Information technology companies need to be aware of the tremendous diversity of motives and attitudes of female workers when dealing with these employees, according to researchers, who based their conclusions on interviews with women from three countries.

The way women approach their careers, home life and motherhood (if applicable) can vary tremendously, according to researchers who looked at this issue. It would be a mistake to assume that in general all women look at work and home life the same way.  The career paths women take are influenced by a wide variety of factors, including gender stereotypes, other messages that society sends and family relationships.

Researchers at Penn State University’s School of Information Technology interviewed almost 200 women in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The woman came from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Researchers said company managers should not simply assume a young woman will, as a matter of course marry, have children and drop out of the workforce. Human resource policies based on these assumptions may not apply to many women, who are motivated by different factors, such as salary, job security and work environment.

The researchers said women in the IT industry have developed many ways to handle their work and home life duties. Some rely more on work-oriented programs, such as flexible schedules, while others rely more on home-based support, such as spouses or parents. Because each woman may use different support systems and approach her responsibilities in a different way, it would be a mistake for companies to develop a one-size-fits all kind of program.

The researchers gave several examples of how different cultural influences could affect women in information technology. For example, in China, calling a woman a “geek” is seen as a compliment. In Ireland, people characterize information technology careers as “clean” work. And in India, exam scores determine whether a woman will be able to work in information technology or not. The researchers said cultural stereotypes may be part of the reason why there is a relative paucity of women in information technology in the United States.

When you’re looking for exceptional IT professionals, contact The Wellspring Group. We can source, vet and place skilled and reliable workers for your short-term, long-term and direct-hire assignments. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you’re looking for work, it’s critical that you stay optimistic.

Of course, we know how difficult that is, especially if you’ve been looking for weeks or months. But experts report that keeping an optimistic mindset is vital as you continue searching.

By optimistic we don’t mean constantly sunny and Pollyanna-ish. Rather, job search experts recommend an “intelligent” optimism, one that acknowledges the reality of your situation but which refuses to just give up and find life meaningless. This type of optimism — finding meaning and purpose in a world that seems to be working overtime against you — can be learned.

Here are some tips on how to do so:

1) Concentrate on the things you can control. Disregard those you cannot. For example, quit worrying about the unrest in Egypt, Wall Street corruption or the terrible weather in many parts of the country this winter. You have no control over these things. But you can write a letter to the editor of the New York Times regarding Egypt, you can remember that spring officially is less than seven weeks away and you can go out and do what you need to get a new job (network more, learn new skills, contact The Wellspring Group, for example).

2) Refuse to see yourself as a victim. Don’t start making your life a catastrophe (“No one has given me a job today or last week or last month so I’ll never work again!”). Focus instead on the things that are going right (“I talked with five people last week about my search”) and on what you can do (“I’ll speak with 10 new people this week!”).

3) Don’t whine. Just don’t. Stop if you do. You harm no one but yourself and it doesn’t help your situation one iota. In fact, it makes your situation worse, helping you go down that rabbit hole of negativity ever more quickly. Instead, focus on what you do have. Practice gratitude. Be thankful for whatever is going right with your life. You have a loving spouse, you have great kids and great friends, you’re in good health, a new episode of NCIS is on tonight. Take five minutes once a day and write down a few things for which your grateful, no matter how minor they may be. It’s a known fact that thinking of things for which you’re grateful keeps your mood up.

If you’re looking for a new position, send your résumé to The Wellspring Group. We have many IT positions (some of which aren’t even on our website yet) available with some of this country’s best firms. We look forward to hearing from you.

According to a recent survey, business executives around the world are reporting that the rate of change in their organizations is increasing.  More than 80 percent of executives contacted reported the growth of change, and 70 percent said that during the past year, their companies went through unsettling changes.

Business management has always highlighted the need for companies to be adaptable and resilient, but such flexibility is more difficult to achieve in practice, according to the researchers.  Handling the fast pace of change is a challenge, they said, and it must be studied constantly to find the best ways to recognize the kinds of skills that are needed to cope with such change.

The management techniques of those at the top are key components in the response to change, and can make a company more or less adaptable to change.  In companies where workers are pigeon-holed in narrow functional areas, where decisions require working through a company bureaucracy, where conformity has a strong grip, where information does not flow freely, where there is an entrenched corporate bureaucracy, and where there is an unwillingness to work together – these are all conditions that hinder a company’s response to change.

