Archive for Recruiting
This is a guest post by Sam Peters.
It is a fact that the US spends more on healthcare than any other country of its kind. The total estimate for national healthcare coverage is up to $2 trillion a year and with costs on the rise companies are looking for ways they can cut budgets without negatively affecting their employees. One such way is through employee wellness programs that get employees into exercise, and helps them to reshape their daily habits into a health conscious lifestyle. By offering incentives for employees to participate in these programs healthcare companies are working with employers to help lower costs more efficiently.
According to one report companies using wellness programs have revealed less absenteeism as well as a higher retention rate for current employees. Other benefits of workplace wellness programs were lowered rates of illness and injuries at work, improved morale and relationships between the employees, and an overall increase in work productivity. Healthcare costs were down between 20-50% and short term sick leave was reduced up to 32%. The participating individuals lost weight, improved their health and stamina, reported lower stress levels and overall felt better about their personal wellbeing.
Different ideas for promoting health within the work environment include allowing the employees to have access to a gym by having one on sight or offering a discount to a local club. Some businesses are starting sports clubs for their workplace which not only encourages health, but fun and team work as well as great marketing for any teams that might wear jerseys. Incentives are always a huge plus as well like running various promotions for weight loss, walking, or other healthy activities and then giving out gift cards, weekend trips, or other prizes that will motivate people to participate. Some firms are even partnering with companies like Keas who specialize in providing fun and enticing wellness programs that can get up to 70% of the workplace involved in healthier living.
Other great things enterprises are doing are to offer health screenings and classes for people to be more educated and aware. One case study showed 185 program participants who had not previously been heart patients of any kind, but tested as high risk through a cardiac screening at work. After six months of working with a wellness program almost 60% of them were retested and found to be low risk and normal. Another document showed a comparison of companies that did these programs versus those that did not and they saw that businesses that did the programs reduced healthcare costs by as much as $1,400 per person, versus the others who did not intercede that only saved $6 per person a year.
The reality is these work programs are not just saving money, but they are saving lives. In addition they are bringing morale back to the workplace and improving work quality and productivity. Any company, regardless of size can benefit from some type of wellness program for their employees. The long term will result in healthier happy employees and a stronger, better business.
Sam Peters is a writer who enjoys writing about career development.
You might be approached by a recruiter when you don’t need to hire new staff, but when you do need to hire, you want fast access to a talented recruiter with contacts in your industry.
1. Send a Quarterly Email.
A quick note can let the recruiter know where your company is and what hiring needs you might have coming up. It also gives her the opportunity to let you know about job candidates who have a special talent for your company, which might pique your interest.
2. Go Out for Coffee, When You’re Local.
It never hurts to have coffee with a professional. You get the same results as with #1, but with the added benefit of face time. This can aid the recruiter in getting to know you a bit better, which can help her tune into the right “culture fit”.
3. Talk to Your Employees.
Many of them may have been recruited at some point in their career, even if it was not for their current position. See who they worked with and get recommendations for who to work with.
4. Talk to Your Industry.
If you’re in a specialized field, you may fare well by speaking with other employers in your industry to see which recruiters they work with. These recruiters will be able to tap job candidates with highly-specific skills and experience.
5. Weed Out the Door Knockers.
You’ll likely be contacted by far more recruiters than you could possibly work with. Rather than dilute your efforts, work on building a few relationships with people who you like and can deliver results. Not only is it easier for you, you’ll get more productivity out of third-party recruiters who know the candidate pool isn’t being hit by a multiple firms. Most of us are only paid if upon a successful hire.
6. Join LinkedIn Groups.
There are groups for every industry in every niche on LinkedIn. Join them, get insight from others in your field, and get advice about hiring. Often, recruiters will be there to share their own advice and connect.
7. Be a Joy to Work With.
Or at the very least, be specific in what you are looking for in your next hire. We need to know the good, the bad, and the ugly to source the right candidates and manage the process. Moving the goal post and rewriting job descriptions often is a surefire way to make a recruiter spend her efforts on a search that she’s more likely to fill.
8. Give Feedback.
Just like your staff, the recruiter who works with you can benefit from your feedback. During the process, let her know what did and didn’t work for you with the candidates sourced for the position and the process. Your feedback will only help her find the right candidate and learn more about you and the company for future searches.
