you with what you need to have a healthy, balanced life and career? If not, email info@stewartmcgovern.com for assistance.

Regards,
Mary Stewart McGovern
President
Stewart McGovern Enterprises
www.stewartmcgovern.com

Recruiters specializing in the placement of Accounting and Finance professionals in and around Cleveland, Ohio