Focus on Recruitment Archives - Page 15 of 18 - Buyer Advertising

“Can I Tweet You My Resume?” The Tension Between Social Media and Professionalism

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Buyer Advertising

There is no question that marketing a business in today’s world involves some kind of social media outreach. Whether you are recruiting interns via tweets, using hashtags to draw awareness to a new advertising campaign or hoping that a popular video uploaded to Facebook goes viral and spreads the word about your brand, you can’t avoid social media. If you are searching for a job, you might think seriously about erasing your Facebook profile before you start sending in applications. However, there are ways to utilize social media platforms like Twitter, Google+ and Facebook and still maintain a professional online appearance.

Keep LinkedIn Completely Professional: No Cat Memes or Funny Pictures Here
Although employers don’t expect applicants to be professional in every single aspect of their lives, LinkedIn is still one social media platform where professionalism should be embraced wholeheartedly. Keep your resume up to date, truthful and free from grammatical errors. Skip updates about unrelated topics, and don’t spend time chatting with friends or sharing political views. Facebook and Twitter are still acceptable places to express personality, but a LinkedIn profile should remain 100-percent dedicated to your career objectives, goals and job search.

“Like” Less on Facebook: Your Friends Will Understand
You might be surprised at what comes up when you click “like” on Facebook. Even if you carefully delete any unprofessional photos and limit who can post to your wall, the things that you click to “like” can still pop up when employers search through your profile or look at your recent activity.

Apply For Jobs Traditionally, Follow Up Using Social Media
Social media can open new doors to job opportunities, but don’t push too hard with nontraditional methods. If you see a job advertised on Twitter, don’t engage in an abbreviated conversation online with a hiring manager. Search for the company, click to see job openings and proceed through the traditional channels. If several days pass without a confirmation, a follow-up Tweet or private Facebook message might be acceptable.

Although social media obviously has a place in marketing, in business advertising and in finding new employment positions, it is still important to maintain professionalism. These tips can come in handy whether you are holding onto you existing job or looking for a new one.

Growing a Diverse Company: Dos and Don’ts for Attracting Talent

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Buyer Advertising

With today’s workforce growing at an unprecedented rate, attracting and retaining top talent is becoming increasingly competitive. Not only that, the popularity of social media platforms is changing the way businesses communicate with potential candidates. Here are some simple dos and don’ts for attracting top talent in your industry.

Identify what you want. The first step in recruiting top talent is identifying exactly what your company is looking for. Work with multiple departments to ensure that everyone is on the same page in terms of what qualities the candidate must have and which duties they are expected to perform.

Remember to be flexible. Showing potential candidates what your company can offer them is just as important as what they can offer you. While compensation is a primary concern for most candidates, other factors such as room for growth, personal development opportunities and advancement opportunities are equally important. Offering perks like flex-time, personal development workshops or job skill training can help your company attract better talent.

Make a strong impression. Your current employees and work environment make up the first impression that potential candidates have of what working with your company will be like. If your employees are unhappy, that sends a negative message to potential talent and may drive some highly qualified candidates away from your company. On the other hand, if your employees appear happy, they are more likely to envision themselves working for your company.

Do not underpay your employees. With high unemployment rates and fierce job competition in many industries, it may be tempting to underpay new employees. While this may work for a while, the employee will likely leave the company once the job market begins to recover, and they are offered a better position.

Do not be passive. Once you have posted a position to your company website, it is time to get out and pursue the talent that you are looking for. Do not sit and wait for them to come to you. Social media websites including Facebook, LinkedIn and even Twitter offer great opportunities to take the search beyond your geographic area and reach global talent.

Does Video Based Recruitment Really Work?

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Buyer Advertising

Videos have transformed the Internet almost as much as the Internet itself has transformed the sharing of information. Recent studies have shown that at least 85 percent of all Internet users watch videos every month. The majority of the people browsing websites would prefer videos over text; they like the simplicity, the rapid-fire information sharing, and the entertainment value.

All of this translates perfectly into recruiting. You could write the most compelling copy in the world, describing everything that your company has to offer, and most people simply would not read it. They would skim over it. Reading a entire page of information takes too long, and people have too many things to do to devote their time to something like that unless they have no other choice.

However, these same people will happily click on a three-minute video and watch the whole thing. This is why it is an effective recruiting tool – it opens the door to far more prospective employees. It throws a wide net that draws in top talent from all over the world.

A recruiting video also allows you to create a strong brand for your company. You can creatively use things like you logo, your color scheme, a slogan, a jingle, and much more. Text is far too simple to truly capture everything that fits into your brand, that gives your company its identity.

Finally, people are very quick to share videos. If they find them funny, interesting, or engaging, they will post them on social media sites and blogs. They will recommend them to their friends. A well-made video has the chance to get millions of views. With this type of exposure, you can really find the talent that you are searching for.

In the end, recruiting is too important to ignore the changes in the industry. You must have the best possible employees, and you need to get their attention in order to connect with them. A video is a sure way to attract a lot of attention, to build up your brand and your company image, and to start recruiting high-caliber employees today.

Making the Right Hire

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Buyer Advertising

Any recruiter knows that hiring the right person can be difficult, and hiring the wrong person can be costly. From re-investing time in reviewing resumes and conducting interviews, to spending more money on advertisements, plus the cost of training, having to re-hire for a position that was inadequately filled, can be a huge burden on an organization. An article posted on Smart Planet notes that 69% of employers admit to having suffered from bad hires over the past year. 41% of these companies estimated the cost of the bad hire to be over $25,000.