Having a solid relationship with a recruiter can help you grow your company faster by getting the right people on board. But just like with any relationship, your connection with a recruiter needs to be nurtured. Make sure she knows where you are with your strategic plan, as well as what your outlook is on hiring in the next month, quarter and year. If your expectations are clear, she will be more than happy to help you find your next great new hire.
Women, it turns out, have different definitions of what it means to succeed. Citi and LinkedIn recently put out a study that looks at women’s goals as they relate to careers and relationships. And while you might expect that marriage and children would factor pretty heavily into “having it all” for women, 36% of those surveyed said that marriage wasn’t a factor, and 26% said having children wasn’t part of the equation for success.
Rather than marriage and kids, the women studied put more weight into having a healthy relationship (married or otherwise) as well as being financially secure as part of their journey to success. These were the main points women assessed to determine their success:
- Having a strong, loving relationship (96%)
- Financial security (85%)
- Raising healthy and happy kids (73%)
- An enjoyable job where they feel valued (64%)
And good news: a full 96% believe they can achieve everything they want both personally and professionally. It’s nice to see that women are confident about their futures. It goes to show that we’re no longer daunted by our gender or education level when it comes to achieving our dreams.
Does Age Matter?
Something I found interesting in this study was how the answers differed depending on how old the women were. Women under 35 were twice as likely to identify climbing the corporate ladder to the top with their definition of having it all, while women over 35 looked to owning a business as their goal. I wonder what those 35+ers would have answered had they taken this survey 10 or 20 years prior.
Helping You Have It All
If you’re like the majority of the women that were surveyed, you’re working toward having it all yourself. How about a little help?
Citi and LinkedIn want to help you achieve your own goals, and to that end, they have provided me with 8-month LinkedIn Premium Memberships to giveaway to five lucky winners.
LinkedIn Premium Memberships offer tons more features than the standard membership, like:
- Allow you to contact people outside your network
- Add personal notes to your profile
- InMail (LinkedIn’s email system)
- Priority customer service
Essentially, the Premium Membership helps you connect more easily to other professionals through the social networking site, which can aid you in finding a new job, getting a promotion, or identifying new vendor relationships.
How to Win
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment stating what “having it all” means to you. Share your vision with us for a chance to win. Make sure you leave me with a way to contact you if you win!
You can also get an extra entry by joining the Connect LinkedIn group. After joining it, come back to this post and leave another comment saying you joined.
This giveaway is open until Monday, October 22, 2012 . Winners will be selected at random and contacted on October 23, 2012.
Work/Life Balance and “having it all” are big topics these days. We’re in a constant struggle to figure out how to work and have a life. Entrepreneurs can’t get away from their businesses, and employees are too busy working their way up and meeting the jobs demands. Setting some good habits early in your career will help you tremendously down the road.
This is When Your Mold Sets
If you are working your first job, you begin the process of forming habits you’ll keep (and maybe try to break) for the rest of your work life. So if you dive in to work, racking up 60+ hour workweeks with little breathing room for yourself now, you’ll find it difficult to step back for a breather down the road. And if your boss sees you operating on all cylinders, anything less may make her think you’re slacking. Your job may require you to be around during certain hours – focus during that time. Scheduling your work activities may give you the focus you need to get your job done in a reasonable amount of time.
Make Friends Outside of Work
While it’s certainly easiest to bond with the people you work with after hours, it might not be the best thing for you to disconnect. You’ll find yourself complaining about your boss or going into detail about a project when you could be unwinding, thinking about life besides work. It’s fine to have friends at work, but strive to balance them with friends who work elsewhere, and who don’t work in your industry. You’ll find other things to talk about, and you can leave work in the office.
Find Hobbies
Even if you’re passionate about your new job, it’s important to find other activities to fill your life. Take up a sport, read a book, travel…whatever piques your interest. But having interests outside of work can help you feel steady and not so stressed when things get tough on the job. Be Less Available Smart phones, social networks, and laptops make us more available than ever before. We’ve gotten into all sorts of terribly annoying habits (in my opinion): eating while checking email, Facebooking while in the bathroom, and texting while in catching up over coffee. Stop sending and responding to unimportant emails while on your own time. This helps set parameters early on with your boss and coworkers.
Get It Off Your Chest…Then Move On
It’s only natural that you want to come home and vent about your day to your partner or friends. And it’s fine to do so, but get it out and then forget about it. Harping on your work day can turn off those around you, and it won’t serve you well either.
