Speculation surrounds the idea of recessionary recruiting for businesses all over the U.S. For instance, employers shed 63,000 jobs in February, 20,000 in March, and April's numbers are unknown. What can employers do to counter these issues without losing key talent in their organizations? It is unknown currently, but we have a few suggestions for preparing for these types of events. Recessionary recruiting should focus on sales and marketing talent from competitors and preparation for economic downturn.

Sales and marketing are the most profitable sectors of any organization and recruiters need to consider recruiting entry level talent to increase the bottom line.

Multi-Faceted Recent Grads

Job cuts in today's companies provide recruiters with opportunities to recruit highly talented grads with sales experience. Gen Y has entered the workforce with an aptitude for entrepreneurship and is waiting for a chance to prove their worthiness to employers. The recession has led the strongest candidates to sales positions in companies across the nation. The additional sales and marketing jobs are answers to most companies' profit loss.. Directors of talent management should handle this responsibility in their organizations so each department remains flexible and prosperous.

With the inclusion of Gen Y, an organization recruiting talented sales and marketing grads will have a better experience during the recession.

Recruit Competitors' Sales and Marketing Talent

Have you recruited top sales and marketing talent from your competitors? This is a risky decision to make, but it can help your company gradually rise above recession. Some recruiters may ask how or why they should consider their competitors' talent; well, sales and marketing talent can add profits to your bottom line.

With company headcounts slashing across the nation, your sales force should be stronger than ever. Consider top performers who were discarded due to your competitors' impulsive cutbacks. Your company can take advantage of their mistakes by acquiring these leaders to increase sales leads, generate objectives, and promotions to distinguish your company in your market.

Prepare for Economic Downturn

The economic downturn continues to effect employers just as much as employees due to post-Boomers' focus on family and entrepreneurship, which is addressed in Recession's Impact on the Job Market. Recession is hurting the overall optimism of 2008 graduates, but it keeps their hopes high if companies enact their workforce plans for this time of economy. The talent demands will continue to rise as more graduates enter the job market, but employers' capability to hire is of prime factor. With this said, workforce planning is needed due to the economic downturn we have experienced the last four years.

What can you do to help your company counter recession?

You should look for the best entry level sales and marketing candidates that will stay with your company through bad times. Companies offering great benefit packages and refusing pay freezes have a greater return on their investments in Gen Y. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, remember the bottom line and the talent available.

By: -- Tahjia Chapman a Staff Writer for CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

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 searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on June 25, 2008 at 9:45 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

As you begin your career working in an entry level job you are likely to encounter the workplace gossip problem. Often called office politics, this little troublemaker has been the ruination of many promising careers. To avoid having your entry level job wind up on the chopping block due to workplace gossip, it is a good idea to understand how harmful it can be and why.

Workplace gossip is relaying information, true or not, person to person about a third person or even the company itself. Usually, this information is of a negative tone such as impending layoffs or terminations in the case of corporations or snippets of an individual's personal life and derogative commentary on their job performance. As we stated before, this information may be truthful or it could be misconstrued observations or even outright lies. In any case, relaying such derogatory information is a dangerous proposition for those employed in entry level jobs.

The danger comes from the fact that you may be spreading a story that you firmly believe to be the truth, which in actuality is not true, or even worse, was intended as a confidential communication. The company is losing production because the employees are busy spreading the word about the latest gossip while the reputation of the third party is being tarnished by the story being told. It doesn't take a lot of thinking to understand that eventually the story is going to get back to the individual who is being gossiped about or to the management of the company. When this happens, two things can start to happen.

First, the individual will get angry. They may quit the job over the humiliation of having a private matter disclosed in such a way or they may go looking for the source of the information whether it was true or false. If the story being spread is false, there are even laws to protect the individual and the source of the information can be subject to penalty. It is not unheard of for corporations to terminate entry level employees for being involved in such cases.

Secondly, the company can take action. If the gossip being spread is about the company or its private communications is false, you can bet the management will let a few heads roll. Companies don't like it when their happy employees become disgruntled because some wise guy decided that the memo about a possible layoff next winter needed to be spread around as a plant closing in June. The wheel of blame gets shifted easily and anyone who relayed the message can be held accountable for it.

Final thought: If you want to keep your entry level job, keep your mind on your own business. Workplace gossip is destructive and costly to companies. By steering clear of office politics, you make yourself a more productive worker.

Posted by Larry Ray Palmer on June 4, 2008 at 6:51 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

College students are beginning to experience the call of the recruiter more and more often these days. Entry level jobs are being offered and negotiations being made every day for the entry level employment of current college students. With this being the case, you may be wondering just why recruiters are putting such an emphasis on hiring you as a future graduate.

