How to Leverage a Side Hustle to Support Your Dream Job
People typically start a side hustle with one of two goals in mind: to make extra money and/or to gain more experience in a field. Both of these are great reasons to take on a side hustle, but there is one more that people don't often talk about: taking on a side hustle to support a dream job. Let's face it: Dream jobs are not always the best-paying jobs, especially in the creative...
Read More
4 Times Employee Communications Can Make or Break Your Business
According to an HBR study, the second biggest influence on a company's success is effective employee communications. We can see this fact in action in mainstream media: Elon Musk's tweet about taking Tesla private was followed by a leaked memo to staff that explained his statements and what they meant for the Tesla workforce. Earlier this year, Google employees protested the company's...
Read More
AI and Recruitment: Not as Good of a Match as You Might Think
There is an element of clickbait to articles proclaiming artificial intelligence (AI) the savior of recruitment. As someone who has been on the front lines of the recruitment technology industry for more than a decade, I'm not so convinced of AI's ability to improve the recruitment industry as a whole. AI will change recruiting. This much is certain. But those changes aren't necessarily...
Read More
The Risks and Rewards of Taking Political Stances as an Organization
As the political divide between the right and left widens in the United States, many companies are finding it necessary to take a stand for what they believe in. Adopting a clear political stance as an organization can inspire brand loyalty among consumers, vendors, and other stakeholders — but it can also trigger boycotts and other protests. For example, major brands such as Google,...
Read More
How to Have a Successful Open Enrollment
As the season of barbecues and pool parties fades, employee benefits warriors like you are preparing for the biggest event of the year: open enrollment. Open enrollment is the culmination of months of work. No one will dispute that much of the heavy lifting occurs early in the year when the focus is on strategic planning, adjusting plan designs, and pricing. Concurrently, you need to...
Read More
5 Ways to Use AI and Automation in Recruiting
Increasingly more recruiters are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to save time, hire better candidates, and keep recruiting costs down. But while many recruiters are familiar with AI's basic functions, they don't often realize the fullest potential of chatbots and other automated recruiting solutions. How can your company leverage AI to further streamline your recruiting process?...
Read More
4 Ways Job Boards Are Changing Your Recruiting Process
With hundreds of job boards in operation today, employers have their work cut out for them when it comes to determining which ones will help them secure the talent they need. With so many options our there, it is important to work with the best sites — those that adapt and innovate to stay ahead. Below, we'll explore how job boards have evolved and explain why they should remain one of...
Read More
5 Things You Should Know About SMS Recruiting
Millennials — perpetually glued to their phones and always posting everything to social media, right? Maybe, but they're not the only ones who love their smartphones. Seventy-five percent of US adults use a smartphone, and number of cellphone users around the world is expected to surpass the 5 billion mark by 2019. What you may not realize is that heavy smartphone usage presents an...
Read More
Workplace Harassment Hurts Your Employees, Your Brand, and You
While generational shifts in the workplace and technological innovations in business practices have changed corporate cultures dramatically, some ugly elements still trouble many companies' workplace environments. Sexual harassment and bullying are startlingly common across industries, and in many cases, efforts to stomp them out have been lackluster at best. Failing to implement...
Read More
How to Fulfill AI Staffing Needs in the Middle of the Talent Shortage
As more businesses recognize the efficiency value that artificial intelligence (AI) brings, more companies are scrambling to fill AI-based roles. Unfortunately, there aren't enough people to fill all these open roles. More than half of businesses have already implemented AI within their organizations, and yet 80 percent of machine learning engineers with PhDs work for Google or Facebook....
Read More
Back to School Basics: How to Launch Your First Job Search
I learned this summer that some people have never learned to job hunt in our current climate, whether because they've never had to do it before or because the rules have changed since the last time they hit the job market. In the spirit of the back-to-school season, I've decided to cover the fundamentals. Welcome to Job Search 101! (Don't worry if some of this seems complicated. You can...
Read More
Relying on Email May Kill Employee Engagement
Keeping employees engaged is a sure way to reduce turnover and improve productivity, as workers who feel like they have a say in the direction of the company tend to stick around longer and work harder. Yet many companies use outdated methods to interact with their employee bases — or simply don't have any employee engagement efforts in place at all. Nearly 78 percent of organizations...
