Category Archives: Finance & Strategy

Do You Speak CFO?

By mark.stelzner | Published: May 28, 2009
First off I want you to just settle down and relax. This isn’t one of those typical blog posts bashing HR about the head for not becoming a strategic business partner. Instead, let’s enter a Zen-like state…breathe…and repeat after me: [Inhale]“There is no seat.” [Exhale] “There is no table.” Excellent. We are now free of traditional prejudice. I actually want [...]
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Are You ‘Power Hungry’ Or A ‘Peace Builder’?

By mark.stelzner | Published: May 18, 2009
Many of you may belong to a social networking niche based on professional affiliation. You interact both online and offline, you exchange best practices, you develop relationships and over time you find yourself in a tightly woven group.   Then you join another social network which has little association with the first. It contains different members, [...]
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Do We Need A Corporate Alert System?

By mark.stelzner | Published: May 4, 2009
For most of us, hyperawareness of alert systems came in response to the September 11th attacks. The first Homeland Security Advisory System release came in March of 2002 with a lovely shade of yellow for “Elevated”, part of a five Crayon palate that was highly criticized as confusing and largely misunderstood by the general public. But [...]
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How JobAngels (And You) Have Changed My Life

By mark.stelzner | Published: February 9, 2009
[NOTE - The demographics in this post were updated on June 5, 2009] This is the longest time between posts in the history of our little blog. If you’re thinking, “This is an outrage!”, I agree completely. So who is to blame for this travesty, this lapse in judgment, this abandonment of an HR community whose [...]
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Quotes from The Crossroads

By mark.stelzner | Published: November 12, 2008
My day has consisted of endless conversations with those who are at a crossroads.  For some it was an unexpected pink slip upon return from a long weekend.  For others it’s the heart wrenching decision to lay off staff in order to keep their business alive.  And for others it’s a question of whether they [...]
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Large Market HR Outsourcing Takes Another Hit

By mark.stelzner | Published: October 28, 2008
The sheer magnitude of the quarterly write-down is unprecedented in the HR outsourcing industry – $272.9 million.  This is what Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) reported in their quarterly earnings announcement earlier today.   To put that number in perspective, this represents ~40% of CVG’s consolidated revenues for the quarter and is nearly 5x the quarterly revenue [...]
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Why Does The “Main Street” Metaphor Live On?

By mark.stelzner | Published: October 10, 2008
According to my stopwatch, it has been exactly seven minutes and thirty-nine seconds since I’ve heard a “Main Street” versus “Wall Street” reference.  And what a glorious 7:39 it has been.  I’m not sure about you, but I neither live on Main Street nor Wall Street, and I’m getting tired of the gross oversimplification. According to [...]
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How to Scare Over 500,000 Employees in One Day

By mark.stelzner | Published: September 15, 2008
The numbers keep adding up and the impact on the global workforce could be staggering.  A litany of venerable and long-standing institutions have fallen victim to the current state of our nation’s increasingly fragile economic reality.  Let’s look at today’s potential body count: Lehman Brothers – 26,000 global employees; files for bankruptcy. AIG – 116,000 global employees; seeking [...]
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Firm Survival and Employee Turnover

By mark.stelzner | Published: July 30, 2008
I’ve received a lot of questions as of late regarding current economic conditions and employee risk.  Both business leaders and employees are struggling with the realities of a down market crashing against a personal need for sustainability and financial security.  Employees are inclined to hide, stay out of sight, not rock the boat and somehow [...]
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The (Uncomfortable) Seat at the (Rotating) Table

By mark.stelzner | Published: July 21, 2008
Believe me, I know…you’re sick and tired of yet another “seat at the table” discussion focused on HR’s need to be more strategic in their organization.  I predicted that 2008 would end with HR still not gaining that elusive chair, but for the sake of argument, let’s assume they did.  Yes readers, the Chief Human [...]
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