8 Metrics Every Recruiter Must Know
Tracking the right metrics pushes you to set clear goals, measure progress and results, and improve on your plans when need be. Metrics can also back your opinions, ideas, and strategies in the meeting room (virtual or not). Below, we look at eight metrics every recruiter needs to know to optimize the hiring process. 1. Application Completion Rate Your application completion rate...
Read More
15 Common Buzzwords Hiring Managers Hate Seeing on Job Applications
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Today's Question: Recruiters see a lot of job applications, many of which follow a similar template or are based on similar advice. What's one common buzzword that you hate seeing on resumes or cover letters, and why? These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council...
Read More
In Times of High Unemployment, Overlook Laid-Off Candidates at Your Own Risk
The pandemic has changed so much about how we live and work, which makes this a good time for recruiters to reevaluate how they look at currently unemployed applicants. Many employers have traditionally favored employed applicants over those who are out of work. This preference has long driven employers to focus on luring top performers away from other companies, while fueling a bias...
Read More
Hiring Never Stops: 3 Ways to Improve Recruiting Efforts, Even During a Crisis
Hiring needs are much different than they were six months ago, and job seekers, employers, and recruiting professionals are all adapting to the evolving job market. The 2020 Job Seeker Nation Report from Jobvite has confirmed what many of us already suspected: Talent acquisition teams are adjusting their processes to work remotely and increasingly using social media to advertise jobs and...
Read More
The What, When, Why, and How of Foolproof Background Checks
Remember the pilot episode of the TV show Suits? When Mike Ross is trying to get away from the police while carrying a briefcase full of pot, he stumbles into the interview room where Harvey Specter is looking for his law firm's next associate. Between a pool of Harvard-goers and a stranger with a briefcase full of pot, Harvey picks the latter after learning of Mike's knowledge and...
Read More
Workforce Flexibility Is No Longer a Good Idea — It Is Imperative
While there is great uncertainty in many industries and in the economy at large, companies of all sizes still need viable plans to maintain strong workforces, whatever the outcomes might be. Because of the many unknowns we're all dealing with — from how long COVID-19 restrictions may last to any long-term ramifications of the pandemic — it is imperative that organizations maintain...
Read More
Secure top talent for the long haul by investing in their professional development
Professional development: It's a buzz term, sure, but it's also an essential tool in an employee's personal and professional growth and potential output. In many industries, like medicine, law, and education, individuals are required to participate in continuing education courses to maintain their ability to practice. This is because continuing education isn't just a way for...
Read More
I Was Hired at the Height of the Pandemic. Here Is My Advice on How to Make Virtual Recruiting Better.
In order to maintain social distance, our world has become almost fully virtual — which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Technology has done wonders for us in the past (think: Google Maps, Netflix, Facebook Messenger), and it can continue to do so as the world of work evolves. I know this from firsthand experience: I was recruited and onboarded to my current job in a fully digital...
Read More
14 Ways to Cut Recruiting Costs Without Sacrificing Quality
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Today's Question: What simple tactics do you use to cut recruiting costs without sacrificing quality? These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization composed of the world's most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members...
Read More
How to Ask Your Employer to Cover Your Educational Costs
Expenses are tight for most companies these days, but continuing your education could still be valuable for your employer. After all, learning new skills and staying current on industry trends can only make you a better employee, which in turn means you can contribute more to your employer's bottom line. This reasoning might be why 92 percent of US employers offer some sort of educational...
Read More
The Enneagram at Work: Which Number Are You?
Article by Sarah Paulk Personality tests are comforting because they give us instant gratification, telling us right away whether we're extraverted or introverted, logical or creative. But while these quick-results quizzes tell us how we behave, almost all fail to explain why we behave the way we do. That's why many business leaders are turning to the Enneagram, a personality tool with...
Read More
Employers Can't Take Meaningful Action on Social Justice Without Active Listening
A whopping 82 percent of Americans report that it is "very" or "somewhat" important to them that companies work to make a positive difference in matters of racial equality, according to The Harris Poll. Unfortunately, only 21 percent of Americans say companies have actually made a "very positive" impact. How can employers prove they're serious about the causes their employees really care...
Read More
Effective RPO Needs Relevant KPIs — Are You Tracking the Right Metrics?
