PPG Care asked:


Its not exactly jingle bells with recruitment advertising

The grim outlook projected by many of the leading players of the online job market is one good indicator of the lack of value deliverance in this space. Traditionally customers have flocked online when the value deliverance is significantly higher than offline options. Christmas 2008 in the US is one good case in point.

The grim outlook is fueled by the tendency of several online job market players to act as enterprise sized databases. Throw in a set of job positions, infuse some “classifieds” and hit the mass media. The job seekers will flow in. This is a very transactional approach and quite drastically against the fundamentals of good recruiting. Recruitment advertising products in several online job market websites behave a lot like banner advertising. The home pages look very similar to the gambling strip of Vegas. How would it be advertising if your logo and job listing is one of hundreds of animated gif images that create the neon effect? The objective advertising is to attract talent – this type of advertising gets you more window shoppers and job hoppers than serious career building professionals.

We all have had enough talk about the economy and have probably also talked the economy down to some extent. Shouldn’t the role of online job market players become more relevant in difficult circumstances? What is the value in delivering hundreds and thousands of a so called “matching” resumes to recruiters? Do we ask the recruiter to hire a whole team to “filter” these “matched” resumes? Naturally, when the recruiters and the hiring managers came under considerably stress they could not afford this processing effort and budgets. All said and done online recruitment and recruitment advertising have shown decent growth – where value has been provided. GoRecroot focuses on delivering results to specialized recruitment advertising needs of hiring managers and recruiters.

GoRecroot handles recruitment advertising from a talent sourcing point of view and stays completely away from the typical factors associated with internet banner advertising. No eye balls, no CTRs, no Vegas neon signs. Here are a few aspects in which GoRecroot ads & branding solutions are specialized to handle talent sourcing in the changing economy:

1.    Ads & branding solutions starter free kit is included with every GoRecroot membership

2.    Specialized ads for hiring managers, corporates, recruiters, brand builders, and job seekers

3.    Ads powered with voice, photo, logo, video and online editing – publishing toolkit

4.    Online voice and video recorder support

5.     Pricing that stays to true to the value delivered and reflects the recruitment challenges of today

Hiring manager and Recruiters who are looking to put an end to mass market recruitment advertising solutions and are looking for specialized products for cherry picked talent sourcing to click:

www.GoRecroot.com

http://www.gorecroot.com/store.aspx

About GoRecroot

For recruiters, GoRecroot (gorecroot.com) focuses delivering functionality value primarily through (1) recruitment ads (2) employment branding solutions (3) jobs to talent mapping (4) recruitment community value additions. Multimedia (audio, photo, video) enabled, multi modal (browser access, mobile access and downloadable thin client), multi geo (covers 100+ main geographies around the world), multi domain (over 40 business sectors and over 5000 sub sectors). GoRecroot payment processing is secured and powered by Google and PayPal. Subscription pricing is linked closely to functional value delivered. Recruiter subscriptions now open at USD 40 for a year.

About the GoRecroot Team

The creators of GoRecroot have been in talent sourcing and mapping since the 90s and have worked closely with recruiters and job seekers around the world. The intelligence behind GoRecroot is derived from hands on experience fulfilling scores of different job positions. The creators have their ears to the ground and have been listening closely to recruiter pains and tribulations. GoRecroot intends to continue its close-knit association with recruiters and thrives to play an active role in getting more progressive recruiters to the big biller club.



Mildred

Kimberly Schenk asked:


These three common recruiting mistakes take big money out of the pockets of Recruiters. These common mistakes

slow down a Recruiter’s productivity. Mistake #3 takes control out of a Recruiters’ hands.

Mistakes:

#1. Recruiters who depend on Job Boards as their primary source to find candidates are losing out big-time.

#2. Recruiters who focus on finding the ‘perfect resume’ in their system are wasting valuable time.

#3. Sending resumes to a hiring manager is probably the least efficient and best way to kill the chance of a placement. It diminishes your power as a Head Hunter. (Give my way a try and watch your production increase and your effort decrease!)

The common theme here is misuse of resumes in general.

Really successful Recruiters don’t let pieces of paper, with words and partial information rule their life. Recruiters are not paper pushers! They are Experts and Consultants who bring together employers and candidates for mutual benefit. How well the job is down depends on the Recruiter’s skill.

So what should a Head Hunter do instead? Glad you asked.

First. Recruiters need to understand their ‘Executive Recruiter Power’, which is considerable, and their role as the central force and manager of making placements happen.

Second. They must understand the 2 - 4 absolute “requirements” a hiring manager must see in a candidate in order to make that person a job offer. Recruiters must also understand the difference between what is ‘required’ and what is ‘preferred’ in a candidate. At that point the hunt can begin.

Third. Successful Recruiters spend more time talking directly to candidates. This is the fastest way to find the most qualified candidate. Some employers and agencies are all about bringing ‘bodies’ in the front door.

What they’re doing is wasting the time (a whole day in some cases) of many people, and making candidates mad. An angry candidate is not likely to trust you, the Recruiter, respect you, or cooperate with you when you want it most. The archaic practice of, “throw everything against the wall and see what sticks” should be banned, in my opinion.

If you approach potential candidates directly, you have a great competitive advantage over other Recruiters. This crucial skill follows a defined method and series of small goals embedded into every conversation. If the first person you call does not qualify, ask them for names of someone, “Who may be interested in taking a step up in their career”.

Use the resumes from job boards as a spring board to contact people in the industry. Generally, a solid candidate can be found in 13 - 20 phone calls. Often it takes fewer calls to locate a qualified candidate.

Schedule the second call with your candidate for an in-depth interview. If the candidate truly qualifies, complete at least one reference check, confirm the most relevant facts and prepare to call the hiring manager.

When calling the hiring manager, it’s best to present the candidate by citing facts that relate directly to the requirements of the position.

“Hi Sally, I’ve located a great candidate for you. He is currently employed but can come in for an interview in the next 48 hours. Do you have a pen?” (Present the facts).

“You said you ‘required’ a candidate have at least three years of experience. This candidate has 6 years experience in mortgage banking as a Loan Originator. You also stated you needed a person who could close 2 - 3 million dollars a month. This person exceeds that requirement. He closes between 5 & 7 million dollars in loans a month. He has solid relationships with about 18 - 20 realtors and is comfortable with VA