Tim Giehll's Posts - RecruitingBlogs2024-03-28T17:10:05ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehllhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1526949291?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=31ef04dq5brir&xn_auth=noDoes Your Employment Agency Software Measure Up?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2012-01-11:502551:BlogPost:14963892012-01-11T22:00:00.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>Maybe you don’t currently have <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/index.php">staffing software</a> in your office. Maybe you have a program, but it doesn’t meet all your needs. Maybe you’re just wondering, “What else is out there?”</p>
<p>No matter why you’re looking at staffing software, here are some features that you should be looking for:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Intuitive applicant tracking and resume management.</strong> In some ways, the entire program should be intuitive, but these two…</li>
</ul>
<p>Maybe you don’t currently have <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/index.php">staffing software</a> in your office. Maybe you have a program, but it doesn’t meet all your needs. Maybe you’re just wondering, “What else is out there?”</p>
<p>No matter why you’re looking at staffing software, here are some features that you should be looking for:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Intuitive applicant tracking and resume management.</strong> In some ways, the entire program should be intuitive, but these two features are the bread and butter of any staffing software. It simply must be easy to use them and to learn, via extended use, the finer details of the program.</li>
<li><strong>Contact management.</strong> I’ve written a lot about the importance of social networking in the staffing industry. You and your colleagues have to be able to constantly – and easily – grow and manage their contact list.</li>
<li><strong>Cloud compatible.</strong> Why take up precious hard drive space with a cumbersome software program? Log in and let the software company worry about the hardware.</li>
<li><strong>Mobile compatible.</strong> Mobile is the new frontier of…well, just about everything. Most of us are already running around with portable, pocket-sized computers called smart phones. Staffing software needs to be compatible with these devices as we all want to acceess work data at home, the coffee shop, the airport, the neighbor’s house, at our favorite London pub, and so on.</li>
<li><strong>Compatibility.</strong> Employment agency software should work seamlessly with social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook, software like Office, Outlook, SQL, and other enterprise programs.</li>
<li><strong>Standardized and Customizable.</strong> Some reports are used by just about every staffing company, and some are unique to particular sub-sections of the industry. Make sure your employment agency software offers both.</li>
<li><strong>Service, service, service.</strong> Yes, staffing software should be intuitive, but of course ongoing training and support will be needed for optimal integration. Stay away from employment agency software that doesn’t come with a thorough training program, a plan for installation and data conversion, and ongoing support.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>Growing Your Staffing Agency's Social Networktag:recruitingblogs.com,2012-01-05:502551:BlogPost:14923472012-01-05T22:01:16.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<div class="storycontent"><p><a href="http://www.bond-us.com/blog/growing-your-staffing-agencys-social-network/socialnetwork" rel="attachment wp-att-1775"></a>Back to basics. Tools like <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/Staffing_and_Recruiting_Software_Products.php">employment agency software</a> and mobile devices are great, but top-notch staffing still relies on word-of-mouth more than anything else. And great word-of-mouth only happens when there are a lot of mouths willing to pass on…</p>
</div>
<div class="storycontent"><p><a href="http://www.bond-us.com/blog/growing-your-staffing-agencys-social-network/socialnetwork" rel="attachment wp-att-1775"></a>Back to basics. Tools like <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/Staffing_and_Recruiting_Software_Products.php">employment agency software</a> and mobile devices are great, but top-notch staffing still relies on word-of-mouth more than anything else. And great word-of-mouth only happens when there are a lot of mouths willing to pass on information – a social network, in other words.</p>
<p>The #1 job of a staffing professional, then, is expanding his or her professional social network. That’s why it’s tough for rookies to get started in the industry – they simply haven’t had the time to build up a group of eyes and ears (and mouths) that can supply them with good clients and candidates. But veteran staffing professionals don’t have it easy. The ones I know are always thinking about ways to expand and better utilize their social networks.</p>
<p>A few tips on growing your social network, then, from this veteran staffing guy:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Social media, social media, social media.</strong>If you haven’t started using it, start now. If you started but didn’t get anywhere with it, start again – and maybe find some online tutorials or get a social media savvy youngster to show you the ropes.A brief story says it all: A professional acquaintance (who is not in the staffing industry) checks his LinkedIn account about once per day. He somehow got “linked in” with a staffing pro – “I think I met her at a networking event,” he says – and notices her posts every week or so. They are nothing special – “Looking for a marketing professional with experience in the medical device industry,” for instance – and he’s never responded to any of them. But he knows a lot of people who are looking for work, and he’s ready to throw her a name if something clicks.Now multiply his eyes, ears, and mouth (and keyboard) by 1000, 2000, 3000. Thirty years ago, that was a word-of-mouth network that staffing pros could only dream of. Today it’s a reality experienced staffing pros and less experienced staffing professional who know how to use social media can both enjoy.</li>
<li><strong>Include everyone (at first).</strong> Your unemployed college roommate. Your unemployed college roommate’s mother. Your unemployed roommate’s mother’s financial adviser. All you need is their permission. Staffing is like sales: you <em>just never know</em> where that next great lead is going to come from, so your job is to maximize your contacts and your reach. You never know who will connect you to your next great candidate so treat everyone equal.</li>
<li><strong>Intelligently prune your list</strong>. Think like a banker with no money to lose. Start out by lending money – your contact information – to everyone. Some will ignore it, some will abuse it, but most will use it properly – or at least have it in the back of their minds, like my acquaintance above. Gradually cut out those who abuse it, cultivate those who prove to be good contacts, and leave the rest alone. Over time, you’ll build a network of great “borrowers” who give you a good return on your “investment” of time.</li>
</ul>
<p>Implement these three ideas as you build your social network and soon you will find more quality candidates and clients dropping in your lap. It takes some work to get your social networks humming but every hour you put into it will pay dividends over time.</p>
</div>7 Ways to Make the Holiday Season Your Top Recuiting Monthtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-12-20:502551:BlogPost:14850052011-12-20T14:46:36.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>Myth: no one hires during the holidays.</p>
<p>Fact #1: Lots of companies fill jobs during the second half of December and the first half of January. In December, many look to spend budgeted money before a new fiscal cycle kicks in, and in January, many look to spend money that just kicked in with the new budget.</p>
<p>Fact #2: The staffing agency that knows this will probably have a great month.</p>
<p>Here are seven ways to make this holiday season great for your staffing…</p>
<p>Myth: no one hires during the holidays.</p>
<p>Fact #1: Lots of companies fill jobs during the second half of December and the first half of January. In December, many look to spend budgeted money before a new fiscal cycle kicks in, and in January, many look to spend money that just kicked in with the new budget.</p>
<p>Fact #2: The staffing agency that knows this will probably have a great month.</p>
<p>Here are seven ways to make this holiday season great for your staffing agency:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Check your (client) list twice</strong>. Forget about naughty and nice – just go over your client list and see who might need a phone call. Many won’t broadcast that they’re in desperate “We’ve got to hire someone before the end of the year” mode, so your phone call could be the answer to their staffing problem.</li>
<li><strong>Don’t limit your thinking.</strong> Yes, retailers and the post office need lots of extra holiday help. But so do offices with employees taking vacation days, not to mention workplaces that have to cover for above-average sickness during cold and flu season.</li>
<li><strong>Remind clients of the great applicant pool out there…</strong>and that the holiday season is like any other: when you find the right candidate, you’ve got to snatch them up.</li>
<li><strong>Double down on SEO efforts.</strong> For busy employed people looking for a new job and busy unemployed people looking for any job, the holidays provide some much-needed time to hit the web. Make sure they can find your job listings by using keywords in titles, subtitles, and text.</li>
<li><strong>Find your own job postings.</strong> If it’s hard to find them, make it easier. Job seekers know that no one is going to answer the phone at 3:00 on December 23, so they’ll be using the web at that time…and on the 24<sup>th</sup>, 25<sup>th</sup>, 26<sup>th</sup>, and so on….</li>
<li><strong>Encourage candidates.</strong>Many of them subscribe to the myth above. Fill them in on the facts and encourage them to actively pursue the leads you (and others) give them.</li>
<li><strong>Have a holiday party</strong>. OK, that’s not original, and it may not help make December or January a great month for your company. But it’s the holidays, after all…</li>
</ol>
<p>For more information about <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/index.php">staffing software</a> and other staffing resources and staffing agency marketing tips, <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/Contact_Bond-US_staffing_and_recruiting_software.php">Contact us</a> at <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/">www.Bond-US.com</a></p>How to See a Shining Candidate Through a Lousy Resumetag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-12-13:502551:BlogPost:14821252011-12-13T16:30:00.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p><a href="http://www.bond-us.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Resume-Management-tips-1.jpg"></a>I’m not prone to feel sorry for people who don’t put together a good resume and complain about not finding a job, just like I don’t feel sorry for recruiters who complain about bad <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/product-features-benefits/applicant.html">applicant tracking software</a> but who never took the time research such a crucial purchase.</p>
<p>But then again, I can’t tell you the…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bond-us.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Resume-Management-tips-1.jpg"></a>I’m not prone to feel sorry for people who don’t put together a good resume and complain about not finding a job, just like I don’t feel sorry for recruiters who complain about bad <a href="http://www.bond-us.com/product-features-benefits/applicant.html">applicant tracking software</a> but who never took the time research such a crucial purchase.</p>
<p>But then again, I can’t tell you the number a times a recruiter has asked, “Why is it that the best candidate is never the guy/gal with the best resume?”</p>
<p>In other words, a lot of good candidates lurk behind those mediocre, poor, and maybe even downright awful resumes.</p>
<p>How do you find them without interviewing all of them? Assuming that a poor resume still contains all the basic information – education, experience, references – and is not padded, here are some good tips I’ve picked up for seeing a good candidate through all the dross:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Look carefully at the work history</strong>. Two things speak well of a candidate: 1) A long time with one company and 2) No long periods of unemployment. Both suggest a solid work ethic, dependability, and initiative. Along the same lines….</li>
<li><strong>Look at the work history within a company</strong>. Did this person stay in the same position for a long time or did they steadily advance? If the latter, he or she is almost certainly skilled and is probably ambitious and eager for challenges.</li>
<li><strong>Study the time frame of graduate degrees</strong>. MBA’s are great, but MBA’s earned while working full-time suggest dedication and the ability to multi-task. On the other hand, a Master’s done between jobs can suggest a directed effort to enhance or even shift a career, and there are few qualities better in a candidate than passion for what they do. Likewise….</li>