The COVID-19 crisis has forced many companies to lay off large swaths of their workforces, thanks to shutdown mandates and the accompanying economic downturn. But this state of affairs will not last forever, and when business begins to pick up again, these organizations will need to scale their workforces up to fill those talent gaps. If you're in this situation, you may think you can just...
Read More
Fold Gig Workers Into Your Remote Workforce to Increase Enterprise Agility
There has been enormous growth in the gig economy over the last several years, driven by the rise of powerhouse companies offering services that largely rely on a flexible hourly workforce, like ridesharing, on-demand task assistance, and restaurant delivery. While the popularity of these services has brought much attention to the workforces fueling them, the organizational gig economy —...
Read More
A Strong DEI Policy Will Help You Outperform — Here's Why
You would never trust your assets in only one type of investment, so why would you hire a homogeneous team to lead your company? Just as diversified investments are smarter and reduce risk, the same goes for diversified teams. Simply put: representative teams, make better teams. As the co-founder and CEO of an hr-tech startup, I am constantly speaking to my clients about how to build...
Read More
Your Mandatory Checklist for Video Interviews
Are you just transitioning to video interviews? Have you been using them for a while now but want to get better at it? Either way, the following checklist will help you become a pro at conducting video interviews: Before the Interview Get to know your video interview software well, especially if it is something you have never used before. Try out all the functionalities you might...
Read More
How to Keep Your Onboarding Human While Working Remotely
How comfortable are you with onboarding and connecting with your employees from your home? If onboarding practices are not given much importance in your company, you might want to pay attention, because this company claims its remote onboarding practices have had a positive impact on its bottom line. Buffer, the social media management platform company, has been strongly committed to...
Read More
4 Clues Your Candidate's Just Not That Into You
In recruiting, literally anything can go wrong — and it often does. Even the (seemingly) simplest of steps can go sideways. Take onboarding, for example. This is supposed to be the end of the process. You've made a hire! The candidate has said yes! What could go wrong? Just a few examples: Criminal record dings Employment authorization issues Positive drug tests ...
Read More
It's an Employer's Market Now — and Candidate Experience Still Matters
Almost as soon as the job market flipped from a candidate's market to an employer's, so did the sentiment around candidate experience. All of a sudden, a decade's worth of work to improve the treatment of job applicants became null and void. Organizations seemed to think the high number of candidates flooding the market meant hiring would now be easy and great candidate experiences no longer...
Read More
16 HR Quality Checks to Ensure You're Recruiting With Equity
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Today's Question: How do you ensure your recruiting process is truly equitable? These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization composed of the world's most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every...
Read More
Don't Be Overly Analytical With Your Hires: The 3 Best-Kept Secrets in Recruiting
I have run advertising agencies, a car wash business, a furniture refinishing company, and a Hollywood production house. I have hired and fired well over 500 people in the last 25 years. That number might even be closer to 1000. Over the course of my years of relentlessly trying to find the best talent for the various fields I have worked in, I have uncovered three amazing secrets for...
Read More
Upskilling in a Pandemic: Why Training Is More Important Now Than Ever
Unlike any other crisis in modern history, the coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we think and work. That's not necessarily a bad thing. With more and more companies transitioning to remote work, employers and employees alike have found ways to cope and keep moving the needle. One of those tactics is upskilling, which has gained renewed relevance in the COVID-19...
Read More
Quality and Cost: What You Need to Know Before Deciding to Outsource Recruiting
Hiring new employees is arguably the most significant activity under HR's purview. One wrong hiring decision can negatively impact the success of the entire business, not to mention the added costs of having to hire a whole new employee once the bad hire is removed. Due to the high risks involved in recruiting, employers are consistently evaluating their strategies, looking for new ways...
Read More
What Makes Star Employees Stay?
Thank your lucky stars, because today we address a question that is a key issue in the corporate world: "What can you do to retain your star employees?" We're talking about those diligent ones who perform even amid changing circumstances, the ones who are passionate and persevering, the ones whom others love and are proud of working with, the ones who are leaders even before they are given...
Read More
Power Doesn't Always Corrupt: How to Use Your Influence as a Leader
Article by Karima Mariama-Arthur When English politician and historian John Dalberg-Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt," he was painting with a broad brush. There are many types of power, and while some are corrupting, others can bring out the best in people. When leaders leverage their power effectively, they can improve morale and increase productivity. The proper use of power is to...
