January/February/March 2018                                                     Volume 13 Number 1
Note: Articles that are marked with an asterisk (*) can be read for continuing education credit by NAPS certificate holders. Any CPC, CTS or CERS who reads any six of the linked articles can count two hours of contact time toward the 17 hours he or she must earn each year as a part of their certification maintenance. In this edition, for example, 9 items qualify for professional reading. Reading all four quarterly editions of The NAPS Credential and their links over the course of the year can qualify the reader for eight contact hours or .8 CEUs annually.
In This Issue
Workplace Stress and Mental Health Target of Report*


Mental Health America (MHA), with support from the Faas Foundation, recently released a report which includes significant findings from a two-year research project examining mental health concerns in the workplace. Search and staffing professionals working with job seekers and changers who are searching for a less stressful and more rewarding work environments are likely to find the report of significant interest.
 
The MHA report, Mind the Workplace, reported the attitudes and perceptions of 17,000 employees across 19 industries on matters such as workplace health, satisfaction, engagement and stress. The report identified the healthiest and unhealthiest industry and work environments as follows:

Healthiest 
Healthcare
Financial services
Non-profit organizations
Unhealthiest
Manufacturing
Retail
Food and beverage

Workplace benefits, including flexible scheduling/telecommuting/telework, opportunities for professional growth and development and an open-door, supportive management and work structure were found to have had the greatest influence on job satisfaction and employee engagement.
Michigan State Survey Projects Good Year for Class of 2018 Graduates*
Recruiting Trends 2017-18 , Michigan State University's annual survey of the nation's employers is telling employers they will be facing tough competition for talent in the college labor market this coming spring. The annual offering from MSU's Collegiate Research Institute summarizes data from 3,370 employers from every major industrial sector from every state.
 
Read more...
 
Study Points to Diminishing Gender Differences in the Workplace*
A study released at the end of last year has found that while majorities of Americans see gender differences across various realms, one area where they see more similarities today is in the workplace. The Pew Research Center reports 63% of survey respondents says men and women are basically similar when it comes to the things they are good at in the workplace, while 37% say they are mostly different. 
 
Read more...

NAPS Certification Immersion Webinar Scheduled for April 19, 2018
If one of your New Year's resolutions is to complete your study of the laws that impact employment in the U.S. and move on to achieve the Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) or Certified Temporary Staffing-Specialist (CTS) credential, NAPS has scheduled a Certification Immersion Class (CIC) via webinar this coming spring to help you prep for the certification exam.
 
NAPS Certification Immersion Class
 
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2018
Time: Noon to 3pm (EST)
Presenters: Frank Burtnett, Ed.D., NAPS Certification and Education Consultant and Josh Kirkpatrick, Littler Mendelson P.C., NAPS Legal Consultant
 
A decade of class records reflect that more than 96% of participants have had a successful experience on the CPC or CTS examination when they used the CIC to complement their personal study. Go to the link below for addition information and CIC registration:
 

Americans See Improved Job Picture Along with Concern for Personal Financial Stability*
The Pew Research Center is reporting that half of Americans say there are plenty of jobs available in their communities, up from 43% in 2016. While feeling upbeat on the availability of jobs, an almost equal number of respondents expressed concern about their income stability.
 
Read more...
Quotable Quotes of Notable People ~ Steve Jobs on Hiring People

"It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do."
 
Steve Jobs (1955-2011) was an American entrepreneur, inventor and communication visionary. He was a co-founder and officer of Apple, Inc. and later served as the Chief Executive Officer at Pixar.
 
NAPS and the Florida Sunshine ~ An Unbeatable Combination


The NAPS 2018 Conference represents the "go to" source for building knowledge and strengthening skills in the search, recruiting and staffing industry. More than 400 attendees are expected to attend this year's annual event, which will be held November 4-6, 2018 in Bonita Springs, Florida at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa. Connect regularly with the conference link below to learn program details as they unfold.
 
Learn more and register...
 
Parenting and Home Care Behaviors Long Way from Being Balanced*
If you thought that modern men were assuming a more balanced role with women in child rearing and working around the home, research out of the Ohio State University will burst any hope that gender equity in parenting and home work roles is anywhere close to being a fait accompli. The bottom line of the study suggests that male behavior still leaves a lot to be desired.
 
Read more...

Alternative to College ~ Varied Educational Paths to Workplace Studied*
The Georgetown Center for Education and Work and JP Morgan Chase & Company have prepared a joint report that proposes that many good jobs are available in the American workplace that don't require a bachelor's degree. The report has been welcomed in many sectors that view varied educational paths to the world of work as important for late adolescents and young adults to consider. The interactive website features a tool that allows users to sort jobs by industry, occupation, and education level at the national and state level.
 
Read more...

NAPS Lunch N Learns (Live and Archived) Offer Wealth of Subjects, Experts
A look at the upcoming list of NAPS Lunch N Learn webinars and a glance at the array of archived programs will show NAPS members the selection of professional subjects and notable experts that come to them via the Lunch N Learn programming.
 
CPCs and CTSs that participate in these one hour NAPS webinars offered "live online" or "on demand" can convert the actual contact hours of each experience to continuing education credits. NAPS webinars are offered monthly and you receive 1 CEU for each webinar. NAPS webinars are an exclusive free "value added" benefit for NAPS members.
 
