As U.S. Workplaces Celebrate March Madness, RiseSmart Brings the Fun and Excitement of the NCAA Offi
10:23 am - 03/14/2012
As millions of U.S. workers begin filling out NCAA tournament brackets to celebrate March Madness, RiseSmart, the leading provider of next-generation outplacement solutions, today launched the RiseSmart Challenge, a March Madness "office pool" for all transitioning workers utilizing its flagship outplacement solution, Transition Concierge. The program serves as a fun way to help unemployed workers take a break from the job search to participate in one of the traditional rites of American office life.
"March Madness marks an exciting time in which offices are abuzz with colleagues engaged in heated water-cooler debates over who will make the Final Four and be crowned champion," said Sanjay Sathe, founder and CEO of RiseSmart. "We wanted to offer those in the Transition Concierge program the chance to experience this same sense of fun even while they are between jobs. So we created the RiseSmart Challenge."
The RiseSmart Challenge is open to thousands of transitioning workers currently in the Transition Concierge system. Participants can access the RiseSmart Challenge tournament bracket online; top prognosticators will receive special recognition and prizes.
"In our five years of helping put Americans back to work, we've found that the unemployed find work faster when they treat their job search with a sense of adventure and fun. We try to create an atmosphere that encourages this positive approach," Sathe said. "The RiseSmart Challenge is a fun way to lift the spirits of workers in transition and energize them for the real challenge ahead - reentering the workforce."
A 2011 Harris Interactive survey showed that 20 percent of U.S. workers - or about 30 million Americans -- participate in a March Madness office pool. RiseSmart encourages companies to embrace this annual tradition by enacting a program that builds interpersonal relationships across the organization and instills a sense of belonging and fun. Banning pools in an attempt to prevent lost productivity during the tournament is generally ineffective and can result in reduced morale.
Market Watch [press release]
"March Madness marks an exciting time in which offices are abuzz with colleagues engaged in heated water-cooler debates over who will make the Final Four and be crowned champion," said Sanjay Sathe, founder and CEO of RiseSmart. "We wanted to offer those in the Transition Concierge program the chance to experience this same sense of fun even while they are between jobs. So we created the RiseSmart Challenge."
The RiseSmart Challenge is open to thousands of transitioning workers currently in the Transition Concierge system. Participants can access the RiseSmart Challenge tournament bracket online; top prognosticators will receive special recognition and prizes.
"In our five years of helping put Americans back to work, we've found that the unemployed find work faster when they treat their job search with a sense of adventure and fun. We try to create an atmosphere that encourages this positive approach," Sathe said. "The RiseSmart Challenge is a fun way to lift the spirits of workers in transition and energize them for the real challenge ahead - reentering the workforce."
A 2011 Harris Interactive survey showed that 20 percent of U.S. workers - or about 30 million Americans -- participate in a March Madness office pool. RiseSmart encourages companies to embrace this annual tradition by enacting a program that builds interpersonal relationships across the organization and instills a sense of belonging and fun. Banning pools in an attempt to prevent lost productivity during the tournament is generally ineffective and can result in reduced morale.
Market Watch [press release]
Wait...there's another March Madness?
I really don't understand stuff like this. Or fantasy football. So thanks for explaining XD
General idea is to predict who will will win, but there may also be additional small prizes for getting the ticket right in each round. Biggest prize usually goes to the person that guesses ALL matches right. There may be extra prizes for guessing the final score. Smaller pools generally have smaller prizes and may only award for guessing the eventual winner.
it's rather like horceracing. Small prizes for guessing each race correctly, big one for guessing ALL the races correctly.
I'm a Syracuse fan so I'm deep in enemy territory =o
No one really watches for the actual play unless you're a fan of the teams but it's more gambling than anything.
Semi-OT prayer circle for Jack the Bulldog, who tore his doggie ACL and won't be traveling with the Georgetown men this year.
Seriously, this is the only time I give a shit about pop culture or fashion, but one year I was looking up fashion week walks for a character design reference and now I am in-the-closet HOOKED.
That said, Go Syracuse!