In The Words of Willard Mitt Romney…

“Corporations are people, my friend… of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to the people. Where do you think it goes? Whose pockets? Whose pockets? People’s pockets. Human beings, my friend.” —Mitt Romney to a heckler at the Iowa State Fair who suggested that taxes should be raised on corporations as part of balancing the budget (August 2011)

“I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.” –Mitt Romney, using an unfortunate choice of words while advocating for consumer choice in health insurance plans (January 2012)

“I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there.” —Mitt Romney (January 2012)

“He [Obama] says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.” —Mitt Romney at a campaign event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, June 8, 2012

“I’ll take a lot of credit for the fact that this industry’s come back.” –Mitt Romney, –Mitt Romney, on the American auto industry, despite having written a New York Times op-ed in 2008 titled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt,” in which he said if GM, Ford and Chrysler got a government bailout “you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye”

“It’s hard to know just how well [the 2012 London Olympics] will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging.” –Mitt Romney, insulting Britain on the eve of the Olympics by suggesting the country is not ready, NBC News interview, July 25, 2012

“I’ll tell you what, ten-thousand bucks? $10,000 bet?” –Mitt Romney, attempting to make a wager with Rick Perry during a Republican presidential debate to settle a disagreement about health care (December 2011)

“I should tell my story. I’m also unemployed.” —Mitt Romney, speaking in 2011 to unemployed people in Florida. Romney’s net worth is over $200 million.

“[My wife] drives a couple of Cadillacs.” –Mitt Romney, campaigning for president in Michigan (February 2012)

“I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love.” –Mitt Romney (January 2012)

“Join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan.” –Mitt Romney, committing a gaffe while introducing his running mate, Norfolk, Va., Aug. 11, 2012

“PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air.” —Mitt Romney in 2007, responding to criticism from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals following revelations that he had once put the family dog in a carrier and strapped it to the roof of his car during a 12-hour road trip

“I have some friends who are NASCAR team owners.” —Mitt Romney, after being asked whether he follows NASCAR racing (February 2012)

“There were a couple of times I wondered whether I was going to get a pink slip” –Mitt Romney, attempting to identify with the problems of average folk (January 2012)

“I’m not sure about these cookies. They don’t look like you made them. No, no. They came from the local 7/11 bakery, or whatever.” —Mitt Romney, visiting a local bakery while campaigning in Pittsburgh, PA, April 17, 2012 (The owner of the baker later told MSNBC he was offended by Romney’s remarks.)

“I like those fancy raincoats you bought. Really sprung for the big bucks.” —Mitt Romney to a group of NASCAR fans wearing plastic ponchos at the Daytona 500 (February 2012)

“We have a president, who I think is is a nice guy, but he spent too much time at Harvard, perhaps.” —Mitt Romney, who has two Harvard degrees (April 5, 2012)

“I love this state. The trees are the right height.” —Mitt Romney, campaigning in Michigan (February 2012)

“I’m running for office for Pete’s sake, we can’t have illegals” –Mitt Romney, recalling his reaction when he learned that there were illegal aliens working the ground on his property, employed by a firm that he subsequently fired (October 2011)

“I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much.” —Mitt Romney, who earned $374,000 in speaking fees in one year according to according to his personal financial disclosure (January 2012)

“It’s not worth moving heaven and earth, spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.” —Mitt Romney, speaking in 2007 about killing Osama bin Laden

“Who let the dogs out? Who, who.” –Mitt Romney, during an awkward photo op with a group of African Americans kids at a Martin Luther King Day parade (January 2008)

“I’m Wolf Blitzer and yes, that’s my real name.” —CNN’s Wolf Blitzer at the beginning of a November 2011 Republican presidential debate
“I’m Mitt Romney—and yes Wolf, that’s also my first name.” —Mitt Romney, getting his own name wrong (his first name is “Willard,” and his middle name is “Mitt”)

“I’m not familiar precisely with what I said, but I’ll stand by what I said, whatever it was.” —Mitt Romney (May 17, 2012)

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Offshoring Becoming Obsolete

New Immigrants at Pisgat Zev Computer Center.

U.S. business executives, including NOVO 1 CEO Mary Murcott, recently met in Washington, D.C. to discuss the future of offshoring in the U.S.

Many domestic companies seem to be thinking twice about being overseas. With the threat of consequences from the U.S. government and the advent of cloud-based, or hosted, technologies, the topic of bringing operations back to U.S. soil has been a hot one in recent months.

Insourcing is the New Outsourcing

A panel of U.S. business executives met in a roundtable conference with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on January 11, 2012 to discuss tactics for insourcing: encouraging businesses to return their outsourced operations to the U.S. The panel included NOVO 1 CEO Mary Murcott, whose company was a founding member of the Jobs4America Coalition, which has been working since August 2011 to bring an estimated 100,000 call center jobs back into the U.S.

Murcott was also selected to participate in the “Insourcing American Jobs” forum and later appeared in the televised segment “Status of Businesses in the U.S.”, which also focused on how to approach this growing business trend.