<li><strong>Don’t dismiss “irrelevant” degrees.</strong> Everyone says that what’s most important is the ability to think and learn, but when it comes to hiring, most recruiters revert back to experience and relevant degrees – with “relevant” usually meaning something “related to business” like finance, accounting, or the ever-vague “business administration.” Philosophy and English Literature majors probably know more about analyzing an argument and communicating clearly than the average human resources major, so give them a break.</li>
</ul>
<p>Have you noticed that I used the word “suggest” a lot? Like all good recruiters, I know that it takes a few interviews to know if a candidate is a good fit (and even then, every recruiter has a “He/She turned out to be a rotten employee” story).</p>
<p>Do you have any suggestions for squeezing good information out of a poor resume? Please leave a comment below.</p>
<p></p>7 Ways to Grow Your Staffing Agency with Bloggingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-09-29:502551:BlogPost:14283272011-09-29T16:44:09.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p><a href="http://www.eempact.com/lp/esept11/" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" height="199" src="http://www.eempact.com/lp/esept11/blogging.jpg?width=225" width="299"></img></a> <strong>Blogging</strong> is a great tool for creating more content for your website and growing your business. Are you aware of the 7 ways to use blogging <strong>to grow your staffing agency?</strong></p>
<p>In the latest Bond eEmpAct white paper, <a href="http://eempact.com/lp/esept11/index.php" target="_blank">7 Ways to Grow Your Staffing Agency</a> <a>with Blogging</a>, discover how recruiters can use blogging…</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.eempact.com/lp/esept11/"><img class="align-right" src="http://www.eempact.com/lp/esept11/blogging.jpg?width=225" height="199" width="299"/></a><strong>Blogging</strong> is a great tool for creating more content for your website and growing your business. Are you aware of the 7 ways to use blogging <strong>to grow your staffing agency?</strong></p>
<p>In the latest Bond eEmpAct white paper, <a href="http://eempact.com/lp/esept11/index.php" target="_blank">7 Ways to Grow Your Staffing Agency</a> <a>with Blogging</a>, discover how recruiters can use blogging for business growth.</p>
<p><strong>The 7 ways to use blogging include:</strong></p>
<div style="margin-left: 2em"><p> • <strong>Create buzz</strong> with your blog.<br/> • Extend and <strong>differentiate your brand</strong>.<br/> • Establish a <strong>strategy and voice</strong> early on.<br/> • Take advantage of the <strong>list-building opportunities</strong>.<br/> • Create quality content to <strong>keep them coming back</strong>.</p>
</div>
<p>Find out <strong>the best ways to use blogging</strong> for staffing and staffing-agency growth.</p>
<p><a href="http://eempact.com/lp/esept11/index.php" target="_self">Download the new Bond eEmpACT white paper</a>, <em>7 Ways to Grow Your Staffing Agency with Blogging</em>.</p>Human Capital Financial Reports - To be released October 1!tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-09-27:502551:BlogPost:14269502011-09-27T16:23:40.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>Press Release:</p>
<p><strong>Workforce Expert and HR Software Executive Tim Giehll Releases New Book: Human Capital Financial Reports</strong></p>
<p>Tim Giehll has written a revolutionary guide to help CEOs, the SEC, investors critical as the nation deals with ongoing workforce imbalance and growing unemployment issues.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>View the full release here:…</strong></p>
<p>Press Release:</p>
<p><strong>Workforce Expert and HR Software Executive Tim Giehll Releases New Book: Human Capital Financial Reports</strong></p>
<p>Tim Giehll has written a revolutionary guide to help CEOs, the SEC, investors critical as the nation deals with ongoing workforce imbalance and growing unemployment issues.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>View the full release here:</strong> <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8830290.htm">http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8830290.htm</a></p>How to See a Shining Candidate Through a Lousy Resumetag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-09-19:502551:BlogPost:14149452011-09-19T17:15:31.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Resume-Management-tips-.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Resume-Management-tips-.jpg?width=200" width="200"></img></a> I’m not prone to feel sorry for people who don’t put together a good resume and complain about not finding a job, just like I don’t feel sorry for recruiters who complain about bad <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/applicant.html">applicant tracking software</a> but who never took the time research such a crucial purchase.<br />
<p>But…</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Resume-Management-tips-.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Resume-Management-tips-.jpg?width=200" width="200"/></a>I’m not prone to feel sorry for people who don’t put together a good resume and complain about not finding a job, just like I don’t feel sorry for recruiters who complain about bad <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/applicant.html">applicant tracking software</a> but who never took the time research such a crucial purchase.<br />
<p>But then again, I can’t tell you the number a times a recruiter has asked, “Why is it that the best candidate is never the guy/gal with the best resume?”</p>
<p>In other words, a lot of good candidates lurk behind those mediocre, poor, and maybe even downright awful resumes.</p>
<p>How do you find them without interviewing all of them? Assuming that a poor resume still contains all the basic information – education, experience, references – and is not padded, here are some good tips I’ve picked up for seeing a good candidate through all the dross:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Look carefully at the work history</strong>. Two things speak well of a candidate: 1) A long time with one company and 2) No long periods of unemployment. Both suggest a solid work ethic, dependability, and initiative. Along the same lines….</li>
<li><strong>Look at the work history within a company</strong>. Did this person stay in the same position for a long time or did they steadily advance? If the latter, he or she is almost certainly skilled and is probably ambitious and eager for challenges.</li>
<li><strong>Study the time frame of graduate degrees</strong>. MBA’s are great, but MBA’s earned while working full-time suggest dedication and the ability to multi-task. On the other hand, a Master’s done between jobs can suggest a directed effort to enhance or even shift a career, and there are few qualities better in a candidate than passion for what they do. Likewise….</li>
<li><strong>Don’t dismiss “irrelevant” degrees.</strong> Everyone says that what’s most important is the ability to think and learn, but when it comes to hiring, most recruiters revert back to experience and relevant degrees – with “relevant” usually meaning something “related to business” like finance, accounting, or the ever-vague “business administration.” Philosophy and English Literature majors probably know more about analyzing an argument and communicating clearly than the average human resources major, so give them a break.</li>
</ul>
<p>Have you noticed that I used the word “suggest” a lot? Like all good recruiters, I know that it takes a few interviews to know if a candidate is a good fit (and even then, every recruiter has a “He/She turned out to be a rotten employee” story).</p>
<p>Do you have any suggestions for squeezing good information out of a poor resume? Please leave a comment below.</p>
<p>One final note: I still don’t feel sorry for those who buy bad <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a>. Didn’t anyone tell them to look at Bond International Software, Inc. first?</p>National Staffing Employee Week is Starting on Monday! How Will You Recognize Your Temporary Employees?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-09-09:502551:BlogPost:13903502011-09-09T19:50:36.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>Employers across the country are urged to celebrate National Staffing Employee Week from Sept. 12–18 this year. Created by the American Staffing Association, the weeklong event honors the millions of hard working people employed by staffing firms across the nation.</p>
<p><strong>National Staffing Employee Week</strong> is designed to promote awareness of the staffing industry through active community involvement, focus attention on the benefits that the industry affords its employees, and…</p>
<p>Employers across the country are urged to celebrate National Staffing Employee Week from Sept. 12–18 this year. Created by the American Staffing Association, the weeklong event honors the millions of hard working people employed by staffing firms across the nation.</p>
<p><strong>National Staffing Employee Week</strong> is designed to promote awareness of the staffing industry through active community involvement, focus attention on the benefits that the industry affords its employees, and publicly recognize the important contribution that temporary and contract employees make to the American workplace.</p>
<p>How will you let your temporary employees know how much you value them and their contributions to your success? Here are a few ideas:</p>
<p>You might do something as simple as slipping an envelope stuffer in with their next paycheck, courtesy of the <a href="http://www.americanstaffing.net/members/nsew.cfm">American Staffing Association’s web site</a>. The stuffers contain messages of gratitude. From the site, you can also download a certificate of recognition to award to your company’s Staffing Employee of the Year.</p>
<p>To go a little further, you might treat your temporary and contract employees to lunch, either onsite or off; give each of them a bouquet of flowers, fruit or cookies; or provide them with a relaxing afternoon at a local spa. You could also take them out to a ball game or other sporting event, or even give them a paid day or afternoon off. Anything you can do to show these employees that they are important to you will go a long way.</p>
<p>To find more ideas or to learn about National Staffing Employee Week celebrations in your area, visit the <a href="http://www.americanstaffing.net/chapters/index.cfm">website for your local chapter</a> of the ASA. Especially for those companies who employ temporary and contract staffers frequently or for long periods of time, National Staffing Employee Week is a great time to recognize and celebrate those non-full timers who help your company run.</p>Groan…Still No Jobs Improvementtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-09-08:502551:BlogPost:13871452011-09-08T17:07:18.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p><a href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Staffing-Software-and-August-Unemployment-numbers.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Staffing-Software-and-August-Unemployment-numbers-300x200.jpg?width=240" width="240"></img></a> I’ll say it again: no amount of government spending or even great <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a> is going to turn this unemployment situation around in the next few months.</p>
<p>The Bureau of Labor Statistics released <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm">its data</a> for the month of August last Friday,…</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Staffing-Software-and-August-Unemployment-numbers.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Staffing-Software-and-August-Unemployment-numbers-300x200.jpg?width=240" width="240"/></a>I’ll say it again: no amount of government spending or even great <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a> is going to turn this unemployment situation around in the next few months.</p>
<p>The Bureau of Labor Statistics released <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm">its data</a> for the month of August last Friday, and the numbers were flat. As in North Dakota flat (which is ironic, given that North Dakota is one of the few employment bright spots in the country). The bottom line, however, is the employment situation has not improved. Not even a little.</p>
<p>Here is numerical proof of flatness:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>9.1%</strong> is the most common “unemployment rate” you’ll hear. Same as July’s unemployment rate.</li>
<li><strong>14 million</strong>. The total number of unemployed people in August. Unchanged (or maybe even up a little bit)</li>
<li><strong>6</strong>.<strong>5 million</strong>. People who want a job (or “are actively seeking work”) but can’t find one. Unchanged</li>
</ul>
<p>And so on, and so on.</p>
<p>And then there’s bad numerical news:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>85,000.</strong> That’s the revised number of jobs added in July, down from <strong>117,000</strong>. June’s numbers were revised down to 20,000 from 46,000. That’s 58,000 fewer jobs, fewer employed people, fewer taxpayers than we previously thought.</li>
<li><strong>8.8 million</strong> is the number of people in August who were working part-time but who wanted to be working full-time. That’s <strong>up</strong> from 8.4 million in July.</li>
<li><strong>550,000</strong> is the number of government jobs lost since September 2008.</li>
<li><strong>12%.</strong> That’s California’s unemployment rate – one the highest in the nation coming from the most populous state in the nation.</li>
</ul>
<p>Is there good news? Sort of:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Flat is better than increased unemployment.</strong> I said that the past few months, and I’ll say it again. The situation could worse. Much worse. I don’t want 9% to be the new normal, but I’m thankful that the unemployment rate isn’t working its way back to 10% (or worse).</li>
