Video: Isn't it Time to Declutter Your Hiring Process?

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The life-altering magic of decluttering and refocusing have been frequent discussion points lately, with experts weighing in on how to create the best possible environments for living and working. Many companies could also benefit from applying the principles of decluttering to their hiring processes. If your company hasn’t examined the recruitment-to-onboarding process in a while, it may be time to revisit these procedures to eliminate steps that may be slowing the process.

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Streamlining the hiring process is important to attracting and bringing in new talent, especially in the current candidate-driven market among the executive and professional ranks. “Potential candidates who are unimpressed by the way they’re being evaluated will almost certainly go elsewhere, and word spreads quickly about long and confusing recruitment procedures,” says Laura Burgess, interim director of learning and talent development for MRINetwork. “Condensing the hiring process eases stress on hiring managers, reduces the cost of hiring and ensures that top-tier candidates are coming through the talent pipeline with ease.”

Burgess provides the following tips for shortening the hiring process:

Assess your current process
The first step in determining if there are kinks in the recruitment process is to conduct an internal audit. Take a look at the process in place and document it all the way through to address what is working and what isn’t. Seeing how things are flowing will provide perspective and let you know where improvements can be made. Additionally consider the process from the candidate’s perspective. What feedback have they given regarding the interview process, or why they turned down your job offer?

Refine your job descriptions
An effective job description should do the initial screening for you. It shouldn’t just tell candidates what is expected of them; it should display the company culture, showcase the brand and ultimately let candidates know why this is - or isn’t - the job for them. This demands understanding the core requirements of the position. Every requirement you put in your job description has the potential to negatively impact or limit the number of people who might apply for the position, and that can hurt you in a market where the best candidates know they have multiple opportunities.

Use mobile-friendly, quick-apply platforms
Today’s candidates live by modern technology and look to companies offering a mobile, quick-apply process, rather than those that require filling out endless online forms. Many companies are finding that a mobile-friendly process leads to an increase in passive applicants (high performing employed candidates) overall, which is especially helpful when it comes to filling positions in sectors where talent is often in short supply. If you have not implemented new technologies into your hiring process, that make it easy for candidates to apply for jobs instantly, you are in danger of losing out to the competition.

Establish a reasonable timeline
Start with the “drop dead” date that a new hire needs to be on board and work backwards. Estimate that interviews will take at least two weeks, then assume that two more weeks will pass between the time an offer is extended and when a candidate starts, enabling you to begin backfilling dates on a calendar. If the job is open today, figure out now when you need to interview candidates for the first round. Take into account flight and hotel scheduling for on-site interviews, background checks, testing, references and other paperwork that must be completed.

Involve decision makers early
Have hiring managers sign off on the job description and commit to making room in their calendars to schedule interviews. Delaying the process because of scheduling difficulties causes candidates to lose interest. Ideally, the first interview should occur no longer than a week out from first contact. If multiple interviewers are involved, the candidate should know with whom they will be interviewing, and how long it will take.

Make interviewing pay off
Ensure that your interviewing team is fully trained on the interview process and aware of their role, so that ideally a decision can be made after one full-cycle interview with the candidate, possibly two if there are a couple of candidates who stand out. Assign topics or areas that each interviewer will be discussing with the candidate. When interviewers head into the interview without a guideline, they will most likely ask similar questions and come out of the meeting with a limited profile of the candidate. Having a plan allows the interviewers to collaborate and share detailed information about each targeted area.

Make the most of your recruiter
A quality recruiter can help you through the process, saving time on screening applicants and expediting communication. Count on your recruiter to communicate all decisions to candidates and to follow up with them after each stage of the hiring process, up until the final decision has been made. The recruiter can also provide feedback to candidates on why they were not selected, approaching the conversation in a way that keeps the door open for an ongoing relationship.

“A long, drawn-out process turns the best candidates away from your company and costs you both time and money,” concludes Burgess. “By streamlining your recruiting process and shortening time-to-hire, you’ll be able to attract and retain top talent for your organization.”

The Trevi Group
www.TheTreviGroup.com 

 

The 'IT industry of the future': cybersecurity

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As companies gain the ability to collect and store ever-growing databases of sensitive client data, cybersecurity experts are in high demand. 