All of the processes, policies, systems, technologies, and corporate cultures in place at a company work together to determine its adaptability to change.

The rate of change is increasing — and is becoming more destructive.  Almost three-fourths of those surveyed said that change had been distracting at their companies, causing big surprises or shocks during the previous year.  These executives said that the rate of the shocks and surprises at their company had increased over the last five years.

The researchers said that handling change probably will not become any less difficult.  Part of the reason for that is that some companies actually like change that is disruptive, and they are many times companies that are setting the agenda in their industry.

The best performing companies and individuals within companies were the ones who could best cope and take advantage of change, researchers said.

The study also looked at the causes of change.  The most important factors leading to change centered around the demands of customers and vendors, the introduction of new products and services, and technological advancements.  The study showed that change is constant, always to be reckoned with, and companies need to be aware of that fact and make it a part of their business strategy.

If you’ve decided that your company needs to change how it sources and places the IT professionals you need, contact The Wellspring Group. We’ll find and vet the best IT professionals for your firm’s particular needs. Contact us today.

If you’re gunning for a leadership role in your company, you’re going to have to find the right balance between being too assertive and being perceived as too timid.

A study by researchers at the Columbia Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business found that being seen as having too much or not enough assertiveness may be the most widespread weak spot among those who aspire to leadership roles in their firms. This results in the potential leaders coming across as being less effective than those whom their colleagues believe to have the “optimal” level of the trait.

Researchers studies workers’ feedback about their co-workers’ leadership traits such as charisma, self-discipline and intelligence. Interestingly, colleagues perceived weaknesses as more than just a lack of a trait — many of those studied reported that they looked upon colleagues they perceived as too assertive as being less effective than others who weren’t thought so.

While many people might think a lack of assertiveness might brand someone as weak, many possible leaders were thought too assertive or not assertive enough by their colleagues. In one study of about 1,000 workers, more than half of those who described someone as having a weakness particularly referred to assertiveness. This finding was divided pretty much equally between the two extremes.

Interestingly, when a potential leader got the assertiveness quotient “wrong,” colleagues took instant note. When a potential leader gets the assertiveness level right, it’s not noticed as much. In other words, it’s taken as a given as to the individual’s good leadership qualities.

Your takeaway? If you aspire to leadership but are low in assertiveness (you have a hard time standing up for what’s important to you, for example), you may be ineffective (or at least seen as ineffective) at achieving desired goals and results. However, too much assertiveness can brand you as a blowhard. Which easily could have the unwanted affected of making it difficult for people to want to follow you. Instead, to be effective, it’s necessary to push hard — but not too hard to get results. You still want to be able to “get along” with co-workers and those you supervise.

If you’re ready for a position that will allow your skills and knowledge to shine within the IT field, contact The Wellspring Group. We can help you access some of the most sought-after opportunities in your field. Contact a recruiter today.

If a new survey is correct, about 84 percent of workers are planning to look for a new position in 2011.

If this is so (and, frankly, 84 percent sounds like a staggeringly unrealistic number to us), companies around the country are at big risk of losing their top employees.

Research on employee motivation has found that a worker’s earnings and the benefits provided by an employer don’t have as much impact on a worker’s satisfaction and engagement as job quality and workplace support.

With that in mind, we offer some ideas below that can help you engage, motivate and keep your top talent.

• Offer meaningful work. Let your employees do what they do best by engaging their top skills and affinities. This is a key to retention and engagement.
• Ask for ideas. Allowing workers to have input into decisions gives them a big sense of control and being a part of something “bigger than themselves.” Soliciting employee input also shows them that their opinion matters to you. It also helps employees accept the resulting decision once it’s been made because they had some say in it.
• Tell people where they stand. Let your employees know how things really are within your company. Ask them to set tough but realistic goals; this actually helps motivate workers, especially when things are tough.
• Keep true to your word and consistent in your actions. When leaders are reliable and accessible, trust builds in the workplace.
• Help employees create personal goals that reflect your company’s goals. This helps ensure that everyone is working toward the same outcome. It also helps employees see how their efforts really affect a company’s success.
• Provide room to grow. How effective are you when it comes to promoting from within? Really take a good look at how often employees have a chance to move up within your organization. Top employees especially want to know they will be challenged and have an opportunity to let their skills shine. Are you truly hiring from within, or are your managers, supervisors and even executives coming from the outside?

