Category: Focus on Recruitment

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Checking Applicant Social Networking Profiles

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image_01Hiring a new employee takes a considerable investment of your organization’s time, energy and resources. CareerBuilder’s annual social media recruitment study found that the number of employers taking to the web to research applicants has steadily risen over the past few years — from 43 percent in 2014 to 52 percent in 2015 [1].

As you investigate each applicant’s transcripts and professional references, you might have also considered checking their social networking profiles. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are used by billions of people around the world for personal and professional reasons. Before you decide to take a look, consider the advantages and disadvantages of checking the profiles of your applicants.

Personality Type

Looking at an applicant’s profile on social media can give you an idea of the person’s personality type. If the person applied for a job where the workweek is long and he or she will be on call for nights and weekends, you may find it useful to know whether the person spends their weekends partying or participating in community events.

Professionalism

You may also want to check out a person’s profile and see what he or she has to say about current and former employers. Many jobs require a sense of confidentiality or at least a sense of respect. If the person makes accusations or generally speaks badly of their coworkers, employees or supervisors at their current job, the person could also do the same when working for your organization.

Privacy Rights

Every person has a right to privacy. When you go looking for a person’s profile that mostly deals with private or personal concerns, you could be facing a situation of legal repercussions. An applicant could reasonably argue that what they do on their own time as their leisure and personal pursuits are not within the realm of an employer’s interests.

Potential for Discrimination

Looking at an applicant’s profile and deciding not to continue pursue that person as a candidate could result in your organization facing discrimination claims. Social media profiles show plenty of personal information about a person, including their sexual orientation, gender identity, age, handicap, religion, race and ethnicity. Employers cannot use any legally protected information such as these items when making hiring decisions about a job applicant.

[1] http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2015/05/14/employers-checking-candidates-social-media/

Benefits Packages That Attract Members of the Millennial Generation

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image_10In order to attract top-tier candidates for key employment positions, a comprehensive benefits package is integral. However, Millennial candidates may require benefits that are far different from their Baby Boomer counterparts. By understanding what benefits appeal most to the Millennial generation, businesses can put together attractive packages designed to bring in the best talent.

Flexible Hours

In decades past, employees wanted a better work-life balance. Today, it is more about work and life integration, something made possible through flexible hours. Kate Taylor of Forbes writes, “45 percent of Millennials will choose workplace flexibility over pay [1].” Many Millennials would rather take control over their work schedules than be required to clock in and out at the same time each day.

Cash Bonuses

An extensive report by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers reveals that on a global scale, one of the most important benefits to Millennials in the workplace is a cash bonus [2]. Increasingly, Millennials have very little in terms of emergency savings, so a cash bonus can be an important benefit. MarketWatch highlights that up to 34 percent of millennials don’t have any money in their savings accounts at all, indicating a preference or necessity to live monthly or weekly from their checking accounts [3]. Therefore, a cash bonus can provide much-needed financial stability to Millennials.

Ongoing Training and Development

According to Business.com, one of the most attractive benefits for Millennials is ongoing training and development [4]. Many Millennials are not content to simply secure a position; they also want to excel, learn more and be mentored by their superiors. By offering training programs in new areas of the industry or in developing technologies, your business might become more attractive to Millennial candidates.

Flexibility, personal advancement and cold-hard cash come in as three of the top benefits desired by Millennials. This may come as a surprise to HR managers and recruiters who are used to emphasizing health plans and pensions to an older generation of potential hires.

 

[1] http://www.forbes.com/sites/katetaylor/2013/08/23/why-millennials-are-ending-the-9-to-5/#6c7365733d75

[2] http://www.kpcb.com/internet-trends

[3] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-americans-have-less-than-1000-in-savings-2015-10-06

[4] http://www.business.com/company-culture/how-are-companies-changing-their-culture-to-attract-and-retain-millennials/

Reasons to Hire Candidates With a Degree Unrelated to Your Industry

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image_013When you are sorting through the applications for a position in your organization, do not automatically exclude the people who have a degree that is unrelated to your industry. Educational and business researchers are increasingly finding that any type of college degree leads to better chances at success in the workplace because college-educated workers are more creative in their methods of thinking. There are many reasons to hire someone with a degree that is seemingly unrelated to the type of job openings you have.

Multiple Perspectives

College graduates with a liberal arts degree must take a variety of courses in order to complete the degree. These students may take everything from history and Asian studies to calculus, chemistry and communications. Hiring these graduates allows your organization to bring someone on board who has the ability to think about issues from multiple perspectives.

Range of Experience

Only 27 percent of college graduates work in an industry related to their degree, explains Outside the Beltway [1]. Today’s engineering majors must complete courses in written and oral communications while English majors are also taking classes in technical writing and computer programs. In dynamic workplaces, a range of experience is often needed in order to solve complex problems that have multiple facets of concern.

No Limits to Problem-solving Approaches

People with an arts degree can bring a creative approach to problem solving. While showing a respect for the scientific process, such people can also bring new ways of thinking about technical and data-oriented problems. Many arts majors learn about long-term planning and goal setting, which can help your organization see the forest through the trees.