To put it simply, recruiters make the best return on their company's investment by hiring early. On average, it cost the recruiters corporation anywhere from three thousand to six thousand dollars to hire a new employee to fill an entry level job. Typically, it takes thirty days before this individual will decide to take the position. By starting the recruitment process earlier, the recruiter gets first access to the very best students in their field while their relative value in the workplace is still quite low due to lack of experience. Thus, a recruiter can be fairly confident that those who choose to accept the offer of an entry level job upon graduation will have up-to-date skill sets and the ability to perform their job functions at a much lower salary than seasoned professionals in their field. In other words, work experience is a valuable commodity and companies expect to pay a premium for it. Those with less experience but equivalent education can be hired for a lower price so early recruitment efforts are on the rise. When you consider, the average employee increases a companies annual revenue by $150,000 and, in some of the major corporate players, this figure can go as high as $300,000, it is a matter of simple mathematics to understand the potential for increased profits that is the bread and butter of the college recruiter.

Posted by Larry Ray Palmer on June 4, 2008 at 6:44 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

How does your company measure up to the demands of talented graduates? Implementing effective workforce planning strategies reduce the unfortunate layoffs during economic downturns. These developments have created a new trend among human resource professionals - workforce planning . In this article, we will look into three aspects of workforce planning: increasing HR personnel's involvement in company plans, discovering weaknesses in the organizations, and focusing on the organization's growth.

HR Is the Decision-Maker

Human Resource managers and supervisors are major decision makers in the hiring process. Companies that exclude the HR department face failure in recruiting top talent for their company's needs. According to the Global Workforce Planning Survey, companies that integrate workforce planning are flexible for economic changes such as this recession that slashed over 100,000 jobs. Employers with highly skilled personnel kept the hard-to-find talent while hiring new grads with exceptional skill sets. With this in mind, the HR department's goal should be to align talent demands by discovering the company's weaknesses before we hit another recession. In "Benchmarking 'The Value of Workforce Planning'", Candice Arnold reviews the impact of workforce planning for organizations that plan to lose skills, talent, and knowledge during company cutbacks. This recognition of potential weaknesses is one reason of why workforce planning is vital to finding weaknesses in an organization during recession.

Discover Weaknesses in the Organization

Is there a weakness in the talent of your organization? Industry standards change every year, so your company must remain involved to stay globally competitive. Your can do this by allowing HR personnel to adjust the educational needs of employees through workforce training programs. The training used by personnel will sharpen and strengthen weak skill sets throughout the organization. Companies that practice on-going training are considered the top in their industries; if you want to strengthen your organization, allow HR personnel to decide which educational programs are appropriate for advanced training.

Focus on the Organization's Growth

Workforce planning allows companies to focus on growth by forecasting talent needs for three to five years. Experts suggest the value of workforce planning exceeds other preparations necessary for successful recruiting. In some organizations, the lack of recruiting budgets can keep an organization's talent low. High employee retention is the number one issue for most organizations without proper workforce planning strategies. Would you like to succeed through future recessions? Remember the reasons why workforce planning will leave your company flexible. According to Peter Rowes, CEO of Infohrm (the Global Workforce Planning Survey administrators), "We are eagerly anticipating the 2008 results to clarify how progressive organizations establish a strong foundation for workforce planning." It's apparent that the opportunity to compare last year's results with this year will provide invaluable insight for HR professionals implementing workforce planning.

By: Tahjia Chapman is a writer for CollegeRecruiter.com at http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

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 searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on June 3, 2008 at 9:10 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Have you ever thought about what an employer does with your personal information once you leave their company? This question was recently asked in an article I read. So, you're probably wondering what is the answer; well, it all depends on the employer.

Continue reading "Your Personal Records" »

Posted by William F on May 23, 2008 at 10:44 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Partnering with a staffing firm is an opportunity to reduce your recruiting time. Most of the work is taken care of by professionals with years of experience. Partnering with a successful staffing firm is a good step in managing your recruiting campaigns. Staffing firms have a database full of highly qualified candidates that could match your organization's needs. Your responsibility is to choose a reputable firm with experience in high retention rates. Why are the experience, reputation, and successful retention rate important in choosing a staffing firm? We will review the details of this in our article because we want you to choose a partner that will get the job done.

Experience

An experienced staffing firm has a methodological way of acquiring new talent for their clients. The firm should have experience or expertise in finding candidates with the right skills and abilities to ease into your organization. Their interviewing processes should include virtual assessments, face-to-face meetings, and thorough background searches. Your prospective partner should have several years of experience in recruiting candidates in highs and lows of your industry's demands. The staffing firm's experience and reputation tell a story of how well they work with their clients.