Are you prepared for a possible talent exodus from your firm? A call to The Wellspring Group may be in order. After all, if IT employees from your competitors are looking to leave, you’ll want to be ready to entice them join you.  Contact us today.

If you’ve just landed a new IT job and if the position isn’t what you hoped it would be (or even if it is), you’re likely looking to get a promotion and raise as quickly as possible.

Here are some tips to help you.

The more you can show your value to your employer, the easier it will be to get a promotion. Obviously this means you’ll have to work for it. Not only should you do your job, you’ll want to do more.

Sit with your boss and ask him or her about goals for the coming year. What does your boss want and/or need to accomplish? Ask your supervisor how you can help or, better yet, suggest ideas as to how you can help your manager be more successful. If you help your boss be more successful, you will be more successful.

Document. Document. And document some more. That is, write down all of your accomplishments, no matter how small. You could keep these to yourself and then present them to your boss at your annual review, but since you want a promotion/raise quickly, you’ll need to do…more: send a “projects completed” or “tasks update” to your manager each week. Don’t be shy about pointing out when projects are completed ahead of schedule, under budget or otherwise were finished in a manner better than normal.

After you’ve had at least three major successes under your belt (see above) and you’ve been at your position for at least three to six months (three if your accomplishments truly were major, six if they were just better than average), then ask your supervisor for a meeting.

If you haven’t been sending weekly missives to your manager about your accomplishments, be sure to do have them handy for this meeting. Even if you have, bring a listing of your best accomplishments (and have a copy for your manager).

Then, you’ll need to point out all the things you’ve done that have gone beyond your job description and say something along the lines of “Boss, I’ve been performing at the level of assistant IT director consistently for X months. In that time, I’ve [list three big accomplishments] while also [mention three of your major day-to-day responsibilities]. Since I’ve been doing the job of an assistant IT director, I’m here today to discuss with you about my being promoted to the position.”

And then be quiet. Say nothing. Let your boss speak first. Chances are, you’ll see something positive come from this meeting. If not an immediate promotion, at the very least you’ll more than likely come to an agreement to discuss the issue again soon.

You’ve nothing to lose and quite a bit to gain by being assertive and asking for a promotion so long as you’ve shown you deserve it. And by showing we mean, doing the work as well as documenting it.

Good luck!

If you’re looking for a terrific new IT position in 2011, contact The Wellspring Group. We have forged strong connections with firms across the country needing top-notch IT workers. Contact us today!

If you’re a woman, follow this mantra when being offered a new job: negotiate, negotiate, negotiate.

Oh, and one more thing: Negotiate!

Most people believe women are more reluctant to negotiate when offered new jobs — or even at any time during their working careers. But a recent survey of about 500 businesswomen show that many do negotiate when considering a new project at work, new job or promotion.

What’s more, those negotiations ultimately led to greater success to these savvy women. They earned better performance reviews, had greater job satisfaction, and were provided more leadership opportunities.

The study found that women with considerable experience as leaders tendto take the time to look a new job over carefully before deciding to accept the position or not. They will check with people within the firm (they usually know at least one due to their good networking skills), and others whose advice and knowledge they respect regarding ideas about what issues they should negotiate.

Experts who study women and negotiation recommend that firms should work to encourage women to negotiate. If a woman can learn at the beginning what it will take to be successful in a new position from the get go, it will lessen the chances the woman will leave the job.

The study found that of those women considering a new position, 84 percent said they dickered for a higher salary or other perks, 62 percent negotiated a meeting to make their case for a new position, and 50 percent had negotiated for a different job description, title or to whom the position reported.

Most of the female negotiators said they were pleased with their jobs, compared to less than a third of those women who took whatever was offered to them. Most of the women who negotiated reported they subsequently were given more opportunities to take on leadership roles and that they also had outstanding performance reviews.

Our takeaway for female job seekers? Never be afraid to ask for more. Never be shy to negotiate. Done with panache and consideration, your future boss will respect you all the more, even if you don’t get all that you request. In fact, when you negotiate, don’t be surprised if you get at least something that you ask for. It’s rare indeed to receive nothing (and, if you’ve a hiring manager who won’t budge, you may want to think twice, three or even four times before accepting a position).

