Recruiter Today | Recruiting Trends and Tips for Recruiters - Page 256

Branchout = Facebook Plus Linkedin Divided By Job Search

Branchout, a new application that helps job seekers makes Facebook work like Linkedin opened in beta this week. Branchout helps Facebook users leverage their network for job search in a similar way that's common to Linkedin users. Why is this important? There are a number of reasons - for starters, Facebook just passed 500 million users making it more than 7 times larger than...

Filling Out Job Applications

In an age of online application processes, and emailed resumes, why do so many companies still have you fill out a paper job application when you arrive for an interview or before they make you an offer? You would think they have all the information they need from you already, why is it necessary to have you fill out the paper form? Is it necessary to duplicate everything on your resume onto...

Always Be Your Best

Every now and then, I have a job seeker tell me... "I really wasn't that interested in that job, and so I didn't do my best in the interview." I always think... what a wasted opportunity! People often close off the possibility of a hiring process moving further because they decided in a moment that this wasn't a job they wanted. Perhaps they didn't like the role, the company, the...

Your Job Search Won't Likely be "One and Done"

It's probably not news to many people that there are not many "lifetime" jobs available anymore these days. My dad worked at the same company for 35 years before he retired in 1993. At the time, it wasn't that unusual to hear similar stories as his. In the last 20 to 25 years though, even the companies considered the most stable and secure have had massive lay-offs at one point or...

Google for Job Search

You can use Google for your job search! Google has many tools that can make it easy to find and target the jobs and information you need to run ahead of the pack at the companies you want to pursue. Used wisely, some of these tools can help you find job postings, company news, contact information and many other valuable pieces of information that can help you set yourself above the crowd. Here...

What's Factoring in Business?

In my normal course of daily activities, I talk to a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners. We discuss everything from how they may have gotten started in their particular line of business, current production and sales activities for their company, business processes, the state of the economy, and the general outlook and prospects for future success of their enterprise. Eventually, the...

Are You Missing out on Staffing Business?

It's no secret - the economy is currently in the tank. Businesses are laying off workers, bankruptcy is at an all-time high, the housing market is terrible, and companies are cutting expenses to survive. To say the least, the forecast for success, for the most part, is bleak for the foreseeable future. However, there are some areas that are seeing some slight growth, or growth potential, to...

Do You Want Recruiters to Call

One complaint from many job seekers is that they can't seem to get recruiters to call them back when they're looking for a job. You'd think they'd love an opportunity to place a good candidate... so why don't they call? They often know the market in their field of specialization better than most people. Is there anything you can do to get them to be a little more proactive in helping...

Starting Your Own Staffing Company

So you've decided to start up a temporary/contract staffing company, and you would like to know what's involved in ensuring success in your new venture. To follow are 10 tips for making your new venture a success. 1. Define Your Market - Most entrepreneurs that start a staffing company come from within the industry. Some have worked for other agencies as a branch or regional manager,...

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast

Last weekend I was sitting around with a couple of friends, who all work in a diverse cross section of businesses, discussing the current economic situation and how it impacts upon each of us, when the subject line of this blog was dropped into the conversation. The instant response from most of us was: no! Or words to that effect. However, once you actually start to dissect it and think about...

Do You Know What's in your Personnel File?

Did you know that on 8/30/10, Governor Patrick signed a new economic development bill that contains an amendment to Massachusetts personnel records law? The new law (Chapter 240 of the Acts of 2010, section 148) implements a dramatic change in the employers' legal obligations regarding personnel records. The amendment requires employers to notify employees within 10 days of the addition to...

Is There a Link Between Economic Expansion and Jobs?

We operate under the impression that the past continues to repeat itself and therefore patterns can be traced and the leveraged to make more informed decisions when a similar scenario presents itself. But what if the scenario is the same but the architecture that has repeated itself for years has changed, possibly without the world recognizing it? We have heard consistent comments and...

