Tag: recruitment strategy

How Much Flexibility is a Good Thing When Attracting Top Talent?

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_09Businesses are only as good as their employees. In order to be the best, companies must hire the best. Sometimes, acquiring top talent requires significant time, patience and a creative mindset.

The best employees on the market know their worth. They look for ideal positions and can usually demand that. Therefore, when a business is seeking one of these highly talented individuals, that business must offer more than what they currently have. The top choice for today’s companies is workplace flexibility.

What Is Workplace Flexibility?

A flexible work environment hands over the reins to employees. They may be able to set their own hours. Some may feel more productive in the early morning or late in the evening. Some employees may wish to work longer hours on a daily basis in order to have more time off each month or even every week. Still, others may opt to telecommute full or part-time. Offering this type of flexibility has been proven to attract and retain better employees.

Why Offer Flexible Hours?

Aside from being an intangible benefit to employees, a flexible work environment is smart money for employers. This is especially true when full-time telecommuting is an option. Workers who perform their duties at home save the business on the cost of supplies, energy and even insurance. Likewise, employers can hire all over the world. This broadens the pool of applicants, but it also can lower salary requirements. Whereas a top-notch marketing executive in New York City can easily command over six figures, that same employee in Mid-Missouri tops out at about $60,000.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Flexibility?

One issue that employers may run into is offering to be too flexible. Not every employee is cut out for telecommuting. Those that need to be managed closely, have difficulty meeting deadlines or are easily distracted may need the cocooning of a traditional 9 to 5 job. However, those employees also are unlikely to be among the talented few. It is far better for employers to risk offering workplace flexibility to attain and retain the best and the brightest than to risk losing them to a competitor.

The Pros and Cons of Offering Moving Expenses to Recruit Top Talent

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_21When you’re recruiting top talent into your agency, chances are good that competitors of yours are also interested in the same candidates. According to the 48th Annual Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey released in April 2015, there has been a significant uptick among U.S. companies relocating employees since 2013 [1]. Recruiting nationally means that you need to have a competitive edge to your offer of employment.

While most candidates are looking at the hard numbers of their potential annual salary, they’re also increasingly interested in softer parts of an employment offer, such as vacation time and paid relocation expenses. Consider these pros and cons to offering relocation benefits:

Reasons to Offer Paid Moving Expenses

If you’re located in New York City and the candidate you’re trying to recruit grew up and just graduated from a university in Seattle, that person may not want to leave the area without a strong impetus to do so. Offering relocation expenses is one way to inspire such a candidate to make the leap and cross the country to join your organization. A new graduate may not have the funds to move across the nation, rent an apartment and get set up for a new job. People who live in housing markets that continue to be poor might feel as if they cannot afford to move for a new job. In this type of a situation, paying the person’s moving expenses can ease the financial burden of just starting out in a career or making a transition to a new organization. Employees who have their relocation expenses paid feel a sense of loyalty to the employer and are more likely to stay on the job for a longer period of time. This can lower your organization’s future recruiting costs.

Pitfalls of Offering Relocation Expenses

Paying for relocation expenses may seem like an empty investment, especially if you’re in an industry with high turnover, such as technology. If you’re offering a generous salary and benefits package, paying for relocation expenses may not be necessary. When your organization is recruiting many new employees, the costs of relocation expenses may be burdensome to your corporate budget.

Whether you are just starting to write a relocation policy or are re-evaluating your current policy, keep in mind that every relocation policy should answer: who is eligible for relocation benefits, what relocation benefits are offered, and what the tax implications are [2]. It’s important to evaluate your current strategy to make sure communication is clear as it’s critical for a relocating employee to understand if they’re eligible for relocation benefits, what they qualify for, and how to use them.

[1] http://www.helioshr.com/2015/08/top-5-considerations-in-writing-the-best-relocation-policy-for-your-business/

[2] http://www.urbanbound.com/blog/3-components-every-relocation-policy-should-have

Does Your Website Work? How to Ensure You Get the Most from Mobile and Career Pages

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

image_16Does your company’s website work the way you think and hope that it does? If not, you may not be getting as much attention from prospective applicants who are qualified to work at your organization.

In today’s high-tech world, more than 77 percent of job seekers use the Internet as their primary source for finding leads and scouring open positions, explains an infographic from Beyond.com [1]. More than 84 million Americans use a smartphone to do their Internet searches, which means that your company’s recruiting and career pages need to be performing well in order to capture today’s top candidates.

Mobile Friendly

With most adults using smartphones to access the Internet, your website must be mobile friendly. Rather than having a separate mobile and traditional website, consider using a website with a responsive design. A responsively designed website is user friendly across devices and platforms. Responsively designed websites also rank well on all of the major search engines.

Social Media and Websites for Career Searches

According to a survey from Jobvite (featured on LinkHumans), more than 86 percent of job seekers use social media to find job openings [2]. This means that your organization needs to have both a great career page and an active social media account that is geared toward the type of candidates you are seeking. Your social media links should take guests to your career page or a landing page where users can enter search parameters to find current openings.

The Benefits of Responsively Designed Career Pages

If your organization is looking to hire tech-savvy individuals, a well-designed website is the first step to getting them knocking at your door. This is especially true if you are seeking new graduates who are well versed in the use of technology. Candidates who are highly comfortable with technology will use apps and text alerts to let them know when a job opening fitting their needs has been posted. Keeping your career pages optimized and up to date gets you fast results from candidates across the nation. Now is the time to make sure that your website is designed in a way that works well for all users.

[1] http://about.beyond.com/infographics/mobile-job-search-apps

[2] http://linkhumans.com/social-recruiting/jobseekers-social-media-study

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Checking Applicant Social Networking Profiles

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

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

Posted on by Buyer Advertising

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

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.

 

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