Read More
To Boost Retention, Establish Clear Core Values
When you're leading a fast-growing company, it can sometimes feel like you're making it up as you go. That's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, figuring out what works in the moment is part of what makes leading a growing business so exciting and gratifying. But winging the process of setting your basic values is another matter entirely. Every business requires some on-the-spot...
Read More
Don't Let Bad Hiring Managers Get in Your Head
If you're looking for a new job and actively interviewing, I want to encourage you to hang in there. It's going to work out. I'm sure of it. Job searching is like dating. It's really tough until you find "the one" — and all you need is one good job to change your current situation. In the meantime, it's painful. I get it. I'm starting to think some hiring managers haven't been...
Read More
4 B2B Product Marketing Offers to Help You Capture an Audience
Even in the world of B2B, a good offer holds incredible sales and marketing power. While special offers are ubiquitous in all sales and marketing verticals, the types of offers that work well in B2B are slightly different from those that work in B2C. Here four types of offers to consider for more effective B2B marketing: 1. The Time-Based Offer The time-based offer is a QVC mainstay....
Read More
Career Changes Are More Common Than You Think
If you left college only to discover a career in your field of study wasn't for you, you aren't alone. Career changes are quite common in the business world, as professionals learn the reality of their chosen careers fails to align with their expectations. Nearly one-third of respondents to a survey from online learning platform EdX say they have seriously considered a career change, while...
Read More
Retained Vs. Contingency Recruiting: Which One Is Right for You?
You have important positions to fill in your organization. With every day that goes by, each open role costs your company hundreds or thousands of dollars in lost revenue. You need to fill that position in a hurry. Let's say you've already decided to give the job to a recruiter. Your first thought is probably to hire a half-dozen contingent agencies. This way, you get a lot of people...
Read More
4 Ways to Make Your Company Culture Shine Online
More than a paycheck or job title, job seekers are looking for organizations with values that match their own. When people come to work, they want to be appreciated and challenged — and they want to do what they do best every day. Anyone who has worked for more than one organization knows how company culture can significantly impact all these factors and more. When candidates search...
Read More
AI Brings Fewer Interruptions and Better Hires to Recruiting
The HR industry is stuck in a cycle of questions and answers — identical questions asked again and again by an ever-evolving body of employees. HR executives are the knowledge gatekeepers of any organization. They answer the endless emails, Slack messages, and on-the-fly questions team members have about information they can't easily find — benefits packages, new team member...
Read More
Finding a New Job After a Layoff
Recruiters and hiring managers sometimes fail to distinguish between firings and layoffs when perusing resumes, causing valuable candidates to slip through the cracks. With low unemployment the new norm, potential employers must be willing to dig deeper to understand exactly why an applicant left their previous job. While companies may lay off employees to streamline processes or...
Read More
3 Seasonal Hiring Strategies That Will Crush the Competition
There's a lot riding on your seasonal hiring. Can your process deliver the quality and quantity of hires your organization needs to make goal? In the last 12 months, the hiring landscape for hourly workers has changed. Unemployment in the US fell to an 18-year low in May. While thousands of brick-and-mortar stores have closed, there's new growth in call centers, warehouses, and delivery...
Read More
Is Your Small Business Prepared for a Workplace Injury?
If an employee is hurt on the job, employers in most states are required to cover expenses related to the injury, such as medical care and lost wages. Without appropriate workers' compensation coverage, business owners can be on the hook for substantial sums of money. In some states, they may also be subject to fines and penalties for not having coverage. Despite this risk, 26 percent of...
Read More
How AI Makes Diversity Recruiting Successful
Diversity is a hot topic in the HR industry today, with many professionals working to find ways to recruit strong employees of all races, sexual orientations, religions, ages, and abilities. Talent comes in all forms — but we often miss it, thanks to personal biases. Whether unconscious or not, biases can often damage a human recruiter's ability to choose the best employee for the job...
Read More
How to Diagnose and Repair a Broken Recruiting Funnel in 5 Steps
It's best to think of the recruiting process like a funnel. At the top, a pool of applicants floods in. The flow is narrowed over time as applicants are screened and rejected until, at the end, one candidate emerges from the funnel to receive a job offer. But the recruiting funnel doesn't always work at maximum efficiency. Stoppages can arise at any point in the funnel, and it can be hard...
Read More
Are You Making Your Employees Sick?
