Pool Tables & Snack Machines Are Out: Remote Working Is The #1 Perk Employees Want

remote workRemember the days when in-office happy hours and pool tables were the coolest thing employers could offer? It’s 2022 and employers need to find new ways to attract and retain workers in a post-pandemic world. Today, the comfort and convenience of working from home – wearing sweatpants all day and avoiding long commutes – is the top benefit employees value most.

The Covid-19 pandemic showed us that many jobs can be performed from home, and employees aren’t ready to go back into the office. Before Covid (BC), work from home was a nice perk to have, but the standard corporate line was that productivity and collaboration suffered. When we were forced to adapt for our health and safety to maintain operations, we quickly realized that for most office workers who spend the majority of their day on computers or phone calls, we could, and we liked it.

BY THE NUMBERS

Here are some interesting remote work statistics that show us where we are today:

  • 86% of employees want fully remote or remote first work environments (Buffer, 2022)
  • 66% of employers are redesigning their workplaces to accommodate hybrid work arrangement (Microsoft Work Trend Index, March 2021)
  • 58% of currently remote workers would look for a new job if they were required to return to the office full-time. (Robert Half, 2022)
  • 24% of workers would be willing to take a 10-20% pay cut to work remotely (FlexJobs, April 2021).
  • 55% say they work more hours remotely than at the physical office (Owl Labs, 2021)
  • 70% said a permanent remote job would have considerable improvement or positive impact on mental health (FlexJobs, April 2021)

PROS & CONS

Remote working offers many advantages to employees including no long commutes, cost savings, work day structure and geographic location. On the flip side, concerns noted include inability to unplug from work, loneliness, less collaboration with coworkers and needing to schedule everything. Managers are concerned about career progression and mentorship especially with early career and entry level workers.

While come companies like SAP, Spotify, Salesforce, and Twitter have embraced the new normal and adopted permanent fully remote or hybrid work models, according to recent Microsoft survey, half of company leaders already require, or plan to require, that employees return to work full time in the office within the next year. Bank of America announced that as of March 1, 2022 all employees will have to return to the office five days a week. In an effort to ease the transition back, they are trying to make it fun, resorting to lots of staff lunches, birthday cupcakes and creating meetings they hope staff would be interested in.

WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO?

In an already tight labor market, employers now need to compete with organizations that offer fully remote or hybrid work models. Remote workers also allow employers to reach a wider talent pool geographically.

For employers who are unable to offer fully remote workplace, it’s time to get creative and find new ways to support employees and their overall well being. Options to consider include:

  1. Hybrid work model. (This can be defined in different ways including custom schedules in and out of the office, required in-person team meetings, etc)
  2. Flexible schedules. (Four day work weeks, flexible start and end times, etc.)
  3. Child care assistance
  4. Commuting incentives
  5. Increased paid time off
  6. Paid family leave
  7. Offering mental health days
  8. Investing in company culture and workplace experience

I was one of those lucky workers who was able to work from home throughout the pandemic. When it was first announced March 2020, I welcomed it, thinking I’d be home for 3 weeks, a month tops. On top of that, I was 7 months pregnant and it was the perfect time to nest. Thanks to my employer’s flexibility, even after my maternity leave ended, I was able to enjoy extra time home with my newborn daughter while balancing my work demands. While it has been a transition returning to the office, I embrace the opportunity to collaborate in person and socialize with my colleagues once again. And to be honest, I’ve never fully gotten used to zoom meetings.

Would I have been able to work remote as my first job out of college? I am so grateful for the mentorship and role models during my first years working. I met some of my best friends that I still have to this day. I would regret not having those opportunities to learn, grow and meet people.

References:

https://www.unum.com/about/newsroom/2020/december/work-perks

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2022/03/31/bank-of-america-exec-on-return-to-office-plan-we.html

https://buffer.com/state-of-remote-work/2022

https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/remote-work-statistics/

Manufacturing Employment. A short history.

There was a time – actually, spanning many decades – when manufacturing led the growth of the world’s largest economy. Back in 1920 approximately 40% of the jobs in the United States were in manufacturing and other blue-collar fields. Today, that figure is only about…wait for it…20%. Quite a fall.

Equally astounding is the fact that manufacturing as a share of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has dwindled from 27% to 12%. It’s no wonder there have been so many layoffs in manufacturing.

What goes up must go down.

Manufacturing employment reached its zenith in June 1979 with 19.6 million jobs. But by June 2019 that had dropped to only 12.8 million – 35% from the peak hit 40 years ago.

Why were there so many job losses?

