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As an employer, you will be required to hire new employees from time to time. It is therefore important to familiarize yourself with the important aspects of the recruitment process. You need to understand the fact that the recruitment process proper planning. Since this is a crucial task, it should be done effectively.

At times, this process can become strenuous and time consuming. But you need not to worry because the new technology can help you perform this task quickly and without a hitch. With the implementation of the new recruitment process software, your hiring process becomes simple and effective. This software is designed to help you complete the entire recruitment procedure without a hitch.

Today, businesses are facing intense pressure to offer quality results in the shortest time possible. Conversely, the recruitment process has become a big priority and pivotal to businesses’ success. It is thus important to ensure that your recruitment system comes with wide and integrated functions that can help you get the needed talents without a hassle. To achieve this, you need to incorporate the latest and more effective recruitment process software.

Thankfully, there is a wide variety of recruiting software in the market today. It is thus very easy for you to find a good program to make your recruitment tasks successful. However, you have to be careful when you are purchasing your software because some are not very reliable. There are some unscrupulous software developers whose main aim is to make a quick buck from innocent customers. Therefore you have to exercise caution so that you do not fall prey to the inept developers. Choosing the right recruitment process software can have a major impact on your business.

Making sure that you get the right persons for the open positions in your company will help you realize your objectives. Qualified employees also allow you to reduce the operational cost, improve business profitability, enhance staff loyalty, and increase customer satisfaction. Choosing adaptable recruitment process software from the right software developer is important because it will help you to organize your recruitment process and monitor applicants throughout the selection process.

Another benefit of choosing the best recruiting software is that it allows you to streamline the entire hiring process without breaking your bank. In fact, many companies have adopted this process since it enables them to make savings on the recruitment process.

What is more, it reduces the amount of time spent selecting and interviewing candidates.
Additionally, the recruitment process software developers offering spontaneous online entry applications will offer enhanced applicant experience plus an optimistic relationship with your business. Another reason why you should consider using this recruitment solution is that it helps you to reduce the number of hard copies you receive from the applicants.

It can be very strenuous to go through large volumes of applications. The recruitment process software comes with features that will help you to pick the right employees by matching their credentials with the requirements. Nevertheless, you have to ensure that the program you purchase is user-friendly.

A new study found that when it comes to human resources hiring decisions, employers may value candidates who are a good cultural fit over those who can do best on the job. The researchers voice concerns that the emphasis on background similarities may create a class bias in hiring at elite firms.

A new study found that when it comes to human resources hiring decisions, employers may value candidates who are a good cultural fit over those who can do best on the job. The researchers voice concerns that the emphasis on background similarities may create a class bias in hiring at elite firms.

Study author Lauren A. Rivera, an assistant professor of management and organizations and sociology at Northwestern University, spoke out in the December issue of the American Sociological Review. She said, “Of course, employers are looking for people who have the baseline of skills to effectively do the job. But, beyond that, employers really want people who they will bond with, who they will feel good around, who will be their friend and maybe even their romantic partner.”

Based on more than 100 interviews at leading U.S. investment banks, law firms and management consulting firms, more than half of the evaluators ranked cultural fit as the most important criterion at the job interview stage. Rivera suggests that this may mean that parental socioeconomic status plays a big part here. She said, “Evaluators are predominately white, Ivy League-educated, upper-middle or upper class men and women who tend to have more stereotypically masculine leisure pursuits and favor extracurricular activities associated with people of their background.”

Rivera also commented on how these findings might apply to other workplaces. While leisure interests would be expected to be particularly significant in more affluent circles, the specific cultural similarities that matter might vary in different settings. If you’re applying at a health food store, maybe no one will care if you play squash, but being a vegan could potentially give you an edge.

While the authors say this is the first empirical demonstration of this process, human resource professionals have long recognized the importance of finding candidates who fit in. This is one reason behind detailed job descriptions that give applicants a chance to screen themselves out if long hours or a laid-back environment doesn’t jibe with their personal values. It also helps to explain why employee referrals are highly valued for finding new employees who will connect with the current ones.

If nothing else, employers may want to consider whether the study findings suggest a barrier to bringing on board new employees who could be top performers and the implications for developing diverse and inclusive workplaces. For recruiters and job seekers, it’s another reminder to pay attention to extracurricular activities and other considerations that could be even more important than grades and job skills.

More companies are looking to bring on new recruiters as they prepare for the typical end-of-the-year hiring surge.

A recent report from Wanted Analytics found that the number of job postings for recruiters and other staffing professionals increased by 12 percent in September when compared to 2011 and by 29 percent when compared to 2010. This is also a good sign that the recruitment industry has officially recovered from the effects of the economic recession.

When it comes to overall growth in recruiting jobs, San Francisco takes the lead, with a 36 percent increase in job postings when compared to last year. The top five cities with the most recruiting jobs listed during September were:

  1. New York, N.Y.
  2. Washington, D.C.
  3. Chicago, Ill.
  4. Los Angeles, Calif.
  5. San Francisco, Calif.

And if you’re looking for a recruiting job, make sure you’re brushing up on your negotiation and social media skills, because it’s not enough to just know the basics anymore:

We’ve been watching hiring demand for Recruiters for a while and noticed that job requirements continue to evolve for this profession. In addition to traditional recruiting skills – like experience with applicant tracking software (ATS) and full lifecycle recruiting – there are several emerging skill sets that are gaining more traction every month. Two of these include negotiation and social media skills. The number of job ads that look for candidates with strong negotiation abilities is up 13 percent compared to September 2011. Job ads with social media requirements have grown even more incredibly, up 52 percent since last year.

To learn more about ATS and other important recruitment tools, check out CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

With the 2012 Presidential Election less than three weeks away, we’ve officially entered the dreaded zone of back and forth debates, non-stop trash talking commercials, and endless political posts on Facebook. Even though this time of year can be annoying, there are some things that recruiters can learn, especially from the Presidential debates.

Americans don’t simply let someone walk into the White House without an intense screening process, the same way that you shouldn’t hire new employees without knowing all that you can about them. While the vetting process isn’t quite as intense for normal job candidates, there are still a lot of similarities.

Here are five things recruiters can learn from the Presidential debates:

  1. Interview your candidates thoroughly. Just as Americans want to know as much as they can about each Presidential candidate before they make a decision, recruiters should learn as much as they can about each potential employee before choosing who to hire. Keep in mind that it usually takes more than one interview to learn everything you need to know about a candidate – you not only want to know about their experience and their skills, but their attitude and how they will fit in with your company culture – so it helps to have a series of different types of interviews with different people in the company.
  2. Understand what each candidate’s strengths are. By thoroughly reading through their resumes and conducting several interviews, you should eventually be able to pinpoint what each candidate’s strengths are. Once you know each candidate’s skills and abilities, you can more easily decide who’s talents align with the job and your company as a whole.
  3. Understand what each candidate’s weaknesses are. Just as you need to know what each candidate’s strengths are, you also need to know what each candidate’s weaknesses are. You can unveil a job seeker’s weaknesses by simply asking them what they think their own weaknesses are and by asking a number of other behavioral-based questions. You shouldn’t always discount a candidate because of their weaknesses, but instead ask yourself how you might be able to help that job seeker overcome their weaknesses and whether or not they’re willing to grow and learn within the position.
  4. Check the facts. Just like Presidential candidates, most job seekers will say almost anything to make themselves look good, which is why you need to check all the facts. Make sure you verify a potential employee’s education and employment history, try to speak to a few references about the candidate, and maybe even conduct a thorough background check so you can be assured the person is who they say they are.
  5. Pick the person that’s best for the job. Once all the interviews are complete and your fact-checking is done, you might be left with several candidates that you think have enough experience and are qualified for the position. This is where you need to use your gut instinct to pick who will be best for the job at hand, not necessarily who has the most experience or the most education.

A huge number of Americans are currently looking for new job opportunities – is your recruiting team ready?

Earlier this week, Jobvite released its Social Job Seeker Survey 2012, which found that a whopping 75 percent of Americans in the workforce are looking for new job opportunities. This is a 6 percent increase from last year.

The survey polled more than 2,100 adults – 1,300 of which are considered to be in the workforce, meaning they are either employed or unemployed and looking for a job. Of those who are employed, 69 percent are looking for a new job, up from 61 percent last year.

Some other interesting findings of the survey include:

  • About 33 percent of job seekers are less optimistic about finding a new job this year.
  • 61 percent of job seekers think finding a job is more difficult this year.
  • 41 percent of job seekers think they are overqualified for their current positions.
  • 83 percent of job seekers use Facebook to look for work, a slight jump from 82 percent in 2011.
  • The number of job seekers using Twitter to look for work increased from 37 percent to 46 percent over the last year.
  • The number of job seekers looking for work on LinkedIn grew from 32 percent to 41 percent between 2011 and 2012.
  • 88 percent of all job seekers have at least one social media profile, while 64 percent have two accounts, and 44 percent are using three or more networks.
  • 24 percent of job seekers have been asked for social media info when applying for a job.