Stress may be hard to quantify, but the negative effects it can have on a person's health are undeniable. Symptoms related to being overstressed include headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, upset stomach, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, drug/alcohol abuse, and a wide range of other physical and mental health issues. If your company embraces a high-stress culture, you might be doing actual...
Read More
3 Interview Mistakes That Cost You Job Offers
From submitting your resume to scheduling interviews and accepting a job offer, the hiring process can take weeks or months. But it only takes employers a few seconds to rule you out during a job interview. After working with hundreds of job seekers as a recruiter, I've been able to identify three common interview mistakes that are probably costing you job offers. Check them out below,...
Read More
Diversity Sourcing: 5 Best Practices to Keep in Mind
Building a diverse workforce isn't just the right thing to do — it's the smart thing to do, from a business perspective. Higher revenue, better employee performance, a more trusted employer brand, and an increased customer base are just a few of the benefits of a diverse workforce. Plus, 67 percent of job seekers say diverse workforces are important factors in their employment...
Read More
The Building Blocks of a CEO
So you want to be a CEO? CEOs come from a wide variety of backgrounds, educational tracks, and career paths. That makes it difficult to plan a career track that leads to the head of the boardroom table. With constantly shifting corporate priorities, brand elements, and culture factors, it can be hard to imagine what a company will require of its CEO in a decade or two. That doesn't mean...
Read More
Optium Cyber Systems President George Rutherford Discusses Acquisition on Uptick Newswire's 'Stock Day' Podcast
Optium Cyber Systems, Inc. (OCSI) (OTC:OCSY) ("the company") President George Rutherford is making his third appearance with Everett Jolly on Uptick Newswire's "Stock Day" Podcast. In his latest interview, Rutherford discusses the company's recent acquisition of a Houston-based security firm. Rutherford says it signals a change in the company's business model to one of "growth through...
Read More
The Time to Find a New Job Is Right Now
For years, the job market had been tight. Many job seekers were suffering through work each day, unsure of their alternatives. They weren't prepared for unemployment, and there didn't seem to be any other jobs out there for them. Today, however, all signs indicate the job market is looking up. Our national unemployment rate, hovering around 4 percent, has been lower this year than in any...
Read More
5 Phrases That Undermine Your Leadership
It's not uncommon for us to focus on the things we're not doing when we aim to develop as leaders and as people. However, it's also possible to grow tremendously if you focus on addition by subtraction: identifying and undoing the unconscious habits holding you back. Some of the bad habits easiest to overlook are related to the words we use to describe ourselves, our work, and what we hope...
Read More
For Better Onboarding, Remember Your First Day of School
Here in the South, our kiddos are heading back to school. In their brand-new outfits and backpacks full of school supplies, they are venturing into another year of the unknown. By the end of the day, they'll be creating patterns that will repeat throughout the rest of the school year. Those days are long gone for most of us, but when you stop to think about it, the experience of your...
Read More
Benefits on the Fringe: Purpose-Driven Wellness Initiatives
Welcome to Benefits on the Fringe, the monthly Recruiter.com column where Jason McDowell covers the most unique benefits today's employers are using to woo talent, as well as advances and innovations in the employee benefits realm. If you push your workers too hard, you'll drive them right into a slump. Burnout is real, and companies that fail to embrace employee wellness will suffer...
Read More
How to Breathe Life Into a Dead Job Search
I once had a neighbor who loved his cat as much as his girlfriend, if not more. He carried this cat around everywhere he went. Phil Collins was practically attached to him! (Yes, the cat's name was really Phil Collins.) The cat wasn't fighting the affection, either. He honored his owner's obsession with complete submission and purrs. That happy motor ran continuously, and it was...
Read More
Why Do So Many Companies Get Diversity and Inclusion Wrong?
According to a recent McKinsey Company report, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to see financial returns above their industry medians, while companies in the top quarter for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to see the same. We can conclude from such findings that workplace diversity directly affects company...
Read More
5 Things to Keep in Mind When Working on Your LinkedIn Profile
Many professionals view LinkedIn as the best way to meet other professionals and an important part of any job search. Given that networking is so critical to professional success, it's vital you ensure your LinkedIn presence is accurate and engaging. However, when I review my clients' profiles, I am often surprised by what I find. Here are five things to keep in mind the next time...