<li><strong>Healthcare and mining continue to grow.</strong> Those two sectors have accounted for nearly 400,000 new jobs in the past 12 months.</li>
</ul>
<p>President Obama is going to give a big speech on job creation TONIGHT, but I don’t expect much to come of it. The parties are just too far apart ideologically and I can’t see the Republican controlled House going along with a $300 Billion jobs spending bill. The private sector NEEDS to make an employment jobs recovery happen on its own, and that’s probably how it should be, BUT that is very dependant upon increased DEMAND for their products and services in the U.S. and globally.</p>
<p>Thankfully, everyone in the contingent staffing industry is putting their <a href="http://www.eempact.com/staffing_resources.html">staffing resources</a> to good use, maximizing employment even in a tough economy. Without their work, these numbers would be much, much worse.</p>Check out the 2011 Human Capital Management Buyer’s Guidetag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-09-02:502551:BlogPost:13713182011-09-02T14:36:21.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-Human-Capital-Management-Buyers-Guide.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-Human-Capital-Management-Buyers-Guide.jpg?width=188" width="188"></img></a> I’ve always been impressed with the Human Capital Management Buyer’s Guide, so I submitted a success story about our <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/">recruiting software</a> for this year’s edition. I was pleasantly surprised when the Guide’s editor accepted it.<br />
<p>In the article (which starts on p.60 of the Guide, by the way) I tell…</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-Human-Capital-Management-Buyers-Guide.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2011-Human-Capital-Management-Buyers-Guide.jpg?width=188" width="188"/></a>I’ve always been impressed with the Human Capital Management Buyer’s Guide, so I submitted a success story about our <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/">recruiting software</a> for this year’s edition. I was pleasantly surprised when the Guide’s editor accepted it.<br />
<p>In the article (which starts on p.60 of the Guide, by the way) I tell the story of easyJet, a small British airline that used our recruiting software and, more importantly, began thinking about human capital as a resource which can be effectively managed as a supply chain.</p>
<p>In other words, easyJet’s executives started coordinating recruiting and staffing efforts and soon discovered that they could get a lot more high-quality recruiting done with fewer employee hours. Their investment in Bond Talent recruiting software was recouped in about four months, with all other savings now improving the company’s bottom line.</p>
<p>As I write in the article, “companies will compete for the same top talent” as the economy rebounds. “Firms that invest in strategic, streamlined Human Capital Supply Chain management now will be poised to react quickly and snap up the most qualified workforce – and save time and money while they’re at it!”</p>
<p>What else is in the Buyer’s Guide? Lots of other stories and information about; human resources software, recruiting products, social media in HR (a favorite topic of mine), and new technology available for recruiting & staffing professionals. The four-page chart that compares companies and the products they offer is particularly helpful.</p>
<p>I highly recommend checking out the <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/pdfs/2011-human-capital-management-buyers-guide.pdf">2011 Human Capital Management Buyer’s Guide</a>. And I highly recommend <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/contact-us/">contacting Bond Talent</a> if you want to know more about how our recruiting software can help your company improve its recruiting and staffing efforts.</p>Companies Recruiting College Grads May Need to Increase Their Budgetstag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-09-01:502551:BlogPost:13690112011-09-01T15:49:04.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Top-10-paying-jobs-for-college-grads.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Top-10-paying-jobs-for-college-grads-300x199.jpg?width=240" width="240"></img></a> I was recently talking with a friend of mine whose son is starting his sophomore year in college and just changed his major to Petroleum Engineering. When she asked her son why he chose that major he informed her that is has the highest starting salary potential of any job for college graduates. He obviously did his research as you will see…
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Top-10-paying-jobs-for-college-grads.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Top-10-paying-jobs-for-college-grads-300x199.jpg?width=240" width="240"/></a>I was recently talking with a friend of mine whose son is starting his sophomore year in college and just changed his major to Petroleum Engineering. When she asked her son why he chose that major he informed her that is has the highest starting salary potential of any job for college graduates. He obviously did his research as you will see below.<br />
<p>As a quick follow-up to my recent post about college recruiting, here are the top-paying jobs for recent college graduates (and those which give the term “entry-level” a new meaning):</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">1. <strong>Petroleum Engineer.</strong> Putting physics, chemistry, and industrial engineering classes to work can net a twenty-something nearly $120,000</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">2. <strong>Computer Hardware Engineer.</strong> It requires a computer science degree and the ability to keep up-to-date with almost-daily changes in the industry. But at $97,000, it’s probably worth it.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">3. <strong>Electrical Engineer.</strong> The field now includes robotics. And it can bring an $85,000 salary.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">4. <strong>Investment Banker.</strong> Who said that scientists and technicians should have all the good-paying jobs? $85,000 a year for those who can perform top-notch financial research and communicate it effectively.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">5. <strong>Economist.</strong> No longer practitioners of “the dismal science” and certainly no longer confined to the halls of academia and government, economists help companies (and non-profits) of all shapes and sizes understand and prepare for changing market trends. Salary: $84,000.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">6. <strong>Computer Programmer.</strong> No need to explain this one. Starting salary: $73,000.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">7. <strong>Management Analyst.</strong> I’ll confess that I hadn’t heard of this job before reading the description in <a href="http://www.primermagazine.com/2011/earn/top-earning-entry-level-jobs-infographic">the article</a> that provided the information for this post. I guess they assist in making and executing strategic plans for businesses. Hard to imagine someone right out of college doing that, but easy to imagine a smart 23-year-old contributing to a team – especially when he or she can make $73,000.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">8. <strong>Database administrators.</strong> Like everything else related to IT, these people are in demand. And the starting salary of $73,000 reflects that.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">9. <strong>Registered Nurses.</strong> I’ve read a lot about a coming (and possibly current) shortage of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Add to that the force of unions and you get a $68,000 salary.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">10. <strong>Landscape Architects.</strong> The modern rage for good design and environmental responsibility have created a demand for these professionals. The result: a $64,000 starting salary.</p>
<p>As you can see from some of these starting salaries, companies may being seeing a rise in their human resource expense line, driven by the newest members of the work force. This will put even more pressure on corporate recruiters to better execute on their <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/administrative-functionality.html">talent management</a> strategies and tactics if they want to fill some of the above mentioned positions without having to offer the highest salary in the market.</p>
<p>Do these starting salaries seem high, low or about right to you? Feel free to comment below!</p>Project Solutions vs. One-Off Transactional Sales: How to Provide More Value to Clientstag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-31:502551:BlogPost:13667122011-08-31T18:56:00.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>Your objective in a transactional sale is to sell your product or service: “This is what I have, do you want it?” There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you make the sale!</p>
<p>But if more business and a long-term relationship with clients is what you’re after, you need to think about selling solutions. Selling project solutions is a different objective, which requires a different approach: “What do you need? I’ll provide it for you.”</p>
<p>A relationship sale is based on your…</p>
<p>Your objective in a transactional sale is to sell your product or service: “This is what I have, do you want it?” There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you make the sale!</p>
<p>But if more business and a long-term relationship with clients is what you’re after, you need to think about selling solutions. Selling project solutions is a different objective, which requires a different approach: “What do you need? I’ll provide it for you.”</p>
<p>A relationship sale is based on your reputation with the client, with the rapport you can build up through communication, expertise and delivery of what you promise. If you build up a relationship with your clients, you can go beyond transactional sales into solution selling.</p>
<p>Relationship selling requires you to understand the buyer’s need and see the relationship between the need and the solution. When it’s done well, you and the buyer become partners in the process of finding the right product or solution that will solve a problem or otherwise benefit the buyer.</p>
<p>Basically, it’s the difference between selling a product or service vs. establishing a means for ongoing product sales or service. It’s also about helping the customer see the distinction between price and value. You want the customer to consider what you have to offer, not just in terms of how much it costs, but how much value your product has and will continue to have, to their business.</p>
<p><strong>The Power of Three</strong></p>
<p>A well-defined solution sales strategy will help you do three things:</p>
<p>1) Position yourself as a problem solver and solutions provider</p>
<p>2) Secure larger and more frequent sales from your customers</p>
<p>3) Offer high margin products and/or services along with the ones that may be considered commodities.</p>
<p>And the process has three steps:</p>
<p>1) Establish a clear understanding of the customer’s priorities and overall goals. This may require several meetings with people at multiple levels within the customer’s organization. Take the time.</p>
<p>2) Identify areas you can improve for the customer, whether you see specific problems to solve, performance gaps to close or areas in which your products can help them grow. Talk to top management on down to see if you can counteract deficiencies with the current vendor, introduce new technologies or educate the customer.</p>
<p>3) Connect your offer with the customer’s goals by laying it all out for them. Show them a direct link between your products/services and their needs. When you address precise problems and close specific performance gaps, you demonstrate your ability to be a solutions provider.</p>
<p>Transactional sales have their place, of course, but to create a more constant flow of business, solution sales are the way to go. Customers will focus on price until you demonstrate, clearly and with attention to their specific needs, the savings of a total solution.</p>The Biggest Categories of Jobs Through Staffing Agenciestag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-30:502551:BlogPost:13646982011-08-30T20:21:24.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p><a href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Staffing-resources.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Staffing-resources-300x208.jpg?width=210" width="210"></img></a></p>
<p>Even in a sluggish economy, staffing and recruiting professionals need high-quality <a href="http://www.eempact.com/staffing_resources.html">staffing resources</a>. Believe it or not, there are many industries that are having trouble finding good people. For these industries, staffing agencies are a great resource to help them find, filter and fill their open positions…</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Staffing-resources.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Staffing-resources-300x208.jpg?width=210" width="210"/></a></p>
<p>Even in a sluggish economy, staffing and recruiting professionals need high-quality <a href="http://www.eempact.com/staffing_resources.html">staffing resources</a>. Believe it or not, there are many industries that are having trouble finding good people. For these industries, staffing agencies are a great resource to help them find, filter and fill their open positions with qualified contract candidates.</p>