In remarks following the roundtable discussion, President Obama praised the efforts of companies that have already made the decision to insource. He said, “These companies are choosing to invest in the one country with the most productive workers, best universities, and most creative and innovative entrepreneurs in the world: the United States of America.”

Murcott seems to share the President’s view.

During the “Insourcing American Jobs” forum, she stated that offshoring call centers is simply no longer profitable for U.S. businesses. After factoring in all relative costs and lost revenue, it is more expensive to maintain a call center overseas. Not to mention the inconvenience of language and cultural barriers, factors that have contributed to increased handle times and customer dissatisfaction.

Murcott also notes that many call center jobs have already returned to the U.S. – a trend that seems to be growing steadily as reports of call center expansions continue to make headlines.

Is Outsourcing Obsolete?

The evolution of hosted services in recent years has enabled many call centers to employ domestic agents (with the added bonus of creating jobs within the U.S.) for a fraction of offshoring costs.

In the press release for Kunnect’s new cloud-based software company president Fred Cote summed up what many executives may be feeling in regards to hosted contact centers and offshoring. Cote said, “Today, many organizations are understandably reluctant to offshore call center services — they would prefer to keep their business in the U.S., particularly in light of proposed legislation.”

Kunnect recently announced its affiliation with Jobs4America and supports driving awareness on the need for domestic job growth, as well as the role that cloud-based platforms may play in those efforts.

Is outsourcing obsolete? Not yet. But, looking at the strides that organizations like Jobs4America have made in just a few short months, it may be gone sooner than we think. Possibly by the end of 2012.

Why? In a brief statement during his remarks at the roundtable, President Obama alluded to plans for a series of new tax breaks for companies that help accelerate the return of jobs to the U.S., as well as an end special tax treatment for companies that outsource offshore. If, and when, these plans come through, the U.S. call center industry can expect to see major changes headed its way.

The value of offshoring jobs has been called into question over the last few years and CEO’s still engaging in this process are risking the security of their existing customers who may prefer to have their accounts in the hands of domestic employees rather than in some third world destination.  While short term costs may be reduced, the potential future lost revenue could make offshoring the most expensive path a company could take.

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How to Keep a Job Search Discreet

By Amy Gallo

Looking for a job while you already have one can be stressful, especially in the age of social media when privacy is scarce. You don’t want to rock the boat at your current company but you want to find the next great opportunity. Should you tell your boss you’re looking? How do you handle references? If you get an offer, is two weeks notice really enough? Since how you leave your current job can be as important to your career as how you perform in the next one, you need to know the answers to these questions.

What the Experts Say
The job market may be bleak, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. If you’ve heard rumors of layoffs or you’ve simply outgrown your current job, it’s ok to look. Priscilla Claman, president of Career Strategies, Inc., a Boston-based firm offering career coaching and management services, says the job market is more active than most people think. “For some people it’s truly terrible but I know plenty of people who are leaving jobs and finding jobs.” Of course, searching for a job while trying to stay employed is tricky. But if you manage it skillfully, you’ll be able to move on without burning bridges, strengthening your professional relationships in the process, says Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, a senior adviser at Egon Zehnder International and the author of Great People Decisions. Just follow these principles:

Do your homework
Fernández-Aráoz says that the first step to any job search is a thorough analysis of what you’re good at and what you love to do. Get clear on what you’re looking for in your next position. Then reality-check that with the market. Are there jobs out there that have the characteristics you’re searching for? Do you have the right qualifications? To help you assess, turn to trusted advisors such as friends in your field or search consultants.

Consider internal options first
Once you know what you want, start your search inside your company. “In my experience, all too often people don’t work enough on trying to redefine their job and career prospects with their current employer, and prematurely decide to start looking elsewhere,” says Fernández-Aráoz. There may be internal opportunities that will satisfy your needs, such as reshaping your job, moving to another team, or taking on a special project. If opportunities are limited or you’re certain you want out of the company, then take your search outside.

Keep it secret if necessary
Many people have to keep their search quiet. Perhaps you don’t have a strong relationship with your boss, or you worry about retribution from colleagues, or you fear you won’t find another position and don’t want to risk the embarrassment. In these cases, it’s prudent not to let anyone at your current employer know you’re looking. “If you do the secret job search, you have to be religious about not letting things out in your social media or using your office email,” says Claman. “It can be distracting to have everyone know that you are looking for something new,” says Fernández-Aráoz.

Network carefully
If there is a colleague you trust, however, consider sharing the news. Divulging your search to another person can help build momentum and make contacts. “This disclosure will clearly commit you to actually and properly look for a new opportunity,” says Fernández-Aráoz. It may also help with networking (the key to any successful job hunt). You can also casually mention your search to people not associated with your company — so long as you do it carefully. You don’t have to say, “Hi, I’m Amy Gallo and I’m looking for a job.” When you speak with potential employers or contacts, you can say something like, “I’m doing well at my current position and I’m always entertaining options for what’s next.” Don’t act desperate. “Never say I’m dying to get out of here. People don’t want people who are dying to get out of somewhere,” says Claman.