Read More
The End of Silicon Valley? How the Pandemic Has Changed the Tech Talent Market in California
In May of 2020, during what many optimistically hoped would be the midpoint of the pandemic, Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey announced that employees at both companies would no longer be required to come into an office in order to do their jobs. Remote work, long seen as a benefit enabling employees to phone it in here and there on a casual Friday, had suddenly become the default for...
Read More
5 Tips You Must Know Before You Start Hiring
So, are you sure you want to hire humans for your company? It's a tough task that has become grim recently, with growing attrition and layoffs. When you hire humans, you take on the responsibility of finding people with similar goals and values who believe in your company's mission to reach for the stars. You also take on the risk of failure — a team full of strife or frustration at a...
Read More
3 meaningful ways you can help a new grad find work
In an economic climate where many companies are downsizing teams and shrinking budgets, the typical campus recruiting cycles have certainly taken a hit. And understandably - it's unlikely that focusing on early career talent is the right organizational strategy right now. But, looking outside of our companies and instead to our own networks - to our children, our nieces and nephews,...
Read More
Only the Efficient Survive: 4 Ways to Optimize Team Performance
Efficiency is the foundation of organizational survival. In tough times like 2020, optimizing your team's performance is all the more crucial. Optimizing a team is tricky business, though. Even the most cohesive of groups contain a variety of personalities and work styles, and leaders cannot simply ask their employees to "work harder" and expect everything to go well. It's not short-term...
Read More
14 Ways to Get HR Reps and Hiring Managers on the Same Page
Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Today's Question: The best hires happen when HR and department leaders are on the same page about what they're looking for. What's one strategy you have for how HR reps can better understand the hiring objectives of department leads? These answers are provided by Young...
Read More
Question Your Scheduling Norms: How the Pandemic Changed Company Meetings
In addition to all the other challenges it has created, this pandemic has made it much harder to manage our time. People are juggling working from home and managing their families and personal responsibilities in the middle of a crisis. Distractions have practically quadrupled from what they were in the pre-pandemic days. On top of that, the way people meet has been drastically altered....
Read More
How HR Can Keep Employee Morale High Through These Trying Times
While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected every area of our lives, its impact might be most keenly felt in the world of work. Beyond everyone going remote and the now-standard Zoom meetings, your organization may have also noticed a decline in morale. Employees may have gone from enthusiastic and optimistic to concerned and distracted. In fact, a recent study from SHRM found 65 percent of...
Read More
What Black Professionals and White Professionals Really Think About Race in the Workplace
Flashback to New Year's Day 2020. Perfect vision was the predominant celebratory theme — and this year has certainly been eye-opening. As if the global pandemic, widespread deaths, and massive job loss weren't enough, the world watched as George Floyd was murdered before our eyes. This tragedy sparked global protests and a barrage of emotions. As a Black woman, I felt the event trigger...
Read More
The Onus Is on the Company: How to Make a Great Hire in 2020
Article by Cecilia Meis The hiring process was never easy per se, but it did have a common routine that employers generally followed: Post a job ad; sift through the candidates' resumes and cover letters; conduct interviews to dig further into experience, character, and personality; hire the candidate who checks the most boxes. Not anymore. The changing nature of the business landscape...
Read More
7 Strategies to Boost Productivity in the Remote Workplace
Productivity levels in the workplace are incredibly important, no matter the industry. Low productivity levels often result in low profits, making them important to tackle. However, it can be difficult to know how to encourage employees to work harder, especially in remote-work environments. To boost your workplace's productivity, try the following tips: 1. Create a Healthy Work...
Read More
Preparing for the Road Ahead: Reskilling the Workforce to Fill Current and Future Needs
Evolving technologies and methodologies have been transforming jobs and the skills needed to do them for years, and this process has only been amplified in the current situation. As we all try to navigate the new way of working imposed by a global health event, many organizations have had to pivot out of necessity, reprioritizing the work itself and requiring different or enhanced skill...
Read More
Before You Head Back to the Office, Consider a Hybrid Work Model
Before the pandemic, most organizations prioritized their physical sites. Companies expanded operations and market reach by opening new offices in new locations and staffing those offices with people who came in every day. The pandemic, however, triggered the world's largest remote work experiment. Practically overnight, millions of people started working from home — and they found they...
