Author: Buyer Advertising

How to Use Periscope to Connect With Potential Job Candidates

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_11Periscope is a recently released app that works in conjunction with popular social networks and sharing websites such as Twitter and Instagram. The difference with Periscope is that it provides real-time conferencing capabilities and is meant for on-the-go use, rather than in front of a desktop or laptop computer. Periscope is a new tool that could make the difference in recruiting top new talent to your organization. Periscope is a clear demonstration of authenticity for you and your company.

How Periscope Is Used for Social Networking

Periscope is meant to be a way to give your followers a peek at your real life. For a human resources recruiter, that might mean logging into the app and providing a real-time tour through your office or showing some of the products made by your company. It’s a live and unedited feed that puts your real self and organization out there. Potential job candidates enjoy this sort of real-life glimpse at your organization because it gives them a feel for the workplace.

Engaging with Viewers Through Periscope

Periscope makes it easy for your followers to capture these live video feeds. When you’re getting ready to start a real-time video, you can post a link to your feed on your Twitter site. Your followers simply click on the link and get rerouted to your feed as it happens. Potential candidates can then engage with you by sending you questions through Twitter or sharing what they think of your video.

Connecting with Potential Job Candidates

As a key social influencer within your organization, you can expect to enjoy quite a following through Twitter. The opportunity to interact directly with you through Periscope will be an opportunity that potential candidates will not want to pass up. To get the greatest number of participants in each of your scopes, be sure to use relevant hashtags on your Twitter posting. You can also pick a memorable handle for your Periscope, such as “CompanyXRecruiting.” Throughout your scope, ask your viewers questions and respond to theirs. Your scopes may broaden your pool of potential candidates.

Keeping Your Information Secure When Employees Connect to the Internet of Things

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image_30The Internet of Things (IoT) is an exciting concept – a future where “billions of things are talking to each other,” as technology consulting company SAP describes it [1]. This trend has been growing at a rapid rate, and you might be surprised to learn that the majority of devices connected to the Internet through your network are not company owned but instead are owned by your employees. When an employee brings in a “smart” device, it starts transmitting and receiving data across your network. These steps can help to keep your confidential and proprietary information secure when your employees are connected to the Internet.

Encourage Employees to Change Habits

Your human resources division should establish a security policy related to the Internet of Things. Some of the most common devices that your employees may be bringing into the workplace that connect to the Internet include wearable fitness trackers, personal smartphones and music players. Your policy might recommend that employees turn off their smartphones and music players during work hours. The phones are constantly transmitting data about the owner’s location, among other pieces of information. Hackers can easily penetrate through the phone’s operating system and into your network.

Use Multiple Layers of Security

Even something as simple as a fitness tracker that is seemingly only used to count steps can be collecting or transmitting data, opening up your network to potential criminals. Make sure that your IT department is employing multiple layers of security. These layers should include strong encryption of data and proper authentication of users trying to access the network. Use gateways and firewalls to stop viruses from getting into your network through mobile devices.

Prepare for Security Breaches

While your organization may not be able to control which employees wear a Fitbit or an Apple Smart Watch to work, you can be prepared for any possible data breaches that occur as a result of vulnerabilities within the network. Consider moving your critical data to the cloud. With cloud computing, your data is always available so that your business can continue operations even if a physical server is hacked. Make sure that your company is not collecting unnecessary data that would be tempting to would-be thieves. All data should be tightly guarded.

[1] http://www.fastcompany.com/3052936/the-future-of-work/how-the-internet-of-things-is-changing-work

The Benefits of Quarterly Vs. Annual Performance Evaluations

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image_015Quarterly and annual performance evaluations are an important component of employee assessment, productivity and continued employment. Some organizations conduct a quarterly review of employees while others do an annual review. There are benefits to each type of evaluation, and the choice that your human resources department makes may depend on several factors.

Benefits of Quarterly Employee Performance Evaluations

Quarterly employee evaluations are helpful to employees who are new to the industry or the workforce. These employees may be unsure of how well they’re doing, and they’ll appreciate the feedback that they receive from their supervisors. A quarterly evaluation makes it easier for supervisors to augment a staff member’s job duties or to make suggestions about improving performance. Problems such as tardy work or low efficiency can be addressed at a faster pace with quarterly evaluations.

Benefits of Annual Employee Performance Evaluations

At large organizations, there may not be enough staffing to conduct a quarterly evaluation of every employee. This is especially true when a supervisor has a large number of employees working for them. An annual evaluation is ideal for an employee who is experienced in the line of work. This method of evaluation is also a good choice for employees who have been at your organization for a long time. Annual evaluations are typically used as the basis for employee raises and bonuses.