You Live Longer When You Do Something You're Good At

The constant motto when people graduate college or the whispers over the years from concerned parents is "Do what you love!" Well, let us just put it out there - that is wrong! Do what you love is such a generic phrase it nearly applies to all situations and to pin that upon one of the most critical parts of your life - career choice - let us just say is not a wise decision. Why don't...

Dressing for Work versus Job Interviews

I laugh continuously at the tenuous debate over what to where and when reference work. Is this the red carpet, are we attending a formal reception, do we need to know the dress according to what time of the day the marriage ceremony is? It is simply another issue to add to the useless list (that is becoming exceedingly long) that are thrown on to the shoulders of workers across the country by...

The Magic Bullet for Recruiting

Technology is becoming an increasingly strong asset in all areas of business. As companies become more complex, the need for technology grows and management is turning to technology for answers in all verticals. Have we asked ourselves - is technology the answer at all? Managers look to technology approaching issues with the question "What technology will solve this issue?" They need to...

Today is the Day to Change your Career

I went home this past weekend and I felt like Dr Phil for about the whole time with my brothers and sister. Not about feelings and family issues, but about career management and decision making. Not the position any of else wishes for however turned out to be a good way for us to bond. With a large family, six siblings spread across 17 yrs there tend to be some lost communication and...

Bullying on the Job

I read this amazing article yesterday on one of my favorite blogs (glassdoor.com). Take a quick look at the survey that was conducted by AOL - According to an AOL Jobs Survey,"22 percent of the respondents have personally felt threatened or bullied at work. Of those, 57 percent state it was from their manager, while 47 percent say it was from a peer, and 79 percent say that the abuse they...

Does Empowering your Employees Work?

Empowerment of employees - does it work and should you do it? Being part of an integrator gives me a view into the minds of some of the most interesting managers, some great, some just poor. What makes the difference, empowerment? Every company has a different calling for the people they empower, from SMEs to HEROs, etc. but they all do the same thing, they are trusted professionals in...

Seven Tips for Successful Team Building

Team building is a straight-forward process that yields many rewards once you get it going. Savvy leaders use team building to help their employees get along better and get more done. Here are some key ideas to help you get a team building program started in your workplace. 1. Set up a weekly, ongoing team building meeting. This shows everyone you are committed to the program. 2. Find...

Will the Phone Ever Ring?

I must say I get more phone calls from professional IT staff looking for new opportunities this year than we did last. I was asked by one why we do not call every single person that applies back. I thought about it a moment and actually believe that it would be a huge difference between us and other companies if we simply called each and every applicant. But the time involved with the...

Laid-off Texans Receive Federal Grant

Many people may consider the job loss in their community an emergency. When recruiters hear stories from job candidates about their needs for work, surely, they feel the effects of the job market on a personal level. Some workers in different states in the U.S. are qualifying for federal assistance. The U.S. Department of Labor announced a $1,179,312 increment to continue providing...

The Bosses' Bucks

It's not surprising to hear that bosses are making the big bucks. But it may be interesting for recruiters to see which professions have the biggest percentage increase between second line and third line management. This distinction may help recruiters better understand the hiring practices of the companies they serve. Government findings show that in financial management, there is a major...

Locals Band Together for Just Jobs

Recruiters may be accustomed to thinking globally and acting locally, as they consider the economies of the communities they serve. But perhaps there are resources that you have not tapped to help support your local economy. Are there any local efforts that you can utilize as a recruiter? Although the praises of huge search engines can and should be sung, there may be something helpful to...

Looking for God's Resume

"Nobody's perfect."—anonymous "I'm an agthetic: I don't know and don't care whether God exists."—college flat-mate Assuming that if God submitted a job resume, it would be perfect, reviewing it as a job applicant or as a recruiter would prove to be a very useful and instructive exercise. However, it is one thing to be open to the idea of gleaning something from The...

When Pearls Won't Get You The Job

Recently I spoke to a friend after an interview. During the second round of interviews, she was quizzed about the way she dealt with being treated poorly. The employer calmly stated that she would be need to bear the brunt of customers' complaints and co-workers' bad moods. He wanted her to summarize on the spot how she would cope with these frequent scenarios. Although she was alarmed...

