Candidate Experience – How Candidates Want to Learn About Job Content, Part 5 of 6

Joe Murphy of Shaker Consulting Group

This is part of a series connected to the Candidate Experience Monograph.

We asked job seekers to rate the relative value of various forms of interaction for learning about the job. Specifically we wanted to have candidates direct us to formats for communicating job requirements that aligned with their learning preferences. Job seekers are decision makers in the process too. Creating a candidate experience that helps applicants learn about the job and prepare them to make a well informed career decision can differentiate your company in a positive way from other companies where the candidate may be applying. Continue Reading

The 5 C’s of Fostering Strong Working Relationships

Teamwork provides a foundation for business success. Teams, when managed properly, maximize each individual’s strong points while minimizing weaknesses. Of course, creating productive teams isn’t as easy as it sounds. Strong working relationships need five basic ingredients for success: Communication, Collaboration, Culture, Creativity and Commitment. Each of the five Cs builds on the previous one, to form a complete structure which fosters teamwork and relationship building. Continue Reading

Candidate Experience – Communication Preferences, Part 3 of 6

Joe Murphy of Shaker Consulting Group

This is Part Three of a series connected to the Candidate Experience Monograph.

We asked job seekers about their preference for how they wanted to communicate with recruiters and hiring managers during the application process.  We wanted to see if there were strong preference one way or another, and in fact there are.

In order of preference:

1. Telephone
2. Email
3. Paper mail
4. Texting
5. Chat

You Know My Name, Look Up My Number

Job search is a personal endeavor through a largely impersonal maze or obstacle course.  Candidates want to make a connection on a personal level with another human being.   At the end of the day, each candidate knows the hiring decision will ultimately be made by another human being. As such, candidates have the highest preference for talking with recruiters on the phone.   A very common retort from unsuccessful candidates is the classic:“if only I could speak with someone, I could sell myself.”  The telephone was the communication vehicle of choice for 88% of respondents.

Everybody uses the phone somewhere in their recruiting process.  However, the personal connection of a phone call is reserved for the most highly qualified candidates.  And with the applicant-to-hire ratios common to high volume sourcing, this means that 50% to 98% of candidates will never hear the ring, never experience the type of interaction they prefer the most.  It creates a clear and pronounced expectation gap that will not be closed.  Even making the ‘No thanks’ call to the unsuccessful is impractical, given the number in the rejection pool. Continue Reading

Following Up After an Interview has Value

A thank you after an interview is not just appreciated, but helpful to your job search.

Job seekers may want to trade in their monogrammed letterhead for smartphones to thank potential employers for meeting with them. Eighty-seven percent of managers interviewed for an Accountemps survey said email is an appropriate way to express thanks after meeting with a hiring manager, and 81 percent cited phone calls as OK. But, say employers, save the texting for your friends. Only 10 percent of survey respondents take a positive view of text messages as a way to follow up.

No matter which communication method you choose, showing a little gratitude could give you an edge in your employment search, the survey suggests. Most respondents (91 percent) like being thanked by promising job candidates. Continue Reading

Communicate Your Ideas with the Desired Effect

Do you have great ideas, but don’t know how to communicate them effectively?  While your ideas could potentially impact people’s lives, you must present them in a way that everyone can understand.  In other words, your ideas should be expressed to inspire and create action.

Presentation designer and CEO of Duarte Design, Nancy Duarte, appreciates the potential that people’s ideas create.  In the following video, she guides people on how to most effectively communicate their ideas. Continue Reading

Bypass the Business Buzzwords

Disintermediate. Recontextualize. Envisioneer. You’ve got to give business executives one thing: They love their jargon. Continue Reading

10 Jobs If Communication is Your Thing

Most jobs require employees to have specific skills, but many workers struggle to find jobs that complement their skill sets. Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D., explains in the new edition of his book, 150 Best Jobs for Your Skills, that by discovering their greatest skills, workers can find jobs they enjoy and at which they excel.

Communication is an essential skill for many occupations, and Shatkin offers this list of 10 best jobs that require a high level of communication skills: Continue Reading

9 Tips to Create a Civil and Animosity-Free Workplace

As Valentine’s Day approaches, employers and employees nationwide will be barraged with reminders about the prevalence and pitfalls of office romance. However, some companies are facing an entirely different problem: their workers have lost that loving feeling and the consequences can be dire.

A tight job market, combined with stagnant wages and less upward mobility can leave workers feeling frustrated. In this environment, animosity between coworkers stemming from personality conflicts, differing work styles, or competition can be amplified, resulting in a wide variety of workplace problems, from lost productivity to increased and open hostility, according to the workplace experts at global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Continue Reading