<p>This is especially true when trying to fill positions in the following fields which are, according to the best statistics I could muster, the most in demand these days:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>IT.</strong> Can you think of the last time you didn’t use a computer at work – and that includes hand-held devices? Neither can I. Software engineers, techs, computer systems analysts, programmers – the race is always on to harness the incredible explosion of computing power, which means that a lot of people are needed to keep the IT machine running.</li>
<li><strong>Mathematics.</strong> This one surprised me, but only for a little bit. The standard mathematics-related jobs like actuary and statistical analyst are always available simply because high-quality mathematical minds are uncommon. Nowadays, though, entrepreneurial mathematicians, following the lead of sports-related stat geeks like Bill James and economists like Steven Levitt, are showing that they can provide a type of analysis to everyday affairs – including business-related affairs, of course – that no one else can. SO now every company wants its own math whiz.</li>
<li><strong>Healthcare.</strong> It’s been a long, long time since this sector shrunk. RNs, physical therapists, dental hygienists, physician assistants, and so on, and so on. No one yet has figured out how to reduce demand for healthcare while spending less money on it, and it goes without saying that we’re a long ways from robotic doctors and nurses. In other words, expect healthcare to be a growth industry for some time.</li>
<li><strong>Biosciences.</strong> A lot of these jobs could be labeled as “healthcare,” I suppose. Veterinarians and lab technicians were commonly listed jobs. And let’s remember that “lab technician” can mean anything from analyzing blood at a hospital to sewage at a treatment plant, so there’s no end to the need for biochemists handy with test tube.</li>
<li><strong>Education.</strong> Teachers, yes, but also trainers of all kinds. Training, it seems, is a perpetual part of corporate life these days. There’s always a new phone system or software program to understand, and of course there’s an endless barrage of “keeping up with the latest research” that professionals have to do. Interestingly, designing learning modules for independent, web-based learning and training is a huge market. Why disrupt every employee’s schedule for a 45-minute presentation when each employee can work through material online at a time convenient for him/her?</li>
<li><strong>Specialty manufacturing.</strong> I won’t comment on the endless comments about the manufacturing sector from economists, but one thing seems to be clear: There’s a need for workers with very specialized skills. Sheet metal manipulators, chemical quality-control specialists, engineers of all kinds – I was surprised by how many job there were for people with a lot of education and/or experience.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Education and experience – those seem to be the key in this job market. The unemployment rate is above nine percent, but it’s below five percent for people with a college degree. The day of making a decent living as an unskilled laborer is, I’m afraid, long gone.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.eempact.com/contact.html">Contact us</a> for more information about <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a> and other staffing resources.</p>The Key Questions to Ask On a Staffing Sales Calltag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-24:502551:BlogPost:13516862011-08-24T16:36:07.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
Whether you’re calling a new prospect or an old customer, don’t make the mistake of asking the same old questions. The first (and worst!) that most people think to ask is “Are you hiring?” What if they say no? Then you’ve just effectively ended the conversation before it’s had a chance to start.<br />
<p>If you ask the same questions, you’ll get the same answers, and these answers won’t get you anywhere. When you’re making sales calls, adjust your mindset. Instead of seeking out orders, try to…</p>
Whether you’re calling a new prospect or an old customer, don’t make the mistake of asking the same old questions. The first (and worst!) that most people think to ask is “Are you hiring?” What if they say no? Then you’ve just effectively ended the conversation before it’s had a chance to start.<br />
<p>If you ask the same questions, you’ll get the same answers, and these answers won’t get you anywhere. When you’re making sales calls, adjust your mindset. Instead of seeking out orders, try to uncover new avenues within the account and figure out the challenges the customer faces. Once you’ve uncovered those problems, you can propose a solution. Just ask your prospects the right questions and listen. They will tell you what they need help with, then you can give it to them.</p>
<p>If you are talking to a new customer, try to qualify them quickly and effectively to make sure you’re talking to the right person. Try questions such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>How will or does your company select the service they will use?</li>
<li>What is your role in this process?</li>
<li>Who else will be involved in the decision?</li>
<li>Will they need the information I am giving you?</li>
<li>What are the primary keys to earning your business?</li>
<li>Are you absolutely locked into a particular service?</li>
</ul>
<p>Once you’ve established that you have the right contact person, try to assess their feelings about using staffing services. Try asking questions like:</p>
<ol>
<li>What is your customer staffing strategy? How was it designed and implemented?</li>
<li>What are your greatest successes using temp staffing services? What made these experiences “successful?”</li>
<li>What’s the worst staffing experience you’ve had? What are the details?</li>
<li>How do you measure the effectiveness of your staffing vendors? How do you ensure that you are using your vendors in the most effective way possible?</li>
<li>What percentage of your employee base or business do you want to outsource?</li>
<li>Do you experience seasonal shifts in your staffing needs?</li>
<li>Is there anything else that I should know that will help me deliver the best staffing services possible to you and your company?</li>
</ol>
<p>The use of questions in the selling process is a learned skill. If you want to improve your sales call to close ratio, then you must develop your ability to get the customer involved in the communication process. Asking questions allows you to listen more, talk less and make more sales.</p>The 10 Most Difficult Jobs to Filltag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-23:502551:BlogPost:13492162011-08-23T13:56:37.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/10-toughest-jobs-to-fill.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/10-toughest-jobs-to-fill-300x300.jpg?width=210" width="210"></img></a> It’s hard to believe that in this world of high unemployment rates, there are actually many companies having trouble filling certain positions. This might also be a good list for job seekers who are willing to consider re-training as a path to their next job. For example, here are the ten of the most difficult jobs to fill based on a Manpower survey of 40,000 employers in 39…
<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/10-toughest-jobs-to-fill.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/10-toughest-jobs-to-fill-300x300.jpg?width=210" width="210"/></a>It’s hard to believe that in this world of high unemployment rates, there are actually many companies having trouble filling certain positions. This might also be a good list for job seekers who are willing to consider re-training as a path to their next job. For example, here are the ten of the most difficult jobs to fill based on a Manpower survey of 40,000 employers in 39 countries:<br />
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">1.Technicians</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">2.Sales Representatives</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">3.Skilled Trades Workers</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">4.Engineers</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">5.Laborers</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">6.Management/Executives</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">7.Accounting and Finance Staff</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">8.Information Technology Staff</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">9. Production Operators</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">10.Secretaries, Personal Assistants, Administrative Assistants and Office Support Staff</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The list wasn’t so different when limited to employers in the U.S.A.:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">1.Skilled Trade Laborers</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">2.Sales Representatives</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">3.Engineers</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">4.Drivers</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">5.Accounting and Finance Staff</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">6.Information Technology Staff</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">7.Management/Executives</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">8.Teachers</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">9.Secretaries/Administrative Assistants</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">10.Machinists/Machine Operators</p>
<p>What are the reasons why these jobs are hard to fill? Employers gave the reasons they always give: lack of skills, lack of experience, and lack of “soft skills” like basic communication skills and the ability to work on a team.</p>
<p>I’ve always told college students that, when it comes to vocational questions, they should focus on their passions. Don’t, in other words, pursue a particular career path just because it seems lucrative or is a “hot” commodity in the hiring world. Going down that path will likely result in professional frustration. I would still say the same thing these days, but I would also encourage college students to take a look at lists like the ones above and see if their passions and interests fit any of the job descriptions. Because in this economy, college grads – and all job seekers – need every edge they can get.</p>
<p>Join the conversation and let us know what types of jobs your company is having trouble finding good candidates for.</p>
<p><a href="http://blog.eempact.com/feed/">Follow this blog</a>, and <a href="http://www.eempact.com/contact.html">contact us</a> with your questions about employment, <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a> and other issues related to the staffing industry.</p>Five Things to Look for in Applicant Tracking Software ATStag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-22:502551:BlogPost:13470192011-08-22T15:14:57.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
What are some of the key features every <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/applicant.html">applicant tracking software</a> (ATS)should have?<br />
<p>I get asked that question a lot at conferences and other events where I promote recruiting software. Here are my standard talking points.</p>
<p>Applicant tracking software should….</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Efficiently Track Applicants.</strong> It sounds obvious, I know, but software programmers can be like automobile…</li>
</ol>
What are some of the key features every <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/applicant.html">applicant tracking software</a> (ATS)should have?<br />
<p>I get asked that question a lot at conferences and other events where I promote recruiting software. Here are my standard talking points.</p>
<p>Applicant tracking software should….</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Efficiently Track Applicants.</strong> It sounds obvious, I know, but software programmers can be like automobile designers: They get so caught up in bells and whistles that they don’t attend to streamlining high-quality core functions. How does the software manage candidates through the entire recruitment cycle and make you a more efficient recruiter? Always ask that first.</li>
<li><strong>Be easy for company employees to use.</strong> If you need extensive training to use it or if you have a hard time figuring out features on your own, it’s too complicated. Remember, applicant tracking software isn’t just for recruiters, but for any person in the company who is part of the hiring process, including executives.</li>
<li><strong>Be easy for applicants to use.</strong> Actually, it should be <em>easier</em> for applicants to use because they don’t have the benefit of (or the time for) a training module. Applicants should be able to see the status of their application(s), search for other jobs, sign up for email or text alerts, and forward information to a friend almost intuitively. They also should only have to enter their basic information once – an easy feature to overlook.</li>
<li><strong>Automatically screen applicants.</strong> You and the candidate should be automatically notified if a candidate is, because of lack of a degree or requisite experience, not suitable for a job. This feature, which is typically in the form of “Knock-out Questions”, can literally save recruiters a hundred hours per year.</li>
<li><strong>Be multi-lingual and multi-currency.</strong> That is, it should allow applicants and recruiters to easily translate Resumes/CVs as well as salary amounts. In today’s global economy, even small companies now need access to multiple cultures within their own country and top talent from countries around the world.</li>
</ol>
