Candidate Engagement Should Begin Before Recruiting

Candidate Engagement Should Begin Before Recruiting Most companies I work with understand the importance of employee engagement and the impact that it brings to their business. But despite that, 70% of employees surveyed in a Gallup report described themselves as neutral of “actively disengaged”. This means they are willing to jump ship anytime, or worse, willing to do damage to their company.  And we all know the pain that comes with poor employee engagement, which includes things like lower productivity, profits, quality of work and growth. It is safe to assume that companies with more disengaged employees will tend to have lower operating profit.  Not to mention the higher attrition rate which takes time away from other strategic HR work. Bringing engagement to pre-employment phase Most companies prioritise engagement on the employees in their company.  They shower perks, offer Instagram-friendly onboarding gift packages and an amazing pantry.  Companies like Salesforce provide an amazing gift hamper to their new employees on the first day of the job.  With full transparency in the social media era, how do you match up with what other companies are doing? A Ferrari for every new employee is going to hit the bottom line really hard. Instead of trying to out beat your competitions in giving freebies, perhaps a different approach might help to stand out better.  A great alternative (or complement) is to engage candidates before they were recruited.  One simple way is to use the concept of real-time online chat. Why real-time online chats work There a few reasons why this is a good consideration: Many candidates have hundreds of questions about the role and the company. This is especially true for new graduates who are often hurriedly ushered into any available openings to fulfill the placement KPIs of the university career services department. But if it isn’t what the candidates want, replacements are almost guaranteed. It is much more inexpensive than doing it in the traditional way, where you need to provide a room, food beverages and getting everyone to travel to your premises. Because it is done in a group chat setting, there might be questions asked by others which might be relevant but didn’t occur to the individual. More could be addressed and this would shorten the recruitment cycle. Today’s technology makes it really easy to implement something like this which would have cost an arm and a leg a few years ago. Vodafone UK, for instance, is using a tool called Meet and Engage exactly for this purpose to keep candidates engaged before assessment and other key areas of the recruitment process. They are also able to host specific chats around different groups, e.g. female STEM graduates at key universities. The result? They experienced, on average, an attendance rate of 25 attendees per  chat with an overall positive sentiment score of 164. The immediate success was measured by the candidate’s comments proving that there is certainly an appetite for live chat sessions where  conversations are transparent and relevant. For organisation like Virgin Media, the sheer volume of graduate applicants make it extremely difficult to maintain positive candidate experience for every unique individual. Which is why they also turn to live web chats with recruiters to manage their volume recruitment better. Conclusion With engagement ranked as one of the top 4 trends which Deloitte identified in their Global Human Capital Trends survey, it is something companies need to step up and start interfacing with candidates.  And a great and unique way to start is once interest is identified and not wait for until the CV arrives. It not only helps to spread the brand name of the company, it might prevent disgruntled keyboard warriors from entering things you rather not want them to on to Glassdoor.

Can You Write a Resume With No Experience and No Volunteer Experience?

Can You Write a Resume With No Experience and No Volunteer Experience?Is it possible to write a resume with no experience and no volunteer experience? How do you get to the point where you are just a candidate and not the first one called?First of all, you will need to be a good writer. That means that you have to know how to properly express yourself in a professional manner. Some people might try to use this as an excuse because they are only good at writing online but in reality they are not capable of being a full time writer.Therefore, if you are really interested in using this method, then you should get out and find such type of job for yourself. There are certain employers who are willing to hire people just because they are good writers. Why wouldn't you want to be one of them?As long as you follow the instructions and the requirements for the resume, you will most likely not be disqualified. One thing that I would like to mention is that you should not try to reinvent the w heel. You must just focus on the basics, like the basics of a resume. Make sure that your format is on point, your information is up to date and all is in order.If you are able to deliver what is asked from you in the right moment, you will not need to do much more than adding the basic information about your background and your skills. You will not need to convince anyone otherwise. After all, that's the reason why you are applying for the job in the first place.Next, think about the format of the resume. This can be quite challenging if you do not have much experience with writing resumes. It would also help if you already have some experience in this field to make things easier.Even if you have no experience with resumes, this can still be very effective if you are able to make your resume as unique as possible. Try to write one that covers everything that you know about your past and all the skills that you have for this job.So as you can see, you will be able to avoid being dis qualified from the point where you are just a candidate. Keep in mind that you should always try to be the best when you are trying to be a candidate.