Reputation

The reputation of a staffing firm is a supreme factor of their capabilities in placing qualified candidates in your organization. What are the clients saying about the staffing firm's abilities? Can you contact previous clients to inquire about the process used to place candidates within their organizations? Use your HR skills to screen potential partners by using the best practices in recruiting. Your potential partner should have data stating the retention rates of their placements in organizations. If this information is unavailable, you should consider finding a company that has that information available. Remember, the data is concrete and you need to feel confident in their abilities to assist you in your recruiting efforts.

Retention Rates

How long has the firm worked with a particular organization? You can ask for professional references from clients who have worked with the recruiter for years. The retention rates of their placements should explain their ability to coordinate candidates to fit into certain organizational cultures. For instance, would you hire a candidate with no intentions of monitoring their adaptation to the company culture? Your company's needs must match suitable characteristics of candidates. Staffing firms with high retention rates, strong reputations, and experience are the best partners for any business.

Please consider the above factors during your search for a strong staffing partner. If you want to learn more about the benefits of partnering with staffing firms, check out Benefits of the Temporary Help and Staffing Services Industry. The increased work week has left many businesses turning to the staffing industry for help in coordinating talent. Take advantage of the skills of other recruiters to locate the best candidates for your organization. This will not only make you look good, but it will help move the company forward.

By: -- Tahjia Chapman a Staff Writer for CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

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 searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on May 16, 2008 at 8:11 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Employers interested in top talent are introducing competitive benefit packages. As a new wave of talent enters the market, more employers are switching methods of recruitment by including telecommute, educational, and professional development opportunities. The biggest concerns of recent grads lie within the health sectors - health care's expenses have risen beyond payable conditions in today's society. Now, students want more health benefits to accompany their professional accommodations. As an employer, what steps are you taking to attract talent with your benefit packages?

Yesterday's Benefit Packages

The 401K, stock options, and health benefits were strong attractions ten years ago. Today, students want more benefits to keep them at an organization. With the needs of higher education for promotions, Gen Y expects employers to pay for their educational development while employed at their organizations. These new additions resulted in partnerships with educational institutions and professional organizations. Now, the common Gen Y has an option to acquire vital skills necessary for long-term employment at their organizations.

Making It Work For Gen Y

Employers with the most to offer will land the perfect candidate to fill their positions. If employers position themselves as leaders in job satisfaction, they will acquire the most talented candidates in the market. Employer's retention rates of Gen Y continue to fluctuate, but the smarter employers stay abreast of new recruiting trends in their industries. Make it work for Gen Y; as a recruiter, prove that your organization deserves the attention of top talent. Take the initiative to recruit students willing to work with the entry level salary, benefits, and advancement opportunities offered by your company.

Recruiters attracting Gen Y proves it is not easy to keep their attention with benefit packages. The needs of new grads will continue to change until the economy stabilizes. With the right combination of recruiting efforts and benefit packages, top employers will retain top talent.

Posted by Tahjia Chapman on May 15, 2008 at 3:50 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

What would you do to influence Gen Y to work for you? Gen Y is the only generation known for more frequent job hopping than previous generations due to economic conditions. Employers who are interested in great talent need more than high paying salaries to keep the attention of Gen Y. Recent college grads are worried about employment as well as employment perks offered by employers. As asked in the beginning of our article, what would you do to influence students to work for you? We suggest you ask recruits about their expectations, create a career track, and offer advancement opportunities in the beginning.

Ask Recruits About Their Expectations

For today's employers, knowledge of a recruit's expectations can determine how well you retain him or her. According to over 5,000 surveys conducted in 2006 regarding job satisfaction, Gen Y Hates Their Jobs pinpoints that 60 percent of Gen Y was dissatisfied with their positions. In 2008, we have no idea how worse it could be that's why it is important to speak to the graduates. The opinions of Gen Y will determine the turnover of your organization within the next ten years so you need to prepare. Ease the tension of recent grads by listening to their concerns related to expectations, job satisfaction, and career development. With knowledge of all of these factors, you can create a career track program within your organization to assist new recruits.

Create A Career Track

If you are aware of the recruit's needs, you can develop a career track suited for them. Assisting in their development will not only leave recruits engaged, but creates opportunities to mold leaders. A successful mentor program can instill lasting loyalty in recruits. Your mentors can work with new recruits to achieve their career objectives with your company. Analyze the career opportunities available, then allow new employees to evaluate which opportunities fit their strengths. An innovative employee develops their weaknesses with assistance from their employer. With this in mind, you can strengthen the character of your employees by helping them achieve their career objectives.