<p>I usually try to answer questions about <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/">recruiting software</a> in a product-neutral way, but here, in my own blog, I can just come out and say, “Bond Talent’s global applicant tracking software is the best in the business!” It really is. <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/contact-us/">Contact us</a> to find out more or to see if I really know what I’m talking about when it comes to recruiting software.</p>Google+ Shocks Staffing Industry !!tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-18:502551:BlogPost:13396812011-08-18T18:03:15.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
When it comes to the social media platform that best complements <a href="http://eempact.com/">staffing software</a>, Facebook either wins or ties with LinkedIn. But Google+ promises to give them both a run for their money.<br />
<p>Google+, to be sure, has some serious work to do. Facebook has around 700 million users and LinkedIn has around 120 million. Both companies are mobile-savvy and respond quickly to the needs of their users. Both also have a lot of top-notch minds working for them and the…</p>
When it comes to the social media platform that best complements <a href="http://eempact.com/">staffing software</a>, Facebook either wins or ties with LinkedIn. But Google+ promises to give them both a run for their money.<br />
<p>Google+, to be sure, has some serious work to do. Facebook has around 700 million users and LinkedIn has around 120 million. Both companies are mobile-savvy and respond quickly to the needs of their users. Both also have a lot of top-notch minds working for them and the cash flow to invest in R&D.</p>
<p>But if any company’s up to giving these social media giants some serious competition, it’s Google. Google is worth over $200 billion, has a ton of capital to invest in R&D, and has a culture that, time and time again, rewards innovation.</p>
<p>For now, Google+ is more geared toward Facebook-type interaction – sharing with friends and family – than professional, LinkedIn-type socializing. But as we all know, Facebook is a treasure-trove for businesses (and in case you doubt this, try to find a major corporation that <em>doesn’t</em> have a Facebook page). For people who use staffing software – recruiters and other staffing professionals, for the most part – it’s a great tool for finding candidates and references, and it’s a great way for candidates to interact with companies.</p>
<p>Will Google+ be able to imitate Facebook’s friendliness for recruiters and other users of human resources software? Theoretically, yes. The key is its “Circles” feature.</p>
<p>The “Circles” feature allows the user to divide up “friends” (to use a Facebook term) into circles: school friends, job friends, company friends, close friends, acquaintances, family, and so on. That makes it easier to communicate messages to only certain people – who wants to share information about a great date with grandma and grandpa, for example? Facebook has been working on this problem for a while, but (I would say) without much success.</p>
<p>Staffing professionals can create “Circles” around types of jobs, types of candidates, geography and any other grouping that can help them stream line their messaging to target groups.</p>
<p>The “Circles” feature will allow users to bracket off their professional/work life, and that, I think, will make people more comfortable participating in job-searching, referring, and other activities that recruiters can capitalize on. In other words, their professional “Circle” enables them to easily share information without 1) Leaving Google+ (because you never know who might be sending a message) and 2) Worrying about boring your close friends and family with yet another unintended announcement about a job application.</p>
<p>BUT – the convenience of Google+ will not automatically translate into its success. That all depends on the numbers that Google+ can generate. If it attracts 25 million users, I wouldn’t waste my recruiting time with it, even if it had some excellent features. If it can top the 100 million mark and keep improving its interface, I’d certainly use it to complement my staffing software.</p>
<p>What’s your experience with Google+? Do you think it will be a good recruiting and staffing tool? Please share your thoughts below and join the ongoing conversation about social media, <a href="http://www.eempact.com/staffing_resources.html">staffing resources</a>, and the ongoing challenges of recruiting in today’s difficult environment.</p>Is The Economic Rebound Slowing? How Will It Impact Your Business?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-17:502551:BlogPost:13379082011-08-17T14:28:48.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>Unfortunately, just as the economy was showing signs of improving, a number of factors are causing it to weaken again. Rising food and oil prices, supply chain disruptions due to the Japanese nuclear disaster and a still-horrendous housing market are all to blame. How will it impact your business? Mostly by affecting consumers.</p>
<p>As oil prices have climbed more than 20% this year, high gas prices are slowing the momentum of the recent economic improvements. Gas and food inflation are…</p>
<p>Unfortunately, just as the economy was showing signs of improving, a number of factors are causing it to weaken again. Rising food and oil prices, supply chain disruptions due to the Japanese nuclear disaster and a still-horrendous housing market are all to blame. How will it impact your business? Mostly by affecting consumers.</p>
<p>As oil prices have climbed more than 20% this year, high gas prices are slowing the momentum of the recent economic improvements. Gas and food inflation are eating away at Americans’ paychecks – for those who are lucky enough to be employed — and the American consumer drives two-thirds of the economy. Retail sales declined in May for the first time in 11 months and spending on gasoline has been falling. Economists have already reduced some of their growth forecasts for consumer spending.</p>
<p>Higher fuel prices are driving up the cost of food production and delivery, which is forcing businesses to cut other expenses, including overtime pay, insurance programs and of course, salaries. Many budgets no longer include funding for things like training programs or equipment upgrades.</p>
<p>Employers have been reluctant to hire and the jobless rate remains stubbornly high, climbing to 9.1 percent in May. Housing — a central component of most U.S. families’ financial worth — remains mired in a deep slump.</p>
<p>Restaurants and coffee shops are taking a hit, as more consumers are packing lunches and making coffee at home, to stretch their paychecks. Factory activity has been sluggish as well.</p>
<p>Many economists upgraded their growth forecasts for the American economy at the end of last year, often to well above 3%, but the numbers so far this year have come in below 2 percent. And that 2% economy is reshuffling the deck on everything from the debt debate to job growth to the likely outcome of the 2012 elections.</p>
<p>The McKinsey Global Institute predicts that it will take five years to bring employment back to its prerecession peak. In the 2% economy, you can add an additional year or two to that estimate. There are still economists who say growth will pick up toward the end of the year. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers for business owners and companies, except to try to stay the course.</p>How Will Google+ Affect Staffing and Recruiting?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-15:502551:BlogPost:13340172011-08-15T16:43:11.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
Within 2 weeks of its launch, Google+ had more than 5 million users, according to a recent article in <em>PC World</em>, and was the hot topic for days on technology blogs, business sites, and Facebook and Twitter feeds. That’s nowhere near the 200 million members of Twitter or 750 million of Facebook, but give it time. Like its social networking cousins, Google+ has the potential to affect business, but what effect will Google+ have on the recruiting world?<br />
<p>We already know the benefits of…</p>
Within 2 weeks of its launch, Google+ had more than 5 million users, according to a recent article in <em>PC World</em>, and was the hot topic for days on technology blogs, business sites, and Facebook and Twitter feeds. That’s nowhere near the 200 million members of Twitter or 750 million of Facebook, but give it time. Like its social networking cousins, Google+ has the potential to affect business, but what effect will Google+ have on the recruiting world?<br />
<p>We already know the benefits of integrated social recruiting. And think about Google itself. Google+ is part of Google, the world’s largest and best search engine, dedicated to helping you find information. What are some of the new tools that Google+ will give you?</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Circles:</strong> Google+ Circles enable users to organize contacts into groups for sharing, across various Google products and services. There’s no limit to the number of circles you can have – so you can start separating your business contacts by topic and sharing highly targeted messages or updates based on the circle members. Recruiters can share jobs to specific Circles without spamming others. More value will come when recruiters figure out how to leverage the search capabilities of Google Profiles and grow out their circles. On the flip side, candidates will need to make sure their profiles are Search Engine Optimized in order to be found by those searching.</li>
<li><strong>Sparks:</strong> Just as candidates can become fans of a Facebook company page or follow a corporate Twitter account, users can add companies of interest to their Sparks Page for real-time updates on the given organization. Depending on how this functionality evolves, users could have saved job searches appear in their Sparks interest page.</li>
<li><strong>Huddle:</strong> Google+ has a BlackBerry Messenger-like group chat feature called “Huddle”, for communicating quickly and efficiently with circles via instant messaging. Huddling with applicants, instead of texting or e-mailing them, might be in your future.</li>
<li><strong>Hangouts:</strong> This neat little feature allows multi-person video chatting. Forget phone interviews! Hangouts has the potential to be the new interviewing platform of choice: with the multi-person functionality you can have a candidate, recruiter and hiring manager in 3 different locations all on the same interview.</li>
</ul>
<p>A Google+ Business Edition is slated for launch later this year. Hopefully it will pick up where Facebook and LinkedIn company pages left off or fell short. Coming later to the game, Google+ is able to learn from the mistakes of both their own failed projects and the current contenders.</p>
<p>If Google+ continues to add users at its current rapid rate, it will have a profound impact on the way you interact with job seekers and clients. As a staffing and recruiting professional, you need to jump onto the bandwagon and explore the opportunities that Google+ provides.</p>July Employment Data = No Improvement Againtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-10:502551:BlogPost:13243662011-08-10T14:48:29.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/July-Unemployment-data.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/July-Unemployment-data-279x300.jpg?width=223" width="223"></img></a> The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its data for the month of July and the numbers were as flat as everybody expected. Oh, there was some giddiness in the press, but I read that as more a response to the poor economic (and governmental) news of late than as an honest assessment of the employment situation. Because, in fact, the employment situation has not really…
<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/July-Unemployment-data.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/July-Unemployment-data-279x300.jpg?width=223" width="223"/></a>The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released its data for the month of July and the numbers were as flat as everybody expected. Oh, there was some giddiness in the press, but I read that as more a response to the poor economic (and governmental) news of late than as an honest assessment of the employment situation. Because, in fact, the employment situation has not really improved at all.<br />
<p>Here are the important numbers with a bit of commentary:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">* <strong>9.1% is the most common “unemployment rate” you’ll hear.</strong> It’s down from 9.2% last month which is, to my mind statistically insignificant. The good news is that the news isn’t worse. An unemployment rate trending flat is better than one trending up. As always, the government is not factoring in those Americans that have just stopped looking for work!!</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">* <strong>117,000 is the “adjusted” number of jobs added in July</strong>. Basically, that means that it doesn’t include agricultural employment, which goes up and down seasonally. Revised figures for May and June say that another 56,000 jobs were added in those two months than previously thought, leaving the growth rate at about 50,000 per month. This is really, really slow growth – maybe even insignificant growth. </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">* <strong>154,000 is the total private sector jobs added</strong>, which means that government entities shed 37,000 jobs last month. Unfortunately, I think we are just at the beginning of a bubble of federal, state and local government layoffs over the next 12 months. I don’t like to hear about anyone losing a job, but this is reasonably good news.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">* <strong>6.2 million is the number of long-term unemployed people</strong>, which means people who can work and who want to work but have not been able to find a job for at least 27 weeks. Yikes. Until this number goes down significantly, don’t tell me that we’re in robust recovery mode.</p>
