Another in a series of posts highlighting GreatPlaceJobs’ workplaces.

By Beth Mulhern, GreatPlaceJobs Research Assistant

NIKE, Inc. was born on the dreams of Phil Knight, a competitive runner for the University of Oregon, and his coach, Bill Bowerman. Back in the mid-1950’s, long before the famous Nike “Swoosh” came along, Coach Bowerman wanted better running shoes for his track team than were available on the market, and Phil Knight, who graduated and earned his MBA, had a vision of marketing the best running shoes in the world in a brand new way in the US. They shared their visions and Blue Ribbon Sports, later to become NIKE, Inc., came to be, and now includes the wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cole Haan, Converse Inc., Hurley International LLC, NIKE Golf, and Umbro Ltd.

Nike, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, was an $18.6 billion dollar company at the end of 2008, and has plans to grow to $23 billion in revenue by the end of fiscal 2011. The company employs over 30,000 people across six continents, in more than 160 countries around the globe. They directly or indirectly employ nearly one million people through their suppliers, shippers, retailers and other service providers. Their mission statement, “to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete”, has at its core the belief of its co-founder, Bill Bowerman that “if you have a body, you are an athlete.” They state their corporate goal like this:
Our goal is to carry on his legacy of innovative thinking, whether to develop products that help athletes of every level of ability reach their potential, or to create business opportunities that set Nike apart from the competition and provide value for our shareholders.

It’s refreshing that a multi-billion dollar corporation features a strong policy on environmental responsibility, especially in regards to climate change.  They summarize it clearly:

Nike sees corporate responsibility as an integral part of how we can use the power of our brand, the energy and passion of our people, and the scale of our business to create meaningful change.
Nike, Inc. also takes great pride in an innovative and inspirational corporate culture, which embraces diversity, imagination and creativity.   For example, Nike has a very innovative marketing strategy, utilizing digital media aggressively to promote the brand.  They encourage their employees to think outside the box and “push out the edges of what can be.” Their record speaks for itself, as the company has been named three years running to Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies To Work For, and for the last two years was also named to Business Week’s Top 100 Best Places To Launch A Career lists. Further, The Ethisphere Institute named Nike as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2009.

To look for jobs with Nike, join GreatPlaceJobs.

Great news for job seekers looking for opportunities with award-winning employers. GreatPlaceJobs.com now offers two search options for anyone hoping to find a great job!

Job seekers will have FREE access to all job listings that are more than 3 days old or unlimited access to all job listings as soon as they are posted for only $27.95 for a 3-month membership! (Premium members will also receive a free copy of the ebook, Dig Your Job (a $9.99 value)!  Dig Your Job includes over 200 ideas to help you find a better job or keep the one you have.)

Because there is no charge for companies to post jobs, GreatPlaceJobs is the most comprehensive source of real jobs at the nation’s best employers. Each month, GreatPlaceJobs typically features tens of thousands of new open jobs at great companies.

Why should you take some of your precious time to search on GreatPlaceJobs?

Top-ranked employers have proven themselves to be much more recession-proof than the average company. Award winning companies are much more likely to survive the current recession without suffering layoffs or a bankruptcy. A recent study found that, in 2008, companies recognized as great workplaces conducted layoffs half as often as a general sample of other companies. In addition, excellent employers had a 27.4 percent higher revenue growth rate during the third quarter of 2008.

As a member of GreatPlaceJobs, you’ll save time in your job search because you’ll see only real, open jobs at certified great companies. Never again will you find yourself trolling through endless lists of low-quality job listings on other, less-targeted job boards!

GreatPlaceJobs can help make your job search easier, faster and smarter.

• 28,340 new jobs in the last 30 days.
• Only jobs at award-winning excellent employers are featured.
• More than 1,300 companies approved as great employers. All companies are individually qualified and approved before being added to GreatPlaceJobs.

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You deserve a job with a terrific company! Download a free toolbar to help you get started: http://greatplacejobs.ourtoolbar.com/

Our affiliate, The People Group, shared some interesting information on their blog describing how to identify when you are being bullied. These signs are from “You know you’re being bullied when…” by Dr. Gary Namie, Workplace Doctor and Founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute:

1. You attempt the obviously impossible task of doing a new job without training or time to learn new skills but that work is never good enough for the boss.

2. Surprise meetings are called by your boss with no results other than further humiliation.

3. Everything your tormenter does to you is arbitrary and capricious, working a personal agenda that undermines the employer’s legitimate business interests.