When to tell your boss
No boss likes to find out from someone else that one of her direct reports is looking for a new job. You should therefore tell your manager as soon as you’re comfortable doing so. There are risks: She may try to make it difficult for you to interview or give you a poor reference. She may treat you differently knowing you want to leave. But both Claman and Fernández-Aráoz note that there are several upsides to having a frank discussion with your boss. First, she may be able to help you identify opportunities inside or outside your organization. Second, the disclosure may facilitate the search process. “The right boss may make it easier for you to look for the right new job, and eventually may refer you to some attractive opportunities,” says Fernández-Aráoz. Third, you will build good will. Your boss will appreciate your honesty and the opportunity to plan ahead for your departure. All that said, if you know your manager will have a negative reaction, and is unlikely to support you, it’s best to wait until after you have an offer to inform her.

Interview on your own time
Most employers will want to interview you during normal business hours. Don’t sneak off for fake meetings or feign being sick. Fit the interviews into your schedule without cheating your current employer. If your boss tracks your every move, take vacation or personal time. If your manager is suspicious, explain that you have a personal issue you need to tend to.

Provide the right references
If your current manager doesn’t know you’re job-hunting, you obviously can’t use him as a reference. Provide the names of previous employers or give the name of a trusted colleague at your present company who is aware of your search and can speak to your performance. If a hiring manager insists on a reference directly from your boss, explain that you can provide one at the point of offer. Claman says that many organizations will make you an offer contingent on good references. This means you need to get in front of your boss as soon as possible after you’ve received the good news. And you need to persuade him to give you a positive recommendation despite his possible irritation at your departure.

Don’t accept the counteroffer
Some employers will counteroffer when you announce you are leaving. Fernández-Aráoz urges caution when contemplating these offers: “In my experience, these are usually vague promises about more money and more responsibility.” He says that in most cases when people accept the counteroffer, they end up leaving, or even being fired, shortly thereafter. “Once you’ve accepted an offer, it is not only questionable to turn it down for a counteroffer from your current employer, but also a poor career decision.”

Leave on good terms
Claman points out that the convention for giving notice is still two weeks. However some people, especially those in senior positions or who are in the midst of a big project, will need to give more. Fernández-Aráoz provides this rule of thumb: “It is mostly a matter or relevance and responsibility. If you are irrelevant, you can leave fast, of course. If you are relevant and have significant responsibility, your new employer will highly respect you for not leaving your current job overnight. One month is usually enough once you have really made up your mind.”

No matter how bad things are, don’t just walk out the door. Leaving on bad terms can be dangerous for future prospects. “You don’t want to walk off a job. It stays with you forever,” says Claman.
Principles to Remember

Do:

Don’t:

Case Study #1: Wait until you have the offer
When Kristina Ferry* was laid off from her job at a biopharmaceutical company in Connecticut, she quickly found another position in Massachusetts. The trouble was that her husband and daughter needed to stay behind in Connecticut. She knew it wasn’t an ideal situation but she thought she could make the travel back and forth work. And she did for the first year or so. Then her new employer announced that the company would be restructuring and everyone assumed there would be lay offs.

Kristina started actively looking for another job. She didn’t tell her boss, with whom she had a tenuous relationship, but she did discreetly talk about her search with the colleagues in her group. “Pretty much everyone in my group was looking because people weren’t happy,” she says. She took vacation days to go on interviews.

Throughout this time, she was talking with Robert*, her previous boss from the company in Connecticut. He now worked at a large pharmaceutical company in New York (not too far from where Kristina’s husband and daughter were) and he wanted her to come work with him again. Over several months, she interviewed with the company while continuing her search. Eventually, Robert offered her a job. She didn’t tell her boss until she had that offer in hand. When she gave her two weeks notice, her boss took her out to lunch and asked if there was anything he did that made her want to leave. “I was very tempted to say something but then I figured you never know who is going to be your next boss. So I said, ‘No, this just works better for me and my family.”

Case Study #2: Look internally, and leave on good terms
Soon after starting his new job at a public sector consulting firm, Ray Garmin* realized the job was not right for him. “It was too slow for me. I wanted something much more fast-paced,” he says. Since he liked the organization and believed in its work, he looked for ways to make it a better fit. He applied for a position one level up but didn’t get it. He tried to get involved in a special project producing marketing material but the firm was hesitant about publishing.

Frustrated, he began entertaining other options and was soon contacted by a headhunter about a position in a nearby city. It was a clear promotion for Ray and an opportunity to join a more fast-paced organization. He started interviewing, taking flextime to travel to the meetings. And he kept the process to himself. “I felt awkward leaving so soon and I didn’t trust my boss enough,” he says. When he was offered the new job, he still wasn’t 100% sure he wanted it so he sought the input of a few clients who worked in the field. When they advised him to take it, he then told his boss. Ray gave two weeks notice but offered to stay longer if need be. “I didn’t have much to do which was part of the problem,” he says. Set on making it a smooth transition for the company and his clients, he made sure to wrap up his projects and even accelerated one so that he could finish before he left. His commitment to leaving on good terms paid off: when the start date of his new job was delayed, his former employer asked him back to do freelance work.

*Names have been changed

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