So much so in fact, that demand for cybersecurity jobs is expected to reach 6 million positionsworldwide by 2019, according to Michael Brown, the CEO at Symantec, who shared his forecast with CSO Online. Furthermore, U.S. News and World Report found that infosecurity jobs are expected to have a 36.5 percent growth rate through 2022. 

To attract more professionals in the "IT industry of the future," as Venture Beat put it, many companies are introducing targeted cybersecurity recruitment campaigns and in-house training programs. The source cited Cisco, which dedicated $10 million to a robust training program for qualified candidates. 

Investing in cybersecurity career development seems to pay off, like in San Diego, where local leadership have spent two years cultivating the city as a hot spot for cutting-edge tech. The city has seen a 14.7 percent increase in cyberjobs since 2014, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. 

Cities near military bases and offices have an especially high demand for cybersecurity professionals. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego has seen its cybersecurity workforce grow from 6,600 in 2014 to 7,620 this year, according to the source. 

The Trevi Group
www.TheTreviGroup.com

 

(Video) The Simple Yet Powerful Retention Tactic that Won't Cost Your Company a Dime

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In today’s work culture where paternity leave, free snacks and on-site daycare have become more common, formulating the right package of perks and benefits for your employees can be difficult. Glassdoor research indicates 57 percent of people place benefits and office perks at the top of their list when considering a new role. However, research has also shown that employee satisfaction within the workplace is more strongly correlated to elements such as senior leadership, company culture and values and opportunities for growth. It is these intangible factors that can have a significant impact on employee retention.

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In fact, when it comes down to it, there is one overarching company perk that all employees crave that costs nothing: praise. It’s as simple as taking the time to commend your employees where that praise and credit is due.

“In this fast-paced business environment we work in, leaders are often focused on the financial side of the business and forget the importance of their everyday interactions with their employees,” says Anne Hayden, vice president of human resources for MRINetwork. “It’s really the small things like a simple acknowledgement or word of thanks that can make a world of difference. Without those words, no amount of incentives or bonuses will provide employees with the real and meaningful recognition they’re looking for.”

The goal is not to encourage flattery or give false praise, but instead to find the right opportunities to give authentic and honest recognition. Everyone deserves praise for their individual talents and hard work. It’s your job as a manager to see that potential and bring out the best in your employees.

Here are three tips for generating a positive praise culture in your workplace:

Be authentic

Don’t praise just to praise - your employees will see right through a false compliment and they’ll be left wondering what you’re hoping to get out of them. Praise should be organic, the natural reaction to a job well done. Take the time to sit down and really explain what it is they did so well.

Use specific examples of what they’ve done and how it benefited the company as a whole. Encouraging them to keep up the hard work exemplifies how their individual contribution made a positive impact, which is always nice to hear.

Put yourself in their shoes

Consider the last time you were commended for your long hours, extensive research or hard work. Did you feel appreciated? Your employees are seeking the same kind of feedback. Each individual contributes something of great importance to your company, and deserves to be recognized for that.

Displaying true personal interest in your employees shows that you are invested in not only the work they generate, but them as a person as well. When employees feel genuinely appreciated, it cultivates stronger dedication to any given client, project, report and the company as a whole.

See the potential in everyone

Finding areas to praise may be difficult in some situations. It’s important to remember that everyone brings something to the table and each has his or her own talents. Perhaps they consistently boost team morale, or maybe they’ve been dedicated to the company for years. Whatever it may be, it’s your job to support them, encourage them and praise them.

“While recognition may seem like such a simple and obvious thing, its impact is frequently overlooked, especially when a company does not have the ability to provide extraordinary perks or benefits,” says Hayden. “By spending a few moments to sincerely commend your employees, you, your team and your company as a whole will reap the benefits. Or as many like to say, it pays to praise.”

The Trevi Group
www.TheTreviGroup.com

5 Hiring Mistakes That May be Hurting Your Employer Brand

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Throughout 2016, despite some contractions in the labor market, hiring has continued to increase. Within the last 12 months through April, an average of 232,000 new jobs has been added each month. Many companies are focused on expanding, but are finding it difficult to locate enough skilled talent, especially in the executive, managerial and professional job market. In this sector, which is candidate-driven, employers continue to lose great candidates who are accepting other job offers. So as a hiring authority, what key mistakes could you be making that might be damaging your employer brand?