<p>President and Obama and both parties in Congress have said that job creation is their #1 priority now that the debt ceiling crisis is over (for now). I’m glad to hear that, but I’m not getting my hopes up. First of all, the politicians in Washington have not shown that they can get much of anything done. Secondly, it’s doubtful that politicians can do a whole lot to actually improve the employment situation. At this point in time and for the next 18 months, ONLY companies will be able to do the hiring, not government. Even if they could inject a lot of money into the economy (which they can’t), that money wouldn’t necessarily translate into solid, long-term, private sector employment growth.</p>
<p>All that said, the staffing and recruiting industry is still busy. It’s just too bad we can’t find a job for everyone who wants one.</p>
<p>Maybe we should turnover the responsibility for the Unemployed to the staffing companies like Manpower, Adecco, Kelly and the other 9,000 staffing firms in the U.S.. My guess is that they could do a much better job than the federal and state governments in retraining and placing the nation’s unemployeed into temporary, contract and full-time jobs !! </p>
<p><a href="http://blog.eempact.com/feed/">Follow this blog</a>, and <a href="http://www.eempact.com/contact.html">contact us</a> with your questions about employment, <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a> and other issues related to the recruiting industry or feel free to leave a comment below.</p>Recruiting Survival Tips in a Very Tough Economytag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-09:502551:BlogPost:13220632011-08-09T18:40:23.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Recruiting-tips.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Recruiting-tips-300x199.jpg?width=240" width="240"></img></a> A less than perfect economy (especially after a 15% US stock market decline in just 2 weeks !!) affects every type of business including recruiting. Yet in every down economy there are always a number of companies in every industry who find a way to thrive. With this in mind, I spent some time recently researching all the creative ways recruiters were finding,…
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Recruiting-tips.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Recruiting-tips-300x199.jpg?width=240" width="240"/></a>A less than perfect economy (especially after a 15% US stock market decline in just 2 weeks !!) affects every type of business including recruiting. Yet in every down economy there are always a number of companies in every industry who find a way to thrive. With this in mind, I spent some time recently researching all the creative ways recruiters were finding, recruiting and retaining top talent in spite of the less than perfect economy. I found two types of advice:<br />
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tips for Recruiting in 2011</span></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The market for mid-level and high-level talent is heating up.</strong> As many have said, finding candidates is easy, but finding qualified candidates is hard. Employers are skittish about letting top talent go when the future is so uncertain, and employees are reluctant to leave for the same reason. So be prepared for a long road when looking to fill mid-level and high-level positions.</li>
<li><strong>Be careful about relocation demands.</strong> Yes, you want employees – especially high-level employees – close to the office. But if a great candidate is willing to drive 40 miles to work, don’t sweat it. He or she probably can’t afford to sell their house in such a lousy real estate market, and email and other e-communication tools can usually make up for someone’s presence in the office.</li>
<li><strong>Review your brand presence.</strong> Does your company’s website and Facebook page convey its personality? Its values? Its mission? Is it, in a word, authentic? This is especially important for recruiting younger candidates.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Perennial Tips for Recruiting</span></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Write a clear and concise job description.</strong> This will keep out many unqualified and/or uninterested applicants, sparing you and them unnecessary hassle.</li>
<li><strong>Remember basic courtesy.</strong> You don’t owe every applicant a reply. But once you contact an applicant, you owe them timely updates on their status. Failure to do this will most certainly be noticed and communicated on the web.</li>
<li><strong>Remember that skills can often trump experience.</strong> It’s often easier to train a candidate with less experience to do things your way than it is to get an experienced candidate to think outside their old company’s box.</li>
<li><strong>Take your time.</strong> I ran across this piece of advice several times. Never rush the hiring process. Always interview more people than you think you should. Be willing to let a good candidate go if he or she is asking you to make a quick decision.</li>
<li><strong>Always be looking for your next employee</strong>. As a recruiter, we should always be networking and meeting new potential employees, even though we may not have a position open at the time.</li>
<li><strong>Get top-notch</strong> <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/"><strong>recruiting software</strong></a><strong>.</strong> It will make your recruiting more efficient and effective and help give your company the professional look and feel that top candidates expect. (OK, that one was from me).</li>
</ul>College Recruiting Has A Heartbeat !!tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-08-01:502551:BlogPost:13091212011-08-01T16:00:00.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p><a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Hiring-colloge-grads.jpg"><img alt="Talent management" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-749" height="210" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Hiring-colloge-grads-268x300.jpg" title="Hiring colloge grads" width="188"></img></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Hiring-colloge-grads.jpg"></a>It’s that time of the year again! College grads are hitting the workforce, and their prospects look better than the rest of the population’s.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="http://www.ere.net/2011/03/03/college-hiring-recruiting-outlook-brightens/">recent…</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Hiring-colloge-grads.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-749" title="Hiring colloge grads" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Hiring-colloge-grads-268x300.jpg" alt="Talent management" height="210" width="188"/></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Hiring-colloge-grads.jpg"></a>It’s that time of the year again! College grads are hitting the workforce, and their prospects look better than the rest of the population’s.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="http://www.ere.net/2011/03/03/college-hiring-recruiting-outlook-brightens/">recent article</a> on ere.net (a helpful source of recruiting news), the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Hiring Index reports a recent jump in both recruiting and hiring of college students.</p>
<p>The article also states that these bumps counteract a recent downward trend. Below are a few more details from the article:</p>
<ul>
<li>The outlook for college hiring in 2011 was <strong>13.5 percent</strong> higher than the outlook in 2010.</li>
<li><strong>Nearly 50 percent</strong> of companies surveyed expected to increase the number of college hires – up from 16.9 percent the year before!</li>
<li>Alas, <strong>40 percent</strong> of companies planned to decrease their college hires and <strong>10 percent</strong> thought that their college hiring levels wouldn’t change. The silver lining in such numbers: they’re not planning on laying off recent college hires.</li>
</ul>
<p>Our nation has never really experienced long-term unemployment for significant numbers of recent college graduates, and we certainly don’t want to start now. A look at post-communist countries and the modern Middle East shows us that high unemployment among well-educated twenty- and thirty-somethings drags down an entire society. Getting young people into the workforce directs their energy to the greater good and away from civilization-destroying activities and overdependence on government</p>
<p>If you have stories about your company’s college recruiting strategies, please post a comment below. When the National Association of College and Employer’s next index come out, I’ll include it in my reflections.</p>
<p>For ongoing thoughts about <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/administrative-functionality.html" target="_blank">talent management</a>, <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/">recruiting software</a>, and other recruiting issues, <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/HumanCapitalSupplyChains">subscribe</a> to this blog.</p>Bill Would Ban Discrimination Against Unemployed In Hiringtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-25:502551:BlogPost:12978302011-07-25T14:52:41.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>Sad but true, earlier this year the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had to hold a public hearing because of a disturbing trend: several companies, nationwide, had been excluding unemployed applicants from hiring consideration. Their ads specifically stated that they would only consider employed job candidates, using phrases like “No unemployed candidates will be considered at all” and “Client will not consider/review anyone NOT currently employed, regardless of the reason.”</p>
<p>A…</p>
<p>Sad but true, earlier this year the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had to hold a public hearing because of a disturbing trend: several companies, nationwide, had been excluding unemployed applicants from hiring consideration. Their ads specifically stated that they would only consider employed job candidates, using phrases like “No unemployed candidates will be considered at all” and “Client will not consider/review anyone NOT currently employed, regardless of the reason.”</p>
<p>A new report from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) shows that unemployed workers continue to be excluded from consideration for job openings. As disheartening and discriminatory as this may be, it’s not illegal — yet.</p>
<p>The <strong>Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011</strong> was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Henry Johnson, Jr. of Georgia. The purpose of this law? To create a level playing field for unemployed job seekers by prohibiting employers and employment agencies from screening out or excluding job applicants solely because they are unemployed.</p>
<p>Although employers should understand that many high quality candidates were simply victims of this particularly severe recession, some are clinging to the outdated mindset that someone who was laid off must have been a poor worker or the weakest link.</p>
<p>As documented in NELP’s report, employers and staffing firms continue to expressly deny job opportunities to the unemployed. An informal NELP survey of heavily-trafficked job posting websites, including CareerBuilder.com and Indeed.com, found numerous job ads conspicuously stating that job seekers “must be currently employed.”</p>
<p>“For the millions of jobless Americans struggling to climb out of the deepest jobs hole in many decades, nothing can be more demoralizing than the double-whammy of losing a job and then learning they will not be considered for new positions because they are not currently working, ” said Christine Owens<strong>,</strong> NELP’s executive director.</p>
<p>“This practice is a perverse catch-22 that requires workers to have jobs in order to get jobs, and it means highly qualified, experienced workers who want and need work can’t get past the starting gate in the application process simply because they lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” Owens continued. “As a business practice, this makes no sense. It is debilitating to workers—particularly the long-term unemployed—and it hampers economic recovery.”</p>
<p>“In a tough job market, where workers are competing against tens and sometimes hundreds of others for every available job opening, it is unjust for employers to discriminate against those who are unemployed,” said Representative DeLauro, a co-sponsor of the legislation introduced today. “We have seen ample evidence that unemployed individuals are increasingly falling prey to discriminatory practices reducing their opportunities to be considered for a job. The Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 would prohibit employers and employment agencies from discriminating against unemployed job seekers, and ensure that all Americans have the same opportunities for employment.”</p>
<p>Representative Johnson, also a co-sponsor of the bill, agreed: “Discrimination against the unemployed—especially the long-term unemployed—in job ads and hiring practices flies in the face of what we stand for as a nation: Equal opportunity for all. The Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 will help us level the playing field and get people back to work.”</p>
<p>Job seekers already face an exceedingly difficult job search environment, with the latest data, released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), showing nearly five unemployed workers for every one job opening as of May. June’s unemployment rate was at 9.2 percent. The jobs and unemployment crisis is far from over.</p>