Using a Mix of Quarterly and Annual Evaluations

The subject of employee performance evaluations is not a one-size-fits-all for every human resources department. At your organization, you might wish to use a combination of quarterly and annual evaluations of your staff. For example, employees with less than two years of seniority in their current job might benefit from quarterly evaluations as they get used to the organization. After a worker has been performing well at their job for a few years, the human resources department could shift to annual evaluations of that employee. This sort of mixed evaluation method would be most useful for organizations that do not have a high rate of turnover in their workforce.

 

Questions You Should Ask When Hiring a Work-at-Home Freelance Professional

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_09When your business needs to outsource certain services for a project, work-at-home freelance professionals are a great choice. Your company gets the expertise of an independent contractor without having to deal with the training and integration processes. Before making the decision to hire a work-at-home freelance professional, ask each candidate these questions:

What Is Your Availability?

To make sure that your project stays on its timeline, ask the freelance professional what his or her availability is. You may need to know how much time it will take the professional to complete the work that you want done. You might also want to know how quickly the professional will return your calls or emails. Another variant on this question is the freelance professional’s general daily availability, such as whether he or she will work on your project only on specific days or times of the week.

What Is Your Experience?

Before making a decision about hiring a work-at-home freelance professional, ask about the relevant experiences he or she has had doing work similar to what your project entails. If you need a survey done of 1,000 people and a logistic regression analysis of the results, you may want to know that the freelance professional has only done qualitative analyses in the past. Asking for written or online examples of the freelance professional’s work may help you to make a decision about whether the person has the experience that your project requires.

What Are Your Terms of Payment?

While terms of payment are typically included in a contract for independent professionals, they are important to discuss during the decision-making process. Your work-at-home professional may desire a deposit for services. You may ask about discounts for prepayments or penalties that you could incur for paying any of the professional’s invoices later than the due date.

Hiring a work-at-home freelance professional can help increase the efficiency of your projects. These professionals also add specialty experience that your company needs in specific situations. By occasionally bringing in an independent freelance professional, your company can expand its products and services to your loyal customers.

 

How to Keep Quality Employees Working for Your Company

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image_07Hiring your dream employee is only half of the battle for any organization. Major companies are making a habit of poaching top talent, and to keep your best workers on your side, your work environment needs to remain a comfortable spot for your employees to be. Given that it costs an average of 150% of a mid-level employee’s salary to replace them – it’s important to retain your top talent [1], as it can cost your company a lot of money.

Opportunities for Growth

Feelings of stagnation are a common complaint across every industry and pay grade. Keep frustrated talent from jumping ship by creating an environment that nurtures optimism and personal pride. Give every employee access to career building, advancement and personal growth opportunities. Help them learn new skills and be open about what they need to earn the promotion or pay raise they desire.

Tailored Benefits

A bigger salary is tempting, but an after-hours car service, a better health care package or help with daycare costs can be worth more than cash. Find ways to let your employees customize their benefits or speak with each to find out what their goals are. An employee who is thinking about leaving to spend more time with their family could be persuaded to stay if they can telecommute two days a week. These seemingly small perks add up to every employee feeling valued.

Productive Communication

Open up a feedback line that goes both ways. Give detailed performance reviews, and match all criticisms with possible solutions and offers to help. Make sure your staff feels comfortable providing feedback, and seriously consider implementing changes based on that feedback. Employees are in a unique position to spot inefficiencies in company workings. Those inefficiencies will cost you money and employees, especially if the people trying to draw attention to problems get frustrated with being ignored.

It may seem obvious, but remember to think of your employees as people. They have goals, wants and needs, and if you take the time to understand them, you can build a work environment that no one will want to leave.

 

[1] http://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/what-was-leadership-thinking-the-shockingly-high-cost-of-employee-turnover/

 

Ways to Boost Morale in the Workplace and Promote Productivity

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_29Unhappy employees make for unproductive employees, which is why it is so important to work hard to boost morale in the workplace. Businesses of any size can benefit from these tips to create a more positive, efficient and enjoyable work environment for all personnel.

Recognize Personal Moments

According to Forbes, one of the key ways to boost morale is to show employees that they are recognized and appreciated as individuals, even outside of the workplace [1]. That means remembering key dates like birthdays or anniversaries as well as commemorating special moments like weddings or the birth of a child. Gifts and cards need not be expensive, but they can show employees just how valued they are.

