Tag Archives: growth

May 15, 2013 · 12:44 pm

Interns Should be More Than Your Coffee Lackey

Many years ago, interns used to be called “apprentices.” In these roles, the mentor would teach the apprentice how to do the job, provide details about the industry, and give a realistic expectations. The mentor took time to add value to the individual they were teaching and, as a result, allowed the individual to gain skills and knowledge to perform well once they were ready to start their career. In present day, interns are joked to be the “coffee lackey” or the “errand runner” for the company they’re “working” at. Sadly, these terms came about because some companies have delegated these tasks to the individuals who initially came there to learn. But how is getting a coffee order right going to help anyone?

As a support system and mentor for some of my interns, I often have a weekly call with them to discuss some of the things they’re learning from the team/department they’re interning in. I’ll attempt to answer any questions, build a support system, and offer some guidance. Of course, I’m always intrigued to hear about their previous interning experiences compared to their current ones and also to hear about their dislikes and likes from each experience. Needless to say, it shocked me when I heard that there are plenty of times when these interns literally were delegated the bare minimum. They’d tell me that these situations didn’t allow them to learn anything useful and that they felt like they wasted their time. More importantly, their experience at the company made them want to rule it out as a potential employer down the line.

What bothers me about this situation is the fact that we’re not doing anything or anyone justice if we aren’t utilizing our interns the best that we can. These interns come to companies in hopes to get a realistic view of what the world of work really is like. They came to put their school studies to practice and build their skills in ways that textbooks and classrooms can’t provide. They’re making a conscious effort to build their resumes so they are an attractive candidate once they’re ready for full-time work. They came to your company because they potentially wanted to build a relationship so you could consider them once you had a relevantjob opening. And how are they repaid for their effort? By having companies waste their time and make them feel expendable.

Here comes the irony: I often hear recruiters and hiring managers complain that there isn’t enough good talent for their entry-level positions. The reason for this is because some companies have turned internships into an opportunity to have someone do the unfavorable tasks that they don’t want to do rather than actually mentoring them. This could be an opportunity to allow them to reach their potential. As a company that has internship programs, it’s your responsibility to help build the talent for the future workforce. If you want great employees coming out of college, then it’s imperative for you to help them build their skills at a time where they are eager and inspired to learn.

Interns come to companies with natural motivation, desire to learn, drive, and ambition. They’re hopeful for their future and are looking up to their mentors to guide them in the right direction. Essentially, mentors of the internship programs are the ones who are helping shape our upcoming workforce. What are you doing to help contribute?

If this topic interests you, be sure to join in or listen to the #InternPro radio show.

Photo Source

Leave a Comment

Filed under Interns, Internships

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 8, 2013 · 12:29 pm

Do You Have an Internal Employer Brand?

 

Last week, I took a trip out to Seattle to spend some time working, exploring, and learning about the city. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit Amazon.com, one of the many corporate campuses that are located in the area. I had never explored a “campus” in the past but I’ve always been extremely eager to get a first-hand experience after reading the many articles that are out about it. Needless to say- I was impressed. But I wasn’t just impressed by the immensity of the campus, I was blown away by the branding located around the campus which had me thinking about the whole “employer branding” thing. I know HR is struggling to implement a strong brand to attract external candidates, but what about their internal brand?

One of HR’s main functions is to recruit and attract quality talent to their organization but it’s also about retaining the talent that is currently there. What are we doing to keep our employees engaged and loyal to our organizations? Competitive compensation isn’t going to be the only option to keep an employee from walking. Maybe you aren’t an enormous organization like Amazon.com, Google, or Linkedin who are notorious for having awesome internal brands, campuses, and culture, but there are ways to adopt some of these things to fit with your organization:

  • What vibe does your workspace give off?: One of the most notable things I think of when it comes to campuses like these are the different workspace options that are available. Yes- I said OPTIONS. Their offices are not set up with jail-like cubical rows with the occasional office or conference room here or there. They have open spaces, co-working options, lounge areas, and unique personalities. Perhaps you don’t have the space or budget to create these areas but there are plenty of ways to create an open environment that seems welcoming and non-restrictive.
  • What internal recruitment marketing do you have in place?: As I was riding an elevator in one of the Amazon buildings, I noticed a vibrant poster marketing one of their departments that currently was recruiting for Software Engineers. One side of the poster showed a man sitting at a computer with the saying, “This is what it looks like to work on my team.” The other side showed an imaginative, creative, and fun scene surrounding the man at the computer with the saying, “This is what it FEELS like to work on my team.” Below both posters had the team manager’s contact information that you could rip off and take with you. I absolutely loved it. Amazon is huge so having marketing options like that could really make it easy to recruit for internal candidates that didn’t know about your team. Makes sense for a company that’s as large as that, right? Here’s the kicker- even employees in small organizations admit that they aren’t aware that specific jobs exist or they don’t know about internal job openings within the organization. This can be a huge issue, especially since many employees leave their company because they feel like they have no internal mobility options. That situation might not be true and their perception of this might just be due to lack of information.
  • Are you too scared to adapt?: I understand the phrase, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” And that phrase is a perfectly reasonable one. If your company is functioning fine, there is no reason to fix it but what about offering more options? Compensation isn’t the only thing that can retain your employees, sometimes other options can be the deciding factor: telecommuting; flex work; tuition reimbursement; on-going training; co-working; employee engagement initiatives; and so on. Your competitors are coming out with really cool options to provide to their employees. Don’t let them beat you out because you were too scared to adapt to the changing world of work.
  • Is it a place of hierarchy or community?: There most definitely needs to be order within an organization but top down communication doesn’t really work as well as it did in the past. Your employees want their voice to be heard, they want to make suggestions, they want to contribute, and they want to build relationships. I’ve worked in an organization where the President and Directors are extremely open to two-way communication. They make it very easy to hold conversations, even to the point where interns aren’t scared to make suggestions or hold a casual conversation with someone higher up. It has created a great sense of community within the organization which has helped it be more progressive than other companies who haven’t adopted this.

Your employer brand isn’t just about convincing external candidates that your company is a great place to work, but it’s also about making sure your current employees also love working there to the point where no other company or job offer seems more attractive.

3 Comments

Filed under Employer Branding

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 24, 2013 · 1:10 pm

How to Make Telecommuting Work for Your Company

With all the speculation around Marisa Mayer’s decision to reduce telecommuting options and Best Buy’s decision to get rid of ROWE, I’ve been a little concerned about the subject. Although their choices are their choices and I’m sure they had good reasoning for it, I don’t think other companies should start panicking over this. More importantly, I don’t think companies should start rethinking their telecommuters (or their plans to implement them) just because these two situations occurred. Both companies had issues beforehand and didn’t make the decision out of the blue. So, let’s not get all crazy about it. I work virtually every single day and found that it has been better for my career, productivity, and growth than the years I spent going into the office.

Sometimes virtual work and telecommuting options don’t work properly because: they are not implemented well; they are not managed well; the option doesn’t work with the job function; or the wrong people are being allowed to telecommute. Too often we hear about the negativity of things, but what about the positive aspects of it? I’m living proof that it CAN work if it’s done right.