Why You Should Care
You’ll spend the majority of your life working, so the better you can balance what’s happening in your job and what you do in your personal downtime, the happier you’ll be in the long run. One of the most common issue I hear about from people who want to make a change or important factors in considering a new company has to do with their work/life priorities.
For some more interesting resources on work-life balance, check out some of our previous posts.
My US News & World Report post: 9 Tips for Work-Life Balance
Alison Kenney’s Finding Work Life Balance in PR
This is a guest post by Sam Peters.
In an uncertain economy, people are looking for employment in fields that are stable. They need careers rather than temporary jobs. They desire jobs that pay a living wage so that they can afford homes, cars and other things that are needed and wanted. However, to qualify for that type of employment requires an education.
Fortunately, the Internet offers many courses for people who want to begin or advance in their present careers. Many opportunities are available, and you should consider preparing for a career that you believe will be rewarding and enjoyable throughout life. Every person has a desire to serve in a meaningful service that is suited to his personality and talent, and he or she can prepare for it in less than a year.
Advantages of Becoming a Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technicians are employed by drugstores, nursing homes, hospitals and government. Qualified technicians enjoy job security and receive periodic pay increases. Since technicians work in pharmacies, their working conditions are among the best.
Although there are exceptions, starting salaries are about $30,000 a year. This salary range qualifies as a living wage in an uncertain economy. Since prescription drugs are essential to the nation’s health, pharmacy technicians should remain among the most stable careers.
How Do You Become a Certified Pharmacy Technician?
The basic requirements are a high school diploma and passing the Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination. There are other requirements involving character and ethical standards, but the major task is passing the certification exam.
Where Do You Get the Training?
The most convenient way to get your certification is through a Pharmacy Technician Certification Online Course. You may find classes for adults who are full-time employees, or you may choose a class that treats you as a full-time student. In either case, online classes will let you progress at your own pace.
Since the objective of any training is to prepare you to pass the certification examination, you should select the course on the basis of its curriculum. To do this, you can search the Internet for sample examinations. Compare the content of the examination with the course requirements of the online school. Try to determine the intensity of the content of the examination with the intensity of the curriculum.
You should also notice if the schools offers externships. Externships offer practice in what class theory has taught, and the material learned is made practical.
Pharmacy technician certification is a career with job security that offers a good income. Passing the certification examination is the only requirement, and a good online school can prepare you for the examination in less than a year. You should choose the school that will best prepare you for the examination by comparing course content, externships and other technology.
However, you should constantly review the sample tests so that you know what knowledge those in the profession consider important.
Sam Peters is a blogger who enjoys writing about career development.
You dream of landing the perfect job at a public relations agency, working with the most interesting clients in the industry and getting them all sorts of public recognition. I’m always amazed at how some PR pros are brilliant at their jobs, but when it comes to selling themselves in a job interview, they crumble. Where did that confident, over-achieving, media rockstar go? Apply some media relations 101 rules on your job search will help pitch yourself as the perfect fit for your next job.
- Do Your Homework. It gets tiring sending cover letter after cover letter. You’ll be tempted to just use a template and be done with it. But spending just a little time digging into the company you want to work for will pay off. For starters, it’s impressive because you have already set yourself apart from 90% of the applications the company receives. Unfortunately, most people try to shortcut the job search. Making a tiny mention in your cover letter that shows you’ve read through the company’s website, blog, or recent news can show the hiring manager that you put thought into your letter, and that you really are interested in working for this company.
- Know Who You’re Pitching. Sometimes those “Dear Hiring Manager” generic openings are unavoidable, but if you do a little research (see #1), you may be able to get the name of the person who’s interviewing for the role you want. Look on the company’s site, and call if you need to in order to get this information.
- Customize Your Pitch. Both your cover letter and your resume should be tweaked slightly for each PR job you apply for. One might look for industry-specific experience, while another may want someone with a wider depth of experience. Play to what they’re looking for, and highlight your skills to match. If you are agency-side, a quick blurb about each client you represent helps set the tone and show how you are the security software PR expert they are looking for. Don’t make the reader think too much to connect the dots.
- Hesitate Before Sending an Attachment. Not everyone wants attachments. Read through the job description carefully to see whether it mentions how the hiring manager would prefer to receive resumes. If you have an online link to your resume, include it in the cover letter.