Infographic - 5 Ways To Ensure You Never Get Hired!

Infographic - 5 Ways To Ensure You Never Get Hired! Social networks Tread sensibly Social networks Tread sensibly Social networks are becoming an essential (if I may say that) part of our lives. They are also being used in the hiring/firing process by organisations. Mindflash.com have put together an Infographic on How Companies Use Social Media to Hire/Fire Employees. This image below is part of the infographic and shows top 5 tips to make sure you never get hired. 5 Ways to Ensure You Never Get Hired Infographic Powered by mindflash.com See Infographic on How Companies are Using Social Media to Hire/Fire Employees. Image of Infographic from INFOGRAPHIC LIST. 11

The Employer Brand Catch 22

The Employer Brand Catch 22 Sponsored by SMRS There was an interesting detail in the LinkedIn 2017 Global Trends survey, recently released, around the disconnect between what’s desirable and what’s doable. Among the recruiters surveyed, when asked to name one thing they wanted to spend more budget on, number one was employer branding. In fact, if money were no object, 53% would invest in employer branding, ahead of new technology (39%) and better sourcing tools (38%). And yet it doesnt happen. According to the same source, only 8% of recruiters’ budgets are spent on employer branding. This is nearly one-third of the amount they spend on recruitment agency costs, revealing something of the ‘distress purchase’ nature of a lot of recruiters under pressure to hire. So, why the reluctance to invest in an Employer Brand? Surely the days of employer branding being deemed the plaything of budding marketeers in the recruitment team are behind us? And yet there still remains a whiff of suspicion about the ROI you’ll get. Key to overcoming this is making the link between defining an employer brand, setting out its aims and then being able to apply this throughout an organization, which is the Best Practice vision of the CIPD. Over 80% of leaders in the survey acknowledge that employer branding has a significant impact on their ability to hire talent. And plenty of studies can prove the effectiveness of employer branding: Attraction of more talent:  Organizations with a good employer brand are 250% more likely to rate their overall talent acquisition efforts as highly effective, according to  Glassdoor. Attract better quality candidates:  In its 2014 report,  CEB  states that employers that invested in employer branding reported a 54% increase in high-quality candidates. Higher levels of  employee engagement:  Those who invest are 130% more likely to see increases in employee engagement, according to a Gallup survey. LinkedIns research found that 83% agree an employer brand has a significant impact on the ability to hire talent, reduce staff turnover by up to 28% and is twice as likely to drive job consideration as the company brand. According to the Harvard Business Review, a minimum 10 percent pay increase was necessary to convince a candidate to take on a job at a company with a poor employer brand. So why does Employer Branding still receive so little investment? Perhaps because it’s not a defined, tangible, quantifiable thing that can be easily, and objectively, measured. Also, a company’s employer brand is now usually a shared responsibility between HR, talent acquisition, marketing, communications, operations or a combination of those functions. In fact, from 2009 to 2014, HR ownership of employer brand dropped from 46 percent to 38 percent, according to Employer Brand International. According to  LinkedIn, 59% of organizations are planning to invest more in their employer brand, year on year. But, until recruiters are given the chance to focus on these longer-term strategies rather than rely on fire-fighting tactics we may continue to observe this paradox. Reaping the rewards of an effective Employer Brand At SMRS we have seen the benefit of an effective employer brand first hand, through our work with clients in this area, and we know it doesn’t matter which field you are in or the size of your organization, from a multi-billion £ business like Kerry Foods though to a national charity like Mencap. And we’ve learned a few tips along the way: Understand why you are doing it and what you want to get out of it. A clear understanding of the business problem it is helping to solve is vital to ensure you make the most of the exercise Buy-in is driven from the top â€" ensure the leadership are not only fully behind the project but are visible behind it Include stakeholders from all parts of the business, not only to ensure a rounded view but to drive take-up through identifying potential ambassadors for the new brand Ensure the agreed final outputs are fed into all parts of the organization so it becomes a living, breathing part of your business, from recruitment attraction, through PDRs to staff engagement forums. About the author: Mike Hoffman is a Client Partner at SMRS, an employer marketing agency, specializing in employer branding and attraction marketing.

