Tag: recruiting

The Top 5 Characteristics Potential Employees Want to See in Your Company

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As a hiring employer, it’s natural to become fixated on the qualities and skills that make for a great employee. However, building a successful team starts with what draws these potential employees to apply and consider your company in the first place. It’s important to recognize the best characteristics that make a company desirable in the eyes of potential applicants and, ultimately, a great company to work for.

1. Offer competitive pay and benefits that employees can live on

Committing to wages that reflect the cost of living of the local area and that are competitive to other employers tells potential employees that your company cares about their well-being. Although it may not seem cost-effective on the ledger, employees who are paid good wages tend to work harder and can be more productive. It also keeps the workplace morale high, negating the “our CEO makes” mentality, and cuts down on employee attrition, which alleviates training and staffing costs.

2. Enable career development and employee growth

A workplace that is centered around employee development tells potential applicants that even if they are not employed with your company for the long term, the experience they will gain while working there will be invaluable – which, in turn, could help them find larger opportunities later on during their career. Employers can encourage and offer employees an opportunity to better their own talents and skills through cross-training, ongoing training, classes and other seminars, paid for by the employer, and can then reap the benefits of a more developed staff. Additionally, identifying an internal career track for employees can motivate them to push the envelope and set higher goals within their work.

3. Recognize employees and provide open communication

Potential employees want to know that their work, thoughts and opinions matter to the company’s big picture. Allowing give-and-take communication between management and employees establishes trust and respect and can promote teamwork. When employees are given a voice that they know will be heard, they are more likely to suggest ideas for better efficiency and improvement of work processes.

4. Define success and be flexible with how to get it

It’s important to have clear goals for success because it keeps employees focused. But, it is also beneficial to be flexible with how those goals can be achieved. Doing so can alleviate stress in the workplace and can keep workers happy and motivated. Assuming goals are met, employees like to know that their bosses can be flexible when it comes to working autonomously, schedules, breaks, work location, etc.

5. Offer an appealing work environment

A positive and safe working environment allows employees to feel comfortable in their surroundings. Luxury perks like free food and snacks, casual dress codes and relaxing areas are always great selling points. But, providing a great working environment may be as simple as recognizing it as a place where employees can fulfill their needs to collaborate, hang out and have privacy.

How to Identify the Best Candidates for Open Positions

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These days, finding the right employee takes more than having the right credentials. Just because an employee is well-qualified does not necessarily mean that they will be a great fit for your business. Learning how to recognize top talent is a valuable skill that can save time and money. Here are some ways to identify the best candidates for an open position:

Figure Out What You Want

According to career giant Monster.com, creating a set of “success factors” before you begin the interview process is a very effective strategy – these factors include specific habits, traits, skills or motivations that the ideal candidate will possess[1]. Creating this list ensures that management and human resources are in agreement on what they are looking for. During each interview, be sure to carefully listen to the candidate’s responses to see if they meet these criteria.

Enlist Help

Filling a position is easy, but filling it with the right person will take some time and dedication. If you do not have the time to invest in the hiring process, or are not sure where to begin, consider enlisting the help of a recruiting firm. They can help you find or pre-screen candidates in order to find the best possible pick.

Prescreen Candidates

Many candidates will look good on paper; prescreening the applicants allows you to weed out the ones that may not be good for the job. This can save time for both the company and the applicant. Telephone or video chat interviews can be time-efficient and cost-effective ways to do this. Be prepared with a short list of questions that will help you identify whether the applicant meets the basic requirements you are looking for. If that interview goes well, an in-person interview can be scheduled to further discuss their qualifications.

Provide a Company Description

Along with a job description, consider providing applicants with a brief introduction to your company. While many candidates will still conduct their own research, this gives businesses a chance to communicate their culture, vision and values. In addition to basic company information, be sure to include details about the work environment, company mission and what role the company seeks to play in the community.

Finding the right candidate is about much more than simply filling a position. You want to find someone that will fit in well with the culture and goals of your company. Follow these tips, and you will be well on your way to selecting the perfect candidate.