“With fierce competition for jobs, which now includes a majority of employed people on top of active job seekers, social media has become a critical tool for job hunting and career growth,” Dan Finnigan, President & CEO of Jobvite, said in a press release. “One in six job seekers polled credited a social network for leading to their current/most recent employment.

“Maintaining your online presence and keeping employment top-of-mind at all times are vital to professional success,” he continued. “With technology and social networking rapidly evolving, those who don’t engage through Facebook, LinkedIn and/or Twitter will quickly find themselves falling behind.”

A lot of things can affect an employee’s happiness, but some cities just seem to have happier employees than others.

CareerBliss recently unveiled its list of the “Top 20 Happiest U.S. Cities for Young Professionals for 2012.” This year, six California cities appeared on the list, with three taking hold of the top spots.

The list is based on data from more than 38,000 employee reviews completed between 2011 and 2012 by young professionals, or those with less than 10 years of experience, throughout the country.

Employees were asked to rate 10 key factors that affect workplace happiness (including: work-life balance, compensation, company culture, overall work environment, company reputation, relationships with managers and co-workers, opportunities for growth, job resources, daily tasks, and job autonomy) on a scale of one to five.

The 20 happiest cities include:

  1. Los Angeles, Calif.: 3.952
  2. San Jose, Calif.: 3.951
  3. Sunnyvale, Calif.: 3.950
  4. Indianapolis, Ind.: 3.942
  5. San Diego, Calif.: 3.884
  6. Irvine, Calif.: 3.866
  7. Atlanta, Ga.: 3.857
  8. Boston, Mass.: 3.845
  9. San Francisco, Calif.: 3.833
  10. San Antonio, Texas: 3.828
  11. Las Vegas, Nev.: 3.820
  12. Seattle, Wash.: 3.784
  13. Irving, Texas: 3.783
  14. Philadelphia, Penn.: 3.779
  15. Orlando, Fla.: 3.763
  16. Pittsburgh, Penn.: 3.743
  17. New York, N.Y.: 3.716
  18. Plano, Texas: 3.705
  19. Miami, Fla.: 3.679
  20. Houston, Texas: 3.679

If you need some help recruiting happy employees, check out PCRecruiter.

If you’re not using social media to complement your hiring efforts yet, then you’re seriously falling way behind the trend.

Earlier this summer, Jobvite unveiled its annual Social Recruiting Survey, which found that social media has become an essential recruiting tool for successful HR teams. Currently, 92 percent of companies are using social media to recruit new employees, which is up from 78 percent five years ago.

Survey results are based on answers from more than 1,000 human resources and other recruitment professionals who were asked about their social media recruiting activities and intentions.

Some key findings of the survey include:

  • LinkedIn remains the most popular social network among recruiters, with usage increasing from 87 percent in 2011 to 93 percent in 2012.
  • 66 percent of recruiters are using Facebook, up 11 percent from last year.
  • 54 percent of recruiters are using Twitter.
  • 73 percent of employes have successfully hired a candidate through social media, up from 63 percent in 2011 and 58 percent in 2010.
  • 89 percent of recruiters have hired through LinkedIn, 25 percent through Facebook, and 15 percent through Twitter.
  • 49 percent of recruiters have seen the size of their candidate pools increase since adopting social media.
  • 43 percent of recruiters think social media leads to better quality candidates.
  • 20 percent of recruiters say hiring through social media is quicker than through traditional channels.
  • 71 percent of recruiters consider themselves moderate to exceptional social recruiters.
  • 48 percent of recruiters always check a candidate’s social profiles.
  • 80 percent of recruiters like candidates who belong to professional organizations.

“The rise in social recruiting has allowed both candidates and employers an easier way to find the best match,” Dan Finnigan, president and CEO of Jobvite, said in a press release. “We continue to see social recruiting gain popularity because it is more efficient than the days of sifting through a haystack of resumes. It also increases quality referral hires, which our own data on Jobvite proves are hired faster and last longer.”

How does your small business recruit? Recruiting can be filled with endless requirements that can eliminate some of the dynamic potential of the process.

Taking a look at advice from Johnny Laurent, vice president and general manager for the Sage Employer Solutions business unit, there are “six rules of wise recruiting” that can help small businesses manage such an important process:

  1. Look back to go forward: Take a look at how your business used to hire talent. What did and didn’t work? These lessons can help you learn from the past, improve what’s broken, and move away from what needs to be forgotten.
  2. Hire for attitude, train for skills: Laurent advises businesses to observe the dynamic potential of an interested employee. After all, you can always train an employee on the changes in software, but their attitude toward work probably won’t be so amenable.
  3. Past performance does predict future behavior: Take a deep look at the prospect’s background and remember that “unclear answers from former employers shouldn’t be accepted.” Laurent also advises you to ask what the person was like in a particular situation.
  4. Become the employer of choice: The “number one recruiting strategy,” according to Laurent – is a goal that your business should strive to be recognized for in recruitment. When resumes start coming to you, Laurent says, you know you’re on the right track.
  5. Put them in the book – it’s important to keep a reference guide: Pay attention to who’s in your business right now. Keep tabs on your current employees and the directions they’re moving. You can keep tabs on your own organization as well as others.
  6. Hire hard, manage easy: Laurent uses this quote from Alan Davis, chairman and co-founder of Alan Davis Strategic Recruiting. If the right amount of energy is put into CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE, the rest “is a breeze,” in Laurent’s words.

Take these tips from Laurent and use them in your own recruitment process. Blending dynamic potential and conventional wisdom, the advice merges the best of both worlds for organizational success.

Recruiting those really exceptional, ‘extraordinary’ people won’t ever happen if you stick to legacy notions of simply matching skill levels to the company’s job description.

What’s important is what Geoffrey James, a staff writer for Inc’s SalesForce column, came away with from a leadership conference attended by numerous “CEOs and sales execs.”

“How to Hire Extraordinary Employees: 7 Rules” is not a randomly acquired list; the thoughtful tips go beyond the traditional skill-matching process to incorporate a deeper understanding of the applicant’s desires, wants, and even disappointments.

  1. Define your “Extraordinary Employee” – This step requires you to focus on the successful employees in your organization and understand their “talents and skills.” Interview questions around these traits will bring out any skills and character attributes that look to be “exceptional in your specific organization.”
  2. Always be Interviewing – Instead of waiting for the day you need to fill that opening, always be looking ahead and creating an inventory by “interviewing candidates all the time.” Use this along with your social media channels – and email – as a way to find applicants who look like they have that something “extraordinary” to contribute.
  3. Ask Questions That Reveal Character – Don’t throw them the ‘ol soft-ball question, like “What was your greatest achievement?” Get deep-in-the-weeds with this one and ask them to bring up “achievements from grade school, two from high school, two from college … ” and make sure they can tie-in a business-related achievement as well.
  4. Seek People Who Have Overcome Disappointment – You’re looking for those telling and “defining moments” that show they possess resiliency, which is crucial to assessing how they will cope in your business environment.
  5. Don’t Confuse Success with Motivation – How many times have you heard that almost-cliché-type phrase, “self-starters”? Make sure the “self-starter” mantra is only working when heavily supervised.
  6. Hire for Attitude, Not Experience – Hiring based on the applicant’s past track record is not enough; instead you should decide if they have the right mojo and the right attitude to contribute to the company’s future.
  7. Get a Real Reference – Step away from the candidate’s resume when checking references and do your own sleuthing to find the references you need … ”rather than simply calling the ones on the … resume.”

HR departments are historically considered to be boring and conservative, but some of the cutting-edge policies being created in big companies are giving recruiters a new reputation.

It’s hard enough to find – and keep – good employees in today’s world, and having a good recruiting team and good recruiting software (https://www.pcrecruiter.net) is no longer enough, so a lot of companies are going above and beyond the ordinary tactics to draw potential candidates. From unlimited vacation to bolder branding ideas, employers are pulling out all the stops to bring new people on board.