What to Put in Your Resume For a Job

What to Put in Your Resume For a JobAfter reading this article, you will have learned a lot of great information about what to put in your resume for a job. If you find yourself with the daunting task of writing a professional resume, you will learn a few tips that will help you go a long way. If you learn how to properly format your resume and use it as an effective sales tool, then you will find yourself getting more interviews than you ever thought possible.First of all, prepare to be bombarded by an onslaught of paper. This is probably the hardest part. You must write your resume in the correct way so that you are able to avoid running out of space on the paper.Your resume should include the most current information that relates to the job you are applying for. Make sure to include details about the responsibilities and the salary you were earning when you were working for the company in question. You will need to give an accurate representation of your time at the company.It wil l help if you have written a number of resumes before. Your goal is to learn how they are structured. You want to figure out which information is the most important to include in your resume. Then you can just apply that information to your resume.Having a strong outline of what you want to get across is very important. You do not want to go off script by putting in too much information that will be overwhelming the interviewer. Do not assume that your resume will be read like everyone else's resumes.Be sure to describe in great detail what skills you have that would be useful in a job for which you are applying. You may even want to give a list of the skills that would be beneficial if you were to get a job in that particular field. You may also want to include a list of the special talents that you have so that you can match your resume to the requirements of the company.When it comes to the type of job that you are applying for, it is important to know if it is an entry-level pos ition or a higher-level position. You need to know what your skill set is so that you can tailor your resume to the position that you are applying for. For example, if you have experience as a restaurant server, but you do not think that you would be good at administrative work, you can specify this in your resume.Lastly, you will want to take the time to review your resume and make sure that you have all of the relevant information included, including anything else that you think would be helpful in terms of employability skills and other vital information. You want to be sure that your resume is complete. Make sure that it contains everything that you want it to contain.