Here are some suggestions to make telecommuting work effectively:

  • Utilize different forms of technology that makes sense for your company. This can increase opportunity for collaboration and communication in a functional way.
  • Create expectations and a plan for managers to manage this successfully.  Managers need to be very involved in the daily activities of their teams, communicate feedback regularly, and make themselves available for additional training/assistance.
  • Allow HR to look for opportunities that increases engagement throughout the organization. Some of these activities could include different committees within the company to help the company be progressive. It can also allow employees to partner up with people they might not normally work with. This can create a strong sense of community and team work.
  • Hire the right people for this position. The people who are a fit for this are ones that are trail-blazers, internally motivated, Type A, and accountable. They don’t believe in making excuses- they believe in working hard. This hard-work and dedication can inspire others and set the bar for the organizational expectations.
  • Create a culture in which they leave no man (or woman) behind. All of the employees should be there for each other and they should make sure they help out one another to ensure everyone hits their goals and expectations.
  • Compare notes regularly. Employees of the organization should regularly meet to discuss different tactics they utilize which can ensure they are managing their time well. This can keep them productive and effective at their jobs. Employees are able to learn from each other and they can try different options to see what works for their needs.

Like I said earlier, I feel like I’ve progressed more in my career working virtually than in an office. I’ve not only done well at my job, hit goals, and made my managers/clients happy but I’ve also had the ability to take on other projects that I am passionate about. Essentially, I am defining my own career path. I’m responsible for my professional development.

You don’t believe me? Check out this infographic on Youtern.

Photo Source

2 Comments

Filed under Remote Workers, Telecommuting, Virtual Workers

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 3, 2013 · 1:26 pm

Pairing Formal with Informal Learning

Let’s face it- everyone learns and retains things differently. We learned about this fact during our school years and it still holds true in our professional careers. Some people learn at a faster rate than others. Some gain more from classroom teaching than hands-on training. The point is, one size does not fit all when it comes to learning and development and it would be wise for organizations to recognize this fact to ensure their training initiatives are more effective.

First off, get your formal learning in check. With technology advancing our ability to have more options to be trained, it’s important to remember that formal learning doesn’t have to require people to be trapped in a four walled room. Break down those walls and incorporate new ways to do formal training that goes beyond traditional classroom training. Personally, sitting through 8 hours of classroom lectures did not always help my understanding or retention (not to mention, my attention span). Break up the lectures with some additional learning opportunities. Maybe have your training classes go out in the field or interact/collaborate with people who already do this role within the organization. Let them see formal learning be put into action.

Secondly, it is important to remember that informal learning is necessary, too. Like stated earlier, people all have different learning styles so forcing them to only learn in a handful of ways might limit what they gain out of the experience. Breaking up your formal learning can only go so far so it’s up to you to encourage and empower employees to take initiative for their development. Give them suggestions on what they can do for their independent learning efforts. Let them interact with people in the industry so they can see how to put these trainings to good use. Allow them to join webinars or go to professional social networking groups. The learning world is their oyster.

I will tell you that I personally gained a lot from my informal learning. I often feel like the social media HR groups I’ve participated in (such as the Twitter chat, #Tchat) or the networking calls I had with people I’ve connected with have helped me gain so much more than majority of the training I’ve formally had from employers or schooling. Even researching topics and information to write the posts on my blog have helped me learn an extraordinary amount. I made it a point to ensure I was still learning even when in between jobs so once an employer took a chance on me, I could bring something extra to the table. Even after being employed, I still make the effort to regularly include informal training to accent the formal training I get from my employer. Some of my informal training has even sparked new ideas that will help us offer more to our clients and prospects. It’s even helped our internal team work more effectively.

As an employer, what are you doing to add more to your teaching and training? Have you ever considered informal learning as being a valuable option?

More Links:

Igniting Social Learning #Tchat Preview

Digging Deep into Social Learning #TChat Recap

Photo Credit

1 Comment

Filed under Learning and Development

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 13, 2013 · 12:48 pm

Are you a Leader of Collaboration?

In last week’s #Tchat, we discussed the different between collaboration and polarization and the ways it was used in the workplace. Many contributors gave great examples of situations they’ve come across, their understanding of the two, and the reasons why they feel that an organization promotes one or the other. So, as usual, I’ll spend today’s blog post sharing all the input that this great community had offered through the hour long chat.

First off, let’s discuss the difference between the two. Collaboration is often considered the “coming together” of people and ideas to achieve a specific goal or purpose. It can easily be described as teamwork. Polarization is when individuals work individually towards a goal and/or do not share in the teamwork.