Here are five of the craziest policies that are setting some companies apart:

  1. Extraordinary benefits – Most companies offer some form of medical, dental, and vision insurance, but some companies are going way above and beyond to make sure their employees are well taken care of. Take Google for example – if an employee dies, the company’s life insurance policy will pay their spouse or domestic partner 50 percent of that employee’s paycheck for the next 10 years.
  2. Unlimited vacation – Employees of most companies – especially the bigger, more corporate ones – typically only get a couple weeks of vacation each year. However, newer companies like Netflix and Foursquare allow their employees to take an unlimited amount of vacation. These companies realize just how much emphasis the younger generations place on the importance of work-life balance and how much they value their time off.
  3. Better health incentives – A lot more companies are focusing on the skyrocketing cost of healthcare and are finding new and innovative ways to keep their employees healthy. Some of the top companies have employee exercise spaces or group classes on-site, while others offer monetary incentives for employees who improve their health and in turn drive down the company’s overall insurance costs.
  4. Intrinsic benefits – We’re seeing a lot more companies acknowledge the importance of intrinsic benefits and implement new ways to appreciate their employees – including everything from setting up game rooms and snack lounges where employees can take a much-needed break throughout the day to offering telecommuting opportunities so employees can work from the comfort of their own home.
  5. Referral bonuses – Some of the best new hires come from the networks of your existing employees, and companies are beginning to place a higher value on this. It’s not unusual for companies to offer a referral bonus of $100 or so, but some companies are offering bonuses in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

It takes a lot of work to find the best employees for your company, but that goal can be met a lot easier if you have a great recruiter on your HR team.

So what makes someone a great recruiter as opposed to a mediocre one? In fact, there are several qualities that set high-performing recruiters above their lesser-performing counterparts.

Here are four essential qualities of a great recruiter:

  1. Good salesperson – Part of your job as a recruiter is to sell your company and your company’s job openings to potential candidates. You have to sell the idea of working for your company in the same manner that you’d sell someone a new product or service, which means you need to have the ability to prove why your company is so great and why someone will want to work there.
  2. People person – As a recruiter, it’s inherent that you’ll be dealing with people on a consistent basis, so you need to be comfortable interacting with all different types of people day in and day out. Since you will most likely be the first point of contact for a potential employee, your attitude and demeanor will essentially provide a first impression of the company, meaning that you need to be able to put on a happy face regardless of what might be going on in your personal life.
  3. Organized – There is a lot going on in the world of recruiting, from writing up job descriptions and reading resumes to calling people for interviews and conducting background checks on potential hires. So as a recruiter, you need to be extremely organized in order to keep track of all of these things, so you can ultimately get the job done.
  4. Technologically inclined – As we mentioned above, there are a lot of tasks that fall at the feet of recruiters, but luckily there are some great technologies out there to help them stay on track. Whether you’re using your company’s applicant tracking system (pcrecruiter.net) to review resumes, scheduling interviews through Google Calendars, or conducting a background check, you need to know how to use the latest technology in order to make your job more efficient.

Keep these important qualities in mind when hiring your company’s next recruiter. With any luck, you’ll snag someone who can entice some of the best employees out there to join your company.

Sometimes employers become overly egocentric when it comes to recruiting, deciding that in a weak economy they have the pick of the litter when it comes to job seekers. However, job seekers are often no better at focusing their resumes around the old-fashioned idea of an objective and expecting employers to meet their personal needs by offering them their dream job.

The fact of the matter is that recruiting needs to be a give-and-take situation. That doesn’t mean one side gives and the other takes. It means there should be a balance on both sides.

In the article, “The Importance of the Give-and-Take Job Interview,” writer and human resources consultant Deborah S. Hildebrand suggests
that:

… job seekers (and employers) should focus on creating the type of give-and-take environment that naturally lends itself to a quality fact-finding session. Because that is what job interviews are supposed to be all about. It’s just business professionals gathering information.

In a truly idyllic job interview, both sides would feel confident in what they bring to the table and be able to discuss openly the benefit of what they each offer. It would be, as Hildebrand suggests, a more level playing field.

For employers, writer and speaker John Picoult sees it this way in his Monster.com article, “Does your Hiring Process Sentence Applicants to Hard Labor?” Employers need to consider how their company treats customers and apply these same rules to job seekers. After all, customers are just job seekers on their day off.

Consider this: if you make the shopping experience uncomfortable or difficult for customers, they are likely to stop patronizing your business, right?

The same principle applies in the recruiting arena. If it’s unreasonably difficult and onerous for candidates to interact with your firm, they’ll be inclined to look elsewhere for employment. (And no matter what the state of the job market, talented people will always have other alternatives.)

Making the recruiting process as free of stress and friction as possible should be your goal. It’s our goal. That’s why we offer a complete recruiting software solution for your applicant recruiting, sourcing, and tracking needs. Check out PCRecruiter for more.

If you’re not using social media as part of your recruiting efforts yet, here’s some motivation: revenue from social networking sites is expected to rise a whopping 43.1 percent this year, hitting a total of $16.9 billion.

That’s according to a new forecast on social media revenue from Gartner, which examined past revenue from sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and asked analysts how that revenue will grow over the coming years.

What does this have to do with recruiting? It means that more people are going to be using social media sites and more companies are going to figure out how to monetize the actions from those users.

So it only makes sense that you establish a presence on all the popular social media sites now, so you can interact with the online community and find some great candidates by advertising your jobs or tapping into your networks’ connections.

Here are some interesting facts from the report:

  • Social media revenue is expected to rise from $11.8 billion in 2011 to $16.9 billion this year, making for an increase of 43.1 percent.
  • Revenue from social networking sites should reach $34 billion by 2016.
  • Advertising accounts for the largest portion of revenue from social media sites, expected to hit $8.8 billion this year, followed by social gaming at $6.2 billion, and subscriptions at $278 million.
  • The number of people using social media will grow at a moderate pace as competition and new technologies keeps people engaged.
  • Marketing departments are going to spend more of their advertising budgets on social media sites.

“New revenue opportunities will exist in social media, but no new services will be able to bring significant fresh revenue to social media by 2016,” Neha Gupta, a senior research analyst with Gartner, said. “The biggest impact of growth in social media is on the advertisers.

“In the short and medium terms, social media sites should deploy data analytic techniques that interrogate social networks to give marketers a more accurate picture of trends about consumers’ needs and preferences on a customized basis,” she added. “In the meantime, however, they should also continue to exploit other channels of revenue like mobile advertising and social commerce.”

We live in a society where the line between work and free time is too easily and too often blurred, but most employers still don’t have a policy in place to deal with working after hours.

“Technology and Its Impact on Employees During Nonworking Hours,” a new report from SHRM, found that a large majority of employers don’t have anything in writing dictating what their staff members can and can’t do when working outside of the office.

However, most typical employees still feel guilty if they don’t respond to emails at night or on the weekend, even if doing so is not technically part of their job description. That’s because most companies rely on organizational norms, not written policies, to dictate such behavior.

“Employers are not creating policies that delve into employees working outside of the traditional workday,” Evren Esen, manager of SHRM’s Survey Research Center, said in a press release. “Whether an employee responds to email at night or during the weekend is usually linked to organizational norms. If there is such an expectation, then employees are likely to follow suit.”

Some highlights of the report include:

  • Only 21 percent of companies have a formal policy in place regulating the use of wireless communication devices during non-working hours.
  • About 26 percent of organizations have an informal policy in place, while 81 percent of those rely on managers to relay rules to employees.
  • Of the companies that don’t have any policy in place dealing with working after hours, 87 percent allow employees to set their own limitations.
  • Employers are more concerned about how much their employees are working after hours if the work is being done on a company-owned device.

Ultimately, employers should make it a priority to develop an after-hours working policy, whether the employee is using company-provided equipment or not. Companies that have no policy in place could be leaving themselves open to lawsuits for not paying proper overtime.

There is lots of advice out there about how you can find your next job on Facebook, but now it seems that the popular social networking site is going to make that task even easier by launching its own job board.

A recent article from NASDAQ claims that Facebook is planning to launch its own job board later this summer, although the article couldn’t credit its source, saying only that the information came from “people familiar with the matter.”

If it does become a reality, the job board could pose a huge threat to competitors – specifically LinkedIn – as well as other companies that develop apps to help companies showcase their jobs on Facebook.

“In recent years, the success of sites like LinkedIn, which merge users’ personal and professional histories with information about jobs, have put pressure on once-dominant sites like Monster.com,” the article notes. “While job seekers once considered sharing information on Facebook to be a liability when finding a job, today a host of companies, including those partnering in the new job board, have popped up promising to better match job seekers and recruiters using profile information from Facebook users.”

According to NASDAQ’s sources, the job board will aggregate job openings from other third-party providers, making those jobs available to all users. Facebook also plans to involve BranchOut, Jobvite, and Work4 Labs – all of which currently use Facebook for recruiting purposes – in the new effort.

Not much else is clear about how the new job board will operate, although Facebook does plan to make the service available for free, at least initially.