Where Are YOUR Resume Stickers?

My friend grew up working in her family's restaurant. She had done it all-- hostessing, waiting on tables, cooking, busing tables, and balancing the till at the end of the night. When she moved away from her home in South Africa to the United States, no one would hire her to work in their restaurants. She was a diligent person, by nature and tirelessly submitted her resume to every single...

Give Yourself Job Search Action Days

In Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Mr. Kramer, played by Dustin Hoffman, is in a bit of a pickle. His lowlife boss lays him off right before the major custody battle for his son. He is certain that the fact that he is unemployed will negatively affect his chances at gaining custody of his beloved son. So, he springs into action. He puts on a suit and buys a newspaper. He circles every...

Rewiring over Rice Noodles

A few years ago, I was unemployed and spent my Thursday afternoons getting advice from a social worker. Although I really appreciated this therapist's insight, the process was exhausting. After every session, I would visit a nearby Vietnamese restaurant and order my favorite dish. The restaurant served pho, a delicious soup made with rice noodles, chili peppers, mock duck, and garlic. It...

More Talent Management Technology Consolidation

Talent management technology and recruiting software is a niche, but highly lucrative industry. Yesterday, there was further consolidation in the recruiting software industry. Taleo Corporation, the largest talent management technology company with a market cap of 1.2 billion, announced that it will acquire recruiting software provider Cytiva for $11 million Canadian dollars. The stock market...

Twitter Recruiting Hacks

Recruiters tend to get Linkedin. It closely resembles a job board and it's easy enough to do advanced searches. Facebook recruiting is pretty obtuse and so far, recruiting on Facebook is more for leveraging your personal connections or perhaps building up a fun corporate fan page. But Twitter for recruiting? The topic couldn't be talked about more, but do many recruiters really use Twitter...

Employers Ruminate on Recruiting and Retaining Talent

Although every company wants great employees, they may waffle at the benefits of paying for the costs of recruitment. As an agency recruiter, you may find it helpful to be able to think like these employers and contemplate some of the issues that they face. As a corporate recruiter, it is now part of your job to spread talent management best practices across your company to every level. What...

How Much Do Jobs Cost?

During the last Presidential Election, debate focused for awhile on Joe the Plumber. Although the persona of this figure quickly became symbolic of something larger than life, this interlocutor into the election raised for many Americans what it means to create jobs. What exactly does it mean to create a job? Many of us do not know the full extent of the commitment that goes into the...

Recruiting the Left and Right Brains

"..Both the left and the right hemisphere may be conscious simultaneously in different, even in mutually conflicting, mental experiences that run along in parallel"—Dr.Roger Wolcott Sperry, 1981 Nobel Laureate and pioneer in split-brain research Whenever you recruit someone, pop psychology and some interpretations of some serious research, such as Dr. Roger Perry's pioneering...

Affordable Care Act Struck Down

In the midst of trying to boost the U.S. economy, people's lives continue. Diseases mount. Babies are born. Diagnoses are made. Although much focus is being placed on the generation of new jobs, the Labor Movement continues to advocate for workers on issues that concern their daily lives. How often do recruiters face questions from employers and job candidates about health care? ...

Recruitment Lessons from a Missile Launch

"I'm not the man they think I am at home...Oh no no no I'm a rocket man..."—Elton John, "Rocket Man" There is an ongoing debate between those who argue for/against the usefulness or necessity of in-person interviews—some maintaining that such interviews are an anachronism, a throw-back to the 70s, back where and when they should have been left. Given that wrangling, it is worthwhile to...

Monster Recovering after Sell-Off

On Friday of last week, the stock of Monster Worldwide (MWW), parent company of the popular job board, dropped at one point over 25%. Monster shares closed at $15.95 on Friday, which is approximately where it stood as of a year ago. A combination of a small miss, slight loss for the year, and weaker 2011 estimates caused investors to sell. Interestingly, Monster has forecast top line growth of...

But I Should Be His Boss!

