5 Habits That Recruiters Need to Break

5 Habits That Recruiters Need to Break When youre doing a job day in day out, its easy to fall into habits. However, in an ever evolving industry such as recruitment, old habits could lead to you missing out on the best talent. As new technology is introduced, employer needs change and job expectations differ between generations, it is important that recruiters adapt with the industry and get in tune with what both employers and candidates are looking for. For a recruiter to put them self in the best position for nabbing the top candidates, here are a few habits they need to break. 1) Not keeping up with technology New technology and social networks open doors to so many new ways to source and attract talent, however many recruiters limit themselves to LinkedIn because thats what they know. By failing to adjust to changes in technology and making use of new tools, recruiters may miss out on great candidates, particularly millennials, who tend to be early adopters of new tech. In order to stay on the ball, recruiters must be tech savvy! 2) Not familiarising themselves with the industry If you dont understand the industry or the role that you are hiring for, then you will probably find it difficult to identify the most suitable candidate, as you wont know what to look for. Before beginning your work on a job, it is important that as the recruiter, you have had a thorough conversation with the hiring manager and have done  the necessary research in order to accurately grasp the requirements and responsibilities of the role. 3) Generic job ads By posting  vague job descriptions that fail to go into the details  of the role, then you should be ready to sift through a mountain of resumes from people who are completely unqualified for the job. Be specific about what kind of individual you are looking for and what the role entails, so people can make a more informed decision about their suitability for the role before applying. Posting the name of the company the job is also makes a big difference, as people are much more focused on company culture and reputation these days, than the job alone. 4) Poor communication Poor communication is one of the biggest offences you can make as a recruiter. The clients and the candidates expect to receive the relevant information throughout the hiring process, so if they fail to do so they are likely the become impatient and maybe even pull out. In order for everything to run smoothly it is essential that the recruiter is open and honest and keeps both parties updated throughout each stage. 5) Not picking up the phone Recruiters rely so heavily on the internet and technology  these days that they often neglect the phone. Although social media is a great tool for sourcing candidates  and the efficiency of emailing is undeniable, picking up the phone from time to time is much more effective for establishing a rapport with your candidates and clients. It can also help to speed things up significantly, as people have a tendency to put off replying to emails and a phone call can provide you with immediate answers, granted the other person picks up! [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

Some Basic Tips About Science Resume Writing

Some Basic Tips About Science Resume WritingWhen it comes to science resume writing, it is important to understand that a science resume should be unique from a regular one. This means that you should not put the same information on your resume that is on a typical resume.You should write about a specific project that you completed or did research for. Many people who are given the choice often pick the project that they were able to do first, which makes sense because they have time to do this first. However, if you really want to have an edge on the competition, you need to be able to come up with something unique for your job search.Your summary paragraph should focus on a project that the company was impressed with and you can illustrate this with any kind of evidence. For example, if you worked with an area manager to design an experiment that demonstrated how certain materials act differently depending on what environment they are in, that information should be included in your summary paragraph. It should also discuss the uniqueness of your work or knowledge that makes you stand out from others in the same position.The reason that this is so important is because it will make it easier for the company to see the main information that you can bring to the table when you interview. You don't want to be looking over your shoulder while a company reads over your resume and sees your summary sentence. They will then wonder why you didn't add this information earlier in your summary.Finally, the summary should include the type of position that you are seeking. The way that you read it should be chronological, so you should start at the top and move down to cover the positions that you are applying for in order.In addition to listing your qualifications, your summary should also show what kind of scientific skills you have. Some examples of scientific skills are math skills, writing skills, and other things. For example, if you plan to be doing experiments at ho me, this should show.Your summary should not only show the project that you worked on or the projects that you have done. It should also show the skills that you possess as well. It is important that you outline these to ensure that you are making the most of the space available on your resume.Science resume writing should not be a confusing mess of information that someone has never read before. Take the time to add a few skills here and there so that the employer can easily look at your project and your achievements.

When Did Recruiters Become Marketers

When Did Recruiters Become Marketers Having recently moved over to do more of a recruitment marketing role, I cant help but wonder when recruiter’s roles became more marketing and less sales. Clearly we’ve always had to do marketing in some sense of the term with our primary job being to market or sell candidates and companies. However in 2013, it’s become clear just how hard we have to work as marketers to keep up with our industry in the digital age. Recruiters need to have their fingers on the pulse across all social and communication platforms, they need to be prepared to research and carry out strategic marketing tasks. More often than not, in today’s industries, positions that require the assistance of a recruiter to fill tend to be for jobs that require the candidate to possess a high level of skill or experience in the sector. Unfortunately, the people who are usually equipped to fill such positions are already employed elsewhere. One of a company’s biggest challenges these days is attracting and retaining talent. We are suddenly at an age where employees within a company contribute just as much to a business’s success as the service and/or product they are selling. So the workforce is being forced to adapt now. Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that the candidates who are right for their job aren’t actually out looking for a job. In turn they are hiring recruitment agencies to act as marketers â€" seeking, searching and finding talent, and then marketing directly to them. And this is why recruiters are now out there, proactively probing for talent and, funnily enough, expanding their network before the jobs even exist. Below are some of the marketing strategies that I, and many other social recruiters now, have to be aware of, have to learn about and keep up-to-date with everyday. Social media With the industry the way it is, social media and its strengths could not have come at a better time. The increase in access to information about candidates and companies is invaluable. We are expanding our networks beyond anything we could have imagined twenty years ago because we are now able to communicate to thousands, or even millions of people at one time. We are using these social platforms to interact with and engage candidates; source candidates from their social footprint and form online relationships with them before we even meet them. Not so long ago it might have been alarming to have a stranger (who knows your name, age and employment status) approach you online. SEO As a result of now living in a digital world, adverts for jobs we are placing on the market require more attention to detail than the old ‘40-worder’ in the local newspaper. We want people to find our jobs before they find anyone else’s, so the use of SEO has become a crucial part of recruitment marketing strategy. We need to research exactly what kind of keywords potential candidates are using when searching for jobs online, and then more importantly, we need to use them correctly. And it’s not only search engines; with social networking profiles like LinkedIn becoming increasingly important in the industry, we have to apply SEO across this platform too. Copywriting We have always had to write our job adverts well; it’s copywriting in a respect â€" crafting words to appeal to candidates whilst still articulating your client’s needs and staying on brand. With the large scope of online platforms available to advertise your jobs on now, each job description needs to be written using the relevant language, be placed on the correct sites and most importantly stand out amongst the other hundreds of jobs it’s being posted up against. Branding The mix of two brands (recruiter’s and client’s) in one advertisement is also an important factor to consider. How can we portray our own image as a recruiter or on behalf of our agency, when we have to address the brand guidelines of our clients too? Branding and brand experiences are a key part of recruit marketing. We need to act on behalf of our client’s brand, offering our candidates the best experience possible to earn and retain trust for their brand and in turn this will reflect on us. You want people to share your job ads with friends and family, but you want them to do it for the right reasons. So in 2013, when the whole world is online and one slip-up in communication can have a tremendous ripple effect, you are essentially putting your client’s brand on the line every time you post on their behalf. Direct and email marketing Different media communications are high on a recruiter’s busy marketing schedule too. Direct marketing and email market requires a certain level of knowledge on how to tailor different types of communications to different customer groups. You need to know how to leverage these communication channels to your advantage. Whether you advertise on Twitter, via email or post, you need it to be planned, well researched and effective. Events Events are another winning strategy in recruitment marketing. We have to show our clients that we are industry savvy, following and keeping up with current trends and changes, and then we have to share this knowledge with them. Proactive recruiters are out there setting up networking events, finding a trending topic and gathering industry bodies to discuss them. We invite clients, candidates and colleagues and these events become as much about impressing our clients and attracting passive customers as it does about leveraging the fact that these events are sharable through social media and word of mouth. Recruitment marketing is a sector of recruitment, which is reasonably new; still in it’s early days. There is a new breed of recruiters evolving; recruiters who need to be tech-savvy, socially aware and prepared to learn new skills that better meet client requirements. I’m sure a lot of traditional recruiters will disagree with me here, but being a recruiter in 2013 is a lot more challenging than it was a few years ago. While of course recruiting is still first and foremost a sales role, the marketing role and skill set required are not too far behind. It’s an industry evolution and I believe it’s here to stay.

Is People Management a Science, Art or Bit of Both

Is People Management a Science, Art or Bit of Both My interest was piqued recently by sight of an article about anthropology at work suggesting that “leaders should consider themselves an anthropologist of human culture”. It  lead me to ponder whether or not management is a science or an art. Obviously the answer is both, but I think Drucker may be spot on when he suggests “management is a practice rather than a science or a profession, though containing elements of both”. Practice, that makes sense, we learn as we go, we hope to get better as we practice but we know that there is rarely a definitive answer and solid solution. Knowledge and technology are in a constant state of flux and we adapt our management practices and processes to suit the needs of our people, environment and market. There are some well-tested management theories but there are also a plethora of fads and fashions at play in the workplace. Science is evidence-based, using systematic, organised and tested data to make observations that lead to theories. Universally applicable and valid scientific principles are generally not something we can use when looking at the management of people. It’s difficult to do a double-blind test of a management intervention using real people in the workplace. Neuroscience not fashion This doesn’t stop all sorts of assertions and claims being made for the latest HR theory and sometimes a correlation between factors is reported as a matter of cause and effect. People are not always that easy to work out and our goals, aspirations, drivers and motivations are individual. I  firmly believe that staff want employers who show they care, who take time to engage in career conversations with staff and to provide development opportunities that will meet their aspirations. Not revolutionary, not fashionable but common sense management. Sceptical managers who don’t like fluffy HR fads might consider neuroscience as more useful. Hilary Scarlett, author of Neuroscience for Organisational Change and Director at Scarlett Grey says that “understanding what enables employees’ brains to focus, collaborate and be more innovative will help deliver greater productivity” adding “when HR can equip the organisation to work with the brain rather than despite it, this will promote emotional and mental wellbeing, so reducing stress and the toll that it takes. HR professionals need to understand what helps the brain and what gets in the way”. A better understanding of how people work and how they react is particularly relevant to the design of LD initiatives â€" we know that people who learn together benefit for the collaborative experience and interactive training courses stimulate innovative and creative thinking. A better understanding of neuroscience can help HR professionals cope with change more easily, develop leaders, design effective training and performance assessment systems that aid the efficient achievement of goals. Evidence-based HR There is evidence that goal setting is helpful to workers, especially when you use SMART goals. There is also good evidence that mindfulness-based interventions are helpful with regards to stress and anxiety. I’m convinced of the evidence for using a strengths based formula when working with individuals and teams; a strengths-based approach that is goal oriented in asking staff to set themselves goals they would like to achieve. We ought to base HR management on reliable data and design evidence-based interventions that will significantly improve performance over the long term. Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford School of Business suggests that “too often HR has been about programmes, not thinking.” What we need to tackle productivity and engagement problems are well designed HR programmes that enhance the employee experience not fads that alienate our greatest assets.

Fees For Writing a Resume - Why Interviewers Are So Scared to Ask Questions About Resumes

Fees For Writing a Resume - Why Interviewers Are So Scared to Ask Questions About ResumesWhen I started to hire my own staff, I quickly learned that the first thing I had to ask was about the applicant's experience in writing a resume. Being able to spot a resume that was done in a hurry, was much more difficult than finding one that included the necessary information. Many applicants did not really know what they were doing when it came to such a vital part of the application process.The only way you can get a good impression of the candidate is to ask them what they have done in the past. This is not always an easy task because some people get nervous and do not want to make any mistakes. Even those who are extremely accomplished are often not sure of the proper way to write a resume.Finding a very effective way to ask questions regarding resumes is to ensure that you ask several questions at different points of the hiring process. This way, you will be able to pick up different te chniques and avoid being fooled into paying for services that are not needed. If you are looking for some free tips on resume writing, then you should read this article.Finding the right questions to ask is really the most important part of the interview process. The questions should relate to the job description and cover as many aspects as possible. There are many things to cover, and if you do not ask a question each time, then it is likely that you will miss out on what is important.In general, there are two types of questions that you will likely be asked in an interview. One type is to find out what kind of skills you would need to do the job, and the other type is to find out if you have the right attitude or personality to work for the company. The answers you give when this question is asked should include your resume skills, a real life example of a situation that happened where you were either wrong or right, and whether or not you have ever made a mistake in the past.Ano ther easiest way to ask questions related to resumes is to go back to your interview in a few weeks to see how things went. You can ask the same person what they felt was a good time to ask a question. In this way, you can follow-up with them and find out what their ultimate impression was.Once you do find a candidate that you feel you like, then it is very important to give them a good chance to sell themselves to you. You may want to hire someone else to prepare their resume for you so that you do not have to worry about looking it over yourself. However, if you are trying to save money and not worry about such details, then you can prepare your own resume.For example, if you are interviewing someone who is applying for the same position as yourself, you might want to take a look at what they have done for previous employers, their skills and their job description. It is important to give the candidate a chance to tell you why they are a good fit for the position you are hiring fo r, and why they believe they are the best person for the job.

Do Not Judge Yourself Against All The Other Industry Experts

Do Not Judge Yourself Against All The Other Industry Experts Do Not Judge Yourself Against All The Other Industry Experts Do Not Judge Yourself Against All The Other Industry Experts April 13, 2010 by Career Coach Sherri Thomas Leave a Comment When it comes to finding your signature talents, do not judge yourself against all the other industry experts. That bar is too high and not the intention of this concept. Let me share a story. When I was working for a regional retail chain in Phoenix, my job included writing and producing the companys radio and TV commercials. After two years, the senior managers asked if I could write and produce a corporate video to train our field team on a new product line. I said, Absolutely! and immediately went back into my office and started hyperventilating. I had no idea how to write and produce a corporate video. Luckily, I had producer friends who walked me through the steps. Within one year, our company’s suppliers started hiring me to write and produce their corporate videos. I continued producing corporate videos for two more years and was offered a job at a global high-tech company as a worldwide communications manager. Even though I had no experience in high tech, in fact, at that time I barely knew how to program my cell phone, I decided to make the transition from retail to high tech. I went from being a confident, successful marketing professional in the retail industry, to being a tiny, little fish in a humongous ocean of about 90,000 engineering, high-tech fanatics. It was intimidating, to say the least. I wanted to build my credibility, visibility, and personal brand with my network of peers and senior managers. But how could I do it? I decided to anchor on one of my signature talents â€" being a corporate video expert. My producer and director friends would laugh me under the table to hear I was positioning myself as a video expert. Of course, its only in my mind that I used this term. I never said it out loud, especially since the company had its own corporate video department full of highly qualified producers and directors. But, I knew my videos were pretty good and I could share this knowledge and teach other department managers to create their own internal videos â€" which is exactly what I did. By bringing attention to one of my signature talents, I became the go to person for producing internal videos. I quickly provided value to an extended network of department managers, thus raising my credibility and personal brand within the company.

Looking to Find the Right People for Your Team 3 Tips to Help You Out - CareerAlley

Looking to Find the Right People for Your Team 3 Tips to Help You Out - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Your staff are the most important assets you have. The right team can help propel your business to the next level. Conversely, a team that doesnt gel because the individual components are not committed to the cause, lack the right qualifications, or are pursuing their own agenda, is going nowhere. The right people are always out there if you know where to look. The important thing is to search for the right qualities and dont be dazzled by a candidate that talks the talk but cant walk the walk. Tweet This There are many ways to recruit new people. Big businesses have more money to spend on recruitment, but dont let a small budget discourage you. The right people are always out there if you know where to look. The important thing is to search for the right qualities and dont be dazzled by a candidate that talks the talk but cant walk the walk. If you make a serious mistake in the hiring process, it could come back to bite you in a big way, not to mention cost your business a lot of time and money. Here are three tips to help you find the right people for your team. source Define What You Are Looking For Begin with a detailed job description and then list the qualities you are looking for in a candidate. Be concise. Having some vague notion about what kind of person you are looking for is not going to assist you in the interview process. Circulate the must haves and the desirables to everyone involved in the recruitment journey. That way, if you miss something, someone else will pick up on it. When a job interviewer asks, What is your ideal company? you may think to yourself, Hmm, one that pays six figures, offers unlimited vacation, and has a four-day workweek. But while that may be your fantasy, you need to remember that the hiring manager is looking for an answer thats more grounded in reality. Monster.com Use a Professional Recruitment Agency or Headhunter Recruitment is a time-sap, which is why smart organizations outsource it to professional recruitment agents or headhunters. These people filter out the wheat from the chaff and anyone that makes it through to the interview stage is pre-qualified. It saves you time and effort. The same applies to temporary staff. Instead of wasting time posting an ad online or interviewing a few people off the street, contact a reputable recruitment agency, and let them send you suitably qualified individuals who can slot into the team on day one. If you need to fill a vacancy in a pinch, this is the way to do it. source Make it a Group Decision Its easy to make a bad decision when hiring people. Consider the following scenario. Its 4 PM on a Friday afternoon and this is the last one of a long, tedious line of interviews for a key position in your team. So far, none of the candidates have had the skills you need, but this guy has it all. He is qualified, says all the right things, and above all is confident and personable. You cant afford to waste any more time, so you dont bother consulting with anyone else and offer him the job on the spot. Six months later, its a disaster. Turns out the guy wasnt qualified at all and now you cant get rid of him without a lot of hassle. Lesson learned! Always be proactive when recruiting new team members. The right people are a real asset to your organization, so put time and effort into finding them. Never allow your bias for a candidate, good or bad, sway your decision-making process. We are all subject to unconscious bias. Thats why it should always be a group decision unless the job opening is an entry-level one. Whilst you may be swayed by some charm and a bit of flattery, your colleague will see straight through that person and recognize them for what they truly are. Its always sensible to discuss a potential hire with several people before running the pre-employment checks. If one or more of your team express reservations about the candidate, consider it a red flag. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search