As everyone anxiously awaits tomorrow’s employment numbers, a separate report is showing that companies are making the lowest number of layoffs in over a year.

The most recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that employers made 37,551 layoffs during June, a whopping 39 percent decrease from May, and marking the lowest number of job cuts in the last 13 months.

Although we’re not out of the woods yet, this is a huge step in the right direction, and offers a glimmer of hope at a time when many people are predicting that the economy is still getting worse.

“Even with recent signs that the economy is headed for another summer slump or worse, including the first contraction in manufacturing activity in three years, employers appear reluctant to shed too many workers,” Challenger CEO John A. Challenger said in a press release. “While it does not take long to shrink payrolls, it can take a significant amount of time to rebuild them, particularly as reports of the growing skills gap becomes more widespread.”

Even more encouraging is that the biggest job cuts in June were in education, just in time for schools and universities to wrap up things for the summer. And even that industry’s 6,569 layoffs were down 36 percent from last year.

“Continued weakness in the recovery will further delay hiring, which will, in turn, further delay the full recovery,” Challenger said. “Whether or not we see an  increase in job cuts depends on the length and severity of the recovery’s slowdown.

“However, barring some major economic catastrophe, companies in  the U.S. are likely to hold steady for the remainder of the year,” he added. “We probably  will not see a major ramp up in hiring or firing; certainly, not before the November elections. Even after the election and regardless of who wins, it  could be several months until companies understand the full implications of  the outcome and how to plan for the future.”

Check out the full report for more info on what industries and states are seeing the most layoffs, the top reasons companies are letting people go, and the industries planning to hire in the coming months.

The Olympic Games are a time-tested tradition enjoyed throughout the world, but beyond the athletes and the competition, it’s the employees behind the scenes who keep the event running smoothly.

Traditionally, the Olympic Games are held every two years, alternating between summer and winter events. The host city changes for each event as well, with this year’s games being hosted in London.

The Olympics regularly attract participants from more than 200 nations around the world, which means there is a huge influx of visitors to the host city. It is estimated that the London games will cost $14.8 billion.

But that cost is well worth it for the city, which will see plenty of business before, during, and after the games take place. Obviously, Olympic Park itself will see most of the business, but patronage will flow all throughout the city as guests book rooms at local hotels, make reservations at local restaurants, and tour around local landmarks.

Given the amount of business the games will bring to the city, it’s imperative that local businesses ramp up their hiring efforts in order to meet demand. That means figuring out a way to hire a large number of talented employees within a small period of time.

To help with the hiring efforts, game officials have established a program that will help unemployed people and students find a job related to the games. A total of 100,000 people are expected to nab paid positions in catering and hospitality, cleaning and waste, event services, retail, and security.

“The vision of London 2012 is to use the power of the Games to inspire lasting change. Part of that vision is inspiring lasting change in London’s communities, particularly in the east of the capital where much of the Games is being held. Getting people into work – some of whom might have been unemployed for a long time or may have never had a job before – is a key element of the area’s regeneration.”

Opportunities are also available with the ceremonies department, which is in charge of putting together the actual opening and closing ceremonies, and the London 2012 Organizing Committee.

The unemployment rate in 2010 for veterans who have served since September 2001 was at 11.7%, while the August 1, 2011 TIME.com article, “More Young Veterans Jobless,” put the current unemployment rate for veterans at around 13%. Both numbers exceed the current national average of 9.2%

The most recent unemployment rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is 8.2%. Yet, that number is higher for veterans.

In the article, “Veteran-Friendly Job Resources to Ease Vets Back into Job Market,” writer and human resources consultant Deborah S. Hildebrand notes that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Unfortunately, the unemployment rate in 2010 for veterans who have served since September 2001 was at 11.7%, while the August 1, 2011 TIME.com article, “More Young Veterans Jobless,” put the current unemployment rate for veterans at around 13%. Both numbers exceed the current national average of 9.2%

The experts say that the most likely reason is that many companies don’t make the connection between military experience and recruiting candidates for their open positions.

Granted, much of the problem has to do with how veterans view themselves. When they develop their resume, they often use military acronyms and a government formatted resume that is foreign to private human resources professionals and hiring managers. Veterans need to learn how to translate their years of experience and skills into the right words.

Beyond that, employers need to rethink how they look at the men and women who served this country. Defense contractors, for instance, often hire veterans with security clearances who can work on top-secret projects.

For other employers who are not as sure about recruiting veterans, there are tax benefits as well as government funding for training and worker relocation, such as VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011.

This initiative made changes to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) by adding two new categories. It allows for-profit employers to claim a credit of up to $9,600 for qualified veterans who begin work before January 1, 2013 or up to $6,240 for qualified tax-exempt organizations. For more information, visit the IRS website.

Additionally, the Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) offers resources to assist employers in hiring veterans including a Veteran’s Hiring Tool Kit and no-cost consultation and technical assistance.

What this country needs is more small businesses. So the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced it was providing $35 million for states to help develop, enhance, and promote Self-Employment Assistance programs to encourage unemployed Americans to realize their dreams of business ownership.

The program allows “participants who are currently receiving or eligible for federally funded Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits” to receive “financial assistance equal to their Unemployment Insurance benefits while they receive important entrepreneurial training and resources to help launch their own businesses.”

Small Business Vital to Recruiting

Small businesses not only create opportunity for their owners, but they create opportunities for other small businesses, as well as job seekers in the community. As the Small Business Administration suggests:

“… The overall importance of the small busi­ness community has been well documented and the importance of new venture creation is widely recognized.”

And nowhere is this more important than in the creation of new jobs. In fact, as of 2010, the SBA reported that small businesses (fewer than 500 employees per the SBA) accounted for 75 percent of net new jobs in the U.S.

Additionally, a study conducted by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) suggested that entrepreneurship is a major factor in any country’s well-being in both economic and job growth.

Technology Makes Small Businesses Competitive

However, the difficulty for many small businesses and entrepreneurs is in competing with larger organizations. That’s where technology can provide an advantage.

Technology makes small businesses competitive. As Stephanie Faris suggests in her article, “Technology Helps Small Businesses Restore Competitiveness to U.S. Economy”:

“Thanks to technology, those smaller companies can now compete with the largest corporations in the country. Cloud services are leveling the playing field, allowing small and mid-sized businesses to tackle larger projects …”

And one such large project is managing the recruiting function. That’s where PCRecruiter can help.

We offer tools that enable human resource and other business professionals to manage the entire recruiting process, from requisition approval and submission to resume database management and diversity tracking. Whatever you need to streamline staffing, we have the recruiting software tools that are right for your current needs.

Is the economy headed for another meltdown or are we just experiencing a hiccup in the national recovery?

That’s what experts are asking after after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest employment numbers for May at the end of last week, which were much lower than the anticipated addition of 150,000 jobs.

Overall, the nation added only 69,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate rose slightly to 8.2 percent. There were a total of 12.7 million unemployed people, with the number of long-term unemployed people rising from 5.1 million to 5.4 million.

Lawrence Creatura, a stock portfolio manager with Federated Investors, told the Associated Press:

“The jobs report was just bad … What we’re seeing is that the job market, post-financial crisis, has not been able to reignite itself. It hasn’t been able to set off that chain reaction where an improving economy creates more jobs, and more jobs improve the economy, creating more jobs. That hasn’t started yet.”

Most major industries didn’t see a lot of movement in terms of employment, with employers in the healthcare, transportation and warehousing, and wholesale trade industries being the only ones to add a significant number of jobs. On the downside, the construction industry took a turn for the worse.

Unimpressive Numbers

Including the May employment numbers, the U.S. has added an average of 96,000 jobs during each of the last three months, which is down from the 245,000 average gain between December and February.

In addition, experts point out that the main reason the increase in unemployment was so small is because a lot of people stopped looking for work, so they’re no longer counted among the unemployment rolls.

And even worse – the BLS revised its employment numbers for March and April, dropping them from 154,000 to 143,000 and from 115,000 to 77,000, respectively.

Sheila Dewan at The New York Times notes:

“Economists can explain away a month or two of dismal numbers, but a three-month run is difficult to ignore. The economy now seems to be following the spring slowdown pattern of the last two years — a bright spot of accelerating growth followed by a slump. The news on Friday even raised mentions of a possibility that dogged last year’s forecasts but did not come to pass: another recession.”

Of course, the weak employment figures are having an effect on the entire global market as well, especially since they came shortly after other data that points to weakening economies in Europe and Asia. Financial markets from Wall Street to Germany took a dive today.