<p>Nearly 6.3 million workers—over 44 percent of all unemployed—have been out of work for six months or longer. The average length of unemployment reached nearly 40 weeks, or over 9 months, in June. This new legislation would ban the exclusionary practices that are exacerbating the already serious long-term unemployment problem.</p>
<p>“There is … strong support for legislation to ensure that unemployed job seekers receive a fair shot at employment opportunities,” NELP’s Owens said. “We are hopeful that employers and workers, as well as lawmakers in both parties will work together to erase this arbitrary barrier to employment.</p>Top 10 Most Influential Recruiting and Staffing People on Twittertag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-15:502551:BlogPost:12844822011-07-15T16:39:44.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p><a href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-professionals-on-Twitter.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-professionals-on-Twitter-250x300.jpg?width=175" width="175"></img></a> Readers of this blog know that I’m a big fan of utilizing social media along with staffing software. I did some digging recently and came up with the 10 most influential recruiters and staffers on Twitter as determined by the “jobs” category on <a href="http://wefollow.com/">WeFollow</a>. Click on their names to get to their Twitter…</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-professionals-on-Twitter.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-professionals-on-Twitter-250x300.jpg?width=175" width="175"/></a>Readers of this blog know that I’m a big fan of utilizing social media along with staffing software. I did some digging recently and came up with the 10 most influential recruiters and staffers on Twitter as determined by the “jobs” category on <a href="http://wefollow.com/">WeFollow</a>. Click on their names to get to their Twitter page.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/JobHuntOrg"><strong>Susan P. Joyce</strong></a> is the editor of Job-Hunt.org and an expert on online job searches.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/thejobsguy"><strong>Steven Feinberg</strong></a> also known as “TheJobsGuy,” is a corporate recruiter and social media specialist. <strong><br/></strong></p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/TwitJobSearch"><strong>TwitJobSearch</strong></a> is simply well-used source of jobs with over 11,000 followers.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/indeed"><strong>indeed</strong></a> is the Twitter outlet for the popular job search website. Kudos to them for expanding their reach.</p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/JobAngels"><strong>Job Angels</strong></a> is the Twitter feed of Hiring for Hope, a surprising non-profit that matches employers to employees and offers personal assistance to those who are unemployed.</p>
<p><strong>6.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/MonsterCareers"><strong>MonsterCareers</strong></a> is pretty self-explanatory. And their 20,000 followers show that they’re doing something right with their tweets.</p>
<p><strong>7.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/linkup"><strong>LinkUp</strong></a>, to use their words, lists “only jobs found on company web sites. LinkUp’s jobs are always current, often unadvertised, and never fake!” Their tweets follow the same pattern.</p>
<p><strong>8.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/tweetmyjobs"><strong>tweetmyjobs</strong></a> is simply a conduit for getting the jobs you’re looking for sent to you via Twitter. Its 30,000+ followers suggest that it works quite well.</p>
<p><strong>9.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/jobshouts"><strong>jobshouts</strong></a> connects job seekers and employers. Nothing special, but effective nonetheless.</p>
<p><strong>10.</strong> <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/ThomasShaw"><strong>ThomasShaw</strong></a> is an Australian recruitment and staffing expert, so he probably won’t help anyone find a job in the USA. But his understanding of the industry is top-notch – along with his tweets.</p>
<p>Who do you follow for recruiting and staffing? Let me know and perhaps I’ll follow up on this post.</p>
<p><a href="http://blog.eempact.com/feed/">Follow this blog</a>, and <a href="http://www.eempact.com/contact.html">contact us</a> with your questions about employment, <a href="http://www.eempact.com/" target="_blank">staffing software</a> and other issues related to the recruiting industry.</p>Bad Unemployment News=Use More Tempstag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-11:502551:BlogPost:12777302011-07-11T19:30:30.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-software-June-employment-data.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-software-June-employment-data-200x300.jpg?width=160" width="160"></img></a> The good news from the <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> (BLS) is that the unemployment situation hasn’t gotten much worse over the past three months. As corporations slowdown their fulltime hiring, I predict that Temporary and 1099 Contract workers will be used more and more to help cover the limited GDP…
<a target="_blank" href="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-software-June-employment-data.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://blog.eempact.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Staffing-software-June-employment-data-200x300.jpg?width=160" width="160"/></a>The good news from the <a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a> (BLS) is that the unemployment situation hasn’t gotten much worse over the past three months. As corporations slowdown their fulltime hiring, I predict that Temporary and 1099 Contract workers will be used more and more to help cover the limited GDP growth that does take place.<br />
<p>The bad news is that the employment situation over the past three months has been pretty bad, and the latest numbers aren’t encouraging.</p>
<p>Here are the details and my thoughts:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The unemployment rate for June was 9.2 percent.</strong> This is up from 9.1 percent in May and 9.0 percent in April. The uptick is statistically negligible – in other words, it’s safe to say, as the BLS does, that the number hasn’t really changed. But a few more months of statistically negligible upticks will equal a statistically significant uptick over a six month period. If we don’t see improvement soon, it will be hard not to conclude that the country is gradually headed in the wrong direction.</li>
<li><strong>Approximately 18,000 jobs were added in June.</strong> Again, this is statistically insignificant. Given that 215,000 per month were added in February, March, and April, it’s also worrisome.</li>
<li><strong>The number of “discouraged workers” is down since June 2010.</strong> A “discouraged worker” is someone who has basically given up looking for a job. In June 2010, the number was 1.2 million. This past month, it was 982,000. On the other hand, the June number is 160,000 higher than the May number.</li>
<li><strong>April and May job gains were revised downward by 44,000.</strong> More bad news – as statistics come in, the employment situation is slightly worse than previously thought.</li>
<li><strong>Long-term unemployment was unchanged, but short-term unemployment was up.</strong> That’s never a good sign.</li>
</ul>
<p>With a sigh, I predict the usual political gamesmanship as these numbers get thrown about. I don’t expect the federal government to do anything in the next few months that will contribute to significant job growth. Then again, maybe doing nothing might be good – the American business community has shown time and time again that it can do just fine when the government is in gridlock mode (example = Minnesota). It is important to remember that companies only hire workers when they have the Revenues to back up that hiring. Government job incentives don’t help much if your customers are not buying your products or services. I have always thought it funny that the political parties blame each other for unemployment, when neither party can really control the creation of Revenues or Jobs.</p>
<p>My guess is that some larger social and labor trends are significant factors in the current employment sluggishness. It’s not just “a bad economy,” in other words. What are these factors? That’s a subject for another post.</p>
<p><a href="http://blog.eempact.com/feed/">Follow this blog</a>, and <a href="http://www.eempact.com/contact.html">contact us</a> with your questions about employment, <a href="http://www.eempact.com/" target="_blank">staffing software</a> and other issues related to the recruiting industry.</p>Improve Your Local Online Recruitingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-08:502551:BlogPost:12755732011-07-08T19:13:02.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Local-job-sites.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Local-job-sites-300x199.jpg?width=300" width="300"></img></a> Recruiters have always had a preference for local candidates. Yes, there are some positions – usually C-level jobs – that warrant a nationwide search. But most positions are filled with local candidates because many candidates aren’t willing to move.<br />
<p>This is especially true today, when moving often entails 1) selling a house in a horrible market, 2) selling a…</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Local-job-sites.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Local-job-sites-300x199.jpg?width=300" width="300"/></a>Recruiters have always had a preference for local candidates. Yes, there are some positions – usually C-level jobs – that warrant a nationwide search. But most positions are filled with local candidates because many candidates aren’t willing to move.<br />
<p>This is especially true today, when moving often entails 1) selling a house in a horrible market, 2) selling a house at a loss, and 3) coming up with a substantial chunk of cash to cover moving expenses. Obviously, most candidates for mid-level (and lower-level) positions won’t be able to do any of these.</p>
<p>Readers of this blog know that I’m a big proponent of using social media and other internet resources in addition to <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/">recruiting software</a>. The “big” recruiting sites like Monster and Indeed allow users to do local searches, but many job seekers focus their attention on local internet sites. Recruiters, then, need to work those local sites too. Some common local job sites:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Craigslist</strong>. It has great functionality, which is why it gets millions of hits each month despite its boring interface. The “jobs” list is quite extensive, allowing a recruiter to target their pitch to the intended audience. Craigslist also gives recruiters the option of posting positions anonymously, which cuts down on the number of phone calls when a job is posted – although some would also say that anonymous posting is bad for a company’s reputation.</li>
<li><strong>Classifieds</strong>. Yes, newspapers still have them and people still read them. In general, the older the target audience, the more likely they are to read a newspaper ad. Classified ads always run online, so it’s not as if a recruiter is sacrificing online presence by running one.</li>
<li><strong>Hyperlocal sites</strong>. AOL invested over $100 million in Patch, which aims to have local e-newspapers all over the country. Results so far are mixed, but my guess is that Patch, EveryBlock (started by MSNBC), and similar local-news/sports/blogs sites are here to stay. Recruiting through them makes sense, especially since long commutes are what workers often hate most about their jobs.</li>
</ul>
<p>Do you know of any other ways to take recruiting into the local online community? Let me know and I’ll share your insights in a future post.</p>
<p> For ongoing thoughts about <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/administrative-functionality.html" target="_blank">talent management</a> and other recruiting issues, <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/HumanCapitalSupplyChains">subscribe</a> to this blog.</p>Off-line Job Seeker Networks Are Growingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-07:502551:BlogPost:12749042011-07-07T20:06:25.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
I have written a lot about using <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a> in conjunction with internet-based job networks, both formal (like Monster and Indeed.com) and informal (like LinkedIn and Facebook).<br />
<p>But what about non-virtual job seeker networks? Are they worth the time of a staffing professional?</p>
<p>I’ll give you my answer by telling you the story of one such network in the Twin Cities.</p>
<p>In 1987, five members of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie,…</p>
I have written a lot about using <a href="http://www.eempact.com/">staffing software</a> in conjunction with internet-based job networks, both formal (like Monster and Indeed.com) and informal (like LinkedIn and Facebook).<br />
<p>But what about non-virtual job seeker networks? Are they worth the time of a staffing professional?</p>
<p>I’ll give you my answer by telling you the story of one such network in the Twin Cities.</p>
<p>In 1987, five members of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., decided to start a <a href="http://www.standrewlu.org/jobtransition.shtml">job networking group</a>. They were professionals in a time of career transition, so they knew that nothing could replace the value of real-life contacts that could connect them with other real-life contacts. They also knew that going through the job transition and job search journey was better done with friends than alone.</p>
