Wine Review: La Ferme Julien Rouge

La Ferme Julien Rouge is an everyday pleasure wine produced in France. As a red wine it is served with most meat, pasta, and spicy foods. Made from a combination of Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache Syrah it is well balanced option. Seasoned in oak barrels for 10 months it takes on a touch of sweetness.

Nose: Ripe berries, spices and tobacco

Taste: Subtle, cherry, ripe, vanilla, wet, and light aftertaste. Soft tannins.

Glass: Dark red and medium body.

The wine was grown and produced in France on the Mont Ventoux slopes that sits over 5,700 feet above sea level. The area supports high quality grape production and adds to the wines flavor. The type of soil also supports a solid production of mild wines.

According to Food Tourists the region is known for its interesting wines all the way over to mediocre wines. It was part of the Ancient Roman wine making system and still maintains its small town charm. Whites, reds and roses are produced here and exported to the rest of the world.

Why are American’s Quitting Their Jobs?

According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 57.5% of people who left their jobs did so under their own free will. A total of 5.03 million employees were added which boosted the hiring rate to 3.6%. At the same time 2.75 million people resigned in September with a quit rate of 2%. Make no mistake, the job market is heating up and employees are finding options that were not available to them a few years ago.

When the economy is poor and employment prospects are low employees naturally stay in their jobs for fear that they will not be successful in securing new employment. Likewise, there may be an abundance of people seeking the same position which raises the stakes when attempting to jump ship. It is often wiser to stay where you are at until things get better.

At present the amount of people seeking the same position are 2 to 1. Those are pretty good odds for people who want to beat out the competition. When those odds are 3 or 4 to 1 that makes uncertainty higher. When unemployment declines and businesses start hiring it sucks some of the slack out of the workforce creating advantages for job seekers.

Consider the low unemployment rate of 5.8% there is growing competition among companies to retain top talent. In any recovering economy usually college educated and highly technical jobs are the first to come back. These are the positions employers need to fuel their growth and development.

The people who have fewer opportunities are those in traditional middle class jobs such as manufacturing. Without a reemergence of manufacturing within the country it can be difficult for a person with moderate education and an industry based skill set to obtain better employment unless the entire industry comes back.

Job hopping is one sign of an improving economy. This means there is some flexibility within the market and realignment going on. During the recession realignment is painfully based on lay-offs but in good times realignment is more voluntary based on the opportunities of workers that want to better their position. Work environment, compensation, culture, promotion, etc… all play a factor in a person’s decision to stay or move.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.nr0.htm

Can Small Businesses Use Size as a Recruitment Strategy?

Recruitment and employee loyalty are an important functions in any business but can make or break a small businesses. For smaller firms a few bad hires can really cause financial havoc. Not only is there lost time and money expended on poor hiring practices but also the cost of training. A paper by Allen, Erickson and Collins (2013) delves into the importance of developing employee commitment as it relates to revenue growth and firm performance. 

One of the very first criteria is that leadership must have a solid vision of the organization. Without a solid vision the overall hiring processes and the type of recruit will naturally be misaligned. Recruitment starts with knowing the type of person needed, their skill set and how that position will help achieve the organizational vision. 

It is often assumed that prestige and money are the most important factor in recruiting high quality employees and helping ensure they are retained for a significant period of time. Sometimes, highly paid industries are able to recruit bright minded people but these same people bounce from employer to employer seeking higher levels of compensation. 

Small businesses are limited in resources and simply don’t have the ability to keep increasing the pay to recruit and retain employees. They will need to compete where their organization is most likely to be successful-and that has nothing to do with size. The interactivity and relationships built in a small business can have a more profound impact than pay and prestige. 

Firms that follow an employee commitment strategy create attachments based on relationships, company identity, coordination of autonomy and informal control, and selecting employees based upon firm values. Such organizations are not command and control structures and seek to improve upon the positive affectivity the employee has with the firm. 

This is different than what you might find in larger organization. Even though large organizations seek to create stronger cultures it is much more difficult than smaller firms. The sheer size and power-distance relationships can be difficult to overcome. Instead many firms focus on compensation and prestige as driving factors. 

Nearly 65% of all hiring is based in smaller businesses. It is important for such businesses to focus on using their core strengths where size can actually be a detriment. Hiring people based upon their value systems, encouraging them to be independent in their thinking, foster close relationships, and creating commitment to the firm are important for success. 

Relationships and sense of belongingness can go a long way in gaining commitment. People are social creatures by nature and will stay in organizations that they develop positive and meaningful relationships. Smaller businesses offer an opportunity to socialize employees to a smaller group of people they can develop deep relationships over time. A family like atmosphere can be a significant draw for talent.

Allen, M., Ericksen, J. & Collins, C. (2013). Human resource management, employee exchange relationships, and performance in small business. Human Resource Management, 52 (2).

Veteran’s Day Should Remember the Past and Not Compromise the Future

Bright red, white and blue banners line the street as ceremonial bands and finely dressed warriors march in perfect unison. Veteran’s Day was originally a celebration of the end of hostilities in WWI but has taken greater meaning over the years. On Veteran’s Day Americans attend speeches, parades, and BBQ their food. These are important outward symbols of an internal belief. Veterans represent a higher sacrifice for national interest. 

It is easy to forget the founding principles of our country and the responsibilities that each of us has in keeping those beliefs alive. We make compromises all the time and these compromises can add up to counter those fundamental values. Ensuring that we make proper decisions and not make compromises on certain core values such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is important. 

Let us take a look at an example where compromise hurt veterans. The VA Hospital has recently been in the news for covering up long wait times and poor service to patients. Veterans have died in those lines waiting for treatment from both mental and physical injuries earned during service. The administrators misrepresented the actual activities of the organization because it was in their self-interest to do so. 

We can also find examples in employment practices and discrimination. Veterans can be subject to discrimination when they leave for active duty and desire to return to their jobs when finished with a tour or when trying to move up the corporate ladder. Decision makers may instead select a friend, political associate, or someone who can quid pro quo their career. 

In cases like this and many other examples throughout the nation self-interest superseded the collective needs of society. Veterans did not make those compromises when they willingly ran into the line of fire or flew half way across the world to protect America’s national interests. Their ultimate sacrifice should not be forgotten or wasted.

Veterans are honored because they were willing to pay the ultimate price for their beliefs. Something most Americans may never experience or understand to its fullest extent unless they were in a similar situation. When we compromise in employment practices, law enforcement, medical care, or any other activity we are also compromising those core values that make this nation great. We compromise our future.

Veteran’s day is more than a celebration of veterans it is also a celebration of America’s core value system. When we compromise our essential values we also fail to carry the banner forward. Remembrance of the past is only part of the battle while living in a way that provides the brightest future is the other half. Honoring veterans should also come with honoring ourselves to make extra effort. Happy Veteran’s Day!

San Diego Veteran's Day Parade 2014