A Few Positives

The good thing is that a few key industries did continue adding jobs during May:

  • Transportation and warehousing – The industry added 36,000 jobs over the month, with ground passenger transportation accounting for most of that gain.
  • Healthcare – With an addition of 33,000 workers, the healthcare industry continued its ever-growing trend, with much of the employment gain coming from the ambulatory healthcare services sector.
  • Manufacturing – One of the most important industries to our economy, manufacturing added 12,000 jobs last month, with employers in fabricated metal products and primary metals hiring the most workers.

Mostly Negatives

Aside from the overall paltry employment figures, the BLS report found that most industries saw little to no change in employment, while one of our most significant industries actually lost workers.

The construction industry, which along with manufacturing has long been a primary indicator of the overall health of the economy, lost 28,000 jobs during May. Payrolls were cut in specialty trade contractors and heavy and civil engineering construction.

Most of the other industries that we pay close attention to on a monthly basis – professional and business services; mining and logging; retail trade; information; financial activities; leisure and hospitality; and government – all saw little or no change in employment last month.

Looking Ahead

In reality, the economy sways back and forth so much that it’s hard to predict what effect the May employment numbers will have in the next several weeks and months.

As Tim Duy wrote over at Forbes:

“Two thoughts come to mind. First, I have said it before and I will say it again: If you become either too optimistic or too pessimistic about the path of the US recovery, you will almost certainly be slapped down in a matter of months.

 

“Second, this summer is looking like a carbon copy of 2011. The US data is turning softer just while the European saga is heating up. This time, we have some additional icing on the cake, with emerging markets faltering as well. And that black box that is China could be in free fall for all we know – commodity prices and cash outflows are pointing to some real distress.”

Many experts think that if legislators in Washington, D.C. don’t do anything to help the economy improve at a faster rate, the Federal Reserve will be forced to step in

Sandra Pianalto, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, told the Wall Street Journal:

“Right now I feel that our accommodative monetary policy is appropriate given my outlook. I always want to balance the risks and costs of doing more. I have an outlook for inflation to remain close to our 2% objective through 2014. It’s important to take a balanced approach on what more we can do for broader economic growth. We need to make sure that we maintain our stable price objective so you have to balance those two objectives.”

Do you have your hands on the resume of that promising candidate that came in last month? Are you buried in paper trying to wade through all those resumes and applications you have collected? Are you just crossing your fingers and hoping that the really sharp guy whose resume came too late for your last posting will respond to your new ad?

So how many job candidates have you lost because of an inefficient processing system in your personnel recruiting office?

Every business can probably point to cases where they have lost potential employees because of processing issues in their personnel management operations. HR staffs try to keep on top of things by keeping resume files on promising candidates and using resume files as a key sourcing tool when job vacancies arise.

Now there is a way to use technology to bring order and structure to your HR recruiting operation and make it more reliable and efficient. Check out PCRecruiter for more information on this.

“Hiring fundamentals that include a systematic process for hiring and consistent execution of the hiring process result in superior employee wins for your organization,” Susan M. Heathfield said in a post at About.com.

Putting an automated recruiting system to work in in your HR department will give you the tools you need to customize a systematic process for your hiring.

The right system will allow you to track and manage contacts, compile a searchable database of prospects, compile candidate profiles, collect required information from candidates, and put your application process online.

With the right systems in place to collect and organize information on your applicant pool, you will have a much better chance of attracting and recruiting the best candidates for your company.

Is your staffing software helping you find the right employees, and more importantly, is it helping the right employees find you?

Recent research finds that employers are able to hire the best candidates when they advertise their job openings in a small number of places. That being said, it’s important for companies to make sure that their staffing software programs allow easy integration with most or all of these sources. Check out https://www.pcrecruiter.net for more info.

Today’s state-of-the-art staffing software solutions are capable of doing much more than just making the recruiting process easier and cheaper for your company. The best solutions will have the ability to integrate your job openings in the places where candidates are looking most, mainly job boards and social media sites.

According to Weddle’s 2011 Survey of Recruiting Trends, a majority of employers still prefer to post their jobs on commercial job boards – more specifically, targeted niche job boards – because that’s where the highest quality candidates are found.

The survey revealed that employers find the best candidates in the following places:

  • 40.7 on job boards
  • 12.9 percent through an employee referral program
  • 11.1 percent by posting jobs on their own websites
  • 9.3 percent on social networking sites
  • 5.6 percent through staffing firms
  • 5.5 percent by advertising job openings in newspapers

Furthermore, 77.3 percent of employers are posting more than half of their job openings online, while only 6.1 percent aren’t using the Internet at all for recruiting. The results have been great, with 50.8 percent of employers hiring more than half of their new employees online. And those employees are pretty talented, with 54.1 percent of employers labeling new hires found online as above average or among the company’s best workers.

So what’s the reason that employers are having such good luck finding high-quality candidates in these places? The answer is simple – because these are the same places job seekers are turning to in order to find work.

When it comes to job seekers, the survey found that:

  • 69 percent find the Internet helpful in their job search
  • 69.7 percent think they will find their next job through an online job board
  • 34 percent found their current job online
  • 58 percent visit at least one job board up to eight times per month

So, if your staffing software provider doesn’t allow easy integration with job boards, social networking sites, or other popular  recruiting sources, it might be time to think about finding a new provider.

The applicant tracking system market is continuing to grow, and as providers offer newer and better solutions, many companies are thinking about switching the service they currently use.

That’s the most important information to come out of “Talent Acquisition Systems 2011: Market Realities, Implementation Examples and Solution Provider Profiles,” a report released last year by Bersin & Associates. The report looked at survey responses from HR professionals and recruiters from organizations of all sizes and in all major industries.

According to Sarah White, who works as principal analyst of talent acquisition for Bersin & Associates, a lot of companies are choosing to work with providers that offer better support and a higher level of integration, and ATS companies that offer a large selection of products are doing the best. It’s commonly accepted that applicant tracking systems are just as important to the recruiting and onboarding process as interviewing and social networking.

Here are some key figures from the survey:

  • The ATS market increased by 11.1 percent to $837 million during 2010, which was slightly lower than the $861 million originally predicted by experts. The difference can be attributed to the slowing economy.
  • The survey predicted that the ATS market would grow by 12 percent to $937 million by the end of 2011, as high-end companies consolidate and low-end companies continue to expand.
  • About 50 percent of companies were planning to switch to a new ATS provider over the year, as new options and new technologies emerge.
  • The amount of time it takes to convince a company to commit to an ATS provider has increased from six months to up to three years.
  • A large majority of ATS providers offer a mobile solution in order to keep up with growing popularity.
  • More and more ATS companies are merging in order to offer a more robust suite of solutions to customers, such as search engine optimization or video services.
  • As social networks continue to become more and more popular, most ATS companies are offering the ability to integrate with LinkedIn, Facebook, or other sites.
  • Analytics have become more important than ever in evaluating a company’s application, interviewing, and hiring process.
  • Learning Management Systems are growing by 10 percent per year, while Performance Management and Succession Management Systems are increasing by 12 percent.

So, as you can see, applicant tracking systems and other similar technologies that make the recruiting and onboarding process easier, cheaper, and more efficient aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. If you’re not already using this technology, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon!

It’s common practice for employers in certain industries to place a strong emphasis on a potential candidate’s work history in order to prevent high turnover numbers. It’s long been thought that candidates who have held several positions in a short period of time will make worse employees and will be more likely to quit.

However, a recent white paper by Evolv shows that work history has very little effect on a candidate’s abilities or likeliness to stay in a position. That means one of the factors employees place a strong emphasis on – in their applicant tracking systems, in the interview process, and in the hiring process – is mostly wrong.

The white paper, entitled “Does Previous Work History Predict Future Employment Outcomes?”, looked at applicant data and employment outcomes of 21,115 call center agents.

Key findings of the white paper include:

  • Almost half of all applicants had two or three jobs in the last five years, while 45 percent had none or one job, and 7 percent had four or more jobs.
  • 56 percent of applicants said they hadn’t held any jobs for less than six months.
  • Survival curves, or the probability that agents reach a given point in time, were almost identical for all groups, regardless of the number of jobs held in the last five years or the number of short-term positions.

“These results indicate that an applicant’s previous work history is actually a poor predictor of employment outcomes,” the white paper notes. “In fact, there is other assessment content that is much more strongly predictive of both attrition as well as performance on the job.

“Clearly, a more nuanced understanding of the applicant as well as his or her personality, aptitudes, work style, technical skills, and fit for the position are necessary to make more informed recruiting decisions,” the paper continues. “Previous work experience must be viewed holistically and placed within a much broader context in order to ensure that a given employer is recruiting the best possible talent.”

Sometimes small-business owners feel at a disadvantage when recruiting new employees because they don’t have the budget to offer big benefit packages and large salaries to attract candidates. Therefore, they wind up with a small pool of candidates.