Enthusiasm and Energy

Hiring someone with an unrelated degree can add energy to your workplace, explains Louis Catron [2]. These types of employees can be especially helpful during challenging times or times of crisis. A theater major can put on a brave face and deliver disappointing sales earnings to your board of directors while also showing the necessary enthusiasm and energy as part of motivating others to finish a difficult task. The confidence and can-do attitude of people with a range of degrees helps to boost your organization’s morale.

[1] http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/most-college-graduates-have-jobs-unrelated-to-their-major/

[2] http://lecatr.people.wm.edu/majorslearn.html

How to Use Periscope to Connect With Potential Job Candidates

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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.

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

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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.

 

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

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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

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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

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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

Does Your Business Deliver Video Content to Attract Professionals?

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image_16In order to recruit and retain the right professionals for your organization, you have to be up to date and familiar with technology. Some of today’s most successful marketing trends involve the use of video content such as interviews with your current staff and a glimpse at the facilities and inner workings of your business. Studies have shown that people prefer to watch a video for information than read that same information in written form [1]. When you are searching for the next candidate to fill a position at your organization, consider these video content marketing strategies:

Video Content for Attracting Professionals

One of the most useful types of video content to attract young professionals is gamified content. This includes virtual tours of your work environment and a competitive game in which candidates get to spend a day in the life of a manager or another type of staffer at your organization. To recruit the cream of the Generation X crop, gamification may still be successful, but include other video content that highlights the culture of your organization. Show employees having walking meetings, gathering in the break rooms or working in their flexible spaces.

Where to Showcase Your Video Content

In addition to what you include in your marketing and recruitment videos, the places where you post and link to them are also important. At the very least, your recruitment videos should be posted on your social media accounts and on your website as social recruitment is slated to be the biggest hiring trend for 2016. YouTube, for example, is currently the third most popular website in the world with over 800 million unique users visiting each month which makes it the perfect place to find a new audience [2].

If you work with any college or university alumni associations, ask that your video content be posted there as well. Professional associations are another place to link your video content for attracting tech-savvy professionals to your business. Recruitment websites are key locations to include your video content as well.

Retaining Your Great Hires

Once you have attracted and hired the professionals that your organization needs, your next task is to retain them. Recognize your successful staff by giving them verbal praise for a job well done. Consider showcasing their achievements in your next recruitment video. Marketing your successes shows potential hires that you maintain a rich and rewarding work environment.

[1] http://174.129.240.118/resources/employment-branding/10-reasons-you-shouldnt-recruit-without-video/

[2] http://recruiterbox.com/blog/5-great-recruitment-videos-on-youtube-and-why-they-work/

Can Facebook Help You Find Quality Talented Professionals?

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image_01When your business needs to find talented professionals to join your team, knowing where to look can be a challenge. In today’s social media-driven world, people are flocking to websites such as Facebook not only to share photos and status updates but also to find jobs. Putting your company on Facebook helps to get the word out fast to an audience of interested and skilled professionals.

A recent survey by Facebook found that 70% of respondents agreed that Facebook is an effective recruiting tool because it allows recruiters to cast a wide net and connect with more potential job seekers than other services because of the widespread use of Facebook [1]. With over 1 billion users, Facebook can be a valuable source for recruiting qualified professionals.

Paid Ads

One way to find talented professionals to recruit is through Facebook ads. You can choose how and when your ad appears, so if you are not offering relocation expenses, then you may wish to only have your ad show up when your physical location is within 60 miles of a user’s IP address. You can also try pay-per-click ads, for which you are only charged when someone clicks your advertisement. Facebook ads allow you to specifically target the type of candidates that you desire. For example, if you need someone familiar with Share Point, you would include that in your keywords. You may choose to run the ad constantly or only during specific hours of the day.

Facebook Pages

Facebook pages are a free resource that you can utilize to your benefit. Essentially a profile for your business, this page is public and allows you to update it with your job postings. You can also include pertinent links with information that the best candidates will want to know, such as the health care benefits, amount of paid time off and other perks of working at your company.

Facebook Marketplace

The Facebook Marketplace allows you to place free, basic ads for the job openings available at your business. In a marketplace ad, you are able to include the job description, location, reason why you need to fill the job and other basic information. You are also able to upload an image of the job’s location or any other image that you think would be useful in recruiting skilled employees.

Facebook’s enormous membership, combined with its precise targeting mechanisms, allow recruiters to pinpoint their ideal candidates and leverage them to build an online talent community. Facebook Ads average around $0.25 per 1,000, which is only 1% of the cost of TV advertising [2] – the result is a low-cost, but highly effective recruitment campaign.

 

[1] https://www.facebook.com/notes/social-jobs-partnership/recruiting-survey-social-media-helps-connect-job-seekers-with-employers/404484379619706/

[2] https://moz.com/blog/1-dollar-per-day-on-facebook-ads