[1] http://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/acquiring-job-candidates/best-job-candidate.aspx

How to Hire People Away from Your Competition

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When the pool of applicants for any given position doesn’t meet your standards, the next step is to attract high-quality candidates away from your competition. While many in the recruitment industry call this “poaching,” it is a natural move that can benefit the potential candidate as well as the company willing to pay the most for the employee.

Ask Recent Hires Who They Admire Most in Other Companies

To find out which potential candidates are bringing the greatest amount of success, talent and leadership to your competitors, Venture Beat suggests asking recent hires for advice on who in their business network might be a good match for the company[i]. If enough people repeat the same names time and time again, you have a great target for a potential hire that would cripple the competition and put your business at a major advantage.

Start Out Subtly

If possible, hire a search firm or head-hunting group to initiate the idea of job prospects without being pushy or intrusive. Prospects who are interested will naturally follow up, and then your recruitment team can take over through direct communication with the potential employee. Brenda Snyder, quoted in an article from Inc.com, suggests “Using your professional network to spread the word that you’re hiring and approaching the candidate you’re interested in on neutral ground.[ii]”

Find Out What Candidates Really Want

Blindly making an offer is rarely the right way to attract top talent to your company. Instead, be upfront about your desire to work with the candidate, and have them explain what they need to make the move to your organization. This article from the Harvard Business Review reminds hiring managers to think beyond simply financial remuneration, such as allowing board members to sit on commercial boards as well, or perhaps including stock options for employees in lieu of a higher salary.[iii]

Don’t Ignore Any Legal Concerns

In many competitive industries, and especially when it comes to talent that’s working in research or development, there are some legal concerns to consider before poaching employees from competitors. According to attorney Stacy Bekman Radzit, “it is prudent for employers to ask potential new hires whether they are under a contract that would prevent them from working for that employer. Employers can request such information in a job application or in an addendum to an employment agreement, if one is to be executed.[iv]”

These tips can be vital when it comes to hiring away top talent from your competitors. Keep in mind, however, that you should also focus on nurturing your top performers because competitors may be reading this very same article.

[i] http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/02/how-to-hire-and-retain-talent-in-a-competitive-market/

[ii] http://www.inc.com/guides/201101/how-to-poach-an-employee-from-a-competitor.html

[iii] http://hbr.org/special-collections/insight/scaling-social-impact/how-to-hire-top-talent-when-you-cant-pay-top-dollar

[iv] http://www.ober.com/publications/608-potential-risks-hiring-competitors-employee

Tips for Finding New Recruits Who Fit in With Your Current Team

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Hiring employees is about more than just finding suitable stand-alone candidates. For a successful work environment, the perfect new hires will also fit in well with your current team and office culture. Brian Kropp, Managing Director at Corporate Executive Board, found in his studies that almost half of an employee’s success in the first 18 months on the job can be attributed to how the employee fits in with others in the organization while the rest of his success depends on whether he can do the job[1]. These tips, illustrated below, can help make it easier to find candidates and potential hires that will mesh well with existing employees.

Clearly Define Your Team’s Work Style and Culture

One of the first steps in hiring someone who fits in well with an existing team is to clearly define the work environment already in place. Organizational culture is dictated by the values, behaviors, beliefs and norms that permeate the group[2]. Once your company’s culture is fully realized, it will be easier to hire someone judging on whether they fit within your organization or not.

Ask Current Employees What They Look For in a New Candidate

When determining whether a prospective candidate is a good fit for your organization, sometimes the employees themselves are often the best people to decide what traits that ideal recruits would have. Mary Lorenz at The Hiring Site wrote that, “Who better to recommend candidates who fit the culture of your company than the very people who live it every day? Because your employees already know what it takes to be successful at your company, it’s no wonder employee referral programs have been linked to lower turnover rates, lower costs associated with recruiting and increased morale.[3]”

Ask Candidates To Detail Their Best and Worst Work Environments

An integral part of the interview process for any new employee should be the question, “What is your worst work environment to date?” The answers can be enlightening, and they will explain more about whether a candidate is the right fit. Have candidates detail their ideal work environment, and see if it matches up with the attributes written down in the first step of this guide.

