The HR Insider

Week of October 24, 2006

Presented by the Rowan University SHRM Club

In this week’s issue we will discuss Cornell Graduate School and Social Networking Sites.

Cornell Graduate School

Cornell University offers a Master's in Industrial and Labor Relations (MILR), which many consider to be the finest of its kind in the world. Their graduates usually obtain multiple job offers from first-rate employers which include the New York and Washington DC areas. Cornell is also by far the most affordable Ivy League university. If you are not a New Jersey resident, Cornell's graduate school tuition is the same price as  Rutgers' graduate school tuition! If you are a New Jersey resident, Cornell is about 35% more expensive than Rutgers, but it's still only half the cost of most Ivy League graduate degrees.

You can view more information about Cornell by going to the following link: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/gradDegreePrograms/degrees/MILR/index.html

Organizations "Google"/Review Job Candidate Profiles on Social Networking Sites

Job candidates who maintain profiles on social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace, may want to rethink their postings: More than one-quarter (26.9 percent) of the organizations responding to a recent poll conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported that they have "Googled" or reviewed job candidate profiles on social networking sites. "Students need to be aware that information they have posted online and made public could be viewed by potential employers," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. Service-sector employers were most likely to have "Googled" or checked social networking sites. ( See Figure 1.)

Among respondents that reported having used this practice, just 7.4 percent reported that it was standard practice and that they conduct such a check on all or most of their job candidates. The largest group—41.2 percent—said they "Google"/check online profiles occasionally, while 35.3 percent characterized their use of this practice as "infrequent." A few—2.9 percent—reported that they "Google"/check social networking sites only for certain positions. The remaining respondents (13.2 percent) gave other responses. Respondents were also asked if they planned to "Google"/review social networking sites in the future when considering job candidates. Among those that do not currently engage in this practice, results were mixed: Just 1.1 percent of responding organizations that have not engaged in this practice up until now reported plans to do so in the future, and the biggest group (39.5 percent) said they do not plan to do this. However, nearly as many (35.1 percent) said they may do so in the future, and 24.3 percent were unsure of their future plans in terms of this practice. ( See Figure 2.)

About NACE's Quick Poll : From June 22 through July 3, 2006, NACE polled 1,195 of its employer members regarding the practice of "Googling" job candidates or reviewing their profiles on social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace. A total of 254, or 21.3 percent, responded. Among respondents, 53.9 percent represented service-sector organizations, 37.8 percent were manufacturers, and 7.9 percent were government/nonprofit employers. One respondent could not be classified by sector. (Note: Percents may not equal 100 due to rounding.) http://www.shrm.org/students/echoes_published/CMS_018427.asp#P-4_0

SHRM

The next SHRM meeting will take place on Monday October 30th. Our next guest speaker will be Renee Tucci,  Graduate Programs Administrator for Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She will discuss "Graduate HR Education at Cornell."

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Payroll assistant job in Cherry Hill paying $10-12 per hour, with a company called ATC Healthcare. Cover letters and resumes can be faxed to Steven Singer at 856-795-4902.

Looking for a Part time Administrative assistant for our payroll department. This is to work on-site at a busy health care staffing firm. The job includes payroll support, filing, research, and responding to payroll related calls.

This job is perfect for someone looking to work 20-25 hours per week with some flexibility in their schedule. Ideal schedule would be Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 8:15am to 5pm or Monday through Friday 9am to 2pm.