Author: Buyer Advertising

How to Avoid Gender Bias in Recruitment Ads

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image_29Avoiding gender bias and discrimination in recruitment ads is not just a friendly thing to do, it also helps your organization stay in compliance with the law. In everyday language, there are many biased words such as “mailman” or frequent use of the word “she” in a job description for a nurse. Using gender-neutral wording or a mix of gendered wording helps to attract an even mix of qualified candidates. These three strategies will help your organization avoid gender bias in recruitment ads and job postings.

References to the Applicant or Employee

When writing a recruitment ad that addresses the employee, it is best to use the gender-neutral pronoun “they” or an equal mixture of the pronouns “he and she.” Managers and human resources personnel who stick with gender-neutral wording can use the singular “they/their” when referring to the candidate. Using a mix of masculine and feminine wording is another good option, but this should be considered second to the use of gender-neutral wording because there is still the potential to show bias.

Consider Masculine and Feminine Adjectives

Some gender-biased words are not as obvious as “he/him” and “she/her.” In a recruitment ad, there are many biased words that may not be overt in their tone. “Community” and “sympathetic” are considered feminine attributes and descriptors in a recruitment ad, while “results-driven,” “dominant” and “leader” are considered masculine descriptors. These words also dig up longstanding biases about who is likely to be “dominant” in the job setting or who may be focused on building a “community.” When using these types of words, managers and human resources staff will need to use a mixture of masculine and feminine attributes to maintain neutrality in the recruitment ad.

Stick with Descriptions of Behaviors

When writing a recruitment ad, human resources staff and managers should focus on writing expectations related to the behaviors of workers rather than the attributes of workers. Try writing the gender-neutral, behavior-oriented “ability to collaborate effectively” rather than the gender-biased “people person” or “team leader.”

Tracking Candidate Source Data and Measuring Cost Per Applicant and Cost Per Hire to Determine ROI

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image_30Measuring the cost per applicant and cost per hire helps human resources departments determine the cost-effectiveness of their candidate recruitment strategies. This candidate data can be gleaned through a variety of methods. Once the statistics have been compiled, managers and human resources staff can then evaluate whether they’re getting their money’s worth, what strategies proved too costly and which efforts can be expanded upon.

Collection of Candidate Source Data

Begin by automating the candidate source data. This can be done within the human resources information technology (IT) department. An applicant tracking system can be implemented by the IT department and used to track basic data for each applicant, such as the source of his or her application or the website where the recruitment ad was placed. This data can then be analyzed by the human resources staff to determine the frequency of applicants from each source.

Data Analysis

Once reliable candidate source data has been gathered, managers can then begin calculating cost per applicant and per hire to determine the ROI. Use the automated program to run reports for “applicants by source” and “hires by source.” Other reports to run include raw applicant and hire volume. Compare these against the costs and fees charged by each source. Factors such as the hours spent by each human resources staff member or hiring manager may be difficult to calculate; however, these also add to the cost per applicant and per hire. Now, you know which of your recruitment ads and methods have produced the greatest ROI.

Making Adjustments

Knowing your ROI for each applicant and hire source allows you to make adjustments as needed. Because recruitment budgets may change on a quarterly or annual basis, you may need to adjust your recruitment media and marketing on a similar schedule. Once you have identified which source or sources are giving your organization the best ROI, you can focus your budget and contracts there. You’ll also have the data to show different recruitment websites and venues so that you can get better ad placement or more services for your employee recruitment budget.

 

Strategies for Establishing a Presence in the Workforce

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image_011Establishing a presence in the workforce allows employers to find candidates with the skills, expertise and experience necessary to succeed in a particular position. Being able to recruit this top talent depends on these desirable employees recognizing an employer’s name and worth. These three strategies can help employers establish a presence for recruiting the top talent in the workforce.

Creation and Maintenance of Recruiting Networks

Even as unemployment levels remain moderately high compared to historical numbers, the talent that an employer desires may not be aware of the employer’s available position openings. To get the word out about who an employer is looking for to fill available openings, the establishment and maintenance of a recruitment network is necessary. Employers can use tools such as social media, company blogs and employment forums to send out messages about the type of talent the company desires.

