What Recruiting Firms can do for Employers
In a time when the economy still isn’t quite where everyone would want to be, companies who are still hiring may wonder why they should incur the potential additional expense of working with a recruitment firm rather than going it alone on the hiring front. However, whatever the state of affairs in the world there are still a number of excellent reasons that a company should certainly consider enlisting outside help when trying to fill vacancies:
Lack of Time – Much of the time a company has to hire quickly, to fill a void that has been unexpectedly opened up in the company, leaving others to fill in and perhaps even important tasks neglected. When hiring in a situation like this employers tend to “settle”, hiring someone who has most of the attributes they were looking for but not all.
Recruitment firms have a pool of prescreened talent and will usually only send candidates to be interviewed by their clients if they really are a match for the job requirements, increasing the chances that an employer will find talent that is truly capable of getting the job done.
Lack of Experience – As an employer you may know what you are looking for but that is rarely enough. Some people will say anything to get the job, especially in times like these. They will pad their resumes, make up degrees even have friends pose as references. Recruitment agency personnel are used to weeding these people out – they come across them all the time – and have the time to conduct the kind of in-depth background check that really needs to be performed, but the employer probably does not have time for.
Hiring from the Heart – In many companies, big and small, if there is a vacancy that desperately needs to be filled the boss will consider hiring a current employees mother, brother, sister , boyfriend, anyone if they seem to match most of the criteria. This however is rarely a good idea, how are you going to face Mars Jones, who has been with you for years, when young Wayne turns out not to be the man for job and has to be let go? Letting someone else locate and screen candidates for you takes much of the emotion out of the situation.
Pros and Cons of Probationary Periods
With unemployment still high, probationary periods – short-term periods employers use to try out job candidates before rewarding them with full-time status and associated benefits – are becoming increasingly common. Those workers who agree to being hired on this basis are often recent college grads or people who have been out of work for a while and are simply desperate to get back into the world of work.
This is a great scenario for the employer as they get to “test out” an employee before having to commit to investing in them, but often not so good for the employees involved. Before you agree to take a job on a “trial basis” there are some things you should consider:
Holiday Job Hunting
Many jobseekers believe that the period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year is a dead zone, that hiring ceases during the holiday season and they should put their job search on the back burner until mid January. This is however a myth; the holidays can provide the jobseeker with a number of season specific opportunities, here are a few:
Job Fair Tips
Job fairs differ a great deal from one another, as does people’s opinion of them. To some they are a pointless waste of time, while others have had great success and have even been hired on the spot. Whatever your general thoughts on them, in a time when unemployment is still rising, any chance to get out and showcase your skills really might be worth your time. As long as you do a little preparation beforehand.
Before the career fair, check and see if there is an official website for the event (more often than not there is) Make a list of the companies who will be represented at the fair and spend some time researching those that interest you. Check for “maps” of the fair once you arrive to locate each employer’s booth.
Recovering from “Layoff Survivor Sickness”
Congratulations! You survived a round of layoffs at your company and you are still at your desk while others are cleaning theirs out. You should be relived. So why do you feel so bad, like you were laid off yourself?
These feelings experts say are normal. They even have a name for it: “layoff survivor sickness”. Symptoms may include guilt, fear and anxiety that often leads to sinking morale and a decline in productivity.
When certain members of a team are let go, the usual first reaction of those left behind is sheer panic. They spend every day wondering when their turn is coming and their psyche and work begins to suffer.
How to Have a Truly Great First Day
So, after all your hard work and determination, you have finally landed that great new job and your first day is right around the corner. Keep in mind that first impressions are important – make a bad one and could take time to gain the trust and respect of your new co- workers and managers. Here a few tips for making the best possible impact on your first day at your new job:
Does Your Company have an “Illness Plan”?
There has been a great deal of talk and coverage in the media recently about swine flu. Regardless if this epidemic reaches becomes as wide spread as we once thought it was headed, the flu season is still almost upon us. This alone can cause concern for any organization. Is your company ready to deal?
It is always a nuisance and an inconvenience at the very least when an employee, whether one of fifty or one of five hundred calls out sick. The missing employee’s work must be covered, perhaps even meetings have to be rescheduled and deadlines missed. However allowing a sick employee to stay on the job can be worse in the long run.
When to Fire?
Filed under: Employment, Employment Law, Jobs, Workplace issues
Although the “at will” doctrine is still in place for employers in most states – meaning that a worker’s employment can technically be terminated at any time – laws have become increasingly protective of employees and there are now many exceptions. Wrongful termination lawsuits being brought by employees are increasing in number and such actions can be messy and expensive for employers.
The Importance of Thorough Background Checks
Filed under: Employment, New Hire, Orientation, Recruiting, Resources
Years ago, a hiring manager at a company would conduct interviews, pick the candidate that was best suited to their position on the basis of those interviews and their resume, perhaps make a few calls to the references provided by the potential hire and leave it at that. Sometimes things worked out. Sometimes they didn’t but that was just the way the world worked.
Niche Job Boards can Maximize Employer & Job Seeker Benefits
Filed under: Employment, Jobs, Recruiting, Resources, Uncategorized
An essential strategy of HR departments and hiring managers is working with a well-marketed and high-quality niche job board to do a focused career search for their next new hire. These specialized sites can focus on a particular industry, a segment of a certain field, or even hiring for a specific position.