Finding recruits with the right qualifications can be a challenge in and of itself, but hiring managers should also seek out those candidates who will fit in well with the current team.

[1] http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/28/is-it-better-to-hire-for-cultural-fit-over-experience/

[2] http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-preparation/assess-company-culture-best-fit/article.aspx

[3] http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2012/06/12/cultural-fit-vs-skills-whats-more-important-when-recruiting-candidates/

Keep Ideas Fresh by Periodically Bringing in New Employees

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Employees are the lifeblood of a successful business. From front-line customer service representatives to behind-the-scenes administrative workers, your employees have a huge impact on the way your business operates. Although retaining your current staff should always be a top priority, hiring fresh new talent from outside of the company can breathe new life into your business.

Here are a few advantages of periodically hiring external employees:

Fresh Ideas

When an employee leaves, particularly one that has been with the company for a while, they are making way for the fresh ideas and insights of a new employee. While the contributions of long-term employees are extremely valuable to a company, retirement, attrition and voluntary resignations provide an opportunity to bring in new perspectives. Phyllis Korkki, contributor at the New York Times, reinforces this idea: “Outsiders can bring fresh skills and ideas, along with a healthy skepticism about long-held practices.[1]” Not only can an external candidate bring a fresh approach to your business, they can also help your company find top talent from their industry.

Reinventing the Wheel

Another benefit of bringing in creative new talent is that they can help stimulate new thinking. Once the employee has been trained and is fully integrated into their new position, encourage them to make suggestions on ways to improve processes. “An organization that is content to only understand the ways it sees things and only operate in accordance with its own best practices misses the growth opportunities that come from a more diverse management team with a broader set of organizational and career experiences.[2]” For example, if your company has historically relied on print marketing materials, a new hire may be able to suggest ways that social media or social networking sites can help expand your business and reduce costs. Internet companies like Google and Facebook have attributed many successful projects to the creativity and innovation of their employees.

New Energy

New employees are vibrant and excited about their new responsibilities. This positive energy can quickly spread to fellow employees. Not only can this reduce the number of behavior-related occurrences, but it can also increase productivity. Also, their unique skills and fresh perspective can help a slow-moving company become competitive again.

Periodically hiring new external talent is a great way to generate new ideas in a company. From redeveloping processes to re-thinking certain aspects of a business, new hires can be a very valuable asset.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/jobs/hiring-outsiders-has-pros-and-cons-for-employers.html?_r=0

[2] http://www.carterbaldwin.com/list/3/articles/16-top-10-reasons-to-consider-external-candidates

The Hiring Process: Which is More Important, Education or Experience?

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Whether hiring someone in the fields of healthcare, retail or finance, recruiters tend to focus on factors of education and experience. A minimum education level is often a requirement, and many companies simply won’t hire candidates without at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field. However, others focus more on experience in the field, which may be a more practical indicator of future success. Discover whether hiring managers should be focused on education or experience when interviewing potential new hires.

Book Smarts Won’t Translate to Career Success

Many applicants rely too heavily on their academic success when seeking out a new career. Having an advanced degree or a high grade point average at the undergraduate level can be a clear sign of knowledge, excellent study habits or intellect, but that doesn’t translate into career success every time. For example, someone with an MBA might have a firm grasp on managerial and leadership concepts, but they may be ineffective leaders once actually in the workplace. As a general rule, hiring managers should be wary of candidates who have yet to be proven in the workplace.

Even Unpaid Work Shows Dedication and Commitment

Unfortunately, hiring candidates with experience can pose a challenge when recruiting entry-level employees or fresh graduates from college. However, any work experience is better than an exclusive focus on education. Martin Birchall, of High Fliers Research, told the Huffington Post[1] that, “New graduates who’ve not had any work experience at all during their studies are increasingly unlikely to be offered a good graduate job after university.” Candidates who have volunteer or internship experience demonstrate commitment and an understanding of workplace culture, even if they have not been monetarily remunerated for their efforts.