Read More
3 Ways Analytics Helps Recruiting and Retention
When it comes to screening and selecting candidates, we tend to throw around a pretty basic distinction: good candidate vs. bad candidate. Good candidates have the desired experience and education, and they are poised and confident both on the phone and in person. Bad candidates fumble and don't give good answers and sometimes wear sunglasses to job interviews. Come on, you've had a...
Read More
The Perfect Touch: Choosing the Right Jewelry for a Job Interview
You've fixed up your resume, submitted an application, and landed an interview for a dream job — and you deserve some congratulations! As any job seeker knows, just getting through the screening process is a huge deal. Now, it's time to prepare for the interview. As you research the company and map your route to the office, don't forget to spend some time choosing what you'll...
Read More
Why Prescriptive Analytics Will Save Your Business
Accurately assessing candidate fit and skill level is critical to making a great hire. Unfortunately, it's also one of the biggest challenges of talent acquisition. Employers have their tactics, but they don't seem to be working terribly well: More than 50 percent of voluntary turnover happens during an employee's first year on the job, and as much as 80 percent of turnover may be due to...
Read More
Embrace Your Passion to Grow Your Career
Chances are you worked extremely hard to get to where you are right now. From making sacrifices to get the education and experience you need to the hours of sleep lost honing your resume to perfection, you've poured effort into every step of your journey — and it has paid off in the form of a career-worthy job. The question, then, is "What's next?" Do you remain complacent in the success...
Read More
The 3 Most Important Talent Acquisition Trends of 2018 — So Far
New cars, new shoes, new haircuts — it's hard to deny we human beings love new things. Even at work, we're always on the lookout for the next new development that may change the industry forever. Recruiting is no different: Our conversations, strategies, and tactics are all influenced by the latest trends in the field. What's shaking talent acquisition up today? Here are the three...
Read More
Want to Boost Productivity? Get Employees Moving!
Despite evidence that sitting for more than four hours per day can negatively affect health and life expectancy, the average working adult spends much of their waking life sitting. What's worse, millions of seated workers have no choice in the matter: Due to their office's setup, they're tethered to one chair, bench, or stool all day. And their companies are paying the price. Data...
Read More
Why Your Company Reviews Matter
Every once in a while, something unexpected happens when I'm talking to a job seeker. I'll say something like, "What about this company? They're hiring! This looks like a great job opportunity." Without missing a beat, the job seeker will say, "You know, the company's reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed are terrible! I'm going to pass on that company. I would rather be unemployed." Can you...
Read More
Employees Want Feedback — But No One Is Giving It
Did you know that more than 75 percent of employees believe feedback is important? This makes sense: Workers want to know how well they're performing and how they can do their jobs better. The problem is, employees aren't getting the feedback they crave: 65 percent of workers say they'd like to receive more feedback than they currently get. This needs to change — but merely scheduling...
Read More
The Recruiting Reel: How to Find and Retain Top Talent in a Fast-Growing Company
Not all change is bad — especially the change that comes when your successful company is growing quickly. That said, periods of massive growth are still often intimidating. Ensuring you maintain a high quality of hires, a strong company culture, and a positive employee experience is possible, even if it seems a daunting task during such fast-paced times. So, how can a company...
Read More
Such Sweet Sorrow: 4 Ways to Leave Your Job Without Burning Bridges
You're ready for a career change, but you're not going to tell your boss until the last minute. After all, isn't the standard operating procedure of jumping ship to sneak off for lunchtime interviews? Or duck out in the middle of the night, à la the Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts? As a COO, I can say neither situation makes for a seamless breakup. Whether you want to leave for more...
Read More
Does Your Internship Program Fail to Teach Your Interns?
What do interns mean to your business? While each company has its own view of interns, and each intern is a unique individual, it's important to remember that your interns are real-life students. When they're wondering whether to accept your internship offer, their most important concern is: "Am I going to get real-world experience and exposure, or am I going to get stuck filing papers...
Read More
Video Games Gave Millennials a Career Advantage: Here's Why
Every generation in the workforce complains about the last. In many ways, the generational war at work is a final frontier in diversity and inclusion because it seems to make millennials more of a punchline than a problem: "Those millennials are ruining it! They expect a trophy or a gold ribbon for everything they do!" While it is true that millennials in general do need immediate and...
Read More