The reality is that the United States was slowly moving to service-related industries.    Under those circumstances corporations found it more appealing to ship the manufacturing overseas where it was cheaper. Think what impact there was on manufacturing jobs in America when Chinese imports quadrupled from 2001 and 2004.

Also, manufacturing as an industry found they could keep their production up as they became more and more automated. Of course, this meant fewer workers were needed.

40 years of job losses.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the 40-year period from 1979 to 2019 when job losses were steady and as dramatic as the job gains were in the prior 40 years. In 1979 manufacturing captured 22% of the nation’s job market. By 2019 that percentage dropped to only 9 percent. (Yikes!)

During the period 1979 to 2019 manufacturing lost 13% of the total nonfarm job market. Fortunately, those in the job market had adjusted their skills along with the job market (not surprising) and the job gains in the service-providing industries filled the void left by manufacturing.

Manufacturing jobs during the pandemic.

So, how did the pandemic affect manufacturing? Not bad. In comparing February/March 2020 to 2022 employment dropped from only a smidgen from  12,717,000 to 12,657,000. Unemployment fell dramatically from 4.1% to 3.1%. but Job Openings more than doubled at 389,000 to 802,000.

What are the predictions for the future?

Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting mild employment growth in the manufacturing sector. Only about a 5% increase in manufacturing employment in the decade stretching from 2020 to 2030.

It will be interesting to see how accurate that prediction will be. Of course, in the same table, the BLS is showing a small drop in employment in the Federal government. I’ll believe that when I see it. So, we’ll see how the predication for manufacturing plays out.

Top 100 NJ High Schools 2022

U.S. News and World Report – Top 100 High Schools In New Jersey 2022

Top 100 NJ High Schools 2022And The Winner Is…

U.S News and World Report recently released the 2022 edition of their annual top 100 high school rankings for the country. As with previous years, New Jersey scored well, being home to a handful of those top schools. In addition to public high schools, they also ranked the best charter schools, magnet schools, and STEM schools in the country.

The criteria to rank these schools was the same it’s always been for previous years, being college readiness, college curriculum breadth, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, and underserved student performance. However, this year, the calculations were adjusted to account for the impact COVID-19 had on education. For example, many schools canceled their state testing for the 2019-2020 school year. Thus, historical data, along with new science proficiency results from 2018-2019, was used to help calculate the rankings.

New Jersey had eight of its own schools placing within the top 100 high schools in the country. Monmouth County Vocational School District accounted for two of those eight (High Technology High School and Biotechnology High School), with High Technology High School also ranking as the #2 STEM School in the nation. Here are the eight New Jersey high schools which made the top 100:

  • (#23) Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison)
  • (#49) Union County Magnet High School (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
  • (#61) Bergen County Academies (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack)
  • (#65) High Technology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft)
  • (#68) Dr. Ronald E McNair High School (Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City)
  • (#69) Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge)
  • (#80) Biotechnology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold)
  • (#93) Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro)

Additionally, the top 100 high schools of each state were ranked. Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies was once again named the top high school in New Jersey. Below are the rest of the top 100 high schools in New Jersey:

  1. Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison)
  2. Union County Magnet High School (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
  3. Bergen County Academies (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack)
  4. High Technology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft)
  5. Dr. Ronald E McNair High School (Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City)
  6. Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health (Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge)
  7. Biotechnology High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold)
  8. Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro (Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro)
  9. Academy for Information Technology (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
  10. Academy for Allied Health Sciences (Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
  11. Marine Academy of Science and Technology (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Highlands)
  12. Glen Ridge High School (Glen Ridge Public School District, Glen Ridge)
  13. Elizabeth High School (Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth)
  14. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North (West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, Plainsboro)
  15. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South (West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, West Windsor)
  16. Summit Senior High School (Summit Public School District, Summit)
  17. Monmouth County Academy of Allied Health and Science (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Neptune)
  18. Millburn High School (Millburn Township School District, Millburn)
  19. Livingston High School (Livingston Board of Education School District, Livingston)
  20. Chatham High School (School District of The Chathams, Chatham)
  21. Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest (Northern Valley Regional High School District, Demarest)
  22. Princeton High School (Princeton Public Schools, Princeton)
  23. Ridge High School (Bernards Township School District, Basking Ridge)
  24. Mountain Lakes High School (Mountain Lakes Public School District, Mountain Lakes)
  25. Montgomery High School (Montgomery Township School District, Skillman)
  26. Tenafly High School (Tenafly Public School District, Tenafly)
  27. Science Park High School (Newark Public School District, Newark)
  28. Ridgewood High School (Ridgewood Public School District, Ridgewood)
  29. John P. Stevens High School (Edison Township School District, Edison)
  30. Union County Tech (Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains)
  31. Haddonfield Memorial High School (Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield)
  32. Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Somerset)
  33. Communications High School (Monmouth County Vocational School District, Wall)
  34. Madison High School (Madison Public School District, Madison)
  35. Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan (Northern Valley Regional High School District, Old Tappan)
  36. Glen Rock High School (Glen Rock Public School District, Glen Rock)
  37. Northern Highlands Regional High School (Northern Highlands Regional High School District, Allendale)
  38. Technology High School (Newark Public School District, Newark)
  39. New Providence High School (New Providence School District, New Providence)
  40. Park Ridge High School (Park Ridge School District, Park Ridge)
  41. Pascack Hills High School (Pascack Valley Regional High School District, Montvale)
  42. Kinnelon High School (Kinnelon School District, Kinnelon)
  43. Mahwah High School (Mahwah Township Public School District, Mahwah)
  44. Verona High School (Verona Public School District, Verona)
  45. Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy (Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth)
  46. Cresskill High School (Cresskill Public School District, Cresskill)
  47. West Morris Mendham High School (West Morris Regional High School District, Mendham)
  48. Westfield Senior High School (Westfield Public School District, Westfield)
  49. Leonia High School (Leonia Public School District, Leonia)
  50. Ramapo High School (Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Franklin Lakes)
  51. Metuchen High School (Metuchen Public School District, Metuchen)
  52. Bergenfield High School (Bergenfield Borough School District, Bergenfield)
  53. Liberty High School (Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City)
  54. Midland Park Jr./Sr. High School (Midland Park School District, Midland Park)
  55. Bernards High School (Somerset Hills Regional School District, Bernardsville)
  56. Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School (Bergen Arts and Science Charter School, Garfield)
  57. Randolph High School (Randolph Township School District, Randolph)
  58. Moorestown High School (Moorestown Township Public School District, Moorestown)
  59. Columbia High School (South Orange-Maplewood School District, Maplewood)
  60. Academy for Mathematics Science and Engineering (Morris County Vocational School District, Rockaway)
  61. Whippany Park High School (Hanover Park Regional High School District, Whippany)
  62. Cherry Hill High School East (Cherry Hill School District, Cherry Hill)
  63. River Dell Regional High School (River Dell Regional School District, Oradell)
  64. Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District, Rumson)
  65. Ramsey High School (Ramsey School District, Ramsey)
  66. High Tech High School (Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, Secaucus)
  67. Mount Olive High School (Mount Olive Township School District, Flanders)
  68. Holmdel High School (Holmdel Township School District, Holmdel)
  69. Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, Scotch Plains)
  70. James Caldwell High School (Caldwell-West Caldwell School District, West Caldwell)
  71. Hillsborough High School (Hillsborough Township Public School District, Hillsborough)
  72. Fair Lawn High School (Fair Lawn Public School District, Fair Lawn)
  73. West Morris Central High School (West Morris Regional High School District, Chester)
  74. Fort Lee High School (Fort Lee School District, Fort Lee)
  75. Hunterdon Central Regional High School (Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, Flemington)
  76. Emerson Jr Sr High School (Emerson Public School District, Emerson)
  77. Indian Hills High School (Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Oakland)
  78. Marlboro High School (Freehold Regional High School District, Marlboro)
  79. South Brunswick High School (South Brunswick School District, Monmouth Junction)
  80. Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School (Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, Bridgewater)
  81. Montclair High School (Montclair Public School District, Montclair)
  82. Highland Park High School (Highland Park Boro School District, Highland Park)
  83. Robbinsville High School (Robbinsville Public Schools, Robbinsville)
  84. Parsippany High School (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, Parsippany)
  85. Point Pleasant Beach High School (Point Pleasant Beach School District, Point Pleasant Beach)
  86. Governor Livingston High School (Berkeley Heights School District, Berkeley Heights)
  87. Montville Township High School (Montville Township School District, Montville)
  88. North Hunterdon High School (North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, Annandale)
  89. Jonathan Dayton High School (Springfield Public School District, Springfield)
  90. Morris Hills High School (Morris Hills Regional School District, Rockaway)
  91. Sparta High School (Sparta Township Public School District, Sparta)
  92. Cranford High School (Cranford Public School District, Cranford)
  93. East Orange STEM Academy High School (East Orange School District, East Orange)
  94. Hopewell Valley Central High School (Hopewell Valley Regional School District, Pennington)
  95. East Brunswick High School (East Brunswick Township School District, E Brunswick)
  96. Parsippany Hills High School (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, Morris Plains)
  97. Westwood Junior/Senior High School (Westwood Regional School District, Township of Washington)
  98. Morris Knolls High School (Morris Hills Regional School District, Denville)
  99. Wayne Valley High School (Wayne Township Public School District, Wayne)
  100. Dumont High School (Dumont Public School District, Dumont)

SCG Advertising + Public Relations is a long-standing, woman-owned, full-service advertising agency headquartered in New Jersey. We have a vast amount of experience in the education space, working with hundreds of private, public, and charter schools across the country to recruit both students and faculty. 

