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Should job applicants be worried about what their friends on MySpace, Facebook, or LinkedIn may say about them to potential employers? If they are applying to the company the gentleman referenced in this article works for, then maybe. But is it a good practice for this guy to be secretly contacting his candidates' friends on these sites to get the dirt on them? Absolutely not! If you are an avid reader of our blog, you know the reasons why. But if you are new to our site or just want a refresher course on why using social networking sites to vett your potential employees is a bad idea, click here for our in depth coverage of this topic.
Applying For A Job? Clean Yourself Up On Facebook
Forget the resume. Background checks are going cyber. Chances are your potential employer is logging on to Facebook to check you out. And that means you may want to look carefully at who your friends are.
More and more companies and recruiters are using social networking sites like Facebook or Linked In to check out applicants and to talk to their list of contacts and friends.
Tiana Barci is looking for a job right now. She had no idea companies could be looking at her Facebook page and her messages to friends.
"I wouldn't want someone I was trying to get a job with asking these random strangers things about me they might just make something up and then that looks bad on me and then I lose basically, " says Barci.
Employers will often look at your top ten results on Google. And from Google, you can find people with a Facebook or a Linked In profile. That's what Gabe Bodner does. He's a mortgage broker for a South Bay company.
"I'll typically just type in somebody's name, a candidate's name into Google and see if there's anything that pops up," says Bodner.
Bodner has never contacted an applicant's friends on Facebook or Linked In, but he won't rule out doing it.
Continue reading "Social Networking Sites: Be Careful Who You Befriend?"
Posted by Candice Arnold on September 5, 2008 at 2:22 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
[In July] the car dealer that sold Gerry's latest gas guzzler sent the following email:
From: Doug Wells at Ray Catena Motor Car Group Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 2:32 AM To: Gerry Crispin Subject: Is it time to trade in your C350w4?
Dear Gerry,
I was just reviewing your records and noticed that your C350w4 has almost 36,000 miles on it.
Are you interested in selling your C350w4? If so, there is a strong used car market and we may be able to give you more than you would expect.
Should you choose to purchase another vehicle from Ray Catena Motor Car Group, we have many new models to choose from.
Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully, Doug Wells General Sales Manager dwells@raycatena.com 732-549-6600
P.S. - Should you decide to purchase a new vehicle from us, included in this email is a Check for $300 dollars towards the purchase of any new vehicle at Ray Catena Motor Car Group. Please present this check/email as verification.
We loved the note and its obvious CRM touchpoint. Unfortunately, from a staffing perspective, it isn't sufficient to manage "touch points" if you haven't decided when to "touch" a lead, or a prospect, or an applicant, or a candidate, or a finalist and especially what you would say that moves the "relationship" to another level. For most CRM remains an empty contact management template and little else.
Below is a fantasy. It is a 1:1 translation of the customer email. It assumes staffing is the internal champion responsible for targeting their own employees at a point where the employee is vulnerable to turning over.
From: Doug Wells at our GreatCompanyToWorkFor Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2008 2:32 AM To: Gerry Crispin Subject: Is it time to re-consider your career with us?
Dear Gerry,
I was just reviewing your records and noticed that you have been with us two years working as an Engineering Project Leader.
Are you interested in continuing in your current role or are you looking to examine other career possibilities? If so, there is a strong internal and external market for your skills and, our staffing and development professionals may be able to give you more insight than you might expect.
Should you choose to look at new options at our GreatCompanyToWorkFor, you may discover we have many new career paths you can choose from. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully, Doug Wells Director, Talent Re-Acquisition and Development dwells@GCTWF.com 732-555-5000
P.S. - Should you decide to examine a new career path with us, included in this email is an additional budget authorization for $3000 dollars toward your development this year.
What is the "customer" experience you deliver? Can you describe it a way that is measurable? What is said or done? when? how often? What would it look like if you provided the same promise to every candidate? Would it give you a competitive edge?
What if Customer CRM "Touch Points" Really Translated to Staffing? is an article from College Transition Times, a freeon-line publication of Life After Graduation, LLC, and was written by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler
Posted by Candice Arnold on September 5, 2008 at 12:48 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
I have vivid memories of being bullied when I was in the fourth grade. Darrell would line me and other classmates up each morning and extort our lunch money under threat of beating us to a pulp! Darrell had already missed about two grades and towered over everyone. We were thoroughly intimidated. Growing tired of watching other kids enjoying their lunches I came up with an idea. I'll tell my mom about it and she will get him off my back!