Why Im Going Back to School for a Creative Writing Degree CareerMetis.com

Why I'm Going Back to School for a Creative Writing Degree Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comIt took me about 10 years to realize that I was ready for higher education. To me, the school was mostly a chore. I felt pressure to start college quickly after high school and at the time, I couldn’t clearly see the value in chasing personal growth through a college education.I strongly believe that if I would have finished a degree at that time, it would have felt worthless to me and it probably would have been something completely unrelated to what I’m studying now.When I was younger, I loved anything that allowed me to be creative. This included painting, music, reading, and writing. I grew attached to these subjects, but for whatever reason, when I got to college age, I never saw it as a fruitful pursuit. I wanted something that directly related to a big paycheck after I finished my studies.evalNow, at 28, I’m returning to school for an English creative writing degree, while maintaining a full-time job. I picked literature as a degree not only as a way to express my own creativity, but also to hopefully become a better, more empathetic person, partner, citizen, and employee.The Decline in American LiteracyevalWould you believe that only 38 percent of 12th-grade students are proficient readers? Literary proficiency is defined as “having the skills necessary to perform more complex and challenging literacy activities.” Most 12th grade students fell into the basic or below basic category, which means they are able to perform “simple and everyday literacy activities.”This type of literary education affects our society and communities in a big way. Sixteen percent of children who are not reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade will not graduate from high school on time. Fifty percent of adults without a high school diploma read below the basic level. Fifty-two percent of those adults who maintain a literacy level lower than 5th grade cannot find employment.On the other side of things, parents and educators who pass down their knowledge will have a profound impact on the livelihood of future generations.Forty-two percent of children who are proficient readers grew up with parents who are frequent readers. These children are more likely to graduate high school, move on to college, and find a high paying job in the workforce. In fact, proficient readers are five times more likely than below-average readers to earn an average of almost $2000 more per week.With that being said, many colleges report a massive decline in English graduates. The University of Maryland at College Park has reported an over 40 percent decline in English major students in just the past three years. The demand for English majors is beginning to increase in a huge way.The school accredits this loss to students’ feelings about an “uncertain” job market that comes along with an English major. The bottom line is, English students aren’t sure that they can find a good job. So, why should they get a literature degree?The Importance of CreativityevalI gain an immense sense of accomplishment from writing as often as possible. Nothing can match the feeling of finishing a short story or article. When you know that you’ve put your best effort into creating a piece of work that you are proud of, little else compares. At least that’s how I feel about writing.Anyone can bend words to their will and tell a completely unique story. No two works will ever be quite the same. However, at the same time, you never know who might relate to your story. You never know who you might connect with or what creativity you could spark in someone else.If you are up to the task, you have the ability to create your own world right at your fingertips. Your imagination is the only thing holding you back. As such, readers and writers are able to escape their personal reality for a short period of time.Literature allows us to time travel to a period when none of us were alive and experience it like the day it happened. It cou ld be as small of a jump as yesterday or as big as hundreds of years ago. There’s no limit to what we can experience and fundamentally understand.evalIn addition, reading and writing unlock other forms of art. For example, movies and TV. Many movies that we know and love were adapted from classic, best-selling books. Your favorite TV show was penned by a great creative mind. In order to keep these art forms (and many other ones) alive, I believe it’s vital to nurture creative minds, relinquish our expertise, and pass down literature to other generations.What’s more, exercising our creative minds helps us in other, more analytical, ways. The root of creativity is the act of creating. If we condition our brains to create on a regular basis, it will become much more natural for us to create something out of nothing.As with any other art form, when you create something (whether that be writing, painting, music, etc.) you learn to both adapt to your work as it progresses and makes clear decisions about what direction your work should go. Essentially, as it pertains to the workforce, we will become better critical thinkers and will be able to make decisions on the fly.Learning Empathy Through LiteraturePhoto Credit â€" Pexels.comLet’s face it, there are situations that many of us will never be able to experience. Each of us comes from a slightly different background, culture, and home life. For example, men and women will never fully be able to experience what life living as the other sex is like. The same goes for race and many cultures. Even if you grew up in an area that was accepting and celebrated differences, you may never truly know what it’s like to live in another person’s shoes.This is why I love books. Reading provides us with an insight that simply cannot be found anywhere else. We are able to live vicariously through characters and their experiences. We are able to read details, in most cases, that cannot be expressed through speech alone.Th ere is something so intimate and visceral about empathizing with someone’s feelings poured out on the page. Unlike with movies and TV, when you read someone’s words, you can interpret them as you see it in your mind. You can almost most feel what an experience was like for someone else.I think experiencing literature and viewing it in this way ultimately allows us to grow as more empathetic individuals in society. If we can somewhat feel what another person felt through their writing, then we can use their knowledge and guidance in our own everyday lives. We will be able to approach people and situations in a completely new way that would have otherwise been lost on us.Literature is so special to me for all of these reasons and more. There’s nothing quite like sitting down with a good book. Similarly to music, many of you may even remember a point in your life when a work of literature was able to get you through a hard time. For me, I can look back on myself and remember who I was when I read it, almost as if I was a different person.I owe much of my personal growth to this art. I encourage you to pick up a book and read it today. Nothing else in the world can do what literature does and make us feel the way that reading and writing does. I feel it is our duty to preserve this art form and pass it on to those after us.

