Sick of hearing all the bad unemployment news? CareerBuilder, the jobs site, culled through their listings for companies that had more than 100 want-ads--and quickly found that 100 was just the beginning. They came up with a list of companies that have big hiring plans, in many cases planning to bring on more than 1,000 new employees. We've trimmed their list a little to focus on companies that have more professional positions.
These jobs offer a wide variety in terms of seniority, representing everything from entry level sales and technology positions to a number of vice-president positions. There are even a smattering of internships. There's diversity by industry as well, proving that it's not only tech and finance companies that are hiring. And while all these companies are based in the U.S., they have openings both at home and in countries as far-flung as Indonesia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Types of positions: risk management, insurance brokerage services, benefits outsourcing, human capital consulting and actuarial
Aon has its fingers in more places than you might expect: In reinsurance and risk management, of course, but it's also become quite the force in human resources consulting, thanks in part to its year-old acquisition of Hewitt Associates. In October 2010, Aon said that acquisition, like many, would lead to layoffs. The newly-created Aon-Hewitt plans to cut about 1,500 -1,800 jobs globally over the next three to five years.
Red flag: The Institute for Policy Studies notes that Aon is one of at least 20 companies that paid their CEO more than they paid in federal taxes last year. Aon CEO Gregory Chase got paid about $20.8 million. The company paid about $16 million in federal tax. This could be a sign of poor governance, which could lead to trouble down the road.
Why you might want to consider it: Aon was named to Working Mother's 2011 list of best companies to work for. And a huge insurance brokerage may be a good place to ride out a lousy economy. While insurance isn't exactly recession-proof, for many companies it's a necessary cost of doing business. Revenues in the industry overall have been pretty flat during the recession, even though the economy has been tanking
Motorola Solutions: No Glamour, But Good Prospects
Number of openings: 600+ globally
Types of positions: Various IT and engineering roles - product manager, systems engineer, information security specialist and software engineer
Where: Global headquarters is in Schaumberg, Illinois
Motorola Solutions caters to big companies and governments. It's the dominant maker of two-way radio systems for police departments, fire departments, and other first responders. Motorola Solutions became an indepdent company in January, when it was split from Motorola Mobility. (Motorola Mobility makes handsets and set-top boxes, and agreed to be purchased by Google for $12.5 billion in August.)
Red flag: The U.S. government is investigating whether Motorola Solutions paid bribes to win business in Europe. About 16% of the company's business comes from Europe.
It's somewhat promising that the government investigation began after Motorola suspected something was going on, began their own investigation, and reported it to the feds. As a job-hunter, you'd best hope this is an isolated incident.
Why you might consider it: Some analysts say Motorola Solutions was the cash cow that helped keep the mobility unit afloat.
Types of positions: mortgage loan officer, bank branch manager, software engineer, part-time teller, relationship manager and financial advisor
Where: Headquarters is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
PNC recently announced that is has acquired RBC Bank (USA), the retail banking arm of Royal Bank of Canada. In July, PNC said it would purchase 27 branches from Atlanta's Flagstar Bank. Normally, such acquisitions would mean employees should brace for layoffs, and that may be the case this time, too. But PNC will be hiring at the same time, looking for more than 1,000 people in a variety of different roles.
PNC is also one of 13 banks that have committed to increasing their small business lending by a total of $20 billion over the next three years.
Red flag: Regulatory changes are squeezing banks' margins. PNC has grown dramatically by acquisitions over the years, which can mean significant numbers of people are being laid off even as others are being hired.
Why you might want to consider it: The company has made Working Mother's 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 10 years running.
Location: Headquarters is in Charlotte, North Carolina. Satellite officess in Miami, Dallas and San Juan.
Types of positions: inside sales, web developer, online marketing, sales trainer, corporate recruiter, PHP developer, sales recruiter, human resources and copywriter
Red Ventures is a marketing company that has racked up awards for its fast growth, making the Inc. 500 list multiple times. All that growth can lead to a chaotic work environment, but Red Ventures has also been named to local and regional 'Best Places to Work" lists. Their clients tend to be in the consumer services, and media/telecom industries. They also work with a lot of small and mid-sized businesses.
Red Ventures' web site says it has "four offices and more than 1,200 employees," yet CareerBuilder says Red Ventures has also has more than 1,000 open positions. That sounds like either a bumpy ride or a grand opportunity—you make the call. The company is intent on building a friendly-yet-hard-driving entrepreneurial culture, which may or may not be for you.
Red flag: Red Ventures seems to trash business models as fast as it builds them. This story in the Charlotte Business Journal, while a bit dated, will give you an idea of the company's roller-coaster past and the type of environment the founders are trying to create.
Why you might want to consider it: The new headquarters will feature a putting/chipping green, a full basketball court, a full locker room, an exercise room, a running track, and a second-story outdoor balcony and terrace with a large seating area
Where: About 75 of U-Haul's open positions are at its Phoenix headquarters, while at least 1,000 are field positions.
Types of positions: programmer, web designer, traffic control manager, storage team manager, structural engineer, production manager and transfer driver, general manager and trainees, shop manager, customer care representative
U-Haul has about 16,300 locations, the largest rental fleet in the 'do-it-yourself' moving industry, and 1,115 storage facilities. The company says one in five people move each year and that the average American moves 11 times during his or her lifetime.
It's easy to see U-Haul's future as dim, and just as easy to see it as bright. This is a company for which demand is substantially based on the housing market, the job market, and disposable income—none of which are doing well. On the other hand, U-Haul could be in a position to gain market share. In a recession, more people are going to choose to move themselves rather than hire someone else to do it for them.
Red flag: The company stock, at about $62, is down substantially from the end of last year, when it reached $109 a share. One sure-fire way to boost a company's stock? Lay people off.
Types of positions: account executive, major account executive, national account executive, system sales, channel sales, sales engineer, field technician, NOC technician and branch manager
Where: Earthlink is headquartered in Atlanta
Earthlink, the Internet services provider, has been concentrating recently on its business services division, making some high-level hires. The business services division is a relatively new initiative for the company, which is better known for providing Internet service to its 1.6 million customers, the vast majority of whom are individuals.
Earthlink's CEO, Rolla Huff, has a a reputation as a deal maker. Huff launched his tenure at Earthlink wiht a major restructuring effort, then acquired ITC^Deltacom in 2010. His two positions before coming to Earthlink were as CEO and CFO of two different companies; in both cases the companies were sold during his tenure.
Red flag: No matter how much confidence you may have in the company, Wall Street is pretty bearish. The stock hit a new 52-week low on Sept. 22, trading as low as $6.83.
Why you might consider it: The company says it is committed to sustainability, and its buildout of its Pasadena offices received gold certification from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Where: Headquarters is in Uniondale, New York. Regional offices are in King of Prussia, Penn., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Types of Positions: new media specialist, finance, IT- engineering, developer, programmer, client service representative, entry-level customer service, entry-level production and entry-level field distribution management
You may have thought the Yellow Pages were dead, but given that Yellowbook is hiring more than a thousand people, maybe it's time to reconsider. The phone book publisher has retooled itself into a multi-channel marketing firm aimed at helping small businesses get the world out. Partly for pulling this off, CEO Joe Walsh won a "Master Entrepreneur of the Year" award from Ernst & Young.
Red flag: Small businesses have plenty more marketing options than they once did, and Google remains committed to winning these same customers
Why you might consider it: Yellowbook has been named one of Selling Power Magazine's "50 Best Service Companies to Sell For" for nine years running.