The 2016 Recruiter and Employer Sentiment Study conducted by MRINetwork, reveals that the inability to find quality talent coincides with lengthy hiring practices, lower than expected compensation, and the failure of prospective employers to sell their brand, the role and advancement opportunities. Retention is also challenging, as high performers recognize more jobs are available and feel more confident about pursuing them.

Based on the Study findings, the following mistakes may be hurting employer brands:

Mistake #1: Not recognizing the implications of a candidate-driven market.

According to the survey, 86 percent of recruiters and 62 percent employers agree the professional labor market is candidate-driven in most industry sectors. The best candidates have other job options, so your value proposition must clearly articulate how coming on board would benefit their career. Assuming that candidates should feel lucky to be invited for an interview with your company is probably the biggest mistake of all. Focus on providing a streamlined and positive interview process that keeps applicants informed of where they stand every step of the way. Most importantly, be sure that everyone on the interviewing team provides consistent messaging about the role and clearly articulates why your company culture and values make it an enviable place to work.

Mistake #2: Believing that compensation is the top deciding factor for high performers who are looking to make a job move.

Forty-nine percent of employers believe competitive salary is what’s most attractive to candidates about their organizations. Seventy-two percent of recruiters say the top deciding factor for a job move is advancement opportunities. While compensation is important to candidates, immediate and long-term advancement opportunities are what drive talent to join a new company, as improved compensation is implied with upward mobility. You need to have real examples to share with candidates regarding how your best employees advanced within the company and how upward mobility is a part of the organization’s culture.

Mistake #3: Deciding that a key strategic hire must always be a permanent employee.

More companies are creating blended workforces that include permanent hires and highly-skilled contract employees. The survey indicates that 63 percent of employers are either offering contract engagements, or are giving more thought to them, based on the level and requirements of the role. Knowing how to attract a contract worker is key.  While competitive pay is a starting point, skilled contractors need to be sold on the value their expertise will bring to your project, as well as the potential to be exposed to new technologies, and ways of approaching business that will expand their professional experience.  Your recruiter can help you determine when it makes sense to bring on a contractor, and then help you fill and provide back office support for these engagements.

Mistake #4: Making your employer branding and employee engagement strategies a one-dimensional effort.

Bringing on strategic hires is the top focal point for many employers (39 percent). Recruiting is now going beyond the realm of simply finding talent, by executing a more comprehensive array of strategies -- both proactive and reactive -- that will position companies as employers of choice.  As you begin developing these strategies, be sure to include members from all departments.  Their insight will help deliver a more well-rounded, targeted approach to employer branding and employee engagement initiatives.

Mistake #5:  Requiring that candidates endure at least three interviews.

Fifty percent of employers are frustrated most with the lack of skilled talent in many sectors.  While this is a common challenge, hiring authorities need to be able to act quickly when they come across great candidates. Lengthy hiring practices are the main reason companies are unable to keep top candidates engaged, and ultimately get them to accept a job offer.  Alternative measures like team interviews where companies ask candidates to participate in routine business exercises such as brainstorming or planning sessions, can provide insight on the applicant’s personality and likelihood of fitting in to the company culture, while reducing the interview process from three to two steps.

When you put these 5 hiring mistakes together, it’s clear how they may be impacting your employer brand and your ability to attract top talent in an already tight candidate market.  The hiring landscape and candidate expectations have changed. Companies that want to attract and retain the best talent, will need to revisit their interviewing and talent management approaches, to create a strong employer brand.

To view a summarized overview on hiring mistakes that can be easily distributed to others in your organization responsible for hiring, click here. To view the complete Study, visit MRINetwork.com/Recruiter-Sentiment-Study.

The Trevi Group
www.TheTreviGroup.com 

People Analytics: The Big Data of the Employment World (Video)

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What if high tech companies knew why top engineers quit and how to build work environments that would get people to stay? What if product companies could analyze the demographic and experiential factors that correlate with high-performing sales people? What if healthcare companies could determine why certain hospitals have higher infection rates and what people issues are behind these problems? Today these outcomes are being achieved through the use of people analytics, providing leaders with keen insight into employee behavior that is needed to make critical workforce decisions.