Energize your Recruitment Efforts

As a woman of a certain age, I’m actively working to slow aging and stay physically fit, looking forward to an active retirement.

A good friend convinced me to join Orangetheory Fitness (OTF). OTF works for me because I get bored easily and no two workouts are quite the same. Our coaches push us through a mix of treadmill, rower and weight floor activities that build strength and endurance.  I often sing, dance and joke through a workout. Today wasn’t one of those days. We ran hills (treadmill elevation) and I was doing okay. No speed records but getting it done. Then the weight floor did me in. As coaches swung by to offer advice and adjust my form, I struggled with arm work using light weights and was left frustrated and discouraged.

A lot of my talent acquisition friends are feeling the same way about Recruiting. They do the work, modify their form and if they are lucky enough to get applications, the candidates ghost the process or don’t make it through, all while employees are leaving out the back door.

There are NOW HIRING signs everywhere you look. So why is recruiting so difficult?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) allows you to get results faster than working out at a steady moderate pace. We all need to work smarter rather than harder. Progress comes when you push yourself.

  • Are you posting and praying that candidates will see the ad and apply, or actively sourcing?
  • Are you crafting your message and strategy from the perspective of the target audience? You have to understand your target and speak their language.
  • Are you giving them a reason that they should consider working for you? I passed several billboards recently that said JOIN OUR TEAM! and WE’RE HIRING. That’s it. No reason why I should work for that employer? What do you have to offer that another employer doesn’t?
  • Are you creating brand ambassadors within your current employee population by using testimonial videos, social media sharing, and a culture that they want to brag about?
  • Are you taking your message to the candidates in their day-to-day life with Mobile Display Ads, Streaming TV, branded coffee sleeves, text messaging, Pizza Box ads, and more….
  • Are you actively retaining your current employees?

If you didn’t answer yes to every question, you have some work to do. I’d love to help you fill in the gaps and I’d be happy to share an OTF class pass so you can build the strength to continue pushing through. I will be back at it, starting fresh, next week and will running the annual Atlanta Mission 5k tomorrow.

the great resignation

“I Quit!” Are we in the period of The Great Resignation?

the great resignation

It’s spreading through companies faster than the omicron variant. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a record 4.5 million workers who quit their jobs in November 2021. This represents a whopping 3% of the total workforce and a remarkable 37% increase over November 2020. This number (the BLS calls it “quits”) gives credence to those who now say we are in the period of The Great Resignation.

 

As dangerous as that seems to the health of businesses everywhere, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the number of hires outpaces the number of quits. There were 10.6 million job openings at the end of November and 6.9 million unemployed people. My calculator shows 1.5 jobs per unemployment person.

 

So, the nation is flush with jobs but short on candidates willing to fill them.  This gives the American worker great confidence to quit their current job to seek better pay, move to more desirable jobs, or even make a step up the corporate ladder. Nirvana!

 

Calling this The Great Resignation may be a bit misleading. So many envision a mass exodus with those quitting and leaving the workforce to live out their lives on a beautiful tropical island.  The truth is that most are quitting only to stay in the job market but with another employer and – most likely – higher wages and greater opportunity.

 

We can see this in the BLS Participation Rate report which reflects the percentage of the population that is either working or actively looking for work. The rate was dropping precipitously from the pre-pandemic level of 62.6% in March 2020. However, now it is “working” its way back up (pun intended) as it reached 61.8% in November 2021.

 

Industries Most Affected

Leisure and Hospitality                                6.4% quits

Retail Trade                                                    4.4% quits

Professional and Business Services           3.7% quits

Trade, Transportation and Utilities            3.6% quits

Healthcare and Social Assistance               3.0% quits

Click here for a more comprehensive list.

 

To be sure, there is plenty of bad news out there as cash from the government begins to dry up, inflation is proving not to be as transitory as economists first thought as it continues to eat into the sizable wage increases that so many individuals were thrilled to receive. And Covid is still not defeated. But the workforce is still feeling emboldened to say “adios” to their employer for the opportunity to enjoy greener pastures.