Sometimes small-business owners feel at a disadvantage when recruiting new employees because they don’t have the budget to offer big benefit packages and large salaries to attract candidates. Therefore, they wind up with a small pool of candidates.

Whether or not your small business is at a hiring disadvantage all depends on how you use what your firm has to offer.

The Best Candidate Doesn’t Always Have the Most Experience

It is important to remember when recruiting employees it isn’t all about hiring the one with the perfect education and work experience. It is equally important to find job seekers who fit with your company’s culture and value system.

In the April 28, 2011, Fortune article, “Is it better to hire for culture fit over experience?” writer Ethan Rouen suggests that because workplace culture varies within organizations the skills employees learn at one company may conflict with those of another. How many times have you told a new employee, “That’s not how we do that here?”

Don’t waste time breaking bad habits. Instead, find candidates that demonstrate the qualities that will make them successful in your firm.

Market Your Firm’s Attributes 

Before you spend hours recruiting, first determine what it is your organization has to offer job seekers. Talk to your staff to get their input. Sell these as benefits on your website and in your recruiting literature.

Continually Network to Attract Candidates

If you’re like most small businesses, your recruiting budget is tight. Finding inexpensive, yet worthwhile sources of candidates requires networking.

Post jobs on your website; network with local groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, non-profit organizations, and professional associations; contact federal and state resources for assistance; and utilize social networking – Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter – to  its fullest.

Your company may not be in a hiring mode right now, but you should always be recruiting.

By now, most companies know how important it is to have a good recruitment software system in place. But how does your company value that software’s ability to integrate with social media?

Last year, Jobvite released its annual Social Recruiting Survey and introduced the new Jobvite Index, both of which unveil how recruiters are using social media. The data prove that social media is becoming more and more important in the recruiting process.

Overall, the number of companies planning to recruit through social media increased from 83 percent to 89 percent last year. At the same time, 64 percent of companies were using at least two social networks for their recruiting efforts.

“The data show that recruiting departments, like marketing departments, are reaching and engaging their targets in multiple social networks,” Dan Finnigan, Jobvite president and CEO, said in a company press release. “The fastest moving companies increasingly use the richness of profiles in LinkedIn, the power of online connections in Facebook, and the instant reach of Twitter to develop valuable talent pools and make new hires.”

Some other key findings of the survey include:

  • The number of companies that have hired through social media increased from 58 percent to 64 percent between 2010 and 2011.
  • Although companies still claim referrals bring the highest quality candidates, only 30 percent were planning to increase their referral budget, while 55 percent were spending more on social recruiting. Only 16 percent were paying more for job board postings.
  • As we previously noted, 64 percent of companies use at least two social networks for recruiting, while 40 percent of companies use at least three.
  • About 73 percent of social hires come from LinkedIn, while 20 percent come from Facebook, and 7 percent come from Twitter.
  • The fight for jobs isn’t expected to die down anytime soon, as 77 percent of companies anticipate an increase in competition, and 61 percent plan to recruit from their competitors.

“Jobvite’s new data confirms our research that social recruiting has become an essential element of today’s corporate recruiting strategy,” Josh Bersin, president and CEO of Bersin & Associates, said. “The data also points out that referral-based recruiting is a new ‘secret weapon’ for talent acquisition. Companies that focus heavily on referral strategies, enabled by social networks, are delivering the highest quality of hire at the lowest overall cost.”

It should be common sense by now, but it can’t overemphasized: Don’t scrimp on sourcing candidates, no matter what position you’re looking to fill.

It should be common sense by now, but it can’t overemphasized: Don’t scrimp on sourcing candidates, no matter what position you’re looking to fill.

Brad Remillard made the point again just the other day.

“I believe you should conduct a background check on every employee you hire — from the janitor to the CEO,” he wrote in a guest column for the Orange County Register.

It’s cheap insurance considering what’s at stake, says Remillard, who has 30 years as an executive recruiter.

His advice rings true. Once you bring someone into your company and hand them the keys to the front door — maybe even the safe — you’re counting on that person to be honest, ethical and dependable.

How you handle the information you find is up to you, but most employers would at least want to know if a potential new hire been arrested or had money troubles in the past.

“At a minimum,” Remillard counsels, “you should conduct a criminal background check going back at least five years and in multiple counties. Check the Department of Motor Vehicles, verify degrees and pull a credit report. If it’s a public company, depending on the position, do a check with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”

He also suggests requiring candidates to sign release forms when they fill out applications — it lets them know right away that you’ll be checking their background. It might even save you time by discouraging some who know you’ll turn up issues.

Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, Erin Egan, recently put business bosses on notice that the world’s largest social network is prepared to take legal action against the “distressing increase” in employers demanding employee’s Facebook passwords. This is an interesting position for the social network to take, since most of the time it is fighting off criticism for its own privacy violations.

Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer, Erin Egan, recently put business bosses on notice that the world’s largest social network is prepared to take legal action against the “distressing increase” in employers demanding employees’ Facebook passwords.

This is an interesting position for the social network to take, since most of the time it is fighting off criticism for its own privacy violations.

“Facebook takes your privacy seriously,” said Egan in an online statement. “We’ll take action to protect the privacy and security of our users, whether by engaging policymakers or, where appropriate, by initiating legal action, including by shutting down applications that abuse their privileges.”

The timing for Facebook’s warning came almost simultaneously as Senator Richard Blumenthal (Dem) of Connecticut released details of a bill that he is preparing to address this privacy issue. The senator’s bill would address the policies of some employers who make requests that amount to an “unreasonable invasion of privacy.”

“I am very deeply troubled by the practices that seem to be spreading voraciously around the country,” Blumenthal said in an interview with Politico.com.

Both the senator and Facebook seem to be responding to a series of reports by the Associated Press that outline several employers asking job seekers for log-on credentials to their email and social networking sites; where the goal is clearly to check-up on the candidates online behavior.

With the advent of social networks, many employers began to examine the social profiles of prospective and current employees; investigating comments, photos and other data available on a person’s “wall” or “profile”. Many job-seekers have caught onto this trend and have begun setting their social settings to private, making it more difficult for employers to gain access. However, due to the tight job market, many candidates are complying and divulging this private information as they weight thoughts of continued unemployment or under-employment.

Currently, these employer policies and actions violate Facebook’s terms of service. But the reality is that those terms of service have no real legal weight and many legal experts feel that the legal waters surrounding this issue are murky.

The Department of Justice does regard these types of violations as federal crimes. Yet, in recent congressional testimony, the DOJ stated that is has no plans on prosecuting any such violations. The DOJ may be force to reconsider its position in light of Facebook’s aggressive statement and Sen. Blementhal’s proposed privacy bill. There will certainly be more to follow as this recruiting issue is moved further into public view.

Nabbing that perfect hire reflects well on your employees. For sure, an ambassador affect kicks in as employees tout your organization as top-notch to work for.

You’ve spent a lot of time pouring over the resumes for a critical job opening at your company. Some fit well, others are the proverbial square-peg-in-a-round-hole applicant.

Time to ramp up the recruiting process.

Approval comes from above to initiate a spiff to company employees for referring apt candidates.

Granted, relying on employee referrals is a great starting point: like-minded people can reduce the unknown factors of the new hire immensely.

However, an article in the Canadian HR Reporter, Problems with Employee Referrals, puts forward a few pluses-and-minuses in “using the workforce” to search for a candidate.

THE GOOD …

… existing employees are unlikely to recommend someone they wouldn’t personally vouch for.

… candidates who aren’t necessarily applying to every online job posting available.

Nabbing that perfect hire reflects well on your employees. For sure, an ambassador affect kicks in as employees tout your organization as top-notch to work for.

THE BAD …

… organizations…can become “inbred” with employees who are too much alike.

… Some people feel employee referral programs are more helpful to employees’ friends and relatives than the organization.

SOLUTIONS …

Set a policy regarding the referral bonuses that says the new hire must stay put for a given period of time before payouts are made.

Also, it only makes sense to give some feedback to your employees if some of their referrals aren’t meeting your requirements.

Oh, and in keeping with full transparency, make sure you tell a referral that your employees are being paid a bonus for rounding up candidates.

In the end, it’s probably best not to fire up an employee-referral system as your only recruitment method. On that note, be sure to check out our web-based recruiting software; it’s by over 2900 companies in more than 60 countries.

College students who spend hours a day on Facebook might not be wasting their time, several studies suggest — they might even find jobs through social networking.

That’s because savvy employers, according to new report, are increasingly recruiting through social sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others.

The report, published in the Daily Pennsylvanian —  the student newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School — cites one study that predicts the number of recruiters using Twitter alone will quadruple this year.