Partner with Local Colleges and Universities

Local educational institutions that train and educate workers are natural partners for establishing a presence in the workforce. In addition to recruiting high-quality interns, the college and universities in the area are also a great source of regular staff members as students graduate from their programs. Within the higher education system, remember to add the alumni office to the partnership list. Alumni often contact their alma mater when they are seeking a career change or a new position within their industry.

Working with Professional Organizations

Professional organizations related to an employer’s industry are often the go-to source for those seeking a new position. Employers can post their job openings on the websites of these organizations. Individuals who maintain a membership with their professional organization are likely to have the training and experience that employers are looking for. This type of workforce strategy also expands the search for candidates as most professional organizations have a national base. If the organization has state or local chapters, post with them as well.

Effective Blogging Strategies for Recruitment

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_010Locating and then recruiting the right staff members is a challenge for any organization. As job candidates increasingly look to blogs, online postings and social media to search for jobs, one way that Human Resources personnel can recruit the top tier of applicants is by taking to the blogs themselves and enticing the best candidates to apply for openings within the organization. These top four blogging strategies for recruitment are effective and efficient at getting the most desirable person into the job.

Infuse the Blog with Personality

Even corporate blogs should be infused with personality that is in line with the operations of the organization. The tone of the blog should allow readers and future applicants to get a feel for the culture of the organization. A light touch of humor can go a long way in helping applicants feel welcome to the company.

Vary the Posting Types

Readers of a business blog do not want to read the same material over and over again. Vary the type of posts to maintain reader interest. Consider various post options such as tips for applicants, hints about what is going on in the industry and success stories of people working in the company. Interviews with current staff members and list-type posts also help to recruit top-notch candidates.

Make a Point in Every Post

Give applicants a reason to come back and join the corporation. Every post should have a point. Making each recruitment posting worthwhile helps applicants understand that their time is respected and that future events at the company, such as staff meetings, will be productive and worthwhile. Blog posts should not be too wordy or too vague.

Share Industry Insights

Keep it interesting by sharing industry insights that show why the business is top in its field. Infographics are an up-to-date means of sharing information in a way that is eye-catching and easy to understand. Embedded videos are another way to share insights while maintaining the applicant’s interest in being recruited to the organization.

 

Hiring Techniques to Reduce Employee Turnover

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image_02The hiring process is not only an economically costly endeavor for a company but a time-consuming one as well. When a relatively new hire jumps ship to join the team of some other company, all the resources that went into hiring and training that staff member are for naught. These three hiring techniques can help employers reduce employee turnover.

Make Sure the Candidate is the Right Fit

During the candidate interview process, Human Resources specialists and managers must take care to ask the right questions to ensure the candidate is the right fit for both the job and the organization. In addition to ensuring that a candidate has the right skills and educational background to do a job, he or she must also be a good fit for the manager and the corporate culture in order to succeed and stay loyal to the organization.

Regularly Review Employee Needs

Employers should take the time to understand what employees want. Flexibility in scheduling, telecommuting, job sharing, tuition reimbursement and other benefits may be more important than significant salary increases. Candidates can be asked during the hiring process about which benefits comprise the most important parts of their compensation package. Human Resources can address these employee needs during the hiring process and as an ongoing strategy to retain highly qualified staff.

Create and Maintain a Positive Work Environment

Candidates should be treated in a positive manner right from the start. The organization should be able to explain how employee recognition works and how achievements and goals are rewarded. Candidates typically want a position that will challenge them and motivate them to work their way up the corporate ladder. Tangible examples of awards, recognition and praise can be provided to candidates during the hiring process. This shows applicants that the organization is committed to maintaining a positive work environment. These actions also show that managers and the Human Resources department recognize successes. Candidates want to know that they will be appreciated and respected for their work and effort.

 

Best Practices for Engaging Top Talent in Interviews

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image_015A prospective employee’s interview is part of the hiring process continuum rather than an isolated stage. Top talent engagement begins before the formal interview and continues while they remain in the pipeline, during training and throughout their career with your company.

Engagement Based on Employment Brand

Your organization’s employment brand derives directly from the company’s shared vision of the future. The brand image must be comprehensive and present themes tailored to your hiring demographics.

Each organization’s brand is unique, but encompasses basic values:

  • Open communication and information sharing
  • Support for learning and growth
  • Meaningful work goals
  • Regard for work/life balance
  • Generous compensation for great work

These and a shared sense of mission towards personal, department and company-wide goals are the basis for recruit engagement.