- Proofread! Nothing looks sloppier than grammatical errors in your resume or cover letter. Everyone in the world must know this rule by now. Yet I’d say at least half of the applications I receive have some glaring issue. Go over each carefully, and ask a friend to do so as well, to ensure its perfection. Then, just like with a PR pitch, follow up. Give it a few days once you’ve submitted your application, and then check in to see when the hiring manager expects to make a decision.
The world of business training has undergone many changes in the past decade. Previously, this training was done mainly through live presentations, written materials some videos. But now that online learning has started to become more commonplace, even in the workplace, one can find plenty of business courses that are given online. For example, there are dozens of OSHA training courses which can be done this way.
But since there is so much choice in the world of online business training programs, managers and business owners may sometimes have trouble determining which program is right for them.
But there are a few ways to take this uncertainty out of the equation and select a good program. The first thing that you will want to consider is what exactly you want your employees to learn. It may be very straightforward, such as earning a certification through OSHA training courses.
But there are programs available on thousands of different topics, such as IT systems administration, industrial relations, product sales and marketing techniques and more. It’s always a good idea to have a list of goals related to what you want your workforce to learn and then go looking for a training program that would meet them.
The format of the course is also important. Some can be done at the employee’s own pace, as all of the material is presented in a software program or on a website. This gives your employees more flexibility, as they can choose when they will take the course. They can also opt to do it from home, rather than at the office.
There are other courses which are led by a live instructor and done through video conferencing. This will truly re-create a “virtual classroom” environment, but the participants need to be available during the times where courses are given.
Online business training programs can bring many benefits to companies. They are generally less expensive than having someone come in and give live courses to your employees. You don’t need to reserve a conference room and ensure that everyone will make themselves available during the time where the course is given.
Many of these internet based programs allow you to monitor the progress of your staff through the course materials, plus you can see the results that they’ve gotten in quizzes or evaluations, allowing you to see if there are any problem areas that you should give them more training on.
This is a guest post from Sam Peters, a blogger who enjoys writing about career development.
Soon the kids will be heading back to school, new backpacks and notebooks in hand. You’ll get back to your regularly scheduled life… or will you?
If you’ve been contemplating a career change, this fall may be the perfect time to go back to school. Here are a few options to consider.
Easy Online Learning
If you’re looking for a few new skills to add to your resume, the easiest way is to attend online webinars or training programs. They’re not as official as certifications or degrees, but online resources can teach you how to use new software, how to market using social media or other business skills that will make you more hireable or more eligible for a promotion. For specific skills, check out how-to videos on sites like Udemy. Hubspot’s got great free webinars on all topics related to marketing, which are sure to impress your employer. Check specific company sites to see if they offer webinars or other learning resources to help you.
Local Learning
If you’re more of a face-to-face learner, look for local seminars, workshops, courses and continuing education classes. Some are one-time events, while others may offer a series of classes over several weeks. Community colleges often either allow you to audit classes or enroll in continuing education courses that may provide great learning on a given topic, like a specific computer program (i.e. Photoshop), business skills or career development.
Online Certification
If you want something a bit more advanced than a one-off online course, consider an online certification in your field. Sites like ExpertRating and eLearners offer highly sought-after certification, like Six Sigma or Medical Billing, that can teach you the ropes and hand you a certificate for your efforts. The programs can be taken from home on your computer, on your own schedule. While a certification isn’t quite as prestigious as a degree, it certainly shows you’ve made the effort to better yourself professionally.
Online Degree
No longer do you have to drive to your local university and sit through hours of evening classes. Most universities offer online degree programs, which give you the ability to “attend” any school in the country. When you get online is up to you: professors post lecture notes and assignments, and you can complete them as you are able to.
Make sure if you decide to earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree online it’s with an accredited online program. Some websites are a little less official, and getting a degree from NightOwl University might not have the clout that, say, University of Notre Dame would on your resume.
Pinterest is one of the newest social media websites, and it is mainly used by women to save craft and decorating ideas. The site, however, has big potential for both job seekers and talent seekers. When used effectively, Pinterest can help prospective employees find jobs, and companies to determine if a candidate would be a good fit within their company.
Job seekers are using Pinterest to display their portfolio or create a visual resume. Since boards can be made of stand-alone pictures or links to a website or blog, the user can create a board with pins that link to their site, display a picture with a caption or a combination of both. Since all boards on Pinterest are public, a talent seeker can search using related keywords and find potential employees.