Meantime, applicants are doing the same. LinkedIn reports that students and recent college graduates are the site’s fastest-growing user demographic.

The Daily Pennsylvanian article quotes Shannon Kelly, an associate director of Wharton’s Career Services program, who notes that social networking sites give employers immediate and personal access to job-seekers.

And that can give companies a leg up on their competitors.

“More and more companies are using social media platforms to showcase business culture … it’s no different from hiring a public relations company,” Kelly tells the paper.

Wharton junior Jacob Schulman wound up with two unsolicited job offers via Twitter.

“I wasn’t proactively searching for jobs,” he says in the Daily Pennsylvanian article. “I was just following companies that I liked.”

Seems like a serendipitous outcome — Schulman gets an offer from a company he’s genuinely interested in, and the company has a candidate who’s already proven he’s serious.

Human Resources professionals at most companies are always faced with the challenging task of finding just the right candidates for any open position and that task is even more difficult in today’s economic environment.

Human Resources professionals at most companies are always faced with the challenging task of finding just the right candidates for any open position and that task is even more difficult in today’s economic environment.

High unenployment has dramactically increased the number of job applicants for many firms and created a larger pool of possible candidates on targeted recruiting searches.

Many larger companies aleady employ recruiting software to help them sort, categorize and evaluate potential recruits. That software has been too expensive for small and mid-sized companies. Until now. Smaller companies can now get the same HR recruiting, tracking and organizing packages through web-based services for a fraction of the cost.

The advantages are obvious. If smaller companies have the same tools as the big companies, they can take advantage of the larger pool of talent that is currently seeking work. By being able to access and assess more potential employees, the smaller company has a much better chance of finding the right person to fill any vacancy.

Using web-based employment recrutiing software, enables smaller companies to post jobs, accept applications, evaluate and sort candidates and more.

The Internet has become the go-to source for job seekers. With web-based recruiting software, it will soon be the primary source for job recruiters.

Twitter and LinkedIn are the most popular tools for the recruitment of top company executives. However, twitter sourcing has more benefits than LinkedIn. First, LinkedIn is not as popular as twitter. In the US, the number of twitter users is approximately 14,031,985 while LinkedIn users are approximately 12,699,785. Second, Twitter gives you access to some basic information that is not available on LinkedIn.

Twitter sourcing is one of the recent staffing developments in the world. Human Resource strategies and techniques are changing fast to catch up with hard economic times as well as utilize the most recent technology in the market. Recruitment is one of the most affected practices.

With the social media being the meeting place for job seekers and students, recruiters are using the various social networks to source for the most suitable candidates to fill vacancies in their organizations. The internet has made it possible for employers to carry out background checks for all candidates seeking to for an opportunity to work with their organizations. The following are some of the tools that employers are using to accomplish this goal:

Facebook

This is a social networking tool used to share ideas, and exchange photos. Facebook profiles are usually accessible publicly by those who have your email address. In Facebook, people post an observation, comment on posts by other people, upload photographs or videos and publish notes. The type of content you post on your Facebook wall, the comments you make on the walls of your Facebook friends, the types of images you upload and the notes you publish say a lot about you. For instance, posting confidential information on Facebook shows that you cannot keep secrets. Sharing useful links on a specific subject says that you can educate, inform and lead. Censoring the information you post on your wall and the comments you make shows that you are reliable, responsible, open minded and mature.

In addition, the frequency at which you update your status is also of great essence to the recruiter. If the job you are interested in a sales or marketing jobs, then you need to show your networking expertise. You should be able to reach out to many people. Warm personality and strong negotiation power is demonstrated by the number of comments your wall posts receive. Employers use this tool to recruit employees for entry level jobs.

LinkedIn

This tool is used to recruit executives. LinkedIn users are people who understand the meaning of professional networking and have a solid career path. This network enables employers to view your complete profile and recommendations from previous employers in order to establish your credibility. The types of groups that you have joined and people within your network say a lot about your career goals and ambitions. Employers use this platform to recruit middle level managers.

Twitter

Twitter is the best tool for carrying out employee background search. Twitter sourcing gives the employer access to information about all your internet engagements, including your publications. The employer can view what you do, and when. Twitter only links people who share interests, profession or those whom you know personally. Therefore, the number of followers and retweets can tell how influential and authoritative you are. In addition, Twitter uses a very compact language, and this is enough to tell people about your temperament and suitability for a certain post. Employers use Twitter to recruit company executives.

Tips for Twitter sourcing

In order to obtain the most appropriate information about a candidate, employers have to refine their search skills. All internet background checks begin at Google. Open the browser and then type the name of the candidate. Google will display all the internet engagements, photos, account information, blogs and publications. The results against the Twitter account are usually accompanied by a brief bio.

Twellow, TweetDeck, TweetGrid, Advanced search, X-Ray searching, and Power Twitter are some of the Twitter sourcing tools used to identify the right candidates for specific positions. The tool you use to search is determined by the kind of information you require. For instance, X-Ray search is the best Twitter sourcing tool for employers who wish to view tweets, location and the bio of potential employees.
Benefits of Twitter sourcing

Twitter and LinkedIn are the most popular tools for the recruitment of top company executives. However, Twitter sourcing has more benefits than LinkedIn. First, LinkedIn is not as popular as Twitter. In the US, the number of Twitter users is approximately 14,031,985 while LinkedIn users are approximately 12,699,785. Second, Twitter gives you access to some basic information that is not available on LinkedIn.

This information includes your previous tweets, some of which are links to your blog, articles or favorite content. Employers can follow links and see whether your interests match the expectations of the position you are applying for. Finally, employers can view geo data, personal information, tweeter activities and the skills of any user who fits within their search criteria. Of all the internet recruitment tools available, Twitter sourcing is the most convenient and efficient.

With the countless number of job seekers looking for work in today’s economy, it’s more important than ever for recruiters to pick the perfect person for the position.

In the past, it was easy for companies to publish their job openings in the newspaper or even hang a sign in their storefront window. We all know those days are long gone – so what should recruiters be doing to keep up with the changing times and find the best candidates?

With the countless number of job seekers looking for work in today’s economy, it’s more important than ever for recruiters to pick the perfect person for the position.

In the past, it was easy for companies to publish their job openings in the newspaper or even hang a sign in their storefront window. We all know those days are long gone – so what should recruiters be doing to keep up with the changing times and find the best candidates?

The answer to that question is simple: recruiters should be using web-based recruitment software.

The recruiting process itself has drastically changed throughout the past several years. First, recruiters kept track of potential candidates by keeping massive files filled with resumes and interview information. Then, the first-wave of recruiting software came along, allowing recruiters to download recruiting programs onto their computers so they could more easily keep track of candidate pools. Today, web-based recruitment solutions are more intuitive and efficient than ever before, making it easier for recruiters to do their job and do it well.

Here are some major benefits recruiters will find when using web-based recruitment software:

Cost-effective – Hiring the wrong person can cost an organization tons and tons of money, not to mention the emotional stress placed on the employee and their higher-ups. By allowing for the use of pointed, personalized questions, keyword matching technology, and other high-tech features, web-based recruitment software all but eliminates a recruiter’s chances of hiring the wrong person.

Customization – It’s easy to customize the interview and hiring process, but nearly impossible to find the time to schedule a personlizaed, one-one-one interview with every single job candidate. Most web-based recruitment software makes it easy for recruiters to pinpoint the questions they want to ask candidates, as well as the qualifications and experience they want those candidates to have.

Easy Upkeep – Unlike software that you have to download to your computer and update periodically, web-based recruitment software usually updates on its own without taking away from your time or interrupting your workflow. In addition, web-based software in general is faster, more secure, and easier to handle.

Integration – Long-gone are the days of newspaper classifieds. Most companies today advertise their jobs through an online job portal or a similar third-party job board. Most web-based recruitment software makes it easy to integrate your online job advertisements so potential candidates can simply answer a couple of questions or upload their resume, making it easier than ever for your to see whether they’re a good fit for the position.

Mobility – In today’s corporate world, there’s no such thing as a 9 to 5 job. It’s just as inevitable that you’ll spend time responding to work-related e-mails while sitting down to watch your favorite evening show as it is that you’ll be taking calls from your kids’ school while you’re sitting at your desk. As a recruiter, being able to move flawlessly between your work computer, laptop, and mobile phone is a must when it comes to getting the job done – and you’ll only find that kind of flexibility with web-based recruiting software.

Better collaboration – As opposed to older recruitment software, which had to be installed on every recruiter’s computer, web-based recruitment software makes it easy for the recruitment team to work together anytime, anywhere. This means one recruiter can review a resume and highlight it for another recruiter to read and call the candidate in for an interview.