Prior to the Interview: Consistent Branding

Smart companies will have developed suites of videos communicating their organizational values and showing off their “best place to work” attributes. Videos reinforce brand image after an interview and are easily shared via social media.

During the Interview

Despite a consistent brand image, a top candidate may remain skeptical about whether the organization means what it says. Prepare for their doubts about how their career goals align with those of the company. Listen carefully and address these with relevant, concrete examples. If possible, enlist a member of the team with the requisition to address their questions.

Post-Interview Engagement

Especially if your candidate was identified with the help of social media, utilize that media after the interview to maintain engagement. Sharing relevant media or comments shows interest as long as it is tasteful and non-intrusive. Regular contact lets the candidate know there is ongoing interest, and he or she will greatly appreciate the attention to any further questions they have.

Benefits to Interview Engagement

Candidates who feel that a company has a place for them and listens to their concerns and ideas are far more likely to accept an offer and subsequently grow to be high performers. They also have potential to become one of your organization’s greatest proponents of the company culture to other recruits.

Why You Should Not Neglect Applicant Tracking Systems

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image_016While some estimates are higher, a conservative estimate of the percentage of companies using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) is 75 percent of large organizations and 60 percent of mid-sized companies [1]. Unfortunately, you could be missing out on some qualified candidates if your system appears to be out-of-date. Statistics show that 40 percent of mobile candidates will forgo the application process if the ATS is not mobile-friendly [2].

Job Order Tracking is an Important Part of Applicant Tracking

A job order tracking feature acts as a central repository for recruiters, allowing them to quickly identify and share open jobs on social media or job boards. Most applicant tracking systems can produce job order reports of successful placements, source of hire, time to fill, and diversity. Weekly monitoring can provide valuable metrics to help identify recruiting efficiencies as well as weaknesses.

Managing All Those Applicants

With the average number of applicants per job opening at 250, your recruiters can’t afford to review and contact all that would come up in a search. With an ATS, you can thin the qualified candidate pool by as much as 75 percent, allowing your recruiters to focus their time on those with genuine potential [3].

Successful recruiters understand the value of networking with a core group of professionals who were qualified applicants that for one reason or another didn’t get the job. Checking in with that group can sometimes produce an equally qualified referral. Most ATS’s allow recruiters to create personalized groups to easily access these valuable but often overlooked contacts.

Time is Money

Taking full advantage of an ATS streamlines the process around applicant comparisons, makes it easy to match candidates to open positions, and keeps your candidate pipeline flowing. The time-savings that come from a robustly used ATS can be proven through the many reporting tools available and can even justify ROI if your Human Resources department is thinking of upgrading.

Bottom Line

An ATS can positively affect your bottom line by reducing your hiring time, improving the quality of new hires and easing the recruiter’s workload. With the reporting tools available with your ATS, your can measure the results for yourself.

 

[1] http://recruitingdaily.com/applicant-tracking-system-selection/

[2] http://www.slideshare.net/cbforemployers/upward-mobility-careerbuilder

[3] http://recruiterbox.com/blog/18-things-you-dont-know-about-applicant-tracking-systems/

 

Google Searches: Ensuring Your Presence on the Most Common Job Hunt Tool

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_08Job seekers have a multitude of online tools for sniffing out new opportunities such as SimplyHired, Monster and HotJobs. Their preferred job search tool, however, is often Google. With Google, job seekers can find specific positions not listed on common job boards and perform their own research on the companies as well.

It is vital for your recruiting efforts that your job openings rank high on Google search results. If your openings are not on the first two or three pages of results, candidates are probably not seeing them.

Optimizing Job Advertisements

Search Engine Optimization is essential for top search rankings. Many books have been written about SEO, but a few basic techniques can push your job adverts toward qualified candidates.

Keywords That Perform

Settle on two or three descriptive keywords for a particular opening. Use these keywords in the job title. Keep it short, neutral and general. For instance, instead of “Level 3 Product Design Technology Marketing Specialist,” “Senior Design Consultant” will do.

Use Google Adwords to test your keywords. The results reveal how many people use your keywords. Alternatives are provided that may perform better. Use the main keywords once or twice in the job description. Add in a couple of the viable keyword alternatives. Apply the same rules above for one or two key job skills required for the opening.

