Mike Baumgartner, CEO Worklife Survival Center™ and Host of JobCast Radio™

Welcome to the Worklife Survival Center™,  home of JobCast Radio™.  It is my hope that you will find my show informative and this site a valuable resource for YOU, the working people who make this country great.

My experience spans over 20 years in executive and leadership roles in the corporate world, primarily in the Human Resource and Talent Acquisition/Development arena. In starting out as a strategic recruiter and then moving up to Manager of Recruiting for a $1 billion electronics company, my responsibilities encompassed the entire US technical installation and servicing organizations; corporate recruiting (finance, marketing, sales); and all manufacturing, including Puerto Rico and Ireland. During this time, I managed a team of recruiters while overseeing the strategic initiatives necessary to develop this function from its infancy. Strategic initiatives included the implementation of a web-based applicant tracking system, national branding campaigns, and several high energy referral and retention programs. Through this experience, I learned about the importance of a values based-philosophy toward people at work. The value of each employee, as well as the importance of ethics, honesty, candor, and faith became the foundation of my management style. It has served me well over the years.

Since then, I have been elevated to many lofty titles, Senior Director, Global Talent Acquisition and Development, EEO Officer, and Vice President of Human Resources, to name a few. I have worked with or for many industries; from electronics to semi-conductor, food processing to automotive manufacturing, call center outsourcing to entertainment, and even e-commerce…. Througgh it all, the foundations of what I hold dear remain.

“An excellent communicator and public speaker, he is most comfortable in an environment that is fast paced, team oriented, and meritocracy driven. He is highly self motivated and has extended his education beyond his formal degree’s to include certifications in multiple developmental assessments and coaching systems. He is an executive coach and trainer in areas of personal development, conflict management, and management skills/responsibilities.” April, 2008, VP, executive recruiting firm.

…all of that experience I hope will bring insight and information to you each week on the radio show and here on the web.

Thanks!

Here are just a few reccomendations from people Mike has had the honor to work with.

• “I worked with Mike in the HR industry and highly recommend him based on his knowledge, skill set, and interpersonal skills. Mike helped set strategic goals for a company of 12,000 employees and as VP of HR was a vital member of the leadership team. He had a strategic vision, but could also put together tactical plans that lead to providing positive solutions and success.” July 10, 2008 - John T., HR Director

•  “Mike is an extraordinary Human Resources professional. He is open and transparent in communication, willing to take smart risks and is always striving for seemingly unreachable goals. Mike is an excellent judge of character and has a keen ability of matching the right people with the best opportunities. He is an enthusiastic leader who effectively engages and inspires his team.” May 12, 2008 - Christal C., Vice President Operations Support Services

• “Mike and I had occasion to work closely as part of an executive management team that was subject to a high degree of external and internal stress. I found Mike to be consistently professional, while doing his utmost best to show up as always something more. He brings strength and flexibility as it pertains to his own core competencies and humor and wisdom to the overall circumstance. I would welcome the opportunity to work with Mike again and recommend him for anyone who is looking for a forward-thinking HR executive.” April 27, 2008 - Lise H., SVP Business Development & Legal Affairs

• “I worked with Mike in 2007 and I was extremely impressed with his abilities. From a technical perspective, Mike knew the ins and outs of HR, but moreover from a people perspective he was a motivational force. He had a loyal following and he worked in earnest to find the optimal balance between employee and business needs. In addition, I often engaged Mike to support sales meetings with C level prospects. His presence, candor and credibility were clearly evident. When he spoke about HR and its critical role in hiring and developing resources for our organization, he spoke with absolute conviction, instilling confidence in our audiences. He is a breath of fresh air because he does not take a cookie cutter approach to business. Rather he studies the business needs and tailors his approach perfectly. I highly recommend Mike!” April 18, 2008 - Tom M., SVP Business Development

• “What vision! What enthusiasm! What knowledge! I reported to Mike for a brief period and found his leadership style to be direct, but very laid back. Mike lead by example and was not afraid to crunch some numbers or get involved in dirty work if need be. Mike's enthusiasm lit up the room and his ideas charged the team to work harder.” October 16, 2007 - Glen L., Manager, Compensation & Compliance

• “Mike's is a subject matter expert in almost every facet of Human Resources and Recruiting. He is a valuable resource for information and guidance. Extremely professional.” September 22, 2007 - John C., HR Director

• “Highly recommended setting higher standards for everyone - smart and practical with hands on experience to round it all up. A great asset to any team!” September 16, 2007 - Umesh Jain, CIO and SVP of Strategy

• “I have worked with Mike for eight years. He is unlike any other HR Professional I know. Why? He truly understands how HR can propel a business to the next level. Mike brings a unique mix of creativity, innovation, influence, high intelligence, and strong, metric-based analytics to Human Resources.” January 8, 2009 - Anne Marie H., Vice President of Human Resources

• “Mike is a rare individual who understands that his primary role is to support his staff and allow them to do their jobs. He's an outstanding individual and one of the best people I ever worked for or around.” May 9, 2008 - John M., Senior Executive Recruiter

• “I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with Mike in a client relationship for many years. A solid HR Executive with exceptional business skills, he is also a compassionate individual with a unique ability to bring the human side to Human Resources while never taking his eye off the needs of the business. Through restructurings, downsizings, coaching and development initiatives, recrutiment and retention planning, I have worked side by side with Mike and witnessed him in action. Regardless of how much he is juggling, and how much his plate is overflowing, he will always find time to have a conversation with an employee or colleague. He is the consummate professional.” May 6, 2008 - Ann R., Sr. Vice President,Florida

• “Highly recommended - energetic, smart, enthusiastic, well networked” August 28, 2006 - Pamela P., Chief Talent Scout

•  “Mike brought a high degree of creativity, intelligence, and focus... He was instrumental in driving down the cost of recruiting while increasing the effectiveness. He appropriately utilizes technology and metrics to drive continual improvement. In addition to his results oriented work, he was an effective "values based" leader, highly engaged with others in the organization, and has excellent presence when delivering training and conducting meetings. I enjoyed having Mike as an integral leader on our team.” December 3, 2008 - Richard B., Vice President, Human Resources and Information Technology