By browsing the person’s other boards and pins, the talent seeker can get an idea if the person would be a good fit for the company. A person’s boards say a lot about the person and their personality, so look for items that fit the ideals of the company. Some Columbia, South Carolina schools use Pinterest to provide career advice ranging from writing a good resume to job interview guidelines. A board’s followers are public, so look at the profiles of those who follow the board and read comments on pins to find prospective employees.
If you are advertising for a specific job, invite job seekers to create boards on Pinterest with ideas that relate to a subject. They can tag the business name in the comment section or email a link to the board. This allows the candidates to think outside the box and show what they can create, and it makes it easy for the talent seeker to look at submissions.
More and more students and job seekers are turning to Pinterest to look for jobs, including South University in Novi, MI students. They are familiar with the site, how it works and some even have their resumes and work already posted on the site. Professionals are using the site to showcase their work in many different fields, not just creative fields. For example, teachers can create boards with strategies and ideas they use in the classroom.
If you are looking for new talent, don’t forget to look at Pinterest. Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus are, perhaps, better known for finding talent, but the visual nature of Pinterest makes it ideal for job seekers and talent seekers. You can learn about a candidates ideas, previous work and their personality by browsing their boards and pins.
This Guest Post was contributed by Sam Peters, a blogger who enjoys writing about creative ways in which job seekers use Pinterest to draw attention to themselves during the job search.
A guest post from Rich Gorman.
We like to tell ourselves that we don’t really care what others think of us — but of course, it’s never really true. The fact is, popular perception and public opinion matter a great deal — whether we’re seeking to sell a product, land a job, or simply get a date.
That’s why the online reputation management industry has sprung up — because in the age of Facebook and Google, there’s never any telling what kind of information people are finding about you on the Internet. For major brands and small businesses alike, this information can be potentially devastating; if a Google search reveals nothing but negative reviews and consumer complaints, you can be sure your company’s profits will sink.
It’s not just businesses that need to be concerned about their branding and reputation, however; individuals need to be aware of this issue as well. Who hasn’t done an online search before going on that first date, following up on that prospective hire, or checking up on that new neighbor? It used to be enough to have a clean background — no arrests, no DUIs, no busted credit made for a clean bill of health. Now, one embarrassing photo or unwise Facebook comment can sabotage that first date or cost you that dream job.
But do online reputation management firms offer services for individuals, not just major corporations? The short answer is yes — all the time. Reputation management firms help lawyers and doctors, software engineers and schoolteachers, anyone and everyone remove unwanted photos or undesirable listings from the first few pages of Google, Yahoo, and Bing. They do it all day, everyday.
Your online reputation management situation may not quite call for that, however. For those seeking DIY reputation defense, there are a few basic tips and strategies that are sure to prove effective.
The first step is basic awareness. It’s vital to know what’s out there about you, and the best way to do that is to scour Google — known to many not just as a search engine, but as a reputation engine. Search for all possible variations on your name, as well as your phone number and your street address. Learning what’s out there about you is the first step toward defending your reputation, and combating unwanted listings.
Just searching on Google is not enough, though. As potent at Google may be, there are plenty of sites — including a lot of social media profiles — that are beyond its grasp. Try using a “people search engine,” like Pipl or Spock, to find out whether anyone’s talking smack about you on some long-forgotten MySpace page. These search engines will also determine whether you share a name with, say, a convicted felon or a porn star, both of which might be less than desirable if you’re trying to get a job.
If protecting your good name is the goal, opt out of mailing lists and bulk e-mail groups. Being present on these lists means your information is more accessible to those who might attempt to steal your identity. Removing yourself from these lists (or better yet, declining them in the first place) can really help make sure your identity is as safe as can be.
A great way to defend yourself from bad PR is to build a wall of good PR — which basically means making good use of social media. Populating your Facebook and Twitter accounts with information that presents you in a positive light is the key here. Signing up for those accounts but never using them is only so effective; if you post to them regularly, they’ll rank better on Google, hopefully out-ranking any negative listings you’d rather people not see.
If all else fails, online reputation management firms can provide an invaluable service, clearing your good name and restoring your reputation. However, by following these DIY defense tips, the hope is that you can keep your name clean on your own, and leave yourself with nothing to worry about on that first date or in that job interview.
Rich Gorman is a serial internet entrepreneur with an extensive background in direct marketing, affiliate marketing, and online reputation management. In addition, he helps companies and individuals with brand protection plans that prevent unscrupulous competitors from damaging their brand and reputation.
This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