With the world moving so quickly, it would seem as if though a collaborative approach would be best for business. Having diverse thinking and additional teamwork can ensure that projects and goals are efficiently completed. Additionally, this can avoid groupthink or stale ideas, among other benefits. But why does collaboration seem to be a struggle within the workplace? How can we create a culture of collaboration? Leaders: it’s time for you to step up and start encouraging it.

Some ideas:

  • Follow the leader: as a leader, all eyes seem to be on you. This would be a perfect time for you to encourage collaboration by actually participating in collaboration meetings and situations yourself. Be transparent about it. Show your team that much can be done if you take the time to work with others. At the end, give them the results and tell them that it was accomplished because each member of the group played a crucial part.
  • Participate: take the time to make your rounds and participate in some of the meetings and groups that your workers are involved in, even if it’s only for a few minutes once in a while. Ask questions; learn about which each member is contributing; and give feedback.
  • Create a connection: I know sometimes it can be hard for a leader to know everything about their employees and their unhidden talent/potential. However, if you can have their department managers take the time to learn these things; it can open up opportunities for collaboration. Additionally, have department heads meet with each other to discuss projects or needs going on within each department. Allow the managers to inform the other dept. heads about their employees that might have a skill that can be useful for their needs.
  • Welcome in the devil’s advocate: as mentioned earlier, it’s important to have diverse thinking within a group to ensure that there isn’t any groupthink. Having an alternative perspective or opinion can help others in the group consider additional options or review the situation from all angles. However, make sure your devil’s advocate presents these thoughts in a constructive way rather than a way that will put everyone on the defense.
  • Review your policies: technology has been a great tool to have within the organization but many companies have policies in place that make employees fear using it. Are your policies discouraging employees to utilize it to their best potential? If so, take time to review and revise the policies. If that’s not a feasible option, then take time to clarify any part of the policy so employees feel more comfortable using the technology for communication and collaboration.

Polarization may have occurred when the economy took a turn for the worst. People felt the need to keep their cards close to heart and protect their jobs by having an “every man for themselves” mentality. They may have felt that showing their employer that their sole efforts were directly correlated to an end result can give them a sense of job security. Also, with limited job openings in organizations, workers may have felt the competitive pressure to stand out against other employees for a promotion. All of these situations are understandable but it’s not doing your business any good if you allow that to be the norm. As a leader, make it your effort to create a collaborative culture.

If you enjoy topics like this, be sure to check out #tchat on Twitter- Wednesdays at 7pm EST.

More Links:

Smart Leaders Collaborate

Collaboration Mojo Meets Basic Instinct: #Tchat Recap

Photo Source

1 Comment

Filed under Collaboration, Leadership

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 6, 2013 · 11:24 am

Branding Yourself: Paving Your Way in the World of Work

We’ve been getting really involved in different forms of branding during #Tchat for the last few weeks. Last week’s #Tchat focused more on personal branding and what it can mean for those in the “world of work.” I really identify with this topic and feel like my efforts to brand myself eventually became a success story, and a continuing success story at that.  I recall a time when I was a job seeker and struggled to be known for my work experience in human resources and my intentions to continue to work hard to move forward in this career path. For months, I applied to job after job and attempted to land interviews. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. At that time, I realized that I clearly was not standing out in the candidate pool and I needed to do things differently.

A resume wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I realized that I had to work harder to get my name out there. I realized I needed people to connect my name with HR. I needed to be transparent: I wanted people to be able to Google “Ashley Lauren Perez” and see that I was progressively moving forward in my career, even if I didn’t currently have an employer. In no time, I was branding myself and I didn’t even realize it. It happened organically.

