Tag: hr

Freelance vs. Full Time: A Recruitment Comparison

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Responding to the Trends

There are a number of trends in the employment and staffing worlds that impact both employers and prospective employees. Many companies are now outsourcing an increasing amount of work to freelancers and part-time workers. Likewise, many professionals now choose freelancing as a preferred lifestyle choice, not simply as a desperate alternative to a full-time position.

These trends impact the recruiting industry in several ways. The process of selecting a freelancer for a task or project is qualitatively different from seeking out a full-time employee. Many of the criteria for hiring someone to serve as an internal staff member aren’t applicable when using a freelancer. In fact, most of the popular websites for providing freelance talent don’t provide any real background information or credentials of the freelancers themselves. The most an employer can hope for is how well a freelancer has performed for clients on the website through something such as a star system.

As companies consider the advantages of these resources, such as no benefits and fewer continuing obligations, they find more positions that they are willing to trust to this form of part-time work. If a freelancer disappoints, it is vastly different and less expensive than making a bad hire.

Two very Different Tasks

Selecting a freelancer for a company is much more of a contracting process than a hiring assignment. Most of the EEO and related hiring issues, in addition to many of today’s sensitivities and HR guidelines are irrelevant to engaging or terminating a freelancer relationship. The recruiter simply has more freedom, from asking for specific referrals to not having to ensure a non-discriminatory review and selection process.

Of course, the other side of this coin is that a recruiter brings far less in the way of value-added services to the equation when selecting a freelancer rather than a full time employee. Recruiters are paid to have networks, find diamonds in the applicant pool, and to navigate all the intricacies of the hiring process. Absent that additional effort, the compensation that is involved will be significantly lower.

Cost-Effective Strategies for Motivating Employees

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Many of the most popular tips for recruiting and retaining high-quality employees revolve around expensive incentives. While big-ticket items or several paid vacation days certainly can be effective, their expense may outweigh the benefits. Keep in mind that the average cost of employee turnover is $2,000, which means that motivating and retraining an existing employee should never exceed that amount. Here are some of the most cost-effective strategies for motivating employees.

Friendly Employee Competition

Rather than offering every employee a cash or high-value incentive for meeting a specific goal, consider hosting a friendly competition among employees within a certain department or office. Making the reward something like a paid vacation day could potentially be expensive, but making the “losers” of the competition take over the duties will help spare the business from any real expenses. The key to executing this strategy successfully is to make winning the contest achievable. That means awarding a prize to one in 10 employees rather than one in 100.

Instill a Sense of Job Security by Teaching New Skills

The most motivated employees are those who believe that they have a future with their company. Instilling job security is not as simple as just saying the words, but it can still be cost-effective. The best technique is to have managers or owners go out of their way to teach employees new skills. Actively investing time in the betterment of an employee signifies appreciation and value, which in turn can motivate employees to work hard for their business.

Make an Effort to Personally Speak With Employees

Human interaction is one of the simplest ways to motivate employees. This approach may not be new, and it may not be time-effective, but it can certainly be cost-effective. Small notes of appreciation, short conversations about a specific project recently completed or a company-wide, email praising effort can go a long way in keeping employees motivated and eager to succeed.

Motivating employees doesn’t have to be an expensive ordeal involving cash rewards or large incentives. Friendly competition, personal recognition and feelings of job security all motivate just as well as costly alternatives.

The Importance of Creative Job Titles and Killer Copy

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job numbers edged up in July. Nonfarm payroll employers (goods, construction and manufacturing companies) added 162,000 jobs, which sent the unemployment rate down to 7.4 percent. Increased employment means a tighter job market, so many employers will have to work harder to find applicants. For human resources professionals looking to attract the best qualified and sharpest candidates to hire, this tighter job market calls for marketing creativity.

Bells and whistles – such as videos on your company website, or exhibits at job fairs – are acceptable ways to attract candidates, but there is a more effective way to target the hottest properties in the candidate pool. Here, the importance of creative job titles and killer copy in your marketing materials cannot be overstated.

Creative Job Titles

To catch the interest of the best candidates, creative job titles are essential. Forbes magazine recently published an article exploring this topic, and discovered that attention-getting marketing job titles expected to become more common over the next 10 years. These included Transcultural Anthropologist, Truth Engineer and Mobile Marketing Jedi. These examples might sound silly, but once the eye of a possible applicant is caught, however, the creative job title has set up killer copy.

Killer Copy

The most important concept to remember about the relationship between an employment ad’s title and its copy is that they must be integrated. If you catch the eye with Sales Terminator, but follow with a generic paragraph unrelated to the creative title, you’re likely to lose the prospect’s interest. Adding creative copy to supplement the title shows cohesiveness, and a dedication to detail that will impress the cream of the applicant crop.
For example, it’s much better to follow up on the title Sales Terminator with copy that starts like this:

“Our team of rebels is working to secure the future of a great [furniture, tile, medical equipment, etc.] company. We’re looking for a sales machine who can target opportunities with laser focus and convert prospects into customers …”
Of course, your copy will vary, but the key is to integrate your clever job title with relevant copy. This will help keep an applicant’s interest high all the way through the interview process.