Offer Advancement Opportunities

Gen Y's want to know where they stand in an organization. Announce advancement opportunities to the most qualified candidates. Gen Y's want positions with prominent responsibilities. Place Gen Y in positions that fit their abilities, education, and skill to encourage professional growth. What would you do to encourage professional growth in your recruits? Gen Y's needs are a bit complex to employers; learn about the needs of recent college grads then prepare to acquire talent for your company.

By: -- Tahjia Chapman a Staff Writer for CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

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 searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on May 14, 2008 at 8:35 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

IT positions are the hardest to fill and the new wave of talent seems to make them easier for high tech recruiters to fill. With over 3,000 new IT grads entering the market, high tech recruiters are fumbling over highly talented candidates waiting for employment. So, what is the best thing for the recruiters to do? Remain informed of the newest hiring trends in the IT industry, use online job posting sites, and incorporate virtual simulation tools to distinguish candidates. After reading our article, you can determine which strategy is the best in recruiting candidates for open IT positions in your organization.

New Trends in The IT Industry

The new hiring trends in the IT industry change every year. Your company's IT support is an important variable in determining your competitiveness within the global market. With new IT grads reaching out for employment, you must take the time to review their qualifications based on the talent demands in your industry. You must also practice workforce planning to forecast future talent needs for your organization. If you are unfamiliar with these practices, you may lose leverage in your industry. What does your company do to prepare for the talent search? As workplace planning enters the spotlight for recruiters, new recruits are in for a new beginning. Companies with workplace planning strategies can expect a substantial amount of candidates applying for positions.

Use Online Job Posting Sites for Entry Level Candidates

Recruiters who use online job posting sites can filter through candidates by searching resume databases. Emphasizing online job posting sites cuts the time in reviewing resumes that do not match the current needs of your organization. With www.CollegeRecruiter.com, you can simply place ads for open positions so qualified candidates respond. Using an online job posting site to recruit IT techs is one of two steps in examining your potential employees. Implementing virtual simulation applications increases the chances of interviewing the most qualified candidates.

Incorporate Virtual Assessment Tools For Recruiting

As stated in IT Employment Surges in the US, new recruiting tools are needed to secure the best talent with online applications. Virtual simulation gives recruiters an idea of what actions potential candidates will take in a real business situation. Recent grads with a sense of professionalism could provide outstanding responses to the virtual simulation tool, but the final decision is for recruiters. As a recruiter, you are responsible for choosing a fit that fills your company's talent demand and culture.

By: -- Tahjia Chapman a Staff Writer for CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

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 searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on May 14, 2008 at 8:30 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

What does your religion mean to you? To most people, their religion is a belief system that represents their morals and values. It is a guide on how to live their daily lives. At times, you may have heard about controversy involving people expressing their religious beliefs while at work. There may be occasions when employees want to practice their beliefs away from the job as well.

Now, federal law says that employers must "reasonably accommodate" their employees right to exercise religion. Companies employing over 15 workers fall into this category. The only way employers can make an argument against the law is to provide evidence of the harm that may be done to their business. Among the types of accommodations that can be made on behalf of workers are shift exchanges, flexible scheduling, and lunch time; these can all be traded in for an employee's right to leave work due to religious reasons. If possible, employees should schedule time off around the time they need, using vacation time or unpaid days.

When workers need time off, they do not have to prove their religious affiliation to employers as a way to support their beliefs. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) believes that a more diverse work environment is a cause of the federal law supporting employees' religious beliefs. There has been an increase in religious discrimination lawsuits; in 2007, the EEOC reported 2,900 of them, more than two times the number in 1992. Some of these lawsuits involved matters like missing work for religious holidays or being dressed in religious clothes at work. Depending on a company's size, discrimination lawsuits can cost employers between $50,000 and $300,000, not including back pay.

For any recent college graduates looking for entry level jobs and college students searching for internships, know that potential employers cannot ask about your religious background or how it can affect your work schedule. Employers are allowed to specify how much time a job requires. It is a good idea for employees who are steadfast in their religious beliefs to be upfront with employers about their obligations once hired, or made aware of them; this comes from the Anti-Defamation League.

In our society, employees' religious rights should be respected. While employers may not agree with a specific religion, they can respect that workers' religious beliefs are a part of who they are. As long as both sides have an understanding, they can work together peacefully. Who would have thought that the law might affect religion in a positive way?

Source: Associated Press- The Morning News

By: -- William Frierson a Staff Writer for CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

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 searching entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on May 12, 2008 at 8:48 AM | Leave a Comment (0)