When you’re looking for a great IT position, contact The Wellspring Group. We partner with some of the nation’s most recognized and preferred firms, offering you access to sought-after positions. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Corporate Executive Board surveyed data on 50,000 employees across the world earlier this year and found that “high potential” workers increasingly are disengaged and looking elsewhere for their next career move. In fact, 25 percent said they plan to leave the firm at which they now work; this up from 10 percent in 2006.

This could be very bad news for businesses as the job market improves (however slowly) in 2011.

The high potential employees were identified as such by their employers.

The CEB gave six suggestions as to how to first identify your high potential employees, engage and keep them. They are:

1. Aim to give workers stimulating work. Recognize and develop potential leaders quickly as these individuals can disengage quickly.
2. When interviewing, use assessment tests to gauge candidates’ engagement, abilities and aspirations so that you can get an idea of applicants’  potential for growth and leadership.
3. Make sure to manage high-potential workers at the executive or corporate level to prevent line managers from “hoarding” talent, thereby limiting the high-performing workers  opportunities.
4. Put your top talent in positions that challenge their abilities and where new competencies are needed.
5. Provide salaries and recognition to these top performers as appropriate.
6. Include your top-potential workers in your firm’s strategic planning while emphasizing to them how much their work will positively affect your company’s success now and in the future.

If you’re looking for future IT leaders for your organization, contact The Wellspring Group. We will source, vet and present to you the top three candidates we find, based upon your exact needs and desires for the person who fills your critical positions. We look forward to hearing from you.

As the nation slowly recovers from the recent brutal recession, employee morale is low — very low. In fact, a recent survey of about 200,000 workers showed that employee morale is the lowest it’s ever been.

Employers risk losing workers with low morale as soon as the job market warms. Replacing an employee can cost anywhere from one-half to more than two times his or her annual salary!

So it will behoove you to buck up your current employees, and you may do in two simple ways:  praise and recognition  for their efforts, especially when those efforts go above the usual.

Sixty-five percent of those workers surveyed said they had not been recognized at all for their hard work in the year prior to the survey. Of those who left an employer, about 80 percent said the main reason they left was because they felt unappreciated.

Yet — and here’s where you should sit up and take note — of those companies where employee morale is high, almost all workers said that their managers recognize their employees’ efforts.

What’s more — and really pay attention here – the survey found that those organizations who recognized their employees for their efforts usually were more profitable than those who didn’t recognize workers.

As you work to make your company’s culture one of appreciation and recognition, be sure you praise and acknowledge not only top performers, but “average” and underperforming employees — when they make an extra effort for even the smallest of things. Praise can go a very long way to helping your employees get to a level of performance where you want them to be.

If you’re in the search for exceptional, hard-working, top-notch IT professionals, contact The Wellspring Group. We will source the most talented IT workers possible. We look forward to hearing from you!

When you need professionals with high technical skills, call The Wellspring Group.

When we source the talent you seek, we’ll present you with just the top 3 candidates and we’ll do so with exceptionally detailed profiles, including their educational credentials — degrees and certificates. You can trust that the professionals we find for your have been thoroughly vetted, not just for their backgrounds, but also for the “intangibles” that can make or break a placement — work ethic and how they’ll “fit” in your company’s culture.

We’d like to give some information about the types of professionals we will find for you. Please keep in mind that we can find entry-level, to mid-management to executives in these fields — whatever you need, whenever you need it.

Our client companies come to us to search for high-level talent for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to:

• Not having enough time to do it themselves.
• Are small firms with no human resources department.
• They are under extreme pressure to fill one or more key management positions.
• The company recently acquired a new client and needs to ramp up with staff immediately.
• A recruiter has connections within a particular specialty.
• The company wasn’t able to find the people it needed on its own.

The Wellspring Group particularly specializes in sourcing talent in the the following sectors:

• Financial
• Banking
• Commercial
• Telecom
• Manufacturing
• Insurance/Reinsurance
• Hi-tech

As for the types of talent we will source for you in those sectors, we can and will find:

• C-level Executives
• Senior Level Management
• Web Technology
• CRM/Data Warehousing
• ERP
• Systems/Database Administration
• Client/Server Development
• Systems Architecture
• PMO
• Testing
• Business Analysts
• Financial Operations/Front Office & Back Office
• Project Management Testers

So when you’re ready to have experienced professional recruiters source, vet and present the top three candidates for your critical positions, contact The Wellspring Group.  We look forward to hearing from you.