Invest in More Affordable Fringe Benefits

Mark Shields writing for CNN highlights the value of fringe benefits for employees. Says Shields, “Good hearted and tough minded are not mutually exclusive in labor-management relations [2].” Paying for things like employee health insurance premiums, employee parking, coffee in the break room or staff transportation is tax deductible for most businesses, but these benefits do more than just make employees happy. Boosting morale in these fringe ways can be more affordable than increasing salaries, and it can go a long way in terms of productivity and reducing turnover.

Let Managers Serve the Rest of the Staff

A great tactic for improving morale is to reverse the hierarchy in the office for a few hours. Corp! Magazine suggests having upper-level management host a pancake breakfast for staff [3]. Donning an apron and cooking pancakes in the office takes just a morning, but it can be a fun reprieve from everyday tasks and an affordable way to create a more positive environment for staff.

Incorporate Philanthropic Activities

Stepping away from corporate obligations and doing something positive for the community is a wonderful way to boost morale. As a bonus, this also improves your company’s brand image. Entrepreneur suggests employees a few free hours each month to volunteer while on the clock or leaving the office as a group to volunteer locally [4].

 

 

 

[1]  http://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2014/09/11/6-ways-to-increase-employee-morale-and-performance-without-giving-a-raise/#5031175f6997

[2] http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/05/treating.workers.right/

[3] https://www.corpmagazine.com/human-resources/fun-and-inexpensive-ways-to-boost-morale-during-tough-economic-times/

[4] http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220000

 

 

The Importance of Relocation Assistance When Hiring Talent from a Long-Distance Location

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_04When recruiting talented professionals from around the country, offering paid moving expenses may make the difference in whether or not the candidate selects your job offer. Hiring talent from a long-distance location is a considerable risk for that new employee, and paying for some of their relocation costs can help make their transition smoother. Consider these types of moving costs and whether or not your company should cover them when hiring talented individuals who live a long distance away from your location.

Packing and Transportation of Belongings

Paying for the packing, crating and transportation of the new employee’s belongings is a basic part of relocation expenses. Some firms choose to offer a flat-rate reimbursement for these costs while other firms directly pay the moving company for these services. This expense usually includes the employee, their spouse and their children’s belongings and furniture, and it includes insurance in case the moving company damages belongings while they are in transit.

Automobile Shipping

For a cross-country move, your new employee may wish to have their car or truck shipped to their new location. The employee and his or her family may take a flight rather than spending a week driving across the country. The costs of shipping their vehicle may be a reasonable expense for your company to reimburse due to the long-distance move.

Lodging, Flights and Meals

Your new employee may incur thousands of dollars in expenses for lodging, flights and meals while in transit between their original location and where they are moving in order to work for you. Paying for the employee’s airplane ticket, hotel room and meals is a wise step in recruiting a highly talented professional. You might consider giving the new employee a voucher for these costs, or you might have the new staff member submit their receipts and then get reimbursed from your human resources or payroll department.

Offering paid moving expenses is a gesture that your human resources division can make when recruiting top talent. This benefit may help to increase the loyalty of the professionals you hire.

Effective Methods of Utilizing LinkedIn to Promote Hiring

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_016The Internet is becoming a useful tool in hiring. More specifically, HR professionals are turning to LinkedIn to find and recruit top talent. Back in 2010, 78% of recruiters were using LinkedIn to find candidates, but five years later, that percentage has risen to 95% [1]. LinkedIn not only offers a platform for you to build your employer brand, but it also enables you to attract qualified job candidates and select the best match. It’s easy to get started:

Creating a Company Profile

Networking is a huge advantage to using LinkedIn. By creating a company profile and adding your staff, you have established connections to link you with potential candidates through your current employees. If you are looking for a graphic designer, it is easier to find a network of designers through someone you already have on your staff. According to a Nielsen study, the average number of connections for LinkedIn members is around 60 people [2].

Marketing Your Company

There are many companies on LinkedIn, which is why it is important to market your company and set yourself apart. LinkedIn is a social media outlet and has many of the same qualities you would see on Facebook. You can post status updates, share company announcements and even can set your current status as “hiring.” This lets people know that you’re an active, engaged company that others may be interested in working for.

Posting a Job

When you are ready to post a job on LinkedIn, make sure that you have researched the role. You can use this information to create a job description that will attract the ideal job candidate. A good job description will include the necessary skills, education and experience to carry out the duties of the job. LinkedIn will then send your job post to those who best meet the criteria.

LinkedIn also has a sponsored job option, which increases the likelihood of people applying for your position. Once your job has been posted, it will receive high placement in the “Jobs you may be interested in” section. Your company gets charged on a pay-per-click basis. This is a great way to increase the pool of potential candidates.

Because LinkedIn allows you to reach more job candidates with a pool of over 330 million professionals, it is a great way for you to find the right job candidate.