Read More
10 Things You Should Do If You Are an Interviewer
"Death will be a great relief. No more interviews." Katharine Hepburn, the renowned American actor, might not have been talking about the same kind of interviews as we are today, but the remark still applies. Interviews are grueling, tough, and any other word for "difficult" you can find in the dictionary. And that's not just for the candidate. As an interviewer, you are expected to...
Read More
Can't Tell Whether Your Employee Wellness Program Is Worth the Investment? You Need the Right Tech
Employee well-being is big business. Deloitte forecasts the corporate wellness market in the US will reach $11.3 billion by 2021. But as the coronavirus-driven recession forces businesses large and small to take a hard look at their budgets, the unfortunate reality is that there is little indication wellness programs are generating the desired return to justify all that...
Read More
Survey Asks What Americans Really Think of HR — and the Answer Isn't Great
We all know that HR is critical to the success of any business. HR professionals drive people strategy and act as the go-to resource for employees when workplace issues that threaten to derail productivity or damage well-being arise. Yet despite HR's integral role, many employees and organizational leaders have mixed feelings about the department. While many HR specialists pour every...
Read More
5 Career Planning Myths Debunked
Nobody ever said career planning was easy, but here's a secret: Most of the hurdles you'll face are self-imposed. That means you have the power to break free from them and ultimately change your career trajectory for the better. All it takes is a mindset shift and the willingness to put in some work. Ready to breathe new life into your career? It's time to debunk these five common...
Read More
Keeping Promises: How to Shape Your Employer Brand in the New Normal
Your organization has an employer value proposition (EVP) whether or not you are actively working to shape it. According to Gartner, organizations that deliver on their EVPs can cut annual turnover by almost 70 percent and boost new hire loyalty by almost 30 percent. With the events of 2020 having redefined all aspects of work, how you position your employer brand has never been more...
Read More
The Rise of Remote Work Is Changing Traditional Recruitment
The outbreak of the coronavirus has led to spikes in unemployment around the world. As widespread stay-at-home orders have felled many traditional businesses and major players like Twitter and Square have enabled full-time remote work forever, more and more job seekers have turned their attention to the world of working from home. These shifts will have far-reaching implications for...
Read More
Embracing Diversity, Increasing Inclusion: 3 Ways to Make Your Organization More Welcoming to All
Article by Karima Mariama-Arthur People often speak of diversity and inclusion as if they were interchangeable words, but the truth is they're very different concepts. When we speak of workplace diversity, we're talking about the presence — or absence — of people from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, age brackets, geographical locations, and religious traditions...
Read More
Reboarding: How to Prepare Your Organization for a Return to the Office
The coronavirus pandemic has forced huge swaths of the American workforce into furlough or remote work arrangements. Now, as lockdown restrictions slowly and unevenly begin to lift, employers are starting to think about how to bring employees back into the office. The return to normal is likely to be a long path with plenty of ups and downs. To makes things as easy as possible, company...
Read More
Proportional Prejudice: How Diversifying Your Applicant Pool Can Lead to a Less Diverse Workforce
We know certain types of jobs tend to be held by more men than women, or vice versa. Programming jobs, for instance, are notoriously male-dominated, while positions in human resources are often populated by women. The managers we speak with and consult for are often aware of this imbalance and want to remedy it. One common fix we hear is to recruit candidates more broadly. In other words,...
Read More
7 Lessons I Learned as a Remote Manager
I've had two key turning points in my tenure as a manager: 1). When I transitioned out of politics. 2). When I transitioned to managing as part of an entirely remote team. Some background on me: I started my career in politics, on the campaign side. I managed people in geographically diverse areas and, most often, in "win or get fired" environments with "exceed goals or...
Read More
Hiring for Fit With Data, Not Your Gut
It is common to say, "Trust your gut!" when it comes to hiring. A hiring manager's intuition can often be a make-or-break factor in determining a candidate's fit. However, gut instinct isn't always reliable, and it's rarely supported by data. Instead of relying on such a flawed measure, hiring teams need to screen for candidate fit in a way that can be analyzed and compared, a way that...
Read More