SCG Survey

Poll: Employees consider company’s reputation, alignment with their own views more important than higher salary

SCG Survey

Views on vaccine also impactful, says nationwide, online survey of 1,500 adults

WHIPPANY, NJ (Oct. 20, 2021) – A nationwide survey of 1,500 adults indicates that 84.03% of respondents are willing to accept lower financial compensation to work for a company with a stellar reputation. A similar number – 79.59% – say it’s important to have an employer who shares their views. These results – from an SCG Advertising + Public Relations survey – seem to indicate that businesses and other employers ignore employees’ values and perspectives at their own peril.

 

Completed on October 12, 2021, the online poll also looks at vaccine policies, finding that 74.19% of respondents favor a position with a fair salary and vaccine policies they agree with, versus a higher salary and a vaccine policy in contrast to their own beliefs.

 

Full, sortable data from the survey is available here. Also included is a free, interactive white paper that features a downloadable infographic, as well as a “LISTEN” acrostic that can serve as a strong, visual reminder of the value of listening.

 

“It’s crucial that employers consider whether their organization’s beliefs align with those of current and prospective employees,” says Michael Cherenson, executive vice president for SCG Advertising + Public Relations. “The results of our poll are intriguing, and should be particularly resonant at a time when so many companies are struggling to attract and retain talent.”

 

Indicative of how serious workers are about being content with and comfortable in their employment is the most recent JOLTS (Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey) report, which shows that a record 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs during August. It’s a striking figure – which is equivalent to 2.9% of the entire U.S. workforce – and is made even more so by separate, recent research indicating that the actual cost to an organization related to an employee resigning may be as much as 50% of that individual’s annual salary.

 

Click Here For Your Copy Of Our Interactive White Paper

Another example of how important it can be to embrace positions valued by employees is United Airline’s recent decision to require all workers to be vaccinated. The move was extremely popular with candidates for employment, as evidenced by the airline having received 20,000 applications for 2,000 open flight attendant positions. For United, this represents a decidedly accelerated application rate, versus its typical, pre-pandemic ratio.

 

This said, Cherenson also notes that along with employees, business leaders must also assess the perspectives and values of other key stakeholders.

 

“While the survey data indicates the value of aligning policies with employees, organizations also need to be in sync with where their customers, clients, and society at-large stand on core issues,” Cherenson explains. “When there’s any sort of misalignment, an organization needs to work harder and smarter. To be clear, this survey’s results don’t suggest an organization should shrink from its larger obligation related to vaccines and the public health infrastructure, which a majority of Americans support. Rather, it indicates the advisability of organizations communicating as strategically and proactively as possible with their various publics.”

 

Viewing the poll results from a somewhat different perspective, only 7% of those surveyed said they would consistently choose the higher salary in response to all three questions. In other words, more than six in 10 would consistently follow their gut, versus unquestionably choosing the higher salary.

 

Of further note, in August 2001, SCG Advertising + Public Relations conducted a similar survey. It asked whether those polled would accept a lower level of compensation to work for a company with an excellent reputation. Fully 78% of respondents indicated they would.

 

“That initial survey’s results are in line with this latest poll, but it’s intriguing to see what’s changed in 20 years,” says Cherenson. “Back in 2001, 78% of those surveyed indicated a willingness to forgo a higher salary to be connected with a well-regarded organization. Today, in response to the same question, six percent more people express a preference for the company with a stellar reputation. View side-by-side, the 2001 and 2021 results appear to indicate an ongoing, societal shift – one that should substantially impact how businesses and other organizations present and define themselves.”

 

 About SCG Advertising + Public Relations

Headquartered in Whippany, NJ, SCG Advertising + Public Relations has organizational roots dating to 1958. The agency provides comprehensive communication services for a broad range of clients. Its satellite offices are located in the metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Diego, and Tampa.

 

# # #

Education Hiring Bonuses

As the 2021-2022 school year approaches, there is a noticeable teacher shortage across the country. In a survey by Frontline Education, two-thirds of 1,200 school and district leaders have reported a teacher shortage, especially among certified and special education teachers. According to another survey, taken at the end of July, of 2,690 members of the NEA (National Education Association), 32% said the pandemic is making them leave their profession earlier than expected.

Schools are combatting this shortage by offering signing bonuses to attract staff and to give veteran teachers and staff incentive bonuses to stay on. Below is a list compiled of bonuses throughout the country in the education space and how they are paid out to employees. Also listed are the local schools in New Jersey who are using hiring bonuses to attract staff.

Snapshot of Hiring Bonuses Around the Country

July marked the peak hiring season for Shelby County schools in Memphis, Tennessee, and they are enticing full or part-time teachers and staff with $7,500 sign-on bonus. All bonuses have a one-year obligation. With the first half being paid after the first semester and second half being paid after completing the last semester of the year.

