The 5 Types of Responses Hiring Managers Give to CVs

The 5 Types of Responses Hiring Managers Give to CVs When you’re a recruiter submitting candidates to your hiring manager for review can be an unnerving experience, especially when the response can be so varied. You’ve spent days sifting CV’s, sourcing, interviewing and no doubt chasing candidates who seemed to disappear after your initial conversation. Finally getting to those 2 or 3 candidates that you’re certain fit every one of your hiring manager’s many requirements. But the hiring manager’s response never seems to be as simple as a yes or no. These are the 5 most common replies you can expect as a recruiter. 1. The ignore It’s not just candidates that can ghost you in the recruitment process. As a recruiter, you’ve got to expect those hiring managers that vanish after you have sent off CVs. Usually, they are the same hiring managers that call you constantly whilst you are sifting through your candidate pool, repeatedly asking for updates and making certain you are aware how urgent their role is. Then without notification, they disappear. All of sudden you can no longer get past the receptionist, or you’re always managing to just missed them when you call. Knowing the likelihood of your message getting passed on is slim. You try a follow-up email, a call to their work mobile or even a sneaky read receipt but still nothing. Where the candidate’s not quite right, was the vacancy filled or withdrawn? You’re left not knowing, and then you have to be the bearer of bad news to the candidates but that all comes in a day’s work as a recruiter. 2. The flat out no There is nothing worse than the flat out no. You were convinced the candidates would be perfect for the role, they fit the bill in all areas and they are actually enthusiastic about the position. What makes the flat no even tougher to take is the hiring manager who gives no explanation. “They are just not right” or “not what I’m looking for” are common phrases heard by recruiters, statements that definitely don’t help in finding the perfect candidate. You have an inkling that the ideal candidate doesn’t actually exist for this hiring manager but instead, you’re determined to fill the role. It’s the back and forth with the hiring manager, you defend your candidates but they still aren’t buying. No justification of the candidate’s years of experience, a wealth of skills or extensive qualifications that go beyond the brief seem to matter, the no still stands. 3. The Can we see some more CVs first? You can’t go long working in recruitment before you hear this line. It usually follows a promising conversation about a great candidate you’ve sent them, but the hiring manager has got the fear that something better is out there. The perfect candidate could be right in front of them but they want to see everyone else, just in case! They want options, they’re indecisive and have the mindset that they should never offer to the first candidate, regardless of how perfect they are. The hiring manager is sure you can find someone more qualified and more experienced than all the candidates you’ve found so far. 4. The I like them, but Ever had a conversation with a hiring manager when you’re just waiting for the “but” to appear. It’s going too well to be true and then the hiring manager is suddenly questioning whether the candidate will take a slightly lower salary or can they negotiate on hours, benefits etc. The hiring manager begins picking apart every aspect of the candidate’s CV. They originally asked for an entry-level candidate but now they are wondering whether it would be better if the candidate was more experienced. Your candidates are good but the hiring manager wants better. Ideally, they want you to find someone with that candidate’s qualifications but the other candidate’s expertise. You thought you had gone above and beyond with this selection but you need to go one better to please this hiring manager. 5. When can they interview? There is nothing better than this response, you’re one step closer to filling the role. You’ve aced it and found the best candidates and your hiring manager agrees. The hard work paid off and now it’s just down to coaching the candidates through the interview and securing that offer. The ideal would be that every booking was this simple, but this is exactly why you spend so much time searching for the best candidates for the job and why you went beyond just sifting applications. It’s all about the action, getting the candidates booked in as quickly as possible before they’re snapped up by the competition. A good candidate never lasts for long. Now, you’ve just got to hope that the interviews go off smoothly and the job is done.

The Graduates Guide to Job Hunting

The Graduates Guide to Job Hunting If youve recently graduated or are just about to, chances are that the next step for you is to bag yourself a job. Easier said that done, right? Im not going to lie, landing yourself your dream graduate job after University is never going to be a breeze, but that doesnt mean that the right position for you isnt waiting just around the corner. There is a huge level of competition in the job market, with 1.6 million students  graduating with a Bachelor Degree in 2014 alone; so its important that you dedicate yourself fully to your job search and really strive to stand out from the crowd. Lucky for you, our friends at Adecco have come up with a handy guide that will set all your graduates well on your way to landing yourself a job. Follow these simple tips and youll instantly boost your chances of finding  employment in no time. 1) Dont skimp on the prep work: Resume: Its worth putting the time in to create a completely polished, well written resume, as 54% of hiring managers will not offer an interview to applicants with a weak resume. Tailoring it for specific jobs is often beneficial, as you can emphasise your skills and experience that are relevant to that vacancy and it will demonstrate your genuine interest in the job and industry. Try not to waffle, keep your resume to the point and only include the necessary information. Also be sure to proofread it for spelling and grammar errors. Get a family member or friend to read it through as well, to be 100% sure  there are no mistakes and it reads well. Keep learning: Gaps on your resume sometimes create doubt in an employers mind about the applicants dedication, so try to use your free time wisely. Volunteering is great for gaining experience or alternatively you may want to enrol in a short course or evening classes to develop your skills further. If neither of these appeal to you, you can keep your brain active by taking up a new hobby or reading on a regular basis. Behave professionally online: 51% of employers have rejected a candidate based on what they have found on their social media pages, so its probably best  to hold back on the drunken selfies for the time being. If youve accumulated a three year long collection of photos of crazy nights out at University, you may want to check that your privacy settings are set  so that only your friends can see your profile. Platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter are great for job searching, so make best use of them to discover relevant opportunities, create new contacts and build a professional  personal brand. 2) Search, find connect: Networking: Youve heard it before, its not what you know, its who you know. This couldnt be more true, as 64% of employers rate referrals as the highest quality source of candidates; so its important to create a network of professional contacts who can assist you with your job hunt. You can do this by attending events, through social media sites such as LinkedIn or asking existing contacts to introduce you to new people. Seek out roles: As much as its important to keep a positive attitude towards your job hunt, you need to be realistic. If you are yet to build on your experience, you may want to apply for something that is appropriate to the level of experience you have rather than being dead set on getting your dream job straight away. Be proactive in your job hunt. Sure job boards are a good place to start your job search, but there are lots of other sources that you can look for vacancies, where there will be less competition. Youll open your job search if you look beyond your desired city or region. You never know what could be lying beyond your comfort zone! 3) Sealing the deal: Youve landed an interview, great! Nows the hard bit. Youve got to convince your interviewer that you are the perfect candidate for the job. Dress appropriately: Be sure to present yourself smartly and professionally for your interview. 50% of hiring managers say the biggest interview mistake is dressing inappropriately, so find out the companys dress code and dress accordingly. Be engaged: Your sole focus should be on your interviewer, so try not to get distracted by anything else going on around you. Maintaining eye contact will make you appear focused and confident and 33% of employers will reportedly reject a candidate based on a lack of eye contact. Other things that can ruin your chances are being unable to answer questions, fidgeting and bad posture.   Be prepared: Do your research ahead of the  interview so you are familiar with the company and the role you are interviewing for. You want to be prepared for anything they may ask you, so come up with some appropriate answers to questions you are likely to be asked, that link your experience to the role.  Rehearsing ahead of the day is also recommended. RELATED: Graduates: Top 4 Tips for Making Yourself More Employable

How Social Media Has Transformed Talent Acquisition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Social Media Has Transformed Talent Acquisition - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A SHRM Discussion With Will Staney Recruiting has evolved. What used to be a world consumed by job boards, applications, automation and job hunters is now a place of  social recruiting  â€" one where referrals, analytics and integrated recruiting rule. Candidate expectations have shifted drastically, too. Today, 47% of workers were born after 1980. And by 2025, more than 75% of workers will be of the “social media generation” and will have grown up with real-time social communication as the norm. Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Skype, YouTube and other apps, social networks and websites have reinvented the way that job seekers search for and apply to jobs. It’s these expectations and rapid advancements in social technology that have allowed social to influence the way we  recruit. Here are five main aspects of  talent acquisition  that are being completely disrupted by social media: Sourcing and Pipeline Talent Paper resumes are a thing of the past. Finding candidates has never been easier than it is right now with the rise of social technology. Because 96% of the online population is on at least one social network, having a multi-channel sourcing strategy has never been more important. With social technology, the world has become smaller. It’s important to recognize, however, that while new technologies make it easier to find talent, this boost from social media is also making sourcing for talent much more complex and candidates even more segmented. In turn, the role of “sourcer” has evolved to that of a marketer, technologist, detective and the best salesperson at the company. Employer Branding and Talent Attraction Employer branding is maturing into a profession of its own. Social has made employer branding extremely complex, which means you need a dynamic content marketing approach to your recruiting strategy. Employer branding today is all about content, so tell your story! Post on social media, create videos with employees and bring it all together. Be consistent with your branding, promote your social accounts wherever and whenever you can, showcase employee videos and have live social feeds on your Glassdoor profile. Candidate Experience and Engagement Before social, recruiting was transactional and impersonal. But now, social and mobile applications can be easy and extremely user-friendly. People have always been talking about your company, and social technology and online communities have transformed talent acquisition by enabling candidates to join the conversation. Engage talent and gather insights to help make your company culture something worth tweeting about! In today’s connected and mobile world, candidate expectations are high, which means recruiters need to focus on making their lives easier on mobile. With social also comes the need for  transparency. Real-time communication is absolutely necessary. Engage with your audience and encourage them to learn more about your company and brand. In short, it’s all about building talent communities and shifting away from reactive recruiting environments towards the present. Talent Acquisition Technology Social media sites like Facebook and Pinterest have completely transformed how we think of recruiting technology. CRM technology is now fused with social technology, from capturing social profile data to conversations and engagement. The time for candidate relationship management is now â€" capture rich living profile data that can be stored and utilized for strategic recruitment initiatives. The ability to create internal databases of social profiles, competitor intelligence and past applicants is at our fingertips. A rising trend in talent acquisition technology is towards open Web sourcing tools. Technology like this simplifies the vastness of web sources to a single search of aggregated information on talent, making sourcing more efficient and saving recruiters time in identifying top talent. Recruiting Analytics and Metrics The great thing about social media is that every bit of it is measurable. It’s no longer just about time-to-fill or cost-per-hire â€" recruiters have to start thinking about engagement metrics, reputation, brand impressions and source analytics. You need help from employees and leadership to make your social strategy successful. Getting employees engaged and signed on as ambassadors is a must to succeed, and so is communication from leaders to the organization as a whole explaining the mission and plan. Check out the presentation I just gave on this topic at #SHRM14,  complete slides available here.   Author Bio Will Staney  is  Glassdoors Head Talent Warrior.

Junk Foods

Junk Foods Donut Day.  Pi (Pie!) Day.  Girl Scout Cookie Day.  Theres a whole calendar of days to help us further indulge our already out of control urge for junk food. We all may start out with good intentions, a healthy diet, avoid sweets and sugary drinks, but there are times when we need and require comfort food We crave it! It may be after a long night at the pub, or it may be we are out and about and cannot be bothered with going home and cooking. We’ll just grab a quick bite at the local chippy or fast food restaurant. And eating like this in moderation is fine, we all need to feed our “junk food souls” once in a while. However, we also must try to stay fit and healthy.  Heres what it takes to burn off those yummies. The NHS says that a healthy man needs around 2,500k calories a day, and that women need around 2,000k calories a day. Naturally some of these calories are going to be made up of fats, some of which are good and some of which are bad. We need to watch out for the saturated fats, as they can cause us to have high cholesterol, and this can lead to heart disease and heart attacks. All of which we want to avoid. So watching our diets is important, and so is exercise. We need to pick ourselves up off the sofa and get out there and walk, ride a bike, work out at the gym, we need to get moving. And when you bring together our love for junk foods, and how we are going to have them from time-to-time, and exercise, just how much energy and exercise do we need to do to burn off the odd burger or pizza?? No one is saying give up fast food, you just need to know how much exercise you will need to do to in order to burn it off. Here is an 8 step workout to help you to stay fit and healthy while indulging in a few tasty treats. McDonald’s Big Mac “Two all beef patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, special sauce, on a sesame seed bun.” One of the granddaddies of the burger world, the Big Mac. The Mac stands alone at 490 calories and has 24g of fat. For a normal man, this represents almost a 5th of their daily calories, and quarter of their daily allowed fat intake. A man would need to do 42 minutes of a cardio workout to burn this off, and women would need a cardio workout of 51 minutes. If you just want to lift weights, a man would require 57 minutes of weightlifting and women would need just over an hour at 68 minutes. Cardio: Men â€" 42 minutes Women â€" 51 minutes Weightlifting: Men â€" 57 minutes Women â€" 68 minutes McDonald’s French Fries â€" Large If you are going to have a Big Mac, what goes better with it then Micky D’s fries. What do they do to make them so tasty?! People even try to make them at home. However, they have 460 calories, and 22g of fat. This is almost a 5th of a man’s calories for the day, and over a quarter of their allowed fat. If you couple a large fry with a Big Mac, you are nearing half the daily calories allowed for a man, you are very close to half the daily calories allowed for a woman, and at half the daily allowed fat. This all in one meal. So how can you burn the fries off: Cardio: Men â€" 40 minutes Women â€" 48 minutes Weightlifting: Men â€" 53 minutes women â€" 64 minutes Soft Drink: 330ml Coca Cola While you are having that Big Mac and fries, you need something to wash it all down with, so why not an ice cold coke. While the soft drink has no fat, which is good, it does have with it 139 calories. To burn this off: Cardio: Men â€" 12 minutes Women â€" 14 minutes. Weightlifting: Men â€" 16 minutes Women â€" 19 minutes To put this in perspective for you, should you drink three (3) fizzy type drinks a day, you would need to take these times and multiply by three. So Men would need 36 minutes of cardio or 48 minutes of weightlifting, and women would need 42 minutes of cardio or 57 minutes of weightlifting. All for 3 sodas. To also put this in perspective, if you opt for an “extra value” meal consisting of a Big Mac, fries and a drink, men would need to do cardio for 94 minutes, women for 113 minutes, or almost an hour an a half You can do the math on weightlifting, it is even more. Pizza: Pizza Express Margherita One of my favourite indulgences, pizza. And you can find this one in your local supermarkets as well. However, this indulgence does not come without a price, in calories. The pie has 682 calories, and 22g of fat. Again, this is over a 5th of the allowed daily calories for a man, and well over a quarter of the daily calories allowed for a woman. To burn this pizza off: Cardio: Men â€" 59 minutes Women â€" 71 minutes of working out Weightlifting: Men â€" 79 minutes Women â€" 94 minutes that’s over an hour and half for women Fried Chicken: KFC 3 Pieces Another one of my culinary delights, fried chicken. When I was a teenager I actually cooked KFC chicken for a few years, and I never got tired of eating it. That secret recipe is one well guarded recipe. Of course, these tasty morals of fowl are not low in calories. They have 726 calories in them, and 42g of fat. While that may only be a third of the daily calories allowed for a man, it still represents over half your allowed fat for a day. So tasty, but high in fat. To burn this bird off: Cardio: Men â€" 63 minutes Women â€" 75 minutes Weightlifting: Men â€" 84 minutes Women â€" 101 minutes Chocolate: Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Bar 45g Calling all chocoholics! And you know who you are. Indulging in your favourite chocolate bar will cost you 237 calories and 14g of fat. That doesn’t sound too bad to me. To melt that chocolate waist you need to: Cardio: Men â€" 21 minutes Women â€" 25 minutes Weightlifting: Men â€" 28 minutes Women â€" 33 minutes Beer: A Pint of Stella Artois OK, here’s where a lot of the fellas are going to start to feel the need for working out. If you go down to your local and toss a few pints back, it can add up. A pint of this fine lager, whilst having no fat, has 245 calories per pint. To flush these calories away you need to: Cardio: Men â€" 21 minutes Women â€" 25 minutes Weightlifting: Men â€" 28 minutes Women â€" 34 minutes So in the time it may take you to drink that pint, you need just as much time to burn it off. To put this into perspective: If you drank six (6) pints out on one evening, you would need to cardio 126 minutes, or over two hours for a man. Cake: Tesco Chocolate Fudge Cake 450g Some of us “love the cake”, that is our sweet treasure. This treasure comes with a caloric price tag of 1710 calories, and 90g of fat. A pretty hefty price tag at that. To get rid of this: Cardio: Men â€" 149 minutes Women â€" 178 minutes Weightlifting: Men â€" 199 minutes Woman â€" 237 minutes You have got to really love the cake for that kind of workouts. If you have followed our little workout plan as you read along, you would have burned up 880 calories. Enough for a pint and a Big Mac, and some other goodies. As with everything in life, moderation is the key.

8 Ignite Videos to Skyrocket Your Career

8 Ignite Videos to Skyrocket Your Career If you are a follower of our blog, you probably are no stranger to TED.   But have you met TEDs little cousin Ignite? Where TED has ideas worth spreading, Ignite wants their presenters to, Enlighten us, but make it quick. If you want to present at an Ignite event, you take a topic and present it in 20 slides in five minutes or less.   Your slides are on auto rotation so you have to have to know your stuff.   Otherwise, you just look like an idiot. Which is why it is so great to watch. Sure, we might not hear Dan Pinks experiments with motivation or Ken Robinsonss ideas on how schools kill creativity, but you can still find other enlightening talks like how to jump off a cliff by a professional rock climber, or how to get 5 million people to read your website by Mathew Inman (creator of The Oatmeal). But, instead of just telling you about it and letting you go off to dig through the hundreds of presentations willy nilly until you might find one that was a hit, I thought Id do you a favor and list some of my favorites. I summarized some of the points below to give you an idea which ones you might want to check out. 1.   How to Get 5 Million People to Read Your Website by Matthew Inman I think every professional should be involved on a website or have their own.   Its a great source for sharing your expertise. I loved this video in particular, because Matthew does this in a creative way not being done by anyone else at the moment. Matthew Inman was a web designer who found he could grow quite the audience after he picked up on the ques of what makes a site popular. 1.   Pick a topic we all have a gripe with Printers 2.   Pick something everyone can relate to Cats trying ambush you 3.   Find something that is not being articulated and go for it   Common spelling errors people make that drive us nuts 4.   Pick something you can react to that everybody hates or is popular for no reason Twilight 5.   Pick something everyone is involved with but knows nothing about Whats in all those Starbucks drinks? 6.   Make something disgusting Women with Mustaches Marvelous Man Boobs 7.   Make an Engaging Title 6 Reasons Bacon is Better Than True Love 8.   Educate people, make it easy for them to learn 2.   Flash Mob Gone Wrong by Tom Scott This was an incredibly pieced together story of the power of social media and the internet.   Just watch it. 3. The Practicality of Pessimism: Stoicism as a Productivity System Tim Ferriss Tim talks about a single exercise he did one night that led to his book and much of the success thereafter. Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals Take a piece of paper and make three columns.   In the first column write down what your fear is and what the worst case scenario would be. In the second column, list all the things you could do to minimize the likelihood of those things happening. In the last column, list all the things you could do to re achieve the status-quo, or get back to where you are now. He found that taking a step in the area he feared was an unlikely transient value of 2 while potential life changing possibilities in that direction were a ten 4.   The Pomodoro Techniqe by Greg Head Sometimes its hard to get the most value out of our work day.   So Greg shares one technique that helps him get through the work. 1.   Choose a task 2.   Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes 3.   Work on that task without stopping 4.   When time is up, stop for 5 minutes 5.   The 22 Minute Meeting by Nicole Steinbok Dont you wish you had a DVR for meetings?   Nicole breaks down how to run a meeting at its most efficient level, 22 minutes. 1.   Schedule a 22 minute meeting 2.   Have a goal based agenda 3.   Send a required reading 3 days beforehand 4.   Start on time 5.   Stand up 6.   No laptops, but presenters and note takers 7.   No phones, no exceptions 8.   Focus! Note off topic comments 9.   Send notes and action items ASAP 6.   Trading a Paperclip for a House by Kyle MacDonald If you havent seen this story of how Kyle traded a red paperclip all the way to a house, then you need to watch this. We mention Kyle whenever we want to talk about the power of connections.   He was able to achieve a remarkable feat all through networking. Kyle didnt have any special talents, skills, or knowledge, and demonstrated beautifully how far someone can go based on connections alone. 7.   How to Work a Crowd by Alexis Bauer One skill that is valuable in any situation is the ability to win a crowd.   Alexis has this down to a science and investing five minutes in this is well worth it. 1.   Be a leader 2.   Use open ended questions 3.   Keep them talking about things you find interesting 4.   Use engaging body language 5.   Keep it real 6.   Practice with professionals 7.   Learn to use embarrassment as a bonding tool 8.   Add new people into the conversation 9.   Move eyes to the new and old person, going back and forth. 8.   Cup Noodle: Innovation, Inspiration, and Manga by Jason Grigsby The story behind the product every college student lives off of was actually quite interesting.   Jason Grisby takes us through the process Nissin went through to come up with their solution. This process can still be followed today with many of the projects we work on. 1.   Compelling Vision Passionate Leaders 2.   Embrace Constraints 3.   Design For People 4.   Iterative Design 5.   Diverse Teams 6.   Dont Limit Yourself 7.   Seek Simple Solutions 8.   Understand What Sets You Apart 9.   Word of Mouth 10.   Celebrate Your Victories Which Were Your Favorites? Did I leave off an Ignite video that should be mentioned?   Which was your favorite?

College Internship To Full-Time Job Success Story Jessica A. Zaloom - VocationVillage

College Internship To Full-Time Job Success Story Jessica A. Zaloom - VocationVillage This success story is part of a series profiling people who leveraged their college internship experience into a full-time job. This interview features Jessica A. Zaloom, an advertising professional.Jessica, what college did you attend?Lehigh UniversityWhat year did you graduate from college?2010Where did you complete an internship?DeVito/Verdi, a full-service advertising agency in New York City How did you find/land your internship?I knew I wanted to land a job in the marketing/PR industry, as all of my internships during the school year were along these lines. After doing my research, and applying to a small handful of strong, mid-sized agencies, I chose to work for DeVito/Verdi during the summer of my graduation, hoping that my hard work and work ethic would land me a full-time spot.What type of work did you do during your internship?During my internship I learned a great deal from co-workers. I drafted news releases for the press, built relationships with clients, and learned how to make anything seem news-worthy. All of these things would be necessary for completing my day-to-day tasks successfully and efficiently.What was one significant thing you learned about working during your internship?Not every day would be a walk in the park. Some days would be good days, while others would be extremely challenging. I learned not to let one bad day affect my entire week. It was important to learn from mistakes and do better next time. Also, I asked A LOT of questions. Even though I was afraid the questions may seem stupid, it was my way of learning even the smallest things. Sometimes people will assume you know something. But, it never hurts to ask to make sure you understand.How did your internship lead to a job offer?After the summer was over, and the other (still in school) interns were finishing up their time here, I expressed my interest in staying with the company, permanently, if possible. I had been learning a lot and really enjoying my time here. It was by far the best internship experience I had yet, and I was not ready to leave it to start all over elsewhere. After all, I had graduated and was ready to work full time. After speaking with my boss, I was hired full-time at DeVito/Verdi, and I have been extremely happy here since.Any words of wisdom you would like to share with current college students?It’s OK to not land your “dream job” ri ght away. Be patient, work hard, and don’t lose sight of your goals.Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your experience and advice.. Read Another College Internship Success Story . Go To Complete List of College Internship Success Stories

5 Strategies to Curb Your Micromanaging Ways Marla Gottschalk

5 Strategies to Curb Your Micromanaging Ways Marla Gottschalk If youve ever been micro-managed, you fully understand the aggravating confidence-busting results that can occur. Fear of impending failure, decreased motivation and complete disengagement from your work. When your supervisor doesnt seem to understand the levity of the potential consequences â€" work life can become quite miserable. However, if you are that individual doing the managing â€" and worry that you tend toward micromanaging â€" there is little advice to actually help save you from yourself. In many cases, it may feel that the root of micromanaging begins with the behavior of a struggling employee. However, there is another perspective to consider. Setting personality characteristics aside â€" your need to micro-manage could be the result of neglecting a few, very necessary best practices. So, lets explore a few ideas to help curb a tendency to micromanage: Become mindful of the potential consequences. Pause and consider that you need to support an employee, not badger them. Ultimately, you cannot control every individual action â€" and if you try do so you â€" you squelch autonomy, independent thought and growth. However, the worst outcomes are yet to come: the damage you will wreak upon trust and self-confidence. Evaluate employee strengths in relation to assignments. If performance seems under par, have a conversation with the employee about the scope of his work in relation to his or her skill set. Sometimes an employee is simply not a fit for the work at hand, and this must be addressed in short shrift. If it becomes evident that this was a selection mistake â€" take actions to re-assign them. Commit to communicating fully. Many performance issues have much to do with unclear performance expectations about the role or how the work should be completed (Organizational style and mores come into play). So, dont skimp on communicating job-related information during on-boarding and the initial months of employment. Furthermore, review best practices at the start of key assignments. If you invest more time in your employee, there will be far fewer issues to potentially micromanage down the line. Discuss feedback mechanisms. Individual differences reign here. While we all must be accountable, what may completely suffocating to one employee check-in wise, may be perfectly acceptable to another. Be sure to agree upon the level of day to day supervision, that works for both you and your employee. If possible, consider utilizing technology (Trello and Basecamp, for example) to dampen your desire to look in too frequently. Emphasize on-going learning development. It seems that our work lives become more challenging by the day. As a   result, your staff may require on-going training to stay prepared. If someones skills begin to lag behind, it is up to you ensure they have the opportunity to seek the training that they require. Are you a recovering micro-manager? How did you stop the cycle? Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, consultant and coach. She holds the role of Senior Consultant at Allied Talent and also serves as the Director of Thought Leadership at Kilberry Leadership Advisors.

How Recruiters Should NOT Run LinkedIn Groups

How Recruiters Should NOT Run LinkedIn Groups I was invited to join a LinkedIn group the other day. Well actually I probably get invited to join a LinkedIn group every day but this one stood out. I am not going to name the group or the recruitment company that started it, Ill simply mention what lessons we can all learn here. In a world with 2 million LinkedIn groups you cant afford to waste time on doing things wrong. Heres how NOT to run a LinkedIn group: The name of the group was the same as the recruitment agency. Unless you are Apple or Google its going to be hard to build a community around your brand on LinkedIn, very few people will want to join a group that carries a name like Mickey Mouse Recruitment. Ideally youd want to build the group around a topic, such as HR, Marketing or Healthcare. This is going to interest professionals in that field, Joe Bloggs Staffing is not. There were 4 posts in the group, all by the group manager and all about current vacancies that the recruitment agency are working on. So no content about the market, people or news. No real discussions between peers. Not even a question for anyone just a direct sales channel in other words. A soon as I saw this I knew this would be another tumbleweed LinkedIn group set up by a recruiter. I saw no reason to join this group unless you are an active jobseeker. If its all about jobs and recruitment, it wont attract the 80% of LinkedIn users who are happy in their jobs big mistake when we know that passive candidates are typically the best ones.  Even when a jobseeker does join this group, as soon as they find a new job what will they do? Leave the group as soon as they find something. My invite was sent way too early. Why send invites to a group that has less than 5 members? Its a fact that people want to go where other people are, just think of that swanky night club with long queues outside. The better way of doing it would be to reach a critical mass, say 50 or 100 people before blasting it out to un-initiated users. So start with the team, then friends and family (if they oblige that is), then candidates and clients that already know you and then go public with the group. I didnt stick around long enough to gauge the group rules, moderation, any welcome emails so dont know if they actually did these things right. I for one wont be going back to find out. Any other thoughts on how not to run a LinkedIn group? Please let me know! Related: How To Grow a LinkedIn Group to 50k+ Members [Case Study].

How to Make Your Resume Mobile-Friendly

How to Make Your Resume Mobile-Friendly As mobile phones become smarter, recruiters are also following suit. In the last three years, social media recruitment went from 39 percent to over 52 percent. And most of this recruitment was done via some sort of mobile technology.Recruiters and Hiring Managers are extremely busy professionals and often use their cell phones to go through their emails Which of the two following resumes do you think she will gravitate towards?She won’t be able to check this one properly until she can download a copy on a desktop version of Microsoft Word. Plus â€" where’s his number? It seems to be hidden by a light blue box.So she closes it and quickly opens the next.Richard’s thankfully made her life easier by using a nearly plain-text resume format that shows up beautifully on her iPhone. She taps his number, her phone dials it, and she gets Richard on the phone to ask what his availabilities are this week.She promptly forgets all about Dean and returns to her busy schedule.evalFrankly, in this short-attention-span age, the quicker you can make your point and inspire people to interview you, the better off you are.Follow these simple tips to make sure your resume passes the “mobile-friendly” test:1. Use a simple formatResist the urge to go all out when formatting your resume. Use a clean font, larger than size 10, so that the reader doesn’t need to zoom in to see your resume. Use lots of white space, avoid tables, and use bulleted lists wherever possible.2. Think verticalMost people look at their mobile screen vertically and scroll down using just a single finger or thumb. Pack the top 1/3rd of your resume Make Hiring Managers’ lives easy by keeping your resume to just a couple of pages and using short, simple bullets to explain what you did. Group similar bullets together and delete or combine redundant ones.4. Use hyperlinks to save spaceAdd hyperlinks to your contact number and email to make it easier for hiring managers to contact you while they’re still on their phone. Include your personal portfolio, if applicable. Try to keep your contact info to a single line.5. Test,Test,Test!Send your resume to several friends with different cell phones. At the very least you want to check what your resume looks like on an iPhone, Blackberry, and Android phones. Save your resume in Word, not PDF, because if the recruiter wants to upload your resume to an Applicant Tracking System, your Word file will perform better.6. Make it easy for them to understand what you doThe purpose of a resume is to secure an interview. One of the best ways to quickly make an impression is to include your headline right under your name, just like Richard did in his resume.You can use this link to generate a headline to put in your own resume. Doing so will help recruiters quickly understand what your biggest strengths are.

Why Is It So Hard to Write My Own C-level Career Brand Biography - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Why Is It So Hard to Write My Own C-level Career Brand Biography Composing a biography (or any other career marketing document) can be overwhelming. Its not easy to write about yourself. Knowing what to include, what not to include, how to write to the reader, and why hiring authorities care about your personality are just some of the stumbling blocks. You may not understand the value of a career brand biography over the traditional bio you may be used to  â€" a boring rehash of your resume that gives little or no feel for what kind of person you are, what attributes and strengths drive you, and how those brand attributes can benefit potential employers. I find that my clients sometimes have a hard time completing my bio worksheet, even though they know Ill be doing the actual writing. They resist talking about themselves. But also, some are worried about broadcasting what they consider to be highly personal information about themselves. I reassure them that its okay to let people in on their softer side. In fact, this is the very information hiring authorities are seeking in top-level executive candidates, but dont often get, and gives my clients a competitive advantage over their peers who dont use this strategy. I tell them to rely on the storytelling benefits of brand bios to complement and work in tandem with their executive resume. Bios can do what resumes dont do as successfully: Showcase your leadership and management acumen through softer skills and “good fit” attributes, and link them to your value proposition. Personalize your C-A-Rs (Challenge Actions Results) stories and use them to reinforce your brand attributes and key strengths. Generate chemistry around how you use your key personal attributes, passions, strengths, and motivated skills to make things happen for employers. Help employers connect with you and envision you on the job, having a positive impact. Related posts: How to Write a C-level Executive Career Brand Biography 10 Steps to an Authentic, Magnetic Personal Brand How to Write An Irresistible C-level Executive Brand Resume in 10 Steps 00 0

Tips for job seekers - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Tips for job seekers Enjoying a career in our own choice of industry is what everyone strives for when putting in the hard hours during each rung of the education ladder, but jobs very rarely fall on our laps when we most want one. Finding work has become extremely difficult in recent years, with a global recession resulting in a considerable number of companies falling into liquidation, which has in turn created an overwhelming imbalance between supply and demand. People are often left feeling disheartened at not being able to find employment that would provide them with occupational and financial benefits, but there are a number of handy tips which those looking for work can use to improve their chances. Stay positive The one thing to remember when you are unemployed that it is, in fact, your job is to look for employment. This can be used as motivation to search for jobs on a regular basis, whether it is in the local job centre, newspaper or online. You should always stay positive throughout the process of applying for jobs and waiting for a reply; although you may be unsuccessful with applications and do not hear back from prospective employers, there are always new vacancies made available via companies who are looking for people with particular skills and experience which may be a perfect fit for you. Positivity can ensure that you keep trying and prevent falling into the trap of giving up, with perseverance and a positive mindset important to making the all-important break you are searching for. Get plenty of rest and sleep It is naturally understandable for some people to spend all day and night searching for a job, but there comes a time when you need to take your body and mind’s condition into consideration. Taking several rest breaks and enjoying a good night’s sleep on a comfortable bed will ensure that you remain focused and ensure the batteries remain charged ready for the day ahead. Losing sleep and becoming an insomniac is one of the consequences of not having a job, and not gaining proper rest can also be detrimental when it comes to interviews as it will prevent you from looking facially presentable and answer questions coherently or with the right attitude. These factors can instantly deter a potential employer from acquiring your services, so it is always important to spend adequate hours tucked up in bed. Sell yourself in a positive light Potential employers look for candidates who not only fit the required specifications and skillsets needed for the job, but also look for people who sell themselves and their qualities to make them stand out from the rest. It is therefore essential that you ensure every aspect of your C.V, cover letter and work portfolio (if one is required) portrays your personality and the qualities you can bring to the table. The same rule also applies to interviews, as it allows you to showcase yourself in a professional light; wearing suitable clothing, learning about the company’s history and highlighting your key abilities can make the difference between missing out and being successful in your quest to gain employment.

RAF Eligibility Criteria 2017 How To Ace Enlistment

RAF Eligibility Criteria 2017 How To Ace Enlistment The Royal Air Force or RAF is an equal opportunity employer meaning that no race, social, cultural, religious background is discriminated against. It does not matter if a candidate is male, female, or gay. The RAF likes to recruit a variety of individuals to ensure that all careers are filled with proper candidates from all backgrounds and education. There are still RAF recruitment eligibility requirements that must be met for a candidate to apply and succeed through training to an enlisted position. The starting age for the RAF is 16 years of age with parental consent. RAF Eligibility CriteriaMen and women can apply; however, certain roles for combat such as the RAF Regiment are restricted to men only. As for other RAF eligibility criteria, one must meet the age, fitness, and nationality/residency qualifications. For certain ranks and positions within the RAF academic requirements might apply. Generally, education requirements are restricted to officers or candidates hoping to enter in an officer position rather than go through cadet training from the lowest possible rank in the RAF. For those in an HM Forces Service position applications are processed only mildly differently. Nationality and Residency RequirementsAny candidate will need to have a British, Commonwealth or Dual citizenship for Britain. If the nationality requirements are met then the individual needs to prove they were in the UK for the last 5 years with no more than 28 days per annum spent outside of the UK. If there is a strong reason for being out of the country and supporting evidence than an application may be approved but it is a case by case situation.Fitness and MedicalEvery candidate must meet certain medical requirements to move through the application process. Height and weight is not always specific; however, certain jobs require a minimum height in order to perform the duties. It is best to check your height based on your potential placement in the RAF. Minimum and maximum BMIs are in place for health and safety reasons. BMI ranges need to be within 17 to 32 depending on gender and age. Any male 18 or older is required to be 18 to 32. A person 16 years of age must be within 17 to 27.Part of the RAF eligibility criteria includes taking eyesight tests. There are minimum standards to be met for uncorrected and corrected eyesight based on the position a candidate will hold. For regular roles +/- 6 dioptres is required. Also colour blindness is not accepted in certain roles, but does not eliminate a candidate entirely. These tests may take place at the Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO).The medical staff in the RAF conducting the medical exams and fitness assessment can decide on a case by case basis if a person can handle the physical requirements of the job and the training that is required. There is some room for candidates to pass without strictly being within the ranges stated above for height, weight, and eyesight. There are also certain conditions that coul d exclude a person from joining the RAF. The Royal Air Force does not believe every candidate needs to be a top athlete, but in fit enough condition to handle the situations that arise.Part of the fitness section is a 2.4 km run that must be completed within a certain time frame. There are also press-ups and sit-ups required. Each age group and gender has a certain minimum that must be met in terms of number and a maximum time allowable for the run.   Depending on age males must make the run in 11.39 to 13.27 minutes, do 15 to 20 press-ups and 20 to 35 sit-ups. Females have 13.54 to 15.53 minutes to complete the run, 5 to 10 press-ups, and 17 to 32 sit-ups. The age group is a range of 16 to 54 for men and women. There are entry criteria and then training completion requirements. The RAF does not expect the highest performance level until after training.Convictions, Bankruptcy and Criminal ChecksEven candidates who have a conviction on their record may still meet the RAF eligibility criteria. Depending on the offence the person may be kept out of certain service positions or held to a lower ranking. It will depend on the situation and how long ago the conviction occurred. If court proceedings are still ongoing denial is made for the application.Bankruptcy when un-discharged makes a candidate ineligible for RAF recruitment. Additionally, certain positions may require a criminal records bureau clearance before acceptance. This entry was posted in Armed Forces, Eligibility Criteria. Bookmark the permalink. Joshua Brown Paramedic Eligibility CriteriaFirefighter Eligibility Criteria: PQAs and other Essentials

Try These Unique Networking Methods!

Try These Unique Networking Methods! When it comes to networking, you don’t always have to step completely out of your shell to meet new people. One of the common misconceptions people have about networking is you have to attend professional events to make new contacts. However, sometimes you can make a professional contact just by living your daily life and being friendly. Here are some unique ways you can expand your network without having to attend a professional networking event. 1. Volunteer Volunteering is always good to do anyway, but you also never know whom you might meet in the process. Strike up a conversation with your fellow volunteers and learn a little more about their life from a personal and professional standpoint. Plus, volunteering will help with your LinkedIn profile development and you can connect with other people who have volunteered with the same organization (possibly in other cities as well). 2. Go to the Gym The gym generally isn’t a place people expect to make good networking contacts. However, just talking to the person next to you could lead to good conversations about a variety of topics. Just don’t be overly pushy when trying to strike up a conversation. Sometimes people want to stick to themselves when they’re at the gym, so be sure to recognize these cues and don’t bother people who want to stay to themselves. 3. Church Groups Most professional resume writing services won’t ask you to put any church organizations on your resume, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable for networking purposes. Depending on how active you are in your church group, you could make some lifelong friends and quality business contacts just by participating in events. 4. Just Be Friendly You don’t need a LinkedIn profile writing service to tell you friendliness is the best way to make good connections. You can network just about anywhere you go. The grocery store, the park, restaurants and anywhere else could be perfect for networking if you are friendly. Most people don’t mind talking to other people and being friendly. You never know where the conversation might lead. There are a lot of interesting people in the world who could help your professional growth; you just have to find them! You don’t have to be skilled at LinkedIn profile development in order to grow your network. For other networking tips and to learn how you can approach people in a professional manner, feel free to contact us at any time.

How To Answer the Overqualified Interview Question - Hallie Crawford

How To Answer the Overqualified Interview Question The lament I hear from my aged 50+ clients is:   I get the same question in every interviewDont you think you are overqualified which translates into I am too old.  However, it is a legitimate question for a company to ask anyone who has done work similar to the job being applied to.  After all, you could become bored and quit after the company has invested in you. So, lets recognize the elephant in the room, and tackle it head on with a response that is both honest and shows your determination in getting the job.  Here are some suggested phrases that you can use:                While my qualifications are extensive, every company has different processes, and I am continuous learner eager to understand different approaches and enjoy working with new people.  And, my broad experience makes me an ideal mentor for younger workers.                I have enjoyed this kind of work for many years and want to continue to do it as I get a great sense of fulfillment from it and certainly would not find it boring.  I really do want this job and appreciate the opportunity to work for such a terrific company.                Please appreciate that I am very healthy and vital and can stay with the company for many years.                For those reasons, I feel I am an excellent candidate for this position. Resist the limiting belief of being too old.    It will show in your attitude and be noticed during the interview.  With more people staying in the workforce and not retiring, you are only as old as you think you are.  Lots of companies welcome 50+ workers because of their experience and their dedication to work.  Why not be one of them! We hope this is helpful to you! Katie Weiser, Associate Coach at HallieCrawford.com