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“People analytics work by gathering workforce data - experience, demographics, work history, etc. - and feeding this information into advanced computer models," says Anne Hayden, vice president of human resources for MRINetwork. “Leaders can leverage this information to help gauge, predict and make decisions about everything from retention probability to what will motivate top sales people in the organization.”

Matching data elements to human capital needs in a way that impacts decision making yields a number of key benefits:

  • Reducing attrition. Identifying top employees who are about to leave the company can save a company millions of dollars in lost talent. Factors such as location, pay scale and personality type can be fed into an analytics system to pinpoint staff who are most likely to exit. From here managers can spark conversations with direct reports about how to evolve their roles, increasing the odds of preserving the best people in the company.
     
  • Anticipating performance. Impressive credentials cannot truly predict a candidate’s on-the-job performance. People analytics addresses this gap by helping to identify candidates who are unlikely to mesh with a company’s corporate culture. Hiring managers can then decide on additional line of questioning that will provide more insight as to whether applicants will be a good fit.
     
  • Enhancing employee morale. Analytics leveraged though simple employee surveys can gauge levels of dissatisfaction, and point to initiatives such as career-development planning and connecting high performers with training programs that will boost employee morale and willingness to stay on board. This type of data can be especially helpful in uncovering company-wide issues that employees may be reluctant to share face-to-face with leadership.

According to Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends 2016 report, 77 percent of all organizations believe people analytics is important; successful implementation, however, depends on getting the process right.

Hayden recommends the following for applying people analytics to your company:

  • Stay focused on business priorities. Start with problems management cares about, such as sales productivity, product quality or customer retention. Spend time where the company makes money, and people analytics projects will pay for themselves.
     
  • Build a people analytics team. Building an analytics model alone will not solve business problems. Companies must recruit the right talent and integrate analytics efforts, involving various business partners and consultants on employee engagement, recruitment analytics, learning analytics, compensation analytics, and workforce planning. A successful analytics team will engage directly with the business and help apply the findings to real interventions or management changes.
     
  • Explore new technologies. Nearly every talent management provider now offers off-the-shelf analytics. Teams need to find the right mix of technologies to look at their data in an integrated way that represents the various domains of the analytics team members.
     
  • Invest in cleaning data. The highest value in analytics comes after the company is running a reliable database. Out-of-date employee records, for example, can provide analysts with less-than-accurate information. Only by establishing best practices for scrubbing, migrating, collecting and analyzing data can valuable business insights be extracted.
     
  • Focus on security, privacy, and anonymity. Leading organizations define security policies as part of their people analytics governance early in the process. They realize the importance of understanding the complex issues surrounding data security, privacy and identity protection up front.

The strategic goals of any organization are enabled by the successful performance of its workforce. “Rich data sources, coupled with analytics capabilities and tools, reveal how people are contributing to the desired outcomes, defining ways to maximize business performance,” adds Hayden. “Analytics are no longer an abstract concept; when you combine them with the human aspect of assessing a candidate or employee’s experience, skills, cultural fit and potential within the organization, you are left with a more well-rounded approach to building and engaging strong teams.”

The Trevi Group
www.TheTreviGroup.com

Improving Employee Engagement: It Starts with Managers (video)

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Staff engagement among the U.S. workforce has remained steady at 33 percent over the past few years, according to recent data from Gallup. This is quite low considering that strong employee engagement is the catalyst for company growth and success. Numbers worldwide are even starker, with 87 percent of workers reporting being disengaged at the office.

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As managers across the country scramble to increase feelings of ambition, connection and enthusiasm among employees, they should first start by looking within. While a wide range of factors can impact one’s feeling of involvement within his or her company, poor management ranks at the top. Managers are reportedly responsible for 70 percent of feelings of imbalance and discontentment. The good news is that there are a number of simple, effective ways managers can boost employee engagement.

“A great leader understands that the success of a company relies heavily on the dedication, commitment and achievements of the employees,” says Suzanne Rice, director of global franchise development for MRINetwork. “By creating an environment that encourages open communication and fosters trust, managers have the opportunity to empower their employees to not only become engaged, but to go above and beyond.”