Education and experience should go hand in hand during the recruitment process. Education, on its own, will not necessarily be an indicator of workplace success. Experience, while a better indicator, may not provide for long-term success and growth. Ideal candidates have a basic level of education and at least some workplace experience, even if not in the designated field.

[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brazen-life/why-gaining-work-experien_b_3750261.html

Generation Y: How to Find and Attract High-Quality Millennial Employees

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The Huffington Post[1] defines Generation Y, or those born between the late 1970s and the middle of the 1990s, as Millennials. Today, many of these young people are just entering the workforce, but their expectations are different from generations that have come before them. Millennials don’t mind working hard, but they want to pursue something that interests them, and they want to feel like they are making a difference. The following tips can help businesses find and attract high-quality Millennial employees.

Emphasize a Fun or Casual Workplace

One solid way to attract a potential Millennial employee is to emphasize the creativity or uniqueness of the office space. According to a recent study from CNN[2], Generation Y believes that having an engaging workspace is a top priority, but baby boomers put that towards the bottom of the list. Workplaces don’t have to be a messy hangout to be appealing, but creative touches or casual dress codes can go a long way in attracting high-quality hires.

Use Social Media To Advertise Jobs

Millennial employees are rarely going to read the classifieds in a newspaper to look for a job, but social media and other Internet-based resources are the best way for businesses to advertise employment positions. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn are effective and visible ways to attract Generation Y.

Detail Clear Deliverables…

A lot has been said about the desire of Generation Y to have fluid careers, but it is also important to have clear deliverables in place during the interview and when the job begins. Millennial employees will appreciate that they can clearly identify success in terms of objective goals, something that was not an issue for older employees.

…But Make Room For Personal Creativity

Although the guidelines stated above are helpful for retaining younger employees, it is also important to emphasize the potential for self-fulfillment and personal creativity during the interview phase. Hcareers[3] recommends asking candidates about how they feel they could best succeed in the company, which helps them feel personally fulfilled and helps the company utilize their strongest assets.

On the surface, attracting high-quality employees from Generation Y involves the same major factors as salary and potential for growth. However, there is also a heavy emphasis on personal fulfillment, creativity and positive reinforcement.

[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html

[2] http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/20/business/generation-y-global-office-culture/index.html

[3] http://www.hcareers.com/us/resourcecenter/tabid/306/articleid/450/default.aspx

Tech Savvy: How To Tell if a Potential Hire is Ready For Work in the Digital Age

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The Necessary Tools

It’s hard to believe that less than a generation ago, many executives accepted the belief that touching a keyboard was beneath their position – that such business tools were meant for clerical and administrative staff only. Today, dexterity with the keyboard is only the beginning of the skills that are necessary to be a productive employee in many jobs and careers.

The importance of technical expertise and computer literacy in a candidate depends, of course, on the specific position being considered. For IT staff, the individual will have to show work experience, proper training, and certifications. However, for line operations, here are few tips to access some of the basic skills you may be seeking in an applicant:

  • Have them prepare a sample piece of work. For example, if the position is in market research, ask the potential candidate to create a simple spreadsheet similar to the work being done. Likewise, if it is a creative position, have the candidate produce a minor design project on a computer. Matching the sample work you request to the skills and technologies needed for the job may help decide which potential candidate is right for your company.
  • As an alternative, ask what specific projects have been completed in those areas of work. Let the candidate describe the software/hardware used and how they approached the task. If they can provide samples or online examples, it shows that a candidate is prepared, and technologically capable.
  • Explain the specific technical skills, software applications and technologies that are an integral part of the position being sought. Ask about the individual’s experience with those or similar products. Listen to whether they approach the issue with confidence or reservations.
  • Get the interviewee to talk about their non-work involvement with technology. Do they only reluctantly use digital tools and resources or is it second nature to their lifestyle?
  • Don’t confuse active participation in social media with technical expertise. Is it important for the job being discussed that the individual know what a “like” or “share” means to SEO issues?