Adverse affects of bad hires include lack of productivity, increased costs for recruiting, fewer sales, legal issues, a negative impact on the morale of employees as well as a negative impact on clients.

So how do you avoid bad hires? Some employers note the importance of not rushing the process, while others express how essential it is to check references. In some instances, a decreased workforce of recruiters leads to a problematic system of hiring. In this instance, you may need to get creative with how you evaluate potential candidates and ensure that the right hire is made. Check out this video which features Heineken’s unique hiring initiative that netted a successful hire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Ftu3NbivE

Recruitment Challenges in Healthcare

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Buyer Advertising

Be your operation a single treatment center or a healthcare system spanning several hospital locations, your challenges are unique. Not only do you have to appeal to a highly educated, specially-trained workforce, employers are already competing in a job market where professionals are highly sought-after. As a medical employer, here are strategies to keep in mind as you staff your halls with exceptional talent.

Consider demographics. Are you hiring young professionals? Established doctors? Seasoned vets? Different experience levels require you to target different age brackets—and in some cases, separate generations. Tailor your message to speak directly to the preferred age group that you’re looking to recruit and retain.

Who are you, really? Big or small, you have unique differentiators that make you stand out. Your employer brand may appeal to some, yet turn others away. Aim to honestly represent your company, and you’ll score employees who truly enjoy what you have to offer—leading to greater retention and a more pleasant work environment.

Concentrate on service areas. A hospital can be considered a library of skilled medical and healthcare professionals, all with separate talents and abilities. Hone in on your preferred professionals with distinct hiring campaigns—different yet tied together under your employer brand.

All said and done, be honest, different, clear, and unique—you’ll find that great people will follow in your wake.

Signing off for now,

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Recruitment Pain Points (and Remedies)

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Buyer Advertising

Employees. Every company needs ‘em. Whether yours is a bustling enterprise of hundreds or a smaller operation of 10 people, the quality of your hires will eventually reflect the quality of your organization. High-powered individuals make for a red-hot organization. As you build out your recruitment strategy, keep in mind these pitfalls and the best way to avoid them.

1. Small applicant sizes. You spend all day writing up a beautifully-worded job description, and the following week you receive only 4 resumes. Boo. Creating an attractive workplace starts at home. If you haven’t already, sit down and define the value you provide to employees in the form of an Employer Value Statement, or EVP. Using that as a tool, get the word out through print and online that you’re looking for the next great employee at a great place to work.

2. Falling behind on the times. New technology based around the Internet allows virtual interviews, electronic portfolios, pre-qualifiers even before potential hires arrive at the office. Technology and digital interview tactics allow you create a “short list” of candidates that reduce overhead and narrow down on quality candidates.

3. Not keeping what you’ve got. Employee satisfaction extends beyond wages and bonuses. The culture you create at the workplace and affects both retention and productivity for the years your employees call your office home. Work in the concept of flexibility. Find creative ways to reward (and not punish) hard work and keep your base engaged. Good luck!

Until next time,

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Steve Jobs and the Timelessness of Innovation

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Buyer Advertising

Last night, the nation began mourning the loss of Steve Jobs. His personality and brand represented more than just the genesis of a successful company (Apple Computer)—his vision and pursuit of new user experiences, as well as infusing life and charm into an all-too-often dry technology sector, changed history.

But if one were to distill his legacy to tactical moves, there’s a lot to unpack. Black turtlenecks instead of suits. Revolution instead of status quo. Calm, personal speeches instead of hackneyed, over-exuberant displays that similar companies had employed in the past (cough, cough, Microsoft). Above all else, Steve employed a willingness to ignore everyone else while following a rhythm all his own.

Innovation comes in many forms. For Steve, they were in the promotion of the user experience, and a new amalgamation of great music and geek tech. For you, they can be an exploration into new arenas, a marketing message unique to your organization that’s never been heard from before. Above all else, never stop innovating and amazing results will follow.

‘Til next time,

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Recruitment Drive Initiatives: Part 1

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Buyer Advertising

Faced with the task of launching a brand new recruitment initiative for your company, you could find yourself at a standstill. Between the many new types of media available today (including social media avenues like Twitter and Facebook) the options are more numerous than ever. The best solution for filling an open position is to first attract top talent, and then keep them at your organization. But with limited budgets, how do you make this happen?

No matter your medium, make a strong case for your open positions. Just what about your company provides value to your employees? Is the work culture? Compensation? Location? All have are important selling points to top talent. Consider allowing more personal expression into the workplace. Although an admitted time sink, companies are experimenting with opening up sites like Facebook and Twitter—often for business, networking related purposes. Companies are also providing time for music and exercise, finding that the resources they’re expending catering to high-performing employees is more than worth the investment.

Above all, remember that a plethora of available talent doesn’t necessarily translate into increased productivity, and ultimately higher revenue for your business. Taking the time to plan a thoughtful, fun, creative, rewarding workplace is a great strategy for truly utilizing emerging graduates with a lot to offer your organization.

Signing off for now,

Buyer Advertising
www.buyerads.com

Talent Engine Insights

Category: Focus on Recruitment

Growing a Diverse Company: Dos and Don’ts for Attracting Talent

Does Video Based Recruitment Really Work?

Making the Right Hire

Recruitment Challenges in Healthcare

Steve Jobs and the Timelessness of Innovation

Recruitment Drive Initiatives: Part 1