Some of the things I learned while going through this process were:

  • Go big or go home: if you are going to be branding yourself, you need to not only be transparent about who you are and what you do, but you also need to be consistent about it. Don’t hold back- be bold.
  • Make time to network and collaborate: I think one of the greatest things I gained from branding myself was the networking opportunities that came from it. I made sure I connected with people and would open up my schedule to speak to them very casually about different topics in regard to HR. Before I knew it, I was learning more than I probably did in relevant college classes. Some of these individuals even helped increase opportunities for collaboration, job opportunities, guest blogging, and work partnerships.
  • Be a human: if you’re branding yourself on social media, you need to remember that the point of this technology is to be SOCIAL. Yes, feel free to post links/blogs/etc. and repost, but make sure you actually engage in conversation with people. Comment on their posts or join in chats/discussion groups. Don’t be a “news feed.” You need to humanize it; otherwise, no one’s going to get to really know you.
  • It’s not all about you: don’t be selfish about your brand. The best brands are the one that add value, which means you need to give back in some form. Be open to help others and you will be sure to receive.

Whether you are a job seeker, a college student, a consultant, or a CEO of a major company- you need to brand yourself. We live in a world where collaboration is essential in order to have a competitive edge in whatever you do. Don’t limit your opportunities.

If you enjoy topics like this, be sure to join #TChat on Twitter: Wednesdays at 7pm EST.

More Links:

Empower the Brand “You”

Mindfully Managing Your Personal Brand

Photo Source

Leave a Comment

Filed under Branding, Personal Branding

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 4, 2013 · 1:15 pm

The Difference Between a Contingent Staffing Agency and an RPO

Is your company considering the option to outsource some of their recruiting needs? Are you a job seeker that has been contacted by a third party recruiter and don’t know who you’d actually be an employee of? Are you confused about the difference between contingency staffing and retained recruiters/recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)? If so, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve worked in recruitment roles for both contingency staffing and RPO throughout my talent acquisition career. One of the common issues I’ve seen in regard to this is the fact that companies or candidates are not educated about the difference between the two. So, let me try to shed some light today.

Contingency agencies, also known as staffing agencies or temporary placement agencies, are typically used when a company has a job opening that needs to be filled quickly. In some instances, it is used for a one-off situation or for a position that has a low volume of needs but are hard to fill. In other instances, they are used because the client has a huge number of positions to fill and their needs needed to be filled, like, yesterday. Contingency agencies are usually very fast paced because they’re not only in competition with the internal HR/recruitment department at the client’s organization, but they’re also in competition with other recruiting firms that are trying to get their candidates to the client first. The reason for this rapidness and pressure?: these agencies only can charge a fee if the client decides to bring their candidate on-board.

Retained recruiters or RPOs usually have an exclusive contract with their client and the client typically pays an upfront fee (whether a candidate is hired or not). The retained/RPO recruiters and clients formulate a plan about what type of candidates they need, how to go about finding the candidates, and determine what candidates fit the profile. It can be considered a strategic partnership. Very often, the retained recruiters present several qualified candidates to the client on a continuous basis to help build a pipeline and also increase their interview flow. These types of companies are typically utilized by larger companies with many positions to fill or by companies that have a specific need that is hard to find.

Personally, I love working for an RPO. Although we still have goals to meet on a weekly basis, there isn’t as much pressure as there was at a contingency firm. Additionally, I feel like I’m able to provide better service to both my clients and my candidates because of the relationship I build with the recruiting department at the client. I understand the company better and I know what their needs are. I’m able to relay information to the candidates to help them get a better understanding of whether or not this is a job or company that fits with what they’re looking for. Additionally, I can take the time to find better candidates for my clients because I don’t have to worry about beating out other agencies. But, of course, that’s just my personal preference. Both are extremely good options depending on what your company needs are.

For more information, feel free to read this article on UnderCover Recruiter.

Photo Source

Leave a Comment

Filed under Contingency Recruitment, RPO

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 1, 2013 · 1:21 pm

Why is HR Scared of Employer Branding?

Maybe my Type A personality makes me a little over-eager when it comes to getting things done but I often wonder if this quality would be beneficial for certain professionals. Employer branding has been a highlighted topic for a little while now, and HR professionals are realizing that having a strong employer brand is a significant way to attract candidates to their company. Sometimes this topic has been talked into the ground but when all is said and done, there still doesn’t seem to be any action taking place. I hear them say that they want to do it, that it’s important for their company to have it, and so on. But when it’s time for them to actually really consider putting into play, they choke.

I get it- it’s a scary thing to put yourself out there. It’s scary to think that however you promote and brand your company might be detrimental to its reputation if presented wrong. It’s hard to fathom investing money and time into something you don’t know will truly work for your organization. I know. I know. I know. However, the more you drag your feet on this, the easier you are making it for other forward-thinking companies to snatch up quality talent from the candidate pool.

Here are some steps you should consider when starting the employer branding process:

  • Research: put on your networking hats on and start talking to people who do marketing, social media community management, social HR, and even consultants that handle employer branding. For example, Jocelyn Aucoin  has been a great resource when I had questions about all of these things. What better way to get a solid understanding on all aspects of branding than talking to the people who are deep into it everyday?
  • Formulate a plan: … then reformulate. Over and over again. No one said that the brand was going to happen overnight but this is the key thing to help you have some sort of structure when you put your plan into motion.
  • Put it into action: it’s time for you  to bite the bullet and put your plan into action. And trust me, there is going to be a bunch of bumps along the way but try your best with damage control. New ideas and new processes are never perfect, so don’t expect this to be any different. Remember, it is important for you to: take notice, observe, listen, and learn from these situations/feedback.
  • Adapt: after listening and observing, it’s essential for you to seriously take the feedback into consideration and, once again, reformulate your plan. The best branding is one that is active and engaged in their “audience” and then delivers the results that these individuals are looking for.
  • Be consistent: branding is an ongoing thing. Your company changes often and your brand should reflect that. New people are entering the candidate pool every day, so be sure to also find new ways to engage these people. Be a constant presence and stay in front of people’s minds. Branding often fails due to lack of consistency.

Employer branding is important for a reason. The economy has put a lot of people out of jobs or in search of new ones. These people have potentially been in bad situations (underemployed, laid off, terminated, unemployed for long lengths of time) and want to make sure that the next choice they make is the right one. They are looking for companies that have transparency so they can feel more confident about applying.

Gen Y is also entering the workforce and the workforce will be majorly comprised of these individuals in just a few years. They are extremely savvy when it comes to finding information on things, thanks to being brought up in the technology era. Therefore, they will also be looking hard for companies that seem to be providing the most up-to-date and useful information. With that being said, do you really think branding isn’t a good investment? What you doing for your employer brand? Feel free to respond here.

More Links:

HRTechEurope White Paper on Employer Branding

Photo Source

 

2 Comments

Filed under Branding, Employer Branding

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

February 27, 2013 · 1:17 pm

Humanize Your Brand

It’s important to humanize your brand, whether you are branding yourself, consumer-based things, your corporation, or your employer brand. In the past, we would market our brands via content that was pushed out to the audience. More often than not, this marketing strategy limited communication to a one-way scenario: from brand to audience. As technology and social media have become more predominate in the world, marketing and branding have taken on a life of their own, and it seems as if though some of the best brands out there are the ones that open up two-way opportunities.

Some companies and individuals have failed to realize that social media shouldn’t just be a way to push out information and content. Yes, it’s a great way to promote those things but it shouldn’t continually post enough to be considered “spam-worthy.” Your brand also needs to have some personal touches to it. It needs to have a personality. It needs to be social. It needs to listen. And most importantly: your brand needs to reflect the way you “live” and vice versa.

I think some of the best companies and people that humanize their brands well are the ones that actually take notice of what their audience is saying. They listen and they try to deliver what they’re audience is asking for. Additionally, they actually communicate back to these individuals. They respond to messages, posts, and tweets. They even go out of the way to be the first ones to engage in conversation with some individuals in the audience. This can take the brand from just being a “thing” to something that people become engaged with and feel connected to.

Humanizing your brand can help audiences identify with the brand. They could feel like they’re a part of how the brand is developing, which can make them invest more and show loyalty. Additionally, it can be an organic way of building brand influencers and ambassadors. Use your key audience or fan members to help build your brand. Show your appreciation and support and they’ll be sure to do the same.

Branding is no longer about pushing things at people and expecting them to care. It’s about being personable and connecting with others. It’s about showing good “customer service” and appreciation. It’s about breathing life into it and making the brand seem approachable. It’s about finding a way to build some form of a relationship. What are you doing to humanize your brand?

If you enjoy topics like this, be sure to join in the discussion on Twitter: #Tchat – Wednesdays at 7pm EST.

More Links:

#Tchat Preview: Real Brands Humanize

#Tchat Recap: Face-To-Face with Brand Humanization

Photo Source

Leave a Comment

Filed under Branding, Employer Branding, Self Branding, Social Media

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

February 18, 2013 · 1:49 pm

Recruiters: Are You Going Beyond the Call of Duty?

Last week, a group of recruiters and I were talking about some of the things we do to help our candidates make it through the interview process. We discussed tips, resume restructuring, and coaching. Some of us had success stories about how their tips helped a candidate land an offer. But I asked them: what about the candidates that didn’t make it through the interview process? What about the candidates that weren’t a fit from the start? Are we doing anything to help those candidates?

Maybe I’m overly empathetic, but I really identify with the job seekers and their daily struggles to find work. I’ve been the underemployed before. I’ve been unemployed. I’ve also been the employee that felt like my abilities were not being recognized or utilized for the benefit of the company. And even though I’ve been involved in Human Resources and talent acquisition, that advantage didn’t always help me when it came to securing my next job. Even with the knowledge of knowing what recruiters and hiring managers looked for, I still struggled. If I struggled, I can only imagine what it is like for people who don’t understand the recruitment processes or tricks of the trade.

As a recruiter or talent acquisition specialist, have you ever spoken to a candidate that you knew wasn’t going to be a fit for your job opening? Or have you talked to a candidate that had potential but needed some extra guidance? In those instances, what did you do? Did you simply send a rejection letter or pass them through the hiring process knowing that they might be rejected due to the areas that needed coaching? Or did you act like a consultant? Did you go above the call of duty and make it your job to help the candidate be employable and attractive to other employers even though you couldn’t offer a job?

I know that not all recruiters have time to do this. We’re overwhelmed and most of the time we don’t even have a second to breathe. But I often try to help out candidates as much as I can. I’ll give them tips on their resume, let them know what recruiters look for, coach them on their interviewing skills, tell them how to be easily found by recruiters, and so on. Most importantly, I let them know that they are always welcome to call me or email me if they need help or have questions. That extra time and effort feels rewarding especially when you hear the appreciation in the job seeker’s voice. I love it when I get emails and calls down the line from these individuals asking me for advice or when they let me know that they landed a job because of the tips I provided.

I remember wishing that someone saw the potential in me when I was a job seeker. I hoped that employers could see my passion and hear the conviction in my voice when I told them that I wanted to do great things for their company. Eventually, a company saw that and took a chance on me. Now, I want to be the person that returns that favor, even if I can’t initially provide a job to these candidates who honestly want a future for themselves. Maybe my assistance will help them get the interview they needed so they can sit in front of that specific manager who will see their intentions and give them a chance.

It shouldn’t just be about YOUR job opening that you need to fill. It should be about helping people get back to work. People have unnecessarily suffered the situations caused by the changes in the workforce. What are we doing to help them adjust?

Photo Source

Leave a Comment

Filed under Job Seeking, Recruiting

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,