It is an accepted fact that technology today is changing faster than most people and companies can track. Always interview candidates with the perspective that, in most cases, a person’s facility with technology and their ability to quickly adapt to new versions and tools is as important as competence with any given program or current hardware.

The Checklist: An Aid or a Crutch?

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The use of a standard checklist during an interview is a handy tool often used by managers that are tasked with evaluating potential new hires. However, here are just five of the ways that a checklist can defeat the very purpose of the interviewing process:

1. You may discourage real talent. One of the biggest mistakes a manager can make is the arrogance of thinking you’re the only one making a decision during the process. The best and most talented recruits always have other options. It’s easy to come across as dry and disinterested when using a checklist, without really listening or personalizing your questions to the candidate’s resume. To an astute candidate, this may indicate a less than desirable management environment compared to other opportunities.

2. Offensive questions may be asked. If you are using a checklist, it must be regularly updated to ensure compliance. There are frequent changes in the area of hiring and discriminatory inquiries, and any questions you ask must reflect these changes. For example, the documents used to verify eligibility to work in the U.S. for the Form I-9 were recently updated. Consequently, asking if a candidate has a certain form of identification may now be considered discriminatory and have compliance implications.

3. You may miss a unique skill or capability of the applicant. When seeking diversity and uniqueness, limiting your questions to those on a checklist may cause you to miss something fresh and valuable that a candidate offers. If the interviewee doesn’t volunteer some special aspect of their experience or qualifications, you may miss it by relying on your standard questions and checkpoints rather than personalizing your interview.

4. You can make it too easy. When interviewing candidates, your goal is to get to know the real individual. If the same questions are asked in a standard format of all recruits, sharp candidates could discover questions ahead of time, and help them to prepare an answer they think you want – instead of providing the real insights you are seeking.

5. You can miss important details. Simply relying on a checklist instead of your own judgment and instincts during an interview makes it easy to focus on standard questions and not follow-up on the details of an answer. Relating back to issue three, this creates the possibility of missing a valuable skill or experience that a candidate might possess due to the rigidity of a checklist.

Checklists can be helpful, but your judgment is the real critical factor in any effective interview.

5 Benefits of Hiring Part-Time Employees

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When it comes to choosing the right workforce, key concerns are hard costs, consumer demand and organizational structure. Part-time employees may be exactly what you need to help meet these demands. Although many companies gravitate towards full-time employees, hiring part-time employees can be quite advantageous.

With this in mind, here are five benefits of hiring part-time employees:

1. Cut Labor Costs

Hiring a part-time employee is very economical. Generally, these employees work for an hourly wage and can be scheduled based on the needs of the business. If your company needs more hands on deck during the holidays or a slimmer workforce during the summer, part-time employees may be exactly what you are looking for. Also, most part-time employees often do not receive benefits. This can result in significant cost savings.

2. Boost Employee Morale

Part-time employees allow you to boost morale by giving full-time employees a break. When employees are asked to work long hours with very little time off, morale can take a beating. By using part-time employees to fill gaps in the schedule, you can reduce the number of hours that full-time employees have to work. This will also save costs by reducing the amount of overtime wages.

3. Flexibility

Unlike full-time employees, part-time workers do not have to be scheduled for a set amount of hours. Many businesses find it useful to use part-time employees to fill shifts that are not covered by regular full-time employees. This may include night or weekend shifts. The ability to schedule these employees on an as-needed basis allows managers to maintain productivity levels without paying unnecessary wages.

4. Less Burnout

The burnout rate among part-time employees is very low. Since they work fewer hours, part-time employees are often refreshed and enthusiastic about the work they do.

5. Higher Quality Work

Another perk of hiring part-time employees is that they can be trained to specialize in a specific task. This allows them to produce higher quality work than employees that frequently have to rotate positions. This can be especially useful in administrative or manufacturing roles.

Part-time employees can be an asset to any company. This flexible type of employee allows businesses to maintain productivity while tightly managing labor costs. Part-time employees may be exactly what your business needs to maintain a unique, diversified workforce.