Durham Public Schools in North Carolina are offering $3,500 for new hires. Additional bonuses are offered by grade level and field of study and could top out as high as $8,000 for a total bonus. However, these bonuses will be distributed over a three-year period. The first installment will be given in September of 2021.

Wake County schools are offering a $3,500 bonus to the 100 special education teachers they plan to hire. The first half will be paid after the first three months of employment, starting in September. The other half will be paid in November of 2022 if the teacher is still employed by the county school.

The certified teacher shortage is so impactful in Waco, Texas, that the Waco Independent School District is planning to give $8.6 million in bonuses. Giving their teachers up to $10,000 in bonuses and custodians and cafeteria workers up to $1,000 in bonuses. All the bonuses will be paid in three installments, starting in December 2022 and end in September 2024.

New Jersey Schools Offering Sign On Bonuses

Lead Charter School, in Newark, NJ, is offering, potentially, a $4,000 bonus to a special education teacher with the appropriate certifications.

The Guidepost Montessori at Mahwah is offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus to Montessori-trained infant and toddler Lead Teachers.

Even the South Mountain YMCA is offering teacher assistants $500 bonuses. The Learning Experience in Ledgewood, NJ, is offering a $500 sign-on bonus as well, for their toddler teachers.

Locally, sign-on bonuses vary depending on the position available. A lot of the generous hiring bonuses from school districts in other states are coming from stimulus funds they have received and need to be spent by 2024. This has led to complaints from parents and others who claim such payments violate the intent of the federal funding. The schools and school districts say that these type of bonuses are a one-time incentive to attract new hires and also serve as a “thank you” to veteran teachers, in hopes to stave off resignations.

SCG Advertising + PR helps over 300 schools in New Jersey with their recruitment advertising. Please email mmangan@successcomgroup.com if you would like to place an ad or visit our website at www.scgadv.com.

Trendwatch-R-16x9

SCG Trendwatch: Recruitment Industry News – May 2021

TrendwatchWelcome to your monthly round-up for busy HR professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the recruitment landscape. Check in each month for the latest updates from all over the web.

High-Volume Hiring When Talent Supply Is Low

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and what you have are some big high-volume hiring challenges.

The good, of course, is that as the pandemic continues to subside and the economy improves, the outlook for many organizations will be positive. The bad? Companies will face increased challenges as high-volume hiring needs outweigh the supply of workers. Read more…

Employers Should Be Cautious When Asking About Vaccination Status

Employers may want to ask workers for proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status now that many federal and state officials have relaxed COVID-19 safety rules for people who are fully vaccinated. But employers should be careful not to ask for more information than is necessary.

Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or stay 6 feet apart in many indoor and outdoor settings, unless required by federal, state or local rules, according to recent guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read more…

10 Tips for Giving Recognition Consistently

Consistency with recognition requires a bit of focus and adherence to following the same principles and practices in expressing recognition, not to mention utilizing tools like online programs to help recognize others. But how on earth does one get more consistent?

Take a look at these things to think about when you want to build greater consistency in recognition giving.

Set some recognition goals. The key to consistency is setting specific, actionable goals and then working every day on achieving them. You can do this by following a simple process that you will follow weekly, monthly or quarterly. Read more…

Metrics That Matter Now

When Deloitte released its 2020 Global Human Capital Trends report, the world looked much different. We were just entering into life under pandemic conditions, and most companies were chugging along, unaware of what was to come.

From its research, Deloitte shared that the majority of companies were collecting workforce information around three areas – headcount, hiring, and turnover; salary costs; and workforce composition.

The issue with that, Deloitte said, was that employer brand, new workforce initiatives, and the status of reskilling would be the areas considered “critical to an organization’s success in the future of work.” Then that future showed up, and many companies simply didn’t know what to do. Read more…

D&I and the Pressure to Deliver

The world is finally – finally – starting to appreciate the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and we’ll all be better for it in the long run.

But we’re not there yet. Not even close.

Mark Feffer broke down the progress (or lack thereof) in a recent piece based on new research from the Workforce Disclosure Initiative. To put it nicely, the numbers were bleak, with only 19 percent of companies even disclosing data about their workforce – an increase from the year before.

Dig a little deeper, and things started looking worse, with 75 percent sharing a gender breakdown but only 36 percent reporting on ethnicity.

So, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that while we might be on the road to D&I, we’re early on, we have a long way to go – and that last part is keeping recruiters up at night. Read more…

Answers to the Most Common Coronavirus Questions

The paid-leave requirements of the FFCRA expired on December 31, 2020. Employers no longer have an obligation to provide paid sick or emergency Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to employees for absences related to the coronavirus. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), employers could choose to continue providing FFCRA-like leave voluntarily through March 31, 2021 and receive an employer tax credit.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) further extended this tax credit for voluntarily provided FFCRA-like paid leave by employers through September 30, 2021.  See How does the American Rescue Plan Act affect employers?  Read more…

Top 100 High Schools in New Jersey 2021

 

The results are in!