Every Interview Counts: Making a Good Impression Through Recruitment

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Although most people think of an interview as a chance for potential candidates to impress hiring managers, the reality is that many interviews are actually a chance for high-quality candidates to find out whether or not a particular job appeals to them. Recruiters, hiring managers and employers need to work just as hard in order to make a great impression and recruit the best possible talent. Here are some key ways to make any interview work to your advantage.

Be as Specific About Job Duties as Possible

One of the reasons that top candidates decide against a specific position is because they don’t know what to expect. Jumping into a vague career is far more risky than one where the tasks are clearly outlined. If possible, have specifics written down or memorized, so that interviewees can better understand what their job might be like if they were to accept a position at your company.

Have Flexibility When it Comes to Benefits and Schedules

Surprisingly, many employees actually rank flexibility as more important than salary when it comes to accepting employment. Make sure that you are able to offer some kind of flexibility, and be open about it during the interviews. Parents of young children, for example, might appreciate coming in early and leaving early on certain weekdays. Other employees alternatively might prefer the option of working from home on two days each week.

Do Your Homework on the Candidate

Hiring managers would be disappointed in an interviewee who didn’t know anything about their company, but all too many know little about their candidate. Do your research prior to an interview and be able to mention specifics about the person’s job history. This will show that you are genuinely interested in them and appreciate their accomplishments.

Follow Up Immediately

After the interview ends, make sure that you make some kind of follow-up contact within 24 hours. It could be a quick call thanking them for coming in, or it could be a friendly email saying the same.

Recruiting top talent is one of the challenges of a successful business. These tips can ensure that candidates who interview with you leave feeling impressed and interested.

Top 5 Qualities of a Star Applicant’s Resume

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Hiring candidates is a long and often challenging process, but going through hundreds or even thousands of resumes at a time means that candidates can tend to blend together. In order to pinpoint the top applicants that signify a potential star and asset to a business, here are the top five things to look for on a resume.

1. Glowing References

An applicant can say just about anything they want to on a resume, but it can only be backed up by references from past employers. Having glowing references means that an individual can maintain business relationships, as well as excel in their employment position.

2. Customized Cover Letter

It is typically easy to tell when an applicant submits the same resume for 100 different jobs because there is no reference to the company or the position desired. However, star applicants will have carefully thought about this position, and they will have tailored their cover letter to include information about the business. This demonstrates passion and enthusiasm about a career at the company, but it also shows that the person pays attention to detail.

3. Lack of Career Gaps and Upward Movement

Having gaps in an applicant’s resume are not immediate red flags, but they need to be explained. The best applicants will have a steady stream of employment, few gaps and upward rather than lateral career shifts.

4. Identifiable Strengths

Someone who lists dozens of positive attributes may or may not actually have any of them, but a top candidate knows their strengths and clearly outlines them. Look for repeated concepts like teamwork, leadership, dedication or creative thinking.

5. Perfect Grammar and Spelling

Many employers don’t think that a few spelling mistakes on a resume are vital, especially when the position in question won’t require extensive written communication. However, it is about more than just communication skills. Top candidates will present well and pay attention to small details like those on a resume.

A resume is often the first time a candidate will have the chance to impress a hiring manager. These key attributes are the five things to look for when seeking out the top candidate for any position.

The Use of Social Media and Infographics by HR Recruiters

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Infographics (information graphics), by definition, are graphic visual representations of information, or data intended to present complex information quickly and clearly to an audience. The use of infographic productions by human resources professionals to interact with job applicants is a growing trend. Relying on social media sensations like LinkedIn, YouTube, FaceBook and Twitter to identify top-notch recruits is proving to be a cost effective means of showcasing an organization.

Modern infographics combine multiple technologies and media formats to communicate a diverse array of information in a clear and concise manner. From simple drawings to sophisticated three dimensional images, interactive infographic presentations allow job applicants to easily explore the diverse aspects of a potential employer. Infographic designers blend art, music, video, motion and animation to tell the story of a complex company. Job applicants can take control by clicking links to unveil graphics, maps, charts, tours and informative discussions.

Social Media Recruiting

Human resources professionals are turning to social media to find highly qualified job candidates. The use of social media sites has increased dramatically in recent years. Recruiting software developer, Hire Rabbit, reports that 92 percent of U.S. companies used social media to recruit job candidates in 2012. At least 70 percent of these companies hired one or more employees with the assistance of social media.

Nearly 40 percent of all job applicants are active Twitter users. As many as 225 million social media users from over 200 nations now access LinkedIn’s network of career professionals. FaceBook has become an advertising and recruiting superstar. Recruiting videos allow companies to build their brand and attract job seekers from around the world. Traditional recruiting techniques involve a painstaking geographic search for talented job applicants. Social media presentations serve as a digital recruiting magnet, saving time and money.