Wrong! She gave me one of the worst thrashings of my life and said, "Don't you let that boy take your lunch money. I'm going to call your teacher tomorrow to make sure you eat lunch." Now I was really in a jam, I had to decide who I was more afraid of Mom or Darrell! I didn't get an inch of sleep that night and the next morning went off to school hoping to hide from Darrell. Unfortunately, he caught me before the homework bell and proceeded to pound me for refusing to cough up my lunch money.
During the course of the fight I remember being cheered on by other victims of Darrell's tyranny. Mercifully, the teachers arrived and saved me from further punishment. I looked at Darrell and to my amazement; I had actually bloodied his nose! As we were marched to the principal's office, I was cheered and patted on the back by my classmates. I also got a lot of attention from the girls in my class. I explained to the principal about Darrell's extortion racket and mom's response. He sent me back to class and Darrell was suspended for a week. After that, I never had any more problems with Darrell. We in fact became good friends.
Unfortunately there are "Darrells and Darrellettes" in the workplace who are just as intimidating to fellow employees. Standing up to workplace bullies can be just as frightening for the victims. Workplace bullying can take on different forms such as
Raising awareness and making a stand like the one I did against Darrell are the most effective ways to discourage and prevent workplace bullying. Seeking legal guidance is always an option as well until specific laws are passed to protect employees.
Posted by Yancey Thomas Jr on September 4, 2008 at 6:44 PM | Leave a Comment (1)
No, this post is not about Hilary Clinton or Sarah Palin. No doubt they have been high up on the ladder and are finding it tough to reach the highest rungs and there have been many around the world who have been there; this post is about the daily struggles of a career woman and what she faces on an average day in her struggle to hang on to the ladder.
Recently a couple of my friends have left full time office jobs after struggling with work life balance with two kids at home. It is not uncommon to see such a scenario all throughout the globe these days. And of course comebacks to the workplace are also on the rise as women realize that their 'job' at home is well done when the kids grow up and not as dependent as during their infant/toddler stages. I emphasize here again; Women have a major role in shaping the society and the future, if the employers have to help in building a better future for us all the power of choice in employment must be available to every working mother. To attain freedom and satisfaction in life-- flexibility at work and family life is a must.
This post is an inspiration from a recent article/discussion on BBC
.. an excerpt here:
How can women break the "glass ceiling" at work?
The number of women reaching the top of their profession has fallen, according to a new report. Do women still face discrimination when going for top jobs?
Research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that the number of women holding senior posts in areas including politics, the law and the media has fallen. In 12 of 25 job of the job categories looked at there were fewer women in the top jobs.The commission blames the culture of long working hours and inflexible working practices for discouraging women who want to work and raise a family. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said that a "firmer approach" is needed to help women reach the top on merit.
Some very interesting comments are here and it sure is a relevant discussion. One that resonates with my thoughts was, "Rearing children is a full time job, being top dog is full time plus..."
As we have discussed before on this topic it sure is a personal decision whether to be a career woman or not and it is certainly not a debatable topic on who is right; it is a matter of personal choice and family requirement. However I feel that many women feel 'confined' or 'unproductive' being a full time homemaker and need an outlet to their creativity and talent, the best choice for women who want to have it all would be a part-time job that satisfies then being at work and doing what they love to do and also contributing to the finances of the home and enjoying the freedom to be with kids when need them the most - either at the infant stage or at their teens.
How do you feel about being a career woman and what would be the best balanced solution for you?
Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot
Posted by Candice Arnold on September 4, 2008 at 6:43 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
A recent AP article that I read in Yahoo! highlights an issue of critical importance to employees throughout the country; namely, the cost of health insurance. The article points out that according to the Mercer consulting firm, nearly 59% are planning on cutting their own health care costs by passing along those costs to their employees in the form of higher copays, deductibles and out-of-pocket spending limits. According to the article:
The growth of health care costs has hovered at around 6 percent since 2005, according to Mercer. While that's down from the double-digit growth in previous years, it's still moving at a faster clip than inflation or workers wages.
"It's not something to cheer about, especially since costs are getting passed on to employees," said Blaine Bos, author of the survey.
The only good news here is that the nearly 6% increase in costs over the past several years is actually LOWER than it was in the earlier part of the decade, when double-digit increases were common.
Article by Matt and courtesy of Insourced blog
Posted by Candice Arnold on September 4, 2008 at 6:14 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
You've heard of the three Rs of education: reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic. But have you heard of the two Ps of job hunting? They are proof and persistence.
To get hired for your ideal job -- or better yet, to have that job created just for you -- you need to prove you can do the work, and persist past the point where others give up. Here's how one woman did just that. What can you learn from her story?
"I was dashing from the office, on my way out of town. While waiting for the elevator, a young woman appeared and complimented me on my wardrobe. She continued chatting and asked me what I did for a living. When I said, 'PR,' she jumped on the elevator and rode with me to the garage where my car was parked," says Katherine Roepke, President of Minneapolis-based Roepke Public Relations.
"Talk about an elevator pitch! Meghan had one. She managed to get the most important points across: she had recently graduated with a degree in journalism; she had a job but was looking for a way to get her foot in the door with a PR firm; and she would do anything for experience, including an unpaid internship."
"In the end I gave her a business card and told her to contact my assistant. I decided that she was either really good or crazy, and that I'd let my assistant decide. She turned out to be better than good. We interviewed her and hired her."That woman was Meghan Bonneville, now an Account Executive at Roepke's firm. But success didn't happen on the spot for Meghan. She had to persist doggedly just to land a job interview.
"I contacted Katherine's office by email and phone once a week after our first meeting. I left messages with her two assistants, made sure they had my name and number, and requested to meet with her, restating my background and qualifications each time. After four weeks, she set up a meeting," says Bonneville.
That interview went well, according to Bonneville, although there were no jobs open at the firm. Did that stop her? Of course not. "The day after, I sent them four writing samples to give a full picture of my skills. A couple weeks later, I was offered a part-time position, which I took. One week later, I was made full-time because they loved the work I was producing," says Bonneville.Now, let's look at how Meghan Bonneville used the two Ps to get hired for a job that didn't even exist beforehand ...
PROOF
In public relations, you must create instant rapport with busy decision makers and "sell" them on new ideas. This is exactly what Meghan did in the elevator with her future boss. "I think my 'pitch' was good because I was just returning from a job interview with another firm when I met Katherine by the elevator. I was already pumped up about finding a new job, so I saw the opportunity and I seized it," says Meghan.
While you may not have a job interview every day, you can have your qualifications and your ideal job clearly in mind every day, which can turn chance encounters into job interviews. Just like Meghan did.
Let me rephrase that.
Will you to meet your next boss in front of an elevator? Not likely. But, will you fail to impress a potential employer at a dinner party, or in church, or while volunteering at a charity, because you weren't prepared with an "elevator pitch"? That is very likely ... unless you're prepared.
Brain-Starting Questions: If you were to meet your ideal employer in front of an elevator, what would you say? Are you as excited about your ideal job as Meghan was? If not, why not? And what can you say or do to prove you're perfect for the job, as Meghan did?
PERSISTENCE
Meghan contacted Roepke's office every week for four weeks before landing her initial interview, after which, she was NOT hired. But she persisted by sending writing samples the next day, to further prove her skills.
Brain-Starting Questions: How often have you followed up after your first contact with your ideal employer? How often have you given up after being told just once, "Sorry, we're not hiring."? Always remember that when an employer says, "No," it means, "Not today." It does NOT mean, "Never come back again." Meghan didn't take no for an answer. She persisted and proved she could do the job, though no job was open. And she got hired.
What's stopping you from doing the same?
Kevin Donlin is Creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. Author of 3 books, Kevin has been interviewed by The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio and others. His latest product, The Simple Job Search System, is available at http://www.collegerecruiter.com/guaranteed-resumes.php
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.
Posted by Candice Arnold on September 4, 2008 at 2:03 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
At last, Video is crawling its way into Recruiting. This is only good news for jobseekers, who will find they are able to interview from the comfort of their home using a webcam, and avoid travel and related expenses.
But, as with every new development, those best prepared will stand a stronger chance of success. Here are 10 recommendations jobseekers should keep in mind when completing a Video Interview:
1. Prepare in advance. Tech can do a lot of things, but it won't make up for your lack of preparation. The focus is still about whether you are a good match for the vacancy.
2. Before you hit the play button, make sure you have previously tested your camera and sound. You don't want to have to respond to a question you haven't heard. Some employers will not give you the chance to restart the process.
Continue reading "The 10 Rules of Video Interviewing"
Posted by Candice Arnold on September 4, 2008 at 11:07 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
