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3/13/05 EMPLOYMENT The job market should brighten this year for the state's laid-off technology workers. That's the forecast from the Massachusetts High Technology Council, a trade association that represents 120 technology chief executives who work in healthcare, biotechnology, software, and medical device development and production. The study, based on the responses of 97 chief executives, found 52 percent intend to increase recruitment this year and 6 percent will cut jobs. Of those looking to hire, 78 percent anticipate sales increases. "We have been doing the survey since 1987 and in the past it has been a snapshot of how technology CEOs view the innovation climate in Massachusetts and how competitive we are," said Cort Boulanger, vice president of the council. "This year, for the first time, we asked about jobs... It looks like the next 12 months will be positive." The forecast comes after some lean years and false starts in the state's high-tech sector, however. "The orders were not coming in and the sales growth was not really kicking in, but this year many are saying they will increase sales," said Boulanger. The council's survey also looked at how the state is perceived by tech executives. Most described the Commonwealth as a protech state. For example, 20 percent view Massachusetts as an outstanding place to run a company, 64 percent said it was a "good" place, 14 percent described it as fair, and 2 percent said it was a poor place to launch and run a business. Historical data compiled by the council suggest that, overall, Massachusetts is perceived as supportive of innovative ideas. The organization has been examining how the state is perceived by high-tech chief executives since 1987, when 80 percent gave it a good or outstanding rating. During the recession that began in the late 1980s, the rating dropped. In 1989, for example, only 47 percent thought the state was a good place to launch a technology venture. By 1992, just 38 percent gave Massachusetts high marks. Boulanger attributed the low grade to the state's response to the economic downturn. "Instead of providing a strategy to help the state out of its fiscal... doldrums, they increased taxes, added new costs onto employers, and slashed the state budget," he said. By 1993, the economy had changed and the dot-com boom had begun. That, coupled with a positive plan for tech growth by political leaders, caused an immediate jump in executives' positive perception of the state to 60 percent. "Now, for the most part, high-tech CEOs feel the state is moving in the right direction in terms of making Massachusetts a more competitive place to run a company," said Boulanger. WORK LIFE Women who leave the workplace after having children often have a tough time getting back to work. The reason: Many companies are reluctant to take them back, according to a survey of 2,443 executive women and 653 men. The survey, funded by Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, and Lehman Brothers, reveals that most high-performing women in top jobs don't simply opt out: Ninety-three percent plan to return. And, on average, they stay out only 2.2 years, a much shorter period of time than conventional wisdom suggests. Of those polled, 40 percent took time out at some time. The survey, released by the Center for Work Life Policy and The Harvard Business Review, takes a close look at how and why high-performing women in the executive ranks leave corporate America and what employers need to do to help them come back. "In some sectors such as banking and finance, they stay out just a little over one year," said Carolyn Buck Luce, a partner at Ernst & Young and cochairwoman of the firm's Professional Women's Network for the New York, Connecticut and New Jersey area. "But they do pay a penalty. If they are out one year, their income drops by 11 percent. If they are out for more than three years, their income could drop by as much as 37 percent." Luce said the survey also revealed that although a majority of the women who left wanted to come back, just 75 percent were able to return to work. "It is difficult to reestablish your credibility," said Luce. "It is difficult to find a work environment that meets women's definition of what success is." The survey also showed that women's priorities change over time, especially when they've spent time raising a child or working on a community or personal project. For example, when researchers questioned the women about their definition of success, 80 percent said what was most important about their jobs was the people they work with; 82 percent cited working with "high-quality" colleagues; 79 percent said it was important that they could be themselves at work, and 64 percent noted a flexible work arrangement. Just 15 percent said it was more important to have a powerful position. "Regardless of the business sector, this one component - having a powerful position - was rated the lowest," said Luce. "This was the same for those between 28 and 55 years old." However, 42 percent said earning a lot of money was extremely or very important to them. In addition, 95 percent said they would not go back to their previous employers. But Luce says employers can do a number of things to encourage the return of high performers. For example, Goldman Sachs holds a conference that connects executive women at the company with female executives at client firms, she said, and at Ernst & Young 30 percent of all hires are people who left for personal and other reasons and want to return. CAREER EXPO Latino professionals who are looking for employment can submit resumes and discuss their professional goals with several firms at a career expo sponsored by El Mundo Newspaper and the Latino Professional Network. The fair, the first of three scheduled for this year, will be held on Thursday, March 17, at the Tremont Boston Hotel from 1:30 to 6 p.m. Alberto Vasallo, publisher of El Mundo, said the newspaper teamed with the professional network to create three job fairs after receiving calls from employers who were looking for bilingual workers. Another event will be held in Boston on Oct. 23, and a third will be held in Lawrence on May 26. Last year, the group's inaugural event attracted more than 2,000 job candidates, according to El Mundo. Several employers are expected to take part in this week's expo, including Bank of America, Comcast, Eastern Bank, Global View Communications, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Sovereign Bank. For more information contact: www.latinocareerexpo.com or Jay Cosmopoulos at 617-522-5060, ext. 225. Diane E. Lewis can be reached at .
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