Meaningful Content

Pertinent content value is measured by Google in various ways:

  • Relevant headings and layout in the description
  • Natural use of keywords or keyword phrases in text
  • Linked anchor text that is descriptive
  • Relevant but sparing use of outgoing links
  • Quality inbound links
  • Images with brief, descriptive alt tags

Outgoing links to relevant company content should also be SEO friendly. Links from an active company blog are examples of strong inbound links.

Leverage the Employer Brand

Job seekers are particularly discerning consumers. They not only search for the right position but for the right company culture as well. Leverage your company’s employer brand within your job postings to increase their SEO weight and improve rankings.

Boosting Productivity with Self-Predictive Analytics and Social Media

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image_05What Is Self-Predictive Analytics?

By analyzing known facts, predictive analytics makes assumptions about future events. Self-predictive analytics technology utilizes your company’s internal data to learn from your company’s experience and produce a predictive score for the organizational elements examined. Based on those scores, an organization can use that internal business intelligence to increase productivity.

Predictive analytics is much more than a data summary. The technology predicts future outcomes by finding relationships among variables from both inside the organization and data from outside. In the insurance industry, for example, a direct correlation was discovered between credit scores and auto claims — variables both internal and external to the industry. Exploring those relationships can increase a recruiter’s chances of identifying and targeting the right people for the job, even if they haven’t actually applied.

What Does Social Media Bring to the Table?

When you add the mining of social media to the mix, you’ve moved from predicting your organization’s productivity and performance to predicting changes in job-seeking behavior, the causes, locations and many other actionable analytics. Data is collected, analyzed for relationships and integrated as a component of predictive intelligence. With the right technology, you can turn an overwhelming amount of raw social media data into a sensor network that provides insights to help with workforce planning, talent attraction and employee attrition.

By mining social media data, businesses are provided with unfiltered conversations about not only their own brand but their competitors as well. Sentiment analysis technology sorts social mentions as positive, negative or neutral. These insights can be invaluable to a company’s brand and reputation among potential job candidates.

What Are the Applications of Predictive Analytics and Social Media?

Predictive analytics may be new to the recruiting sector, but weather forecasters, marketers and insurers have been using it for years. Analytics are superior to HR metrics, which can only tell you about the past. Analytics take into account all the data to reveal trends and patterns for future use.

In the competitive world of talent management, analytics provide your organization with a quantifiable advantage in both talent management and business decisions.

 

Top Employer Branding Tips from Major Corporations

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image_04Employer branding is a concept that every large company should be familiar with. It is the idea that your business is a desirable place to work. Creating an appealing workspace is an integral part of the equation, but it is also important to broadcast the appeal of working at your company. Here are some insightful tips from major corporations who have mastered the art of employer branding.

Use Real Stories in Your Branding Strategy

Bryan Chaney, an attraction and staffing specialist working for IBM, says, “An employer brand is not created; it can only be revealed [1].” This is a reminder to use real stories from current employees in your brand strategy. Get real quotes, take actual photos and focus on the genuine appeal of your corporation rather than crafting a story about it.

Use Your Career Page to Your Advantage

One of the first things that prospective employees will see is your company’s career or employment page. Rather than simply listing out available jobs, take out a page from Google’s playbook. The page has a company overview, a clear summary of what employees do and a list of what they believe in. In addition, Google’s career page includes information about the company culture along with the following quote: “Although Googlers share common goals and visions for the company, we hail from all walks of life and speak dozens of languages [2].” This paints an attractive picture for future job applicants. Edward Jones, another of the nation’s top places to work, uses its career page to remind browsers about the huge investment that the company puts into their employees [3].

Don’t Settle for the Industry Standard

Jeff Bezos, founder of billion-dollar company Amazon, has a strong opinion on how to create unbeatable employer branding. According to Bloomberg Business Week Magazine, Bezos believes, “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well [4].”

Although the tips and tricks above can be helpful, there is no substitute for simply focusing on making an incredible workspace for employees and then relying on positive word of mouth.

 

[1] http://www.slideshare.net/lizonomics/employment-branding-stats

[2] http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/culture/

[3] http://www.careers.edwardjones.com/explore-edward-jones/index.html

[4] http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2004-08-01/online-extra-jeff-bezos-on-word-of-mouth-power