Recruiters may be familiar with women's concerns about entering a new workplace. Women candidates for a job position may feel like they can't assume the new job will provide equal pay for equal work. Similarly, they may wish to see a track record of employers' demonstrated commitment to hiring and maintaining women in higher-up positions. When recruiters encounter job candidates who are...

Mass Layoffs Impact Everybody

When there's a mass lay off, it affects not only individuals, but also an entire community. When a company shuts down and scads of people are out of work, that means that few people in the community have extra funds to support each other. Not only funds, but also other kinds of resources as well. Recruiters may be able to sense when the communities that they work with are particularly hard...

New York Economy Bets on Gambling Jobs

It's not always easy to heed the advice of "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers. Knowing when to hold 'em and when to walk away just isn't ever that easy to predict. Governor Cuomo is in a unique quandary, determining aspects of the state's economy. How will the new casino affect the economy in New York is yet to be determined, but many are confident that the casino will boost the economy of New...

Volunteering though Working and Volunteering to Work

"Is there any way that you can find more ways to beef up your resume?" Advising job candidates, recruiters may often find themselves advocating that job seekers look into volunteering. Often experiences volunteering can provide great experience to bring into the paid workforce. Volunteering to work also sometimes seems to be the only way to "break into" a new industry or entirely new type of...

SocialSmashed Streamlines Online Recruiting

Every job seeker has his or her own strategy for finding the perfect job. Some might peruse job boards daily, but others choose to have the jobs sent to them. It's in the interest of the recruiter to anticipate job seekers' use of these different approaches. Posting jobs to social media sites and more social job distribution and commenting systems have received particular attention as of...

Job Stress and Your Mottos

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."—the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and maybe you "...There are no gains without pains..."—Benjamin Franklin, The Way to Wealth (1758) "Your mottos own you."— Michael Moffa "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Sounds catchy, in an oversimplifying way, and subtly seems to offer...

Qualities of a Top Financial Executive

Financial executives like Controllers, Treasurers and Chief Financial Officers are often regarded in the business world as managers of financial concerns only, but the top financial executives in many companies have more than just financial expertise. In order to be the best financial executive, you have to embody the qualities of a successful manager as well as a financial expert. Here are some...

The Japanese Art of Rejection: The Inquisition

"The Judge must admonish him (the Advocate) not to incur the charge of defending heresy"--The Malleus Maleficarum, the witch-hunters' handbook, published in 1486, regarding the danger of vigorous legal defense of accused witches When my White House speech for the Prime Minister was dropped by Mr. Narita as softly as a tree drops a wilting cherry blossom that then gently drifts to the...

Emotionally Destitute Get Rich

Sometimes there's that person at work who "just doesn't get it." This is the person that needs seemingly basic things explained. Or the person who makes you cringe when they address a visitor to your place of work. There have been plenty of different buzzwords to explain people's ability to read someone's shifts in moods or needs. Most recently, we call this "emotional intelligence." No...

Egypt Competes with India and China for Jobs

In the United States, it seems like people of all ages are facing harsh conditions from unemployment, although some sources do focus on the unique predicament of young people. But when you compare this dilemma with that of Egypt, suddenly the statistics in the U.S. seem rather benign. When you imagine life in Egypt, do you imagine streets full of twenty somethings? In Egypt, most people...

Massachusetts Number One in Knowledge Based Economy

How does your state foster innovation and invest in modern, knowledge based business? I have a hint - they don't do it as well as Massachusetts, at least according to the Milken Institute. The comprehensive study by the Milken Institute looks at 79 different indicators. They judge investment in technical infrastructure, growth objectives, education, and human capital development. We seem to be...

Five Lies Recruiters Tell Themselves

Corporate and agency recruiters get lied to all day from candidates, clients, and hiring managers. Recruiters can get pretty jaded after dealing with these problems all day long. However, recruiters often lie to themselves as well. Here are five lies that recruiters tell themselves. If you're thinking this way - watch out - it can damage your career and mindset. It's the economy, stupid:...