Infographic presentations are visually appealing and entertaining. Recruiting videos possess the power to efficiently communicate an organization’s purpose and culture. Job listings that are accompanied by a video presentation receive significantly more visits than standard job listings. Infographic profiles become even more effective when they are properly tagged to attract focused digital traffic.

Showing a job candidate what it’s like to work for a top tier company is an extremely powerful recruiting strategy. Not only is it vital that HR departments employ social media to recruit talented employees, the use of social media is the new frontier of an increasingly competitive global economy. Social media has become an indispensable recruiting tool for successful HR professionals.

Keeping Quality Employees During Organizational Changes

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Organizational changes are a necessary part of any company. The needs and objectives of all businesses evolve over time, and with those changes come shifts in the number of employees needed, the types of employees needed and even the locations of said employees. When organizational changes take place, however, it can be difficult to retain the high-quality employees that are a part of your company. Many people assume that important titles and higher salaries are the biggest draw, but that is a common misconception. Money plays a factor, of course, but employees also appreciate an enjoyable work environment, flexibility in their daily schedules and a firm understanding of where they stand in the company.

Outline Their Position Clearly
The number one complaint that employees specify during and after major organizational changes is that they don’t understand where they fit in the new structure. When employees don’t see their value or their position in the structure, it can feel overwhelming. This is often when quality members of a company look elsewhere for more clearly defined roles. In order to keep employees, it is important to clearly outline their new position, as well as how it relates to others within the company.

Specify Clear Objectives and Long-Term Goals
Employees, just like all humans, want something to work towards. As soon as organizational changes are implemented, they should have specific objectives. These might be quotas for sales over the next 90 days, but they should also be long-term over the next two or even five years. This helps them feel like a more permanent part of the business.

Create Opportunities For Flexibility
One of the key ways to appease employees after an organizational change is to give them greater opportunities for schedule flexibility. It has been shown time and time again that employees who are able to work from home one or two days a week complete just as much work, but feel happier about the privilege. Flexible hours are another alternative that might work for your employees.

Keeping high-quality employees can be a struggle at all times, but it is especially challenging after organizational changes. These tips can ensure that you keep your most valued staff.

Top 5 Warning Signs on an Applicant’s Resume

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Every hiring manager has a different checklist of what they are looking for in a potential employee. You might be searching for someone with years of experience in a big firm, or you might be looking for an applicant that has mastered social media for a marketing position. The first way to find information about applicants is through their resumes, but it is also the first place to dismiss applicants entirely. Here are the top five warning signs on an applicant’s resume that you shouldn’t ignore.

1. Generic Resume
If the resume you are reading looks like it could have been sent to any employment agency, it probably has been. Skip over the generic resumes, because this means that applicants are probably not specifically interested in the position they are applying for. Choose instead individuals who have customized their resume to reflect the career that they are truly passionate about.

2. Spelling Mistakes or Typos
Many individuals argue that if the job doesn’t require writing, then spelling shouldn’t matter on a resume. However, not properly proofreading something as important as a resume shows that the applicant does not pay attention to detail.

3. Unprofessional Resume
An unprofessional resume could range from one with a big picture of the applicant, to one that has a juvenile email address. It is also common for applicants to try to stand out with large fonts or cheesy introductions. Don’t dismiss creativity, but seek out tasteful and interesting resumes rather than ones that stand out for all the wrong reasons.

4. Long Resumes
One of the most common problems for applicants is creating unnecessarily long resumes. Although two pages is still considered to be acceptable in most cases, skip over those that take up three or more pages. This length means that applicants can’t prioritize what is most important.

5. Unexplained Career Gaps
In most cases, short career gaps less than three months are planned or due to the economy. However, be wary of applicants who don’t explain long gaps between jobs. Those who do have gaps should explain their reasons – whether that might be pregnancy, military service or online certifications.

It’s not always easy to whittle down a list of candidates and find the right employee. By eliminating those resumes containing these five warning signs, the process will be much simpler.

4 HR Trends to Watch in 2011

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As we wade into 2011, HR is bracing for the inevitable undercurrent of change. If there’s one thing in the Human Resource industry that’s constant, it’s constant evolution. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the top trends to watch in the months ahead, and how they can change how you hire and how you manage your employees.

1. “Humanizing” companies with perks such as daycare, flex time, work-at-home opportunities, and a looser attendance policy.

2. Cutting the fat—as budgets continue to tighten, HR personnel are called upon to be the gatekeepers of effective programs, and to help eliminate what doesn’t work.

3. Succession planning: more than cross-training, there’s a growing demand for battle-preparedness in the likelihood of staff turnover.

4. Greenifying: HR staff are being called to take an active role in reducing the company carbon footprint—that means finding new ways to eliminate paper in favor of electronic storage, initiating recycling drives, and sponsoring employee riding-sharing programs.

Signing off for now,

Buyer Advertising
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Incenting the Masses

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It’s a topic that receives less attention as the recession lingers: recruitment incentives. Despite having a swelling of potential recruits per opening, as hiring managers, you know that quantity doesn’t always translate into quality. 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?

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.

‘Till next time,
Buyer Advertising
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