4. Others at work have been told to stop working, talking or socializing with you.

5. You constantly feel agitated and anxious, experiencing a sense of doom, waiting for bad things to happen.

6. No matter what you do, you are never left alone to do your job without interference.

7. People feel justified screaming or yelling at you in front of others, but you are punished if you scream back.

8. HR tells you that your harassment isn’t illegal, that you have to “work it out between yourselves.”

9. You finally, firmly confront your tormentor to stop the abusive conduct, you are accused of harassment.

10. You are shocked when accused of incompetence despite a history of objective excellence, typically by someone who cannot do your job.

11. Everyone – co-workers, senior bosses, HR – agrees (in person and orally) that your tormentor is a jerk, but there is nothing they will do about it (and deny saying what they said later when asked to support you).

12. Your request to transfer to an open position under another boss is mysteriously denied.

If this describes your situation, follow THIS LINK to information that will help you deal with a workplace bully.

Is it time to look for a job in an organization that supports and appreciates its workers? Join GreatPlaceJobs to find positions with award-winning organizations! Our premium members also receive a free copy of G.L. Hoffman’s ebook, Dig Your Job (a $9.99 value)!

We have written about the fact that award-winning employers, because of their happy and engaged workforce, tend to outperform their competitors, both in good times and in bad, and research shows that great workplaces are less likely to lay employees off.  Here’s more proof why job seekers should be focusing their efforts on top-ranked employers such as those featured in GreatPlaceJobs.

NuStar Energy, one of the nation’s largest asphalt refiners and an award-winning great workplace, announced that each of its employees would receive a bonus equivalent to at least two week’s pay after the company reported record revenues and profits in 2008.  NuStar’s CEO also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to its long standing no-layoff policy.

Curt Anastasio, NuStar’s CEO, said, “We’re very proud to reward our employees with this well-deserved bonus in a year that has been plagued by economic turmoil.  At NuStar, if any of us get a bonus, all of us get a bonus.  It’s just like our no-layoff policy. We have never had a layoff and never will because we firmly believe that it is our people who not only contribute to our success, but get the company through difficult times.

“Our employees know that if they work hard they will always have a good job. This is a sacred trust first…and it is not only the cornerstone of our company’s employee-first culture, but also of our success.”

NuStar achieved revenues of $4.8 billion in 2008 despite the economic crisis, more than 225% higher than in 2007.  The company earned record profits of $225 million last year, an increase of over 1.5 times the amount earned in 2007.

Source: Savannah Morning News

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In today’s economy, it is tough to counsel “choice” to job seekers. When bills need to be paid, and jobs seem few and far between, many don’t consider “options” as part of their job hunting mentality. That said, taking a bad job probably is not the wisest career move.

Forbes.com recently advised that it is “probably never” a good idea to take a job out of desperation.

They suggest:

Resist the urge to apply for just any job that’s even remotely related to your field. If you are selective about your targets, it is less likely that you’ll be in a situation that requires you to make a tough choice to take a less-than-ideal position. If you research the organizations and effectively network to learn about opportunities, you won’t blindly apply for jobs that aren’t suitable.

Forbes quotes  Sandy Gross, founder of Pinetum Partners LLC, an executive search firm that specializes in the financial services industry as saying, ”I advise clients to strongly consider whether they want to compromise everything they’ve learned, take a lower compensation package and work their way back up in a company…I encourage them to think of their next opportunity as a long-term career move, not something they’ll take for six months and then relaunch their job search.”

Consult a professional financial adviser. If you are lucky and have saved for a rainy day, you may find that you have some time to really focus on your search, or even to take a class to enhance your skills 

Potentially risky proposal. If you don’t have much of a cushion and taking a sub-par job is a necessity, Gross suggests, “Instead of signing on full-time, explain to the hiring manager that you respect the team and believe in the business but you’re not sure it’s the right move for you long term. Are they open to you signing on for six months or a year, to help with certain projects, and then re-evaluating your role?”

The article notes that this is a risky play, but that it could “appeal to employers who don’t necessarily want to pay health insurance or young firms that are willing to take guidance from senior level professionals on a short-term basis.” Note, this may come back to  haunt you if you DO want to stay with the company down the road.

Position yourself for the future. Remember, you are going to have to account for the time you spent at this less than ideal job when you go for your next opportunity. Think what you might market about the job before you jump in with both feet. Will you be able to explain why you took a short-term gig?

Evaluating the job opportunity is key, but when it comes right down to it, paying the bills will trump everything else. However, if you conduct a strong search that yields many opportunities, it will be easier for you to make a choice that propels your career forward.