Build a more productive organization – By using web-based recruitment software, recruiters will be able to do their jobs more quickly, more easily, and more efficiently – all contributing to the overall productiviness of the organization. And hiring the right person for the job the first time around will further enhance overall productivity.

High-tech candidates – The candidates that your company needs to recruit in order to succeed are already online. They’re working, socializing, and looking for jobs on the Internet, so it only makes sense to use a savvy web-based recruitment software that will place your jobs in front of the right high-tech candidates.

So regardless of whether you work for a small mom and pop business or a multi-million dollar corporation, finding the right web-based recruitment software will make your job easier, save your company money, and result in a better company overall.

The 8.2 release which went out on our ASP hosting service back in January has been released for self-hosted customers to install.  It’s now version 8.2.3, which includes any patches or improvements made to the code between the January release and now. If you’re running the PCRecruiter web version in-house and haven’t gotten an email notification, contact your Main Sequence rep for the details.

 

The Main Sequence team wearing their Kōkua Japan shirts.
The Main Sequence Technologies team wearing their Kōkua Japan fund-raising tshirts.

As a software provider to businesses in over thirty-five countries, we consider ourselves a conscientious member of the international business community. With that in mind, Main Sequence Technologies recently donated several hundred dollars to Foodland.com’s Kōkua Japan campaign, helping to raise money for the victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.  Kōkua, as our Hawaii-based software trainer Greg explained at a recent company meeting, is a Hawaiian word meaning “help”, with a connotation of community and friendship.

The opportunity presented itself while our CFO, Gretchen Kubicek, was in Maui for the Management Recruiters International Pacesetter Conference. Seeing the fundraising Kōkua Japan t-shirts at Foodland, Hawaii’s largest locally owned and operated grocery retailer, she purchased their entire stock to bring back to Cleveland for the Main Sequence team.  All the proceeds from the shirts go to the Red Cross for relief to the needy in Japan.

Recruiting software makes the application and hiring process easier for both job seekers and employers. However, sometimes the process seems so easy that potential candidates are led to make critical mistakes, which may in turn prolong the hiring process for the employer.

Most recruiting software applications allow candidates to quickly input their information and either create a new resume or upload an existing document. Sometimes the process appears to be so easy that job seekers forget to go back and double check exactly what it is they’re submitting to their potential employer.

Simply typing in a bunch of nonsensical information or uploading an old, out-of-date resume can easily get you thrown out of the candidate pool.

Continue reading “Recruiting Software Doesn’t Prevent Resume Mistakes”

If you like working with technology and connecting job seekers with available positions, a career as a personnel recruiter may be right for you.

Personnel recruiters work to find, interview, and screen applicants capable of filling existing and anticipated job openings within their company. They also are responsible for promoting career opportunities within the organization.

There are a number of ways a personnel recruiter might find potential candidates, but one of the most popular and efficient ways is by using a company ATS, which allows job seekers to apply for specific jobs and provide information the company wants to know.

Continue reading “Job Description of a Personnel Recruiter”

As if we needed more proof that supplementing your typical staffing software (Click here) with social networking is a good idea, a new report suggests just that.

The Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2010 found that the majority of companies are using social media as their primary recruiting tool. The report was based on an online survey of 600 participants between May and June.

The majority of companies have learned how to use social networking sites effectively, as 58 percent of survey respondents said they have successfully hired employees by using some form of social media.

Continue reading “Staffing Software Via Social Networking Still a Success”

If your business is continuing to grow and add employees you may want to look into using staffing software.

Staffing software is one of the most efficient and technologically advanced ways to manage employees. According to an article by wiseGEEK, staffing software is a series of applications that automate cleriecal and bookkeeping tasks that would normally be completed by people.

“Letting a computer perform these tasks not only gets them done more quickly – given a computer’s natural ability to multitask to the nth degree – but also frees up the people who formerly did those things for other tasks,” the article notes. “This is an important way for companies to get ahead, by letting technology help them create more time for new challenges.”

Continue reading “Staffing Software Benefits”

While CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE has become a mainstay for many companies’ HR departments, users should beware of systems that don’t work properly.

Nicheboards.com, the world’s largest alliance of employment Web sites, recently conducted a study that found many applicant tracking systems don’t accurately record what job boards are sending candidates to their clients. This means companies that rely on applicant sourcing reports often have inaccurate information when making online recruiting decisions.

Many of Nicheboards’ clients find applicants through ATS, which are designed to help screen candidates and track their progress through the hiring process. ATS also can record information about hiring trends, including where the best employees come from.

Continue reading “Applicant Tracking Users Beware”

If you’re at all involved in the recruiting industry, you probably know what ATS is. If not, here’s a simple explanation.

An ATS, or CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE, is a software application that allows companies to electronically handle recruiting needs.

The purpose of an ATS is to help companies manage their recruiting efforts, including better management of resumes and applicant information. ATS information can be collected from internal applications on the company’s Web site or from job boards, according to an article by Wikipedia.

Continue reading “Applicant Tracking System – What Is It?”

If you’re looking for an information technology job, recruitment software could be working against you.

It’s becoming increasingly harder to convince resume screening programs you have the required skills for an in-person interview, especially in the IT field. According to an article by Network World, while recruitment software makes it easier for those in the HR department, it also may overlook some qualifications that would be noticed on traditional resumes.

Many recruiting software companies offer capabilities that range from recruiting to hiring to employee career development and training. The software, usually an SaaS model, allows recruiters and hiring managers to search out ideal candidates and allows job seekers to search listings, submit resumes and learn about companies.

Continue reading “Recruitment Software a Disadvantage to IT Job Seekers?”

We know that candidate tracking is extremely beneficial and cost effective for companies, but how does it affect job seekers.

While applicant tracking systems have a large number of growing features, it’s easy to focus on those that benefit companies and employers the most. The software helps HR departments consolidate their tasks and keep track of potential hires, as well as save time and money.

However, according to an article by The ATS Guy, it’s also important to remember what features benefit the candidates themselves. Although some candidates feel ATS take away the personal aspect of the hiring process, there are some upsides, such as reassurance that a company has received your resume.

Continue reading “Candidate Tracking – Benefits to Job Seekers”

If you’re a green company looking to hire, or a company looking to go more green, having a good ATS can make all the difference when it comes to finding the right candidates.

There has been a big push on going green lately, with the thought that doing so will not only help to improve the environment, but also will help to create more high-paying and sustainable jobs. Most recently, world leaders met at the International Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen to discuss how each nation can become more green.

In the meantime, President Barack Obama outlined a new strategy to stimulate job creation, and one of the central points to his plan is to generate green jobs by building environmentally friendly infrastructure and by providing citizens with the incentive to become more energy-efficient.

Continue reading “ATS Can Help You Go Green”

Most companies that are just beginning to invest in recruiting software usually purchase a “core HR software program.”

Core programs provide basic HR services needed by a company, regardless of whether they’re a small business or large corporation. These programs are used to streamline processes typically completed by the HR department, increase accuracy in information and reduce the amount of work required to update employee personnel files.

Several manufacturers have created core HR software programs for businesses, so it’s often hard to choose. But keep in mind that most companies need software that will focus on payroll, employee benefits and attendance tracking. Most core software programs will allow you to add expansion programs later on.

Continue reading “Recruiting Software at its Core”

If you’re an IT job seeker and are soon planning to look for a new job, you should make sure your resume is ready to go through the applicant tracking system gauntlet.

A new study from Spherion Pacific Enterprises found that almost half of the American IT workforce plans to change jobs during the next year. The study further found that IT workers have a higher job-seeking confidence than the overall workforce.

This means that plenty of IT workers are currently polishing their resume in preparation to begin applying for new jobs. For the most part, job seekers in the IT industry run into the same resume issues as other candidates, mainly how to fit all the information on one page and how to know what potential employers really want to see.

Continue reading “ATS for the IT Resume”

Trying to attract the suited employees to get to work for you might be massively difficult. Many extremely intelligent and coveted job seekers find several job leads, fashioning it even added essential that your personnel not overleap out with the prospect towards your succeeding excellent worker.

Since all, you’d detest for any suited employees nearby to go off to work for your challengers, wouldn’t your business? HR software can serve to ensure that you are cognizant about the desirable methods to fulfil a department opening. Although, with so countless options out at hand, how should you uncover the accurate platform?

First, appraise your business to specify its necessities and however you fancy to manage your recruitment. That which can be of use at a big corporation can represent exceedingly much for a smaller business. Regard where you envision your company heading in the near years in order to make certainly that you could not rapidly outgrow the recruitment package selection you determine to move on. package providers prevail that cater to employers in a kind of career industries with all assorted workforce sizes.

Continue reading “HR Software Can Find the Best Candidates”

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