Convince Your Boss Not to Fear the Flex This article is adapted from Chapter 5, “Negotiating for Work Flexibility,” of the new book, The Working Dad’s Survival Guide: How to Succeed at Work and at Home.Lots of working parents benefit from working alternative work schedules, such as telecommuting a day or two a week or shifting hours around family responsibilities. However, for the most part, companies will not come to us to ask us about our needs for flexibility. We have to take the first step. This can be difficult, but most good things in life are.To increase our chances of success,... view article details

FAQ: The 8 Hottest Salary Negotiation Questions Salary negotiation can be a complicated, confusing, confidence-rattling experience. There are lots of questions to be answered, and in nearly every situation, part of the answer is “it depends” -- on number of years in the workplace, what the salary level is, what the job and industry are, and how much leverage you have.Given that background, let’s look at eight quick-hit questions that might be on your mind.8. "How much is too much?" Q: When asking for a higher salary, how much higher is generally reasonable? $10,000? $15,000? ... view article details

Salary.com estimates that at least one employee in ten has viewed compensation information on the Internet within the last year. That number is expected to grow, as salary sites have become a routine component of both the job search and the career management process. In response to questions from HR professionals about what to do when an employee knocks on the door with a salary printout in hand, Salary.com has prepared this advice for and from employers on responding to online data.There probably is no way for employers to prevent employees from using salary sites, and no advantage to doing s... view article details

Target These Types of Workers & Reap the Benefits Hiring rates are expected to increase, but many organizations are thinking hard about the types of people they’d like to add to their teams. Skills are obviously important, but even the most qualified candidates could be ineffective if they don't have the right cultural fit to further the company. What kind of candidates will make the best fit? Here are eight great employee types hiring managers should target: 1. This person doesn’t have to be the best or the most talented, but they are always willing to take a chance. They aren’t afraid of mak... view article details

I've been trying to wrap my brain around the value (or not) of the new Facebook Jobs app. I've been reviewing some white papers written for recruiters and I'm just not sure...yet. Question #1Don't job seekers already have hundreds, if not thousands, of places to seek out jobs? Besides the name boards (Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed, SimplyHired, Dice, Vault, LinkUp, etc.), company boards, government boards, trades, local and community job boards -- do we really need more places to post and/or locate jobs?The only platform with absolute, proven value right now per the recruiting community is Li... view article details

Q. After having 12 weeks off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to care for a newborn baby, I have decided to reduce my work hours from 40 to 30 per week. However, I am a bit uneasy about negotiating for the time.I have worked for this company for three years (I have over a decade of experience). On all of my past reviews I have been given the highest rating. I live in an area with very low unemployment and great demand for skilled employees, which will work in my favor when I negotiate for the time, but I am unsure of how to go about it.Should I begin by writing up a proposal, deta... view article details

Brace Yourselves...Career Advice is Coming Most people watch HBO's Game of Thrones for the rich characters, swordplay, and to see how the warring factions will end up determining who is the rightful King of Westeros. After all, George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world is a complex and intricate realm of love, deceit, backstabbing, and wonder that captures the imagination of millions.But if you look closely, there is some legitimate career lessons in the show that can be applied to the real world.From King Robert’s laziness to the perils of working for a bad boss (I’m looking at you Joffrey)... view article details

In Honor of the New Movie “Horrible Bosses,” Salary.com Polled Its Readers to Find the Worst Real-Life Bosses At some point in your career it’s happened to you. You get saddled with “that boss.” The boss who drives you crazy, mistreats you and takes credit for your hard work. A boss who is just horrible!That’s the premise of the recently released movie “Horrible Bosses,” starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day. Three friends with three wretched bosses (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston) get so fed up at work they devise a plan to rid themselves of their r... view article details

Don't Freak Out! We've Got Your Office Gift-Giving Strategy Covered With Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the rearview mirror it's time for some minor motivating panic regarding your office gift giving. Smiling at that thought? Tapping your toe to the holiday music? You're obviously ahead of the curve (and slightly obnoxious with the gloating. Keep it down over there). But if you've been procrastinating and the little holiday alarm just went off, it will behoove you to spend the next few minutes reading this article. We're here to help guide you through the minefield of... view article details

With sites like Salary.com employees have access to the equivalent of a Kelley Blue Book for jobs. The availability of online compensation information has leveled the playing field between employer and employee when it comes to negotiation and job offers. Employers who are confident in their pay practices should welcome these new data sources, as they provide external validation that their compensation is competitive with the market.Before there was online salary data for everyone, disappointments and disconnects like these were common.* The irrelevant request. Employee: I need 10 percent more... view article details