Upcoming 2018 Lunch N Learn programs:
 
Date: January 18, 2018 (12-1pm EST)
Topic: Using Recruiting Analytics to Boost Performance
Presenter: Lawrence Beck, Recruiter & Account Manager, SEMBio
 
Date: January 25, 2018 (12-1pm EST)
Topic: Is Your Website Your Best Sales Person? How Content Marketing Can Grow Your Business!
Presenter: Tony Sorenson, CEO, Parqa Digital Marketing Agency and Versique Search & Consulting
 
Date: March 22, 2018 (12-1pm EST)
Topic: Tools to Unlock Contact Information
Presenter: Todd Bosler, Customer Service & IT Manager, Top Echelon
 
Note: Lunch N Learn programs are added frequently and interested members should monitor the calendar at www.naps360.org to learn of programs as they are added. Contact Carolyn Boyer at cboyer@naps360.org for registration information.

Numbers Count ~ Male/Female Boss Preference Sets New Standard*
Going all the way back to 1953, the Gallup Organization has surveyed American workers regarding their gender preferences as it relates to the person they report to or work for. This year, for the first time since the inception of the question, a majority (55%) of respondents say their boss' gender makes no difference to them.
 
Read more...

New CPCs and CTSs for the Final Quarter of 2017
NAPS wishes to welcome the following women and men to the ranks of the Certified Personnel Consultants (CPCs) and Certified Temporary Staffing-Specialists (CTSs). Each earned their industry credential in the final quarter of 2017:  
 
Megan Freeman
Emily Robin
Emily Coiner Foster
Michael J. Glover
Kendra Reed
Veronica Beuther
Nikki Maisonet
Ryan Dupe
Diane Darrell 
 
 Ryan Braun
Tara Kuckkan
Amiee Drake
Amy Graham
Sunny Myers
Kendra Reed
Hailey Cameron
Anna C Weathers
Noemi Galvez
John Kiwanuka
  
Study Points to Need for Arts Grads to Leverage Creativity in the Workforce*
A critical workplace asset---one possessed by individuals who have studied the arts---is creativity. It is, however, a personal characteristic that often lies unconsidered if it is not seen as an asset and presented accordingly. Researchers at Lehigh University, in an article published recently in the American Behavioral Scientist, found graduates with arts degrees must be more assertive in translating their creativity abilities and experiences into a wide spectrum of jobs in the American workforce.
 
Read more...

Chamber of Commerce Creates Curriculum to Close Skills Gap*
Recently the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation released a curriculum it hopes employers, government and higher education can use to better collaborate on closing the skills gap. Named the Talent Pipeline Management Academy, the curriculum is designed to apply lessons from supply chain management to education and work-force development. The curriculum includes a section about how employers can better communicate their hiring needs, with suggestions for conveying hiring requirements in a common language based on shared competency and credentialing frameworks.
 
Read more...

NAPS Certification Question ~ Converting Experiences into Credit
Question: What is the NAPS formula for converting conferences, webinars and related training experiences into acceptable continuing education credit for CPC and CTS certification maintenance?
 
Answer: To qualify as acceptable continuing education credit, conference, webinars and other training experiences must have as their purpose the expansion of the knowledge and/or strengthening of the skillset of the CPC or CTS achiever. Each hour a certificant is engaged actively in the professional development experience can be applied to the 17 hours required annually for recertification. Participating in a half-day state or local staffing association conference or seminar, for example, would have an estimated value of 2-3 hours.

Message from the Editor ~ Let The NAPS Credential Hear from You
Have a question about certification or continuing education? Let us know the issues and concerns that are on your mind and they may become FAQ subjects for future editions of The NAPS Credential. NAPS encourage readers to submit information about certified persons and accredited firms who are making the news and performing outstanding professional feats. Our goal is to provide news, research and resources that will help CPCs, CTS and CERSs do a more effective job. Direct comments and input to Frank Burtnett, Ed.D., NAPS Certification and Education Consultant at ednow@aol.com.

About The NAPS Credential
Copyright © 2018.
 
This electronic newsletter is distributed to NAPS members and to all active Certified Personnel Consultants (CPCs), Certified Temporary Staffing-Specialist (CTSs) and Certified Employee Retention Specialists (CERSs) whose credentials are posted in the National Registry of Certified Staffing Professionals and for whom NAPS has a working email address.
 
The reference to a product, service or activity or the appearance of a website in The NAPS Credential does not imply endorsement by NAPS. Any views and opinions are those of sponsoring organization and may or may not be shared by NAPS. Direct comments, questions and submissions to ednow@aol.com. All submissions will be subject to review by NAPS for accuracy, timeliness and relevance to the readership and may be edited to meet space parameters.
 
Bruce J. Putman, CPC
Chairman of the NAPS Board of Directors
A-1 Careers
 
Trinette Cunningham
President
 
Carolyn Boyer
Vice President
 
Maria Palladino
Design, Marketing and Website Manager
 
Frank Burtnett, Ed.D., Editor
NAPS Certification and Education Consultant
 
National Association of Personnel Services web site:
 
National Registry of Certified Staffing Industry Professionals website: