How Can Businesses Become More Efficient at Recruiting

How Can Businesses Become More Efficient at Recruiting There are two sides to this. Firstly, how can businesses structure their recruiting needs efficiently and secondly, how can they go about the hiring process in the best possible way? From a recruiting perspective, it makes it harder for an agency to sell a job to a candidate if the employer has clearly not thought about where the new person will sit in the organisation and/or the precise parameters of the vacancy in question. Not to mention, businesses could also be saving money! Equally, there is little to motivate an agency when their standard fees have been negotiated heavily and many of their competitors have also been briefed on the same job. Pre-planning can save your business money: When someone leaves your organisation, it is common procedure to call your agency and ask for a replacement. Before picking up the phone take time out, from a Managerial or HR perspective, to look at the individuals within your organisation. How effective are they in their jobs? Are they able to carry out their roles in the best possible way within the current organisational frame work? By making a few tweaks here and there, you might help your employees to do their job better and you might increase efficiency within the organisation. It in turn means that you will be more targeted in your approach when it comes to hiring. To use an example, a Client has a team of 5 PAs. All are paid the same, yet one is supporting the CEO and another is based on Reception. The PA supporting the CEO doesn’t have the experience required and the CEO is unhappy and the PA working on Reception has too much experience and doesn’t want to be based on Reception any more. The PA to the CEO is leaving and so is one of the other three PAs. This is a classic case for restructure. In this case, move the PA/Receptionist into the Team PA role and bring in a dedicated Receptionist at a cheaper cost to the business. At the same time, hire an experienced and more expensive PA to support your CEO, with previous experience at this level. The support network will run more efficiently and the team will be happier as a result. Also, there is no additional cost to your business. When you speak to your agency/agencies, they will be able to present a clear and structured picture to suitable candidates and introduce you to the most talented individuals for each job. Clearly, in some situations, there are HR related issues which means your hands are tied with what you can or cannot do. How to recruit efficiently: By: Jenifer Magalhães Firstly, sourcing your staff in-house (i.e. investing in an in-house recruiter) is not the answer. Yes, you are saving on agency fees, but there is a reason why there are a good number of recruitment agencies out there and that is because, on the whole, they provide a very good service that offers businesses value for money, despite their charges. There are many examples of businesses trying to improve efficiency by bringing recruitment in-house and an equal number who then revert back to outsourcing their recruitment. The difficulty is locating talent and the time spent to locate that talent. Agencies tend to specialise in compartmentalised market sectors and are experts in their given area/areas. They spend resources (both time and money) to make sure they are attracting good candidates on to their books. If they do not invest these resources, then they will not last long in the current marketplace. In short, should you brief the “right” agency on a job, they should be able to provide you with a targeted shortlist of candidates promptly (clearly turnaround times depend on market sector). They will set up interviews for you, take feedback and negotiate on your behalf. In short, they save a huge amount of time and the opportunity cost of using an agency generally outweighs the cost of recruiting in-house. I say “generally” because when businesses get above a certain size and have a large and dedicate recruitment team, then the in-house recruiter model starts to work. First tip then is use an agency and do not try to recruit yourself. Select the right agency: There is a lot of choice in the marketplace and choosing the right agency is vital. Personal recommendation is the strongest pointer to a good agency, but in the absence of that, do your research. Most agencies have developed websites. If you click on google and type “hire a ……..”, then a list of agencies should come up. Read through their websites and shortlist three or four that stand out to you. Then act as you though you are a candidate looking for a job that you are recruiting for and see what jobs the agency has listed on their website, the volume of jobs they are working on and the dates these jobs were posted. This information should lead you to picking up the phone to a couple of agencies confident in the knowledge that they have the expertise to help you with your recruitment. Spend the time to meet face-to-face with your agency  so that you can speak further about your recruitment needs with them and have a clear idea of timelines going forwards. Understand how the agency sources their candidates, how are they screened (are they interviewed face-to-face?) and when will a shortlist be presented to you. A few key tips: Never brief more than 3 agencies on the same position. Market sectors are only so large and you do not want agencies to be speaking to the same candidates otherwise they will lose motivation. Do not be afraid to use a sole agency. If you believe they have the credentials, then this is the most efficient way to recruit. You can negotiate better fees and refund guarantees on a sole agency basis. You also will only have to look through one shortlist of CVS as opposed to two or three. HINT: To protect yourself, you can always agree “sole agency” for a specific time period! Do not negotiate too heavily on fees. If you push an agency to reduce their fees from 20% to 15% then you may lose out on the perfect candidate. For example, your top candidate may be interviewing at another business, through the same agency. If you both offer the candidate, then the agency will be motivated to place the candidate with the business paying the higher fees. Ok, the candidate will make their own mind up, but if it is a close call, a Consultant does have an impact. Also, if a Consultant is working to 15% fees with you and 20% with the rest of his/her Clients, then your needs will not be given the same priority. Refund periods. There is a cost to using an agency, so you need to be sure that you will get a proportion of your money back should the candidate you hire not work out. Make sure you are clear about the length of your refund period and the terms and conditions to that. Pay particular note of the payment terms and remember, if you are briefing an agency on a sole agency basis then their refund period should be longer than if you were briefing them alongside others. Author: David Morel  is Managing Director of tiger-recruitment.co.uk, a leading recruitment company in the secretarial/administrational arena.

Advantages of Using Resume Writing Service Artists

Advantages of Using Resume Writing Service ArtistsResume writing service artists are a blessing to a number of job seekers as they are capable of creating impressive resumes, well-structured, that are suitable for hiring. A professional resume writer would be aware of what would be important and what is not and would be able to customize the resume accordingly.Unfortunately, the majority of these services do not have their own skills and their own experience. So, they depend on outsourcing, which is when a firm outsources its work to another firm. Resume writing service companies receive information from the employers and then prepare their own resumes that following certain themes. An example is when hiring the companies would need an education background to be more appealing to potential employees.If the resume writers do not follow a template provided by the employer, the same can cause problems. So, it is important to choose the company carefully, so that you are able to ensure t hat the kind of information that you provide is appropriate for the company. Sometimes, a resume written in an incorrect manner can make the employee look incompetent and most employers would prefer an employee who displays a more professional approach to a particular situation.One of the advantages of using the services of resume writing service artists is that they are well-versed with all the various formats. They are professionals and are comfortable with writing resumes that follow specific formats. They know how to highlight the information required to effectively help a job seeker to find employment. In fact, this is one reason why job seekers go to them rather than try and figure out what should be included on their resumes.The skills of resume writing service artists also extend to their ability to gather information for potential employers. They understand the need to get information relevant to the job, which is different from an employer who just wants a resume that will get them a job. They ensure that they ask the right questions to provide the information to the employer. This would mean that they are good at identifying the requirements and they will be able to provide the required information to the employer.Since resume writing service artists are able to gather the necessary information for an employer, they can easily provide a resume that is appropriate for the job. If the employer wants to use a format that is specific to his business, he can easily do so. In this way, the resume writing service artists will not only save time but also allow the employer to understand the requirements better.If the resume writing service artist does not provide the needed information to the employer, the employer may just hand over the resume to another candidate. This may result in unnecessary duplication of effort. The best option for the employer is to leave the task to someone who has the necessary experience and training. This would save them the tro uble of going through resumes by themselves.Another important point is that all the information on the resume should be well organized. This means that there should be clear and easy to read information, which is both professional and effective. All the information should flow smoothly and this is achieved by the professional resume writers.

Do What You Are Keys to Career Satisfaction

Do What You Are Keys to Career Satisfaction Paul Tieger’s Do What You Are is one of the best career advice books I’ve used.   The book is organized into chapters on each of the 16 personality types of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI.) Each chapter offers a list of what makes work worthwhile for that personality type.   The lists work so well because they aren’t specific to any occupation.   They focus on what makes your personality type tick and where you’ll find satisfying work and people who understand you.   When I coach people on career transition, I suggest that they focus on these concepts rather than salary and duties.   After all, you probably know what the job involves already.   What you don’t know s what the team is like â€" and how well you’ll fit in. For the record, I’m an ENTJ. (All the MBTI types consist of these four-letter designations.   Take the personality quiz  to see what type you are.) For an ENTJ, career satisfaction means doing work that (among other things) gives me the opportunity to interact with other capable, interesting and powerful people.”   Those three adjectives are very important to me, but they may not at all be important to an ESFP.   She might prefer an environment where she can work with “other easy going and social people who share her sense of enthusiasm.”     Big differences in style, even though we are both extraverts. Understanding yourself and what environment will allow you to thrive opens up a whole new set of questions to ask potential employers. Tell me about the other team members â€" how do they interact and communicate about decisions? Tell me about the pace and variety of the work Ill be doing. Will I be involved in long-range strategy, or reacting to changing conditions in the field? How large is the team I’ll be working with? How competitive / cooperative is the environment?   How do you measure success? How important is fun and celebration here? Once each chapter has established keys to career  satisfaction, Tieger  provides a list of career possibilities in many industries.   To go back to my ENTJ  and ESFP  examples, ENTJ  careers in business might include executive, network administrator, or consultant, whereas ESFP would be happier as a diversity trainer, sales professional or fundraiser.   Two people with the same education and extraverted personality would choose very different paths based on how they view the world. Each chapter also provides a list of strengths and weaknesses that might show up in your job search based on your personality type.   For instance, the introverted and perfectionist INFJ should guard against personalizing rejection and getting discouraged quickly.   The extraverted ESTP  must guard against diving into the first opportunity that presents itself and consider making long and short-term goals (not usually a strength of that pattern.) Tieger also outlines the strengths of each pattern and how they might be used effectively in a job search.   The organized and orderly ESTJ  will be good at follow-up and tracking opportunities.   The values-driven ISFP will use her research and data collection skills to find the company that matches her deep need for meaningful work.  What is the key to your success and happiness at work? What questions would you ask to find out whether a job will let you be yourself â€" and reward you for it?

What is the Point of a Preferred Supplier List (PSL)

What is the Point of a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) Okay, you’ve got me. We operate a PSL (Preferred Supplier List) in our recruitment team. Only we like to say it’s more of an ‘L’ than a PSL, as at the last pass it was starting to resemble a novel by Tolkien. I’m exaggerating of course. Slightly. I believe that a key mistake made by in-house recruitment teams is getting a little too precious and inflexible with their PSL. I’ve come across companies and recruiters that are really keen on them. They have tiers and levels, beauty parades and maximum percentages. Then there are set agencies for particular job types, or worse, one generic agency trying to fill everything. A few benefits: I’m not trying to say that there is no point in having a PSL at all. They can help you reduce your costs, especially if you are currently taking the off the shelf rate. Using one or two suppliers can be really useful if you are in a high turnover environment, or you don’t have the need for specialist skills. A well-functioning PSL should also lead to solid relationships with your recruitment suppliers, plus they develop a good understanding of your business, which should in turn lead to better quality recruitment, time to hire and all the rest. Your suppliers can become an extension of your in-house team and advocates for your employer brand. Finally, it puts some structure around your suppliers, through a regular review procedure. Measurement means that you should be able to easily identify which of your suppliers are not performing and take them off the list. But….. I believe that with effective supplier management you can have a lot of these things without the restriction of a PSL. Do something less structured instead: You still need at the least a process for selecting which agencies you are working with. I’m just more of an advocate of flexibility. The first thing I recommend is having your own set of terms and conditions for agencies drawn up; don’t sign theirs. You determine the rebate period, the candidate ownership period, the SLA’s and anything else that that is important to your business. Follow that with a ways of working document. Be clear to your recruitment suppliers how you want them to work, and be prepared to stop working with them if they don’t stick to it. Set consistent charge rates as much as possible, just to make it easy for yourself. And here comes the flexible bit â€" get anyone you want to use to sign up to it and use them, within reason of course. Why? A few reasons. Firstly, you are giving yourself total flexibility; you haven’t had to trade guaranteed business for cheaper rates. I also believe that PSLs also create tension between the recruitment team and hiring managers. Frankly, they simply don’t care about the same things we recruiters do, they just want their vacancy filled. So if they get a spec call or CV from an agency that just happens to have the perfect candidate, annoying as we might find it, saying that the agency isn’t on the PSL won’t do you any favours. You don’t also have to limit yourself to a set review period â€" measure and review success as you go. And finally, as I have said, with some good supplier management processes you can have all of the benefits of a PSL without the bureaucracy that sometimes comes with them. Maybe it’s a bit much to say work with any agency, and obviously that has to be tempered with a little practicality. Clearly a longer list means more management for your recruitment team. I just don’t believe a strict PSL with an annual review point adds value to your recruitment activity. Simply, you can’t expect just a few to meet your every need. You will either have to stick with it rigidly and annoy your hiring managers or go off script and work with other agencies anyway so why give yourself the headache? We tell everyone that we have a PSL though, usually not being reviewed for at least a year. It cuts down the time of the sales calls. Did I really just publish that? RELATED: Time for a Change in Recruitment Sales?

How to Write a Resume For a Graduate Assistantship

How to Write a Resume For a Graduate AssistantshipThe Graduate Assistant Scholarship is a good example of how to properly write your resume. This scholarship is awarded to students who successfully complete an internship at a federal or state office building, federal court, county court house, a federal government research facility, or local service agency. Your resume can highlight your accomplishments as a graduate assistant, along with the particular internship you completed.State specific requirements vary for this program. It is important to know what it is that you are qualified for before submitting your application. If you are interested in participating in this program, you can begin by preparing your resume.There are a number of ways to correctly format your resume for a Graduate Assistantship. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use the standard Microsoft Word program. Be sure to place the title and contact information under your name. You can then list your achieveme nts in your job title under it. Simply put your name under your job title, such as 'Summer Internship.'Find information about the particular institution that you wish to work at on your resume. The best way to do this is by utilizing the appropriate information from the Federal Government's Academic Resources Online (ARE) directories. If you don't find the proper information, write a brief description about the institution. This will be one of the first things your recruiter will see when your resume is being reviewed.As you are working on your resume, be sure to include the most important information in your educational background. It is recommended that you list all of your qualifications on your resume. This is the only place where you can document your training, prior to entering graduate school. You should also be able to describe your skills in terms of prior work experience.Describe your experiences as you have learned them, and place them in a chronological order according t o your degree program and education field. For example, if you have received an associate's degree in English literature, your education field should begin with 'B.A.' If you received a bachelor's degree in psychology, your education field should begin with 'M.A.'Don't forget to discuss your educational background when describing your qualifications. Writing a resume is only as effective as the information that is included within it. Employers understand the importance of an accurate representation of the applicant's skills, educational background, work experience, and certification. Use this to your advantage by listing your accomplishments accurately and in detail.When you are writing your resume for a Graduate Assistantship, be sure to provide detailed information about your educational background. Make sure you put your best foot forward by listing your educational background in your resume.

The Importance of a Well-Written Resume

The Importance of a Well-Written ResumeAs a former recruiter I can tell you the importance of a well written resume. A resume is not just another list of skills and experience. It's a way to introduce yourself and put your case out there for the employer to decide if you are the right person for the job. Even if it's a job that doesn't require a lot of training, a well written resume shows you've put thought into your resume and that you can be an asset to the company.Recruiters are accustomed to writing resumes the traditional way - using what they call the four P's. Each section is designed to answer the question 'why should I hire this individual?' In other words, the resume answers the question 'what is the reason I would want to hire this individual?' Resumes also answer the question 'how are they going to help me solve my problem?'A resume is also a way to describe the organizational needs of the organization and how each candidate fits into those needs. The most effective resu mes describe exactly how each individual is going to enhance the business. These details often aren't included in the typical job listing or on the Human Resources website. The main purpose of the resume is to inform the employer of the particular individual's experience, leadership qualities, strengths and weaknesses and past work experiences.When it comes to writing a resume, the key is to make sure it is concise, focused and organized. The resume is also meant to be easy to read and to answer the three questions above. If you go over the basics too much, chances are it will leave the recruiters reading a page of bullet points in which there isn't much detail and more information that aren't necessary. On the other hand, if you fail to get your point across properly, chances are you are going to look unprofessional and unappealing to the employer.Resume writing requires skill, experience and the use of keywords. Keywords or what the recruiter calls keyword phrases are key words us ed throughout the resume. The resume is only as good as its content and keywords to help it stand out from the crowd.Often times, one of the greatest hindrances for someone who is applying for a job is the inability to understand the true meaning of resume. They have seen the resume in many other job listings or in their own company but simply can't relate to it. They end up throwing it in the trash, or taking a pass at it, because they don't really know what they are looking for.Because of this, I always suggest you take a minute to do some research into how to write a resume. This will make it a little easier and you can get a better understanding of the importance of it to the human resources department. Just remember, the recruiter, yourself and the HR department will be viewing the resume. Make sure your resume is concise, organized and in the true meaning of words - readable.There is no reason why you can't apply to the position you are interested in with a resume that tells y our story. Many people write their resumes and know how to format them to meet their objectives. If you are able to provide all the relevant information about yourself in a concise and professional manner, then you can expect a very good chance at getting the job you are trying to get.

Is It Time To Give Your Office A Makeover

Is It Time To Give Your Office A Makeover A well-designed office can create a good impression on clients and help employees to be happier and more productive. Here are a few ways in which you can give your office a makeover and turn it into a more stylish and practical environment. Choose the right layout Do you opt for booths or go open plan? Many companies opt for open-plan simply because it’s cheaper. Open-plan layout can also improve communication, however they’ve also been found to reduce concentration making them potentially inappropriate for jobs that require intense focus. Some companies combine the two, having both an open-plan area and a closed-off area so that employees can switch between the two depending on whether they want fast communication or privacy/concentration.   Contain clutter Clutter will make your company look messy and disorganised. Make sure that there are enough storage units for containing clutter or take steps to cut down on excess supplies and tools. Many companies are now going paperless â€" this can save space as well as saving costs and saving the environment. This could even allow you to get rid of unnecessary machinery such as printers and scanners Improve the comfort It’s important that you and your employees feel comfortable as you work. Look into ergonomic office chairs as available from companies such as Apex Furniture that will provide the right support. You should also consider the position and height of desks â€" you don’t want people to be craning over them or too close to a wall in which they don’t have enough elbow room. On top of this, look into your heating/air conditioning â€" having good temperature control will further improve comfort for everyone. Brighten it up Too many offices are dimly-lit, which can lead to headaches and a general depressing mood. Make sure that there is enough lighting â€" if you can’t increase the amount of natural light getting in, consider ways to add extra artificial lighting. Opting for a bright colour scheme could help to brighten the place up. Use colour psychology You can also improve productivity through use of colour. A sterile white look may not always be the most suitable â€" studies have found that various colours can have an impact on productivity. Blue is good for concentration, red is good for practical work and green is good for inspiring creativity. Start finding ways to incorporate these colours into your office décor. Add some office plants Being cooped up indoors all day isn’t good for our health â€" plants can provide a connection to the outside world. Office plants have also been found to boost concentration and memory, which could be down to the fresh source of oxygen that they supply. You can buy office plants at sites such as Superplants.

Why An Objective On A Resume Makes You Look Old

Why An Objective On A Resume Makes You Look Old Get your reader interested in you with an impactful, unique career summary. The days of your resume starting out with “Objective: Experienced Executive Sales Manager seeking to ….” are long gone!   If you are still using a line like that to open up your executive resume, you may as well realize that your chance of getting selected for an interview is probably long gone as well.   Lose the “Objective” and replace that one-liner with a dynamic career summary that pulls the reader in and shows that you have the experience, skills, and credentials to get the job. A career summary is a brief statement/paragraph at the top of your summary that immediately communicates your qualifications for the job.   In just a few sentences, you need to be able to articulate the value you can offer, what you have that makes you more uniquely qualified than others, and why the hiring manager should call you, and only you, in for the interview.  A few tips to get you on your way… The hook… Clearly define your goals:   think about this- if you were already in the interview, what would be the top 3-4 things you would tell the hiring manager about yourself to show you are the one to hire? Now, put those 3-4 things in writing on your career summary. The line… Highlight your applicable experience, strengths and skills:   incorporate keywords and keyword phrases that are relevant to the position you’re applying for/industry throughout your summary. If the resume is being screened by an ATS program, using the appropriate keywords will help to ensure that your resume will get selected from the pile. If you have space, you can even share an achievement that shows how you’ve increased sales or revenue, improved productivity, implemented a new program?how you’ve created value for others during your career. You can also include the job title or a little bit about your personal brand in your summary to make an even stronger connection. Reel em’ in… Build them up and leave them wanting to know more:   you’ve made your point, now conclude your summary with a catchy phrase that shows the impact you have made in your career for your past employers. Here are examples of what we found at the top of two resumes submitted by candidates applying for the same position with an association: Objective: Experienced candidate seeking to work as an executive for a large company where I can grow my skills and expertise in the field. Executive Summary: Entrepreneurial leader accomplished in designing game-changing strategies to propel growth and membership within sales associations. Valued for providing insight, evaluating current practices, identifying market trends, and achieving unprecedented results. Expertise in developing strong and sustainable solutions to maximize partner retention and affinity relations, facilitate expansion, and generate revenue growth. Capable of building strong relationships with business partners and influencing at all levels to generate results. Which candidate would you call in for an interview? There is nothing more satisfying than watching someone progress in their career, and a strategically-written resume is a great place to start. Recruiters and hiring managers want to be sold on you as a candidate in the first few seconds they spend on your resume?you have to be able to show your ROI with high-value information to keep the reader interested in learning more about you. Go a step further and use your summary on your resume as the basis for your summary on your LinkedIn profile.   Nobody wants to see “I am seeking a job as a Sales Executive” in the “About” section on your profile.   You have 2,000 characters to sell yourself in the “About” section.   Include a brief summary, some bulleted achievements, and your most relevant strengths and expertise to show all you offer in just a few quick seconds.   Make it personal and creative?let the reader see who you are, how you operate, and how you can impact their organization if they hire you. So, to answer the question in the title of this article, you need to lose the “Objective” you’re still showing on your resume and replace it with a dynamic career summary that markets you as the best fit for the employer’s needs. When written and presented the right way, a strong career summary statement at the beginning of your resume will not just introduce you to the reader, but more importantly will effectively convey that YOU are the ideal candidate for the job, right from the get-go.