Monday Tip Use your strengths at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Monday Tip Use your strengths at work - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I talk to a lot of people who are struggling to find a sense of their contribution to the workplace. They keep wondering what their role is, how they create value and, in a certain sense, what their identity is at work. Do you know what youre really good at in your job? Where you shine? Do you have a good sense of your contribution to the workplace? Your mission this Monday is to learn more about your strengths at work by taking the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire. This test has been developed as part of Martin Seligmanns work in positive psychology and indicates what your top 5 signature strengths are out of a total of 24 potential personal strengths. Heres how you do it: Go take?the VIA Signature Strengths Questionnaire. Youll be asked to register as a user first but it is free. Take the test. It has 240 questions so this can take a while :o) Make a list of your top 5 strengths. For each of your top 5 signature strengths, try to write down some situations at work where you use those strengths. Take a look at your list. What strengths do you get to use often at work? These represent your main contribution to the workplace. What strengths do you rarely or never use at work? These represent untapped potential for you and your workplace. Is there any way you could get to use them more often? If you like, come back to this post and write your top 5 strengths in a comment so we can get to know each other a little better. I already wrote my top strengths in a comment :o) This is a great exercise because it helps you discover your personal contribution to the workplace and also to find out of you have strengths that you are not currently using at work. Using your strengths daily is an important factor in becoming happy at work and in life. It will also make you more successful at work. Finally, a strength-based approach where you look at your personal strengths and how you can use them more at work is a lot more effective and a lot more fun than looking at your shortcomings and problems. The Chief Happiness Officers Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went. Previous monday tips. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Tips if Your Job Hunt Goes On and On -

Tips if Your Job Hunt Goes On and On - Is your job search getting too  lengthy for your taste?   A Wall Street Journal online article, How to Hunt for Jobs as Time Out of Work Drags On and On, by Joann Lublin reports: 18.3% of jobless Americans in January had been out of work for at least 27 weeks. The figure far exceeds the 11.1% of those who had gone as long without work when a recession began in March 2001. Lublin suggests several strategies for you if you are in the same boat.   (I love to quote experts who agree with the advice I give clients!)   Some ideas she suggests (in bold): Reassess your strengths and weaknesses.   If you were a brand, why wouldnt you be selling?   Seek advice and figure out what makes you special so you know how to sell yourself. One reason may be a flawed rà ©sumà ©.   Lublin notes, A professionally written rà ©sumà © counts more than an attractive typeface.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ensure that your resume conveys exactly what you have to offer.   Dont make the potential employer figure out how you fit in.   Connect the dots for your reader. Dont waste a lot of time sending online applications. This article notes: Posting rà ©sumà ©s on job sites should be the smallest part of your search, because you rarely land positions that way, says Annie Stevens, a managing partner at ClearRock, a Boston outplacement and executive-coaching firm. Nearly two-thirds of applicants find work through networking, ExecuNet surveys show. Network, network, network, network.   Even if you are shy, be sure to take advantage of the #1 job search strategy!   (Follow the 5 links in this paragraph to get you started on the right foot!) Consider re-meeting with your references to ensure that they are highlighting your best skills.   Keeping in touch with referees is an important job search strategy from day one, but if you have gotten to the reference-checking stage without landing a job, this could be an important evaluation point. Do what you can to keep up your spirits.   Frequent exercise, support or networking groups and chocolate can be good stress relievers!   Dont spend every minute on your job hunt.   You still need to have a life!   Plus, you never know it could be someone you meet on a trip to the grocery store or a seatmate on an airplane while on vacation  who winds up linking you to your next job! Job search dragging on?   Get some professional help!   Keppie Careers is here for you.   Well make sure that your resume is top notch and coach you every step of the way.   Save time and money hire Keppie Careers!