<p>Networks have a way of expanding themselves, so five people soon became 50, then 100, then 200. Today, around 175 people meet weekly over lunchtime for a “rapid-action networking experience.” A support group with speakers from businesses and employment centers meets every Monday night as well, and other churches in the Twin Cities, inspired by the example of St. Andrew’s, have started their own employment-centered ministries. Finally – and this is the really important part – the group circulates job opportunities during every lunchtime meeting. If a prospective employer – or a staffing professional – wants a job circulated, all they have to do is email or fax a job description with contact information.</p>
<p>So should staffing professionals send jobs to an informal organization like St. Andrew’s Lutheran Job Transition Group?</p>
<p>Can you think of a reason why they shouldn’t?</p>
<p>A little more digging on my part – assisted by helpful links on the St. Andrew’s Job Transitions site – turned up over 50 other job networking organizations in the Twin Cities. That’s a lot of local professionals within easy reach.</p>
<p>Follow this blog for more information on <a href="http://www.eempact.com/staffing_resources.html" target="_blank">staffing resources</a> and other employment-related topics.</p>Blogging 101 for the HR Professional: Part IItag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-07:502551:BlogPost:12741102011-07-07T14:16:29.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
In my last post, <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/blogging-101-for-the-hr-professional-part-i/" target="_blank">Blogging 101 for HR Professionals</a>, I talked about why blogging in the HR world is a good idea. I promised a follow-up list describing how to get an HR blog started. Here it is.<br />
<p><strong>7 Easy Steps for Starting and Maintaining an HR Blog</strong></p>
<p>1. <strong>Get permission from the boss</strong>. Unless, like me, you are the boss. Then just do…</p>
In my last post, <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/supply-chains/blogging-101-for-the-hr-professional-part-i/" target="_blank">Blogging 101 for HR Professionals</a>, I talked about why blogging in the HR world is a good idea. I promised a follow-up list describing how to get an HR blog started. Here it is.<br />
<p><strong>7 Easy Steps for Starting and Maintaining an HR Blog</strong></p>
<p>1. <strong>Get permission from the boss</strong>. Unless, like me, you are the boss. Then just do it.</p>
<p>2. <strong>Ask a few questions, then limit.</strong> What does your company (or HR department) do for people? How does HR contribute to the bottom line? What’s one trend in HR that you’re a part of (and why)? Once you get going, you’ll find plenty to write about. If you’re intellectually engaged in your job and in the HR industry, the real trick, in fact, is limiting yourself. This blog, for example, is focused on recruiting software, the staffing industry, business leadership, and employment patterns. I find lots of other things interesting, of course, but this isn’t the place to write about them.</p>
<p>3. <strong>Start writing</strong>. It’s not an essay or a novel – it’s a blog post. Something around 200-500 words is fine. Present your question/puzzle (“I’ve been thinking about…”) and your thoughts. Remember to have someone look over it before you post. Being good (or even great) at your job does not mean you are good at writing about your job – but with an editor and practice, you can become a good writer.</p>
<p>4. <strong>Keep writing</strong>. A blog really isn’t a blog unless you’re posting at least once a week. Twice or three times a week is better. If you approach it as a way of <em>working</em> – that is, a way of getting better at your job by reflecting on it – it won’t seem like a chore. And once you start getting feedback, you’ll probably find that you wish you could blog more than you do.</p>
<p>5. <strong>Spread the word</strong>. Start telling people about you blog: your colleagues, your peers in other companies, your mom, whoever. Solicit feedback (especially feedback online) and make changes.</p>
<p>6. <strong>Don’t worry too much</strong>. I’d like to think that this blog is better now than when I started it. Remember: the internet is forgiving. If you misspell something on your website, you can make the correction without reprinting anything. If you write a poor post, you can write a better one in a few days, knowing that most readers won’t remember the poor one.</p>
<p>7. <strong>Interact</strong>. A blog is more an ongoing conversation with an audience than a soapbox. That’s what’s great about it. I regularly get feedback from my readers/peers that teach me something and gives me fodder for future posts. Which leads to a request…</p>
<p>If you have any further ideas, hints, suggestions, or warnings about writing an HR blog, please leave a comment below! I will definitely follow up in a future post.</p>
<p>For ongoing thoughts about <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/" target="_blank">Talent Management</a>, <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/">recruiting software</a>, and other employment-related topics, <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/HumanCapitalSupplyChains" target="_blank">subscribe</a> to this blog.</p>Blogging 101 for the HR Professional: Part Itag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-06:502551:BlogPost:12725842011-07-06T20:08:13.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>As you know, I spend a fair amount of time blogging about recruiting software and the talent management industry. I’m always surprised by the small number of HR professionals who are also blogging. It’s true, it does take time, but I’ve found that blogging is a great way to get more exposure for our company and products.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My intention in this post is to inspire other HR professional and recruiters to also consider blogging so with that, here are my 5 Reasons Why Blogging in…</p>
<p>As you know, I spend a fair amount of time blogging about recruiting software and the talent management industry. I’m always surprised by the small number of HR professionals who are also blogging. It’s true, it does take time, but I’ve found that blogging is a great way to get more exposure for our company and products.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My intention in this post is to inspire other HR professional and recruiters to also consider blogging so with that, here are my 5 Reasons Why Blogging in the HR World is a Good Idea (in no particular order);</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p>1. <strong>You engage more with your job.</strong> It’s terribly easy to do a job thoughtlessly. When faced with a blank page, however, you have to start to really <em>wonder</em> about the things going on around you, even things you’ve seen a million times. You end up asking, “What are the new ideas out there?”, “Is there a better way to do X?”, “How will social networking impact this industry” and other such questions.</p>
<p>2. <strong>You engage more with your industry.</strong> When you start asking questions, you feel like you have to answer them. So you go on the web, read other HR blogs, and start developing your thoughts on your own blog.</p>
<p>3. <strong>You can become a thought leader.</strong> If you produce a steady stream of solid (and occasionally fun) content, your peers in the industry will think of you as a go-to person for HR questions. That can be good for both self-esteem and business.</p>
<p>4. <strong>It’s fun.</strong> If you haven’t noticed, I love sharing my “Shakespeare time” with my daughter. There are business lessons to be learned in Shakespeare, to be sure, but the reason I started that blogging stream was simply because I liked it and thought it would be a fun way to put a new spin on things.</p>
<p>5. <strong>It’s good for business.</strong> See above. Regular blogging also helps with search engine optimization, and it improves your sense (and, in most cases) your employees’ sense for what the company does and why. You can also promote your products, note upgrades and improvements (especially if you produce software), share customer testimonials, and link to product pages on your website.</p>
<p>My next post: <strong>Starting and Maintaining Your Own HR Blog.</strong> Stay tuned.</p>
<p>For ongoing thoughts about <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/" target="_blank">Talent Management</a>, <a href="http://www.bondtalent-us.com/product-features-benefits/applicant.html" target="_blank">applicant tracking software</a>, and other employment-related topics, <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/HumanCapitalSupplyChains">subscribe</a> to this blog.</p>We’re Attending the SHRM Conference — Will You Be There?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-06-24:502551:BlogPost:12574672011-06-24T18:48:45.000ZTim Giehllhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/TimGiehll
<p>The Society for Human Resource Management’s 63<sup>rd</sup> Annual Conference and Exhibition is being held from June 26-29, 2011, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. eEmpACT is very proud to be participating in this event, as we agree with SHRM that the next two years will be a turning point in the HR profession and a vital time for the recovery of our nation.</p>
<p>SHRM says that this year’s conference will feature the largest number of practitioners, strategic…</p>
<p>The Society for Human Resource Management’s 63<sup>rd</sup> Annual Conference and Exhibition is being held from June 26-29, 2011, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. eEmpACT is very proud to be participating in this event, as we agree with SHRM that the next two years will be a turning point in the HR profession and a vital time for the recovery of our nation.</p>
<p>SHRM says that this year’s conference will feature the largest number of practitioners, strategic business management sessions and health care sessions ever.</p>
<p>The Exposition is expected to attract more than 12,000 conference attendees, visiting 1,200 sponsored booths to learn, share, grow and network. For two days you can browse the aisles, watch demonstrations and learn firsthand how various products and services can help you and your organization achieve your goals.</p>
<p>The 2011 educational sessions are divided into tracks, designed to help you maximize your time and attend the sessions that are most important to you and your company’s development. Conference tracks are more general topics, while focus areas within the tracks concentrate on specific knowledge areas.</p>
<p>Tracks include:</p>
<p><strong>EMPLOYMENT LAW & LEGISLATION<br/></strong> A broad range of sessions presented by some of the top legal minds in the country, with focus areas such as</p>
<ul>
<li>Compliance</li>
<li>California-Specific HR</li>
<li>Legislative Update</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT <br/></strong> Learn from leading experts how to build a roadmap to your goals. The focus areas are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Strategic Alignment</li>
<li>Business Competencies</li>
<li>Innovation</li>
<li>Measurement</li>
</ul>
<p><em>All sessions in this track count toward the 15 hours of strategic management recertification credit for your SPHR designation</em>.</p>
<p><strong>TALENT MANAGEMENT<br/></strong> Leading experts will share best practices during these sessions — so you can create an environment where your best people will thrive sessions — with a focus :</p>
<ul>
<li>Recruiting &New Media</li>
<li>Communication Strategies</li>
<li>Engagement & Morale</li>
<li>Workforce Planning</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>INTERNATIONAL HR<br/></strong> From managing diverse teams to communicating across the world to recruiting and cultivating foreign talent, you will learn how to leverage the strengths and overcome the challenges of an international workforce. The focus areas are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Global Compliance</li>
<li>Global Talent Management</li>
<li>Cross-Cultural Insights</li>
</ul>
<p><em>All sessions in this track count toward the 30 hours of international recertification credit for your GPHR designation.</em></p>
<p><strong>TOTAL REWARDS<br/></strong> Leading experts will teach you how to implement sustainable rewards strategies — to remain competitive and increase employee satisfaction while steering clear of common issues that can get you and your company into trouble. Focus areas are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Employee Benefits</li>
<li>Total Compensation</li>
<li>HealthCare</li>
<li>Wellness</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>PERSONAL & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT<br/></strong> This track will give you the opportunity to learn from experts on leadership, recertification, career advancement, and more. They will focus on:</p>
<ul>
<li>Leadership</li>
<li>Career Development</li>
<li>Skill Enhancement</li>
</ul>
<p>Special speakers will include Sir Richard Branson, founder and pResident of Virgin Group, one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands; Tony Hsieh, CEO of online shoe and clothing shop Zappos.com, Inc.; Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group;and Michael J. Fox, the Emmy-award-winning actor, author and advocate.</p>
<p>As an exhibitor at the conference, eEmpACT is giving away Exhibit Hall Passes, good for one-day admission into the Exposition exhibit hall, for those readers who would like one. Please <a href="http://www.eempact.com/contact.html">contact us</a> if you are interested!</p>