Rice provides the following tips for raising employee engagement:

1. Cultivate trust
Cultivating an environment of trust is an important way to ensure that all staff members feel valued, heard and comfortable. Trust is not just about leaders acting in a fair or equitable manner, being accountable, or honoring the agreements that they’ve made with staff. Employees also want to feel their managers will back them up in tough or negative situations, even sharing in the blame when necessary. When an environment of trust is created in this manner, it strengthens relationships with employees, making them more likely to want to work hard and do well. On average, those with supportive supervisors are 67 percent more engaged in the company, based on data from The Energy Group.

2. Promote open communication
Regular meetings, consistent social contact and open channels for communication are key for promoting open and honest dialogue between managers and employees. When managers are empathetic and aware of others, they’re more likely to be in tune with the general consensus among employees. Responding to all questions, concerns and feedback - and taking each one seriously - in an adequate time frame confirms that each employee’s voice is heard and valued.

3. Maintain visibility
Rather than being tucked away in a corner office with the door frequently closed, managers should be accessible and visible throughout the workplace. Doing so makes employees feel more comfortable reaching out and asking questions. It also further enhances open communication. Along the same lines, recognizing the hard work and accomplishments of employees is just as important. Publicly acknowledging the work of staff members encourages a healthy commitment to advancing the organization’s mission.

4. Lead by example
When managers lead by example, not only are employees more likely to remain at the company, they’re also much more engaged. Workers don’t just want their leaders to be accountable, they want managers to provide mentorship and guidance for how to be more effective, based on their own experience. By demonstrating the behaviors and qualities that are expected of staff members, and investing time in developing direct reports, managers can boost engagement and improve work ethic.

“Improving employee engagement should be at the forefront of a manager’s responsibilities, and holding themselves accountable is the most effective way to do that,” adds Rice. “When managers are open, flexible and authentic, employee happiness and engagement will naturally skyrocket.”

The Trevi Group
www.TheTreviGroup.com

Employment Summary for February 2016

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U.S. employment gains beat expectations in February as the unemployment rate held steady.

Payrolls rise

The country added 242,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in February, far ahead of the January gains and beating economist forecasts. According to Reuters, analysts had predicted that the U.S. would add only 190,000 jobs in February.

January job gains were also revised from 151,000 to 172,000, and December gains were revised from 262,000 to 271,000. The average monthly job gains over the previous three months was 228,000.

The unemployment rate remained unchanged in February, holding at 4.9 percent, an eight-year low, according to Reuters, and 7.8 million people were without jobs during the month. Over the year, the unemployment rate has fallen by 0.6 percentage points.

The news source noted it was significant that the unemployment rate held steady despite more people joining the labor market in February. The labor force participation rate, which measures the number of people who are either employed or searching for a job, increased to 62.9 percent during the month.

Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm payrolls fell by 3 cents to $25.35 in February, however, Reuters attributed the slump to a "calendar quirk."

Healthcare leads sector growth

Healthcare and social assistance, retail trade, food services and drinking places and private educational services registered job growth in February.

Healthcare and social assistance gained 57,000 jobs during the month, with healthcare employment growing by 38,000 positions, ambulatory jobs rising by 24,000 and hospital positions increasing by 11,000. Over the year, hospitals have gained 181,000 jobs. Social assistance positions grew by 19,000, with the bulk of the jobs in individual and family services.

Employment in food services and drinking places grew by 40,000 in February, with the sector adding 359,000 jobs over the year.

Private educational services employment bounced back after losing 20,000 jobs in January to add 28,000 in February.

Construction employment continued to rise, gaining 19,000 jobs in February. Most of the jobs were in residential specialty trade contractors, which accounted for half of the 253,000 job gains the industry has seen over the last year.

Industries that remained virtually unchanged throughout the month included manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, professional and business services, and government.

Rate hikes reconsidered

Turbulent financial markets had made it unlikely that the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates. Reuters reported, however, that the positive February employment figures and growth forecasts may put rate hikes back on the table at the Fed meeting in June.

>> Click here to get a copy of the full Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

The Trevi Group
www.TheTreviGroup.com