GreatPlaceJobs offers an opportunity to search for positions in award-winning organizations, which have been shown to have less layoffs and higher returns, even in a recession.

Take a look at what we have to offer. It might be just the thing to jump start your search!

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.com

GreatPlaceJobs is happy to share a ground-breaking study comparing layoff trends between top-rated and other Fortune 100 companies.  The findings clearly demonstrate that the biggest employers are not necessarily the best.

The study shows that companies recognized as great workplaces conducted layoffs at a rate of less than half that of a general sample of companies.  Only 35% of excellent employers laid off workers in 2008, as opposed to a shocking rate of 73% of regular companies.

The revenue growth rate at great workplace companies in Q3 2008 was 27.4% higher than the rest of the Fortune 100 and the average stock price of the excellent employers was close to 10% higher at the end of 2008 (compared to the beginning of 2008) than typical Fortune 100 companies.

“In this competitive marketplace, it is crucial for job seekers to target their efforts at finding positions with top-ranked employers, such as those featured on GreatPlaceJobs.com. Award winning companies are more likely to survive the current recession without suffering layoffs or a bankruptcy,” said Asher Adelman, founder and CEO of GreatPlaceJobs.  “Top-ranked employers have proven themselves to be much more recession-proof than the average company.”

The GreatPlaceJobs Great Workplace Employment Study compared the employment, financial and operating data of the Fortune 100 largest U.S. companies with the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.  The year-over-year revenue growth in Q3 2008 was much stronger at the great workplace companies, who, despite the rapidly deteriorating economy, achieved impressive revenue growth of 29.9% from Q3 2007.  In comparison, the Fortune 100 largest companies delivered revenue growth of only a paltry 2.5% in Q3 2008 in the same time frame.

A clear sign of the great employers’ competitive advantage and resilience is evident in the fact that nine of the Fortune 100’s largest companies filed for bankruptcy or were bailed out by the U.S. government in 2008, while none of the great workplace companies failed on this magnitude.

A complete copy of the GreatPlaceJobs Great Workplace Employment Study and additional information about the methodology may be requested via email: contact@greatplacejobs.com.

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Advice Expert
www.keppiecareers.com

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a sure-fire way to avoid working for an abusive boss? Of course, we at GreatPlaceJobs believe that working for an award-winning company known for treating employees well is the best first step! Elvira Aletta offered some other “rules” on her recent post. Tips are from Elvira, commentary is my own:

Rule #1: How you are treated from ‘go’ is a good indicator of how you will be treated on the job.

I’ve written about the importance of looking for warning signs in the interview process. If there are red flags, for example, everyone in the office looks miserable, your reimbursement check is late or wrong or you witness an employee being treated badly during your visit, you can assume that things can only get worse! After all, everyone should be on his or her best behavior with a guest visiting for an interview. I understand that some people don’t believe that they have the option to turn down a job due to financial realities. However, you should recognize that you may put yourself in a bad spot if you take a job knowing it isn’t a good situation. If you quit, you will be looking for a diplomatic explanation for your departure and you’ll be asking if you “even need to add the job to your resume.” You get the idea.

Rule #2: Keep a healthy distance. You cannot be friends with your boss.

While you should make an effort to be friendly and cordial, don’t treat your boss as your confidante. Recognize that you each have a role to play – you as the employee and he or she as the supervisor. If push comes to shove, if the boss knows too much about your personal life, it is possible that it could hurt you.

Rule #3: You are neither all good nor all bad.

If you know that you generally do good work, but your boss has a problem with everything you produce and seems overly critical, it is possible that  “it’s not you.” Look in the mirror – are you doing good work? Don’t be overly self-critical just because your boss doesn’t like any of your work. Take a step back and evaluate the situation.

Rule #4: Keep open diplomacy among co-workers.

It is very important to have a solid working relationship with your colleagues.  They are more likely to be there for you if you are a team player and offer support in return. In fact, your ability to promote, communicate and connect your value to colleagues and superiors is more important than the actual quality of your work. If you don’t believe me, read this study from a Harvard and Duke professor explaining that personal feelings often carry more weight than competence in the business world. (Hat tip: Penelope Trunk)

Rule #5: Learn to define yourself by who are, not what you do. Or, “Don’t forget to have a life.”

Enough said!

Rule #6: Always remember you have options; quitting is only one of them.

Take the wheel of your career bus! Research your options and make an informed decision regarding what to do next. It’s up to you…No one is going to do it for you!

Miriam Salpeter
GreatPlaceJobs Career Expert
www.keppiecareers.com