U.S. News and World Report recently released their top 100 high school rankings and New Jersey is home to quite a few of them. Every year they rank the best high schools in the country and this year was no different. They also ranked the best magnet schools, charter schools and best STEM schools in the country as well. The criteria used to rank these schools was based on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates.

New Jersey had eight schools of the top 100 high schools in the country. Monmouth County Vocational School District accounted for two of the eight New Jersey schools (High Technology High School and Biotechnology High School) that finished in the top 100. High Technology High School was also ranked as the #1 STEM School in the country. All of the eight high schools that made the top 100 are listed below.

  • (#27) Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison
  • (#53) High Technology High school, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft
  • (#54) Bergen County Academies, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack
  • (#61) Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge
  • (#73) Dr. Ronald E McNair High School, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
  • (#83) Union County Magnet High School, Union County Vocational – Technical School District, Scotch Plains
  • (#91) Biotechnology High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold
  • (#92) Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro

In addition to these ranking they also ranked the top 100 high schools in each state. Middlesex County Academy for Science received the top honor for best high school in New Jersey. Below are the rest of the top 100 high schools in the state of New Jersey.

  1. Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Edison
  2. High Technology High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Lincroft
  3. Bergen County Academies, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Hackensack
  4. Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, Woodbridge
  5. Dr. Ronald E McNair High School, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
  6. Union County Magnet High School, Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains
  7. Biotechnology High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Freehold
  8. Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro, Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, Teterboro
  9. Academy for Information Technology, Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains
  10. Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Union County Vocational-Technical School District, Scotch Plains
  11. Infinity Institute, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
  12. Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Highlands
  13. Elizabeth High School, Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth
  14. Glen Ridge High School, Glen Ridge Public School District, Glen Ridge
  15. Millburn High School, Millburn Township School District, Millburn
  16. Livingston High School, Livingston Board of Education School District, Livingston
  17. Summit Senior High School, Summit Public School District, Summit
  18. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, Plainsboro
  19. Academy of Allied Health and Science, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Neptune
  20. Science Park High School, Newark Public School District, Newark
  21. Tenafly High School, Tenafly Public School District, Tenafly
  22. Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Northern Valley Regional High School District, Demarest
  23. Chatham High School, School District of The Chathams, Chatham
  24. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, West Windsor
  25. Ridge High School, Bernards Township School District, Basking Ridge
  26. Norther Valley Reg Old Tappen High Schoo, Northern Valley Regional High School District, Old Tappan
  27. Montgomery High School, Montgomery Township School District, Skillman
  28. Princeton High School, Princeton Public Schools, Princeton
  29. Northern Highlands Regional High School, Northern Highlands Regional High School District, Allendale
  30. New Providence High School, New Providence School District, New Providence
  31. Communications High School, Monmouth County Vocational School District, Wall
  32. Pascack Hills High School, Pascack Valley Regional High School District, Montvale
  33. Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, Somerset
  34. Mountain Lakes High School, Mountain Lakes Public School District, Mountain Lakes
  35. Technology High School, Newark Public School District, Newark
  36. Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood Public School District, Ridgewood
  37. John P. Stevens High School, Edison Township School District, Edison
  38. Madison High School, Madison Public School District, Madison
  39. Haddonfield Memorial High School, Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield
  40. Cresskill High School, Cresskill Public School District, Cresskill
  41. Westfield Senior High School, Westfield Public School District, Westfield
  42. Ramapo High School, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Franklin Lakes
  43. Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District, Rumson
  44. Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock Public School District, Glen Rock
  45. West Morris Mendham High School, West Morris Regional High School District, Mendham
  46. Mahwah High, Mahwah Township Public School District, Mahwah
  47. Kinnelon High School, Kinnelon School District, Kinnelon
  48. Columbia High School, South Orange-Maplewood School District, Maplewood
  49. Alexander Hamilton Preparatory Academy, Elizabeth Public Schools, Elizabeth
  50. Whippany Park High School, Hanover Park Regional High School District, Whippany
  51. Bernards High School, Somerset Hills Regional School District, Bernardsville
  52. Cherry Hill High School East, Cherry Hill School District, Cherry Hill
  53. Bergenfield High School, Bergenfield Borough School District, Bergenfield
  54. Moorestown High School, Moorestown Township Public School District, Moorestown
  55. Fair Lawn High School, Fair Lawn Public School District, Fair Lawn
  56. Leonia High School, Leonia Public School District, Leonia
  57. Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, Flemington
  58. Midland Park Jr./Sr. High School, Midland Park School District, Midland Park
  59. East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick Township School District, E Brunswick
  60. High Tech High School, Hudson County Schools of Technology School District, Secaucus
  61. Park Ridge High School, Park Ridge School District, Park Ridge
  62. Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District, Scotch Plains
  63. West Essex High School, West Essex Regional School District, North Caldwell
  64. River Dell Regional High School, River Dell Regional School District, Oradell
  65. Indian Hills High School, Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District, Oakland
  66. Ramsey High School, Ramsey School District, Ramsey
  67. Liberty High School, Jersey City Public Schools, Jersey City
  68. Metuchen High School, Metuchen Public School District, Metuchen
  69. Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, Bridgewater
  70. Montville Township High School, Montville Township School District, Montville
  71. Marlboro High School, Freehold Regional High School District, Marlboro
  72. West Morris Central High School, West Morris Regional High School District, Chester
  73. Morris Hills High School, Morris Hills Regional School District, Rockaway
  74. Holmdel High School, Holmdel Township School District, Holmdel
  75. Pequannock Township High School, Pequannock Township School District, Pompton Plains
  76. South Brunswick High School, South Brunswick School District, Monmouth Junction
  77. Randolph High School, Randolph Township School District, Randolph
  78. Montclair High School, Montclair Public School District, Montclair
  79. Verona High School, Verona Public School District, Verona
  80. Robbinsville High School, Robbinsville Public Schools, Robbinsville
  81. Cranford High School, Cranford Public School District, Cranford
  82. Highland Park High School, Highland Park Boro School District, Highland Park
  83. North Hunterdon High School, North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, Annandale
  84. Watchung Hills Regional High School, Watchung Hills Regional High School District, Warren
  85. Academy for Mathematics Science and Engineering, Morris County Vocational School District, Rockaway
  86. Bergen Arts and Sciences Charter School, Bergen Arts and Science Charter School, Garfield
  87. Morris County School of Technology, Morris County Vocational School District, Denville
  88. Parsippany Hills High School, Parsippany-Troy Hills Township School District, Morris Plains
  89. Morris Knolls High School, Morris Hills Regional School District, Denville
  90. Dumont High School, Dumont Public School District, Dumont
  91. Colts Neck High School, Freehold Regional High School District, Colts Neck
  92. Hopewell Valley Central High School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District, Pennington
  93. Cinnaminson High School, Cinnaminson Township Public Schools, Cinnaminson
  94. Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights School District, Berkeley Heights
  95. Wayne Valley High School, Wayne Township Public School District, Wayne
  96. East Orange STEM Academy High School, East Orange School District, East Orange
  97. Sparta High School, Sparta Township Public School District, Sparta
  98. Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough Township Public School District, Hillsborough
  99. Dover High School, Dover Public School District, Dover
  100. Mount Olive High School, Mount Olive Township School District, Flanders

 

Best High Schools in New Jersey

2021 Best U.S. High Schools


SCG Advertising + Public Relations is a long-standing, woman-owned, full-service advertising agency headquartered in New Jersey. We have a vast amount of experience in the education space, working with hundreds of private, public, and charter schools across the country to recruit both students and faculty. 

Educational Services Jobs

A Report Card on Educational Services Jobs

Educational Section Jobs

The nation was waiting in anticipation of great numbers when the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest jobs report on Friday, April 2. However, the announcement that total non-farm payroll employment rose by 916,000 in March exceeded even the most optimistic experts.  The public and private education sector was one of the big job creation winners for Educational Services Jobs in March as in-person learning begins to spread across the nation.

Here are the growth numbers in the March 2021 report.

 

Local government education        76,000

State government education        50,000

Private education                          64,000

 

Compare those numbers with the losses since February 2020 in the following:

Local government education        -594,000

State government education         -270,000

Private education                          -310,000

 

Let’s take a deeper look at the Educational Services jobs sector (NAICS 611) of the economy. This includes elementary and secondary schools, junior colleges, colleges/universities and business school and computer training, technical and trade school, and educational support services.

 

Month                                           Employees (In thousands)

March 2019                                      3722.1

March 2020                                      3696.3

March 2021                                      3469.0

 

Month                                            Unemployment Rate

March 2019                                      2.8%

March 2020                                      4.4%

March 2021                                      4.1%

 

With all of these promising numbers being reported, the Educational Services job market is undoubtedly beginning to heat up. The competition for top talent is certainly tightening. If you are recruiting in this sector, are you ready to face the competition? To start the conversation, e-mail Mike Mangan mmangan@scgadv.com or contact your Account Executive at (973) 992-7800.