 

[1] http://www.socialtalent.co/blog/how-recruiters-and-job-seekers-use-social-media-in-2015

[2] http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242721

How Mobile Can Play a Pivotal Role in Hiring Quality Staff

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_14Mobile recruiting of candidates is the act of engaging potential employees on a mobile device. This method benefits both the recruiter and the candidate by increasing interactions and making communication more convenient. When developing these connections, human resources staff and hiring managers should consider existing apps and technologies that are already made and able to be customized to their company’s specific recruitment needs.

A Growing Trend

The popularity and convenience of mobile smartphones them a powerful tool for recruiting. A 2014 Glassdoor survey of 1,000 employees and job seekers found that 89% of those surveyed use a mobile device during their job search, and 45% use their mobile device to search for jobs at least once each day [1]. Currently, employers who have embraced mobile recruitment have been focused on two trends in particular: mobile-optimization and mobile applications. Making mobile connections can involve using apps, text message delivery systems on a mobile device in order to aid in the recruitment and job search processes.

Shifting Strategies and Expectations

Mobile connections are creating a paradigm shift in the way that human resources managers are recruiting and communicating with candidates. Gone is the formal written expression of interest, and in its place is a brief text exchange between the HR office and the desirable professional. Texts, chats and short video messages are playing an exceptional role in the recruitment of the Millennial generation as they are comfortable in a world of smartphones, iPads and handheld devices. Given that approximately 75% of the workforce will be comprised of Millennials within the next 10 years, it’s important to consider a mobile recruitment strategy in order to not lose out on potential qualified talent [2].

Leveraging Technology for Recruitment

Recruiting great candidates for your job openings through mobile connections means that you no longer have to be tied to your computer, and neither does the candidate. You can text confirmations and send candidates a Google Map link with directions to your office. Creating a responsive design for your website also helps with mobile connections as this design makes it easier for candidates to scroll through your job listings and initiate an application. Mobile video is the greatest tool for recruitment. You can live stream business activities and provide employee testimonials of your company’s success.

As mobile technology advances and becomes more popular, job seekers want to complete every stage of the process, from the search to the application, from their phones and tablets. More companies are embracing the mobile application and finding ways to make the process easier for candidates.

[1] http://www.inc.com/jerome-ternynck/the-past-present-amp-future-of-mobile-recruiting.html

[2] http://hiring.monster.ca/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/attracting-job-candidates/investing-in-mobile-recruiting.aspx

How to Use Twitter to Effectively Find Top Candidates

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_03Offering a platform of just 140 characters, Twitter may not seem like the most helpful tool for recruitment. However, it can be an effective way to find top candidates. These tips detail some of the top ways to recruit candidates through Twitter.

Ask for a Retweet

One of the keys to successfully using Twitter as a recruitment tool is to request an RT, or retweet. Asking an already large audience of followers to retweet a post about a job opportunity can significantly increase the pool of candidates. Says recruitment expert Tom Gimbel in Entrepreneur, “When asked, most people are willing to retweet, and you can easily leverage your network and get your message spread. [1]”

Include a Shortened URL

Tweets are limited to 140 characters, so don’t waste precious letters spelling out a long URL for a job application site. Instead, shorten the URL through a site like Bitly, which will give recruiters more space to craft a succinct explanation of the job or a call to action.

Use Appropriate Hashtags

Many candidates in search of specific jobs will use hashtags on Twitter. Recruiting tweets should include specific hashtags as well as more general job-seeking terms. According to an article in Inc., key general hashtags might include #recruiting, #hiring or #staffing [2]. For specific career opportunities, also include hashtags for skills needed, like #Germanspeakers or #programmers.

Tag Major Recruitment Twitter Users

Small businesses that don’t have a large existing group of Twitter followers may want to tweet job openings to major recruitment players on Twitter. These social media recruitment platforms, such as TweetMyJob, can help those searching for employees reach a wider audience [3].

Time Tweets to Get the Most Views

One LinkedIn article reminds recruitment professionals that the timing of Tweets can play a big role in how many views each will receive [4]. Using tools like CrowdBooster can ensure that each Tweet gets maximum visibility in the preferred time zone.

Twitter can be a way to recruit professionals in virtually any industry, and these tips ensure that recruiters can effectively find top candidates through this social media platform.

[1] http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226960

[2] http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/05/using-twitter-for-recruiting.html

[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2morrowknight/tweetmyjobs-and-social-re_1_b_1371164.html

[4] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140403173251-2061783-why-twitter-is-a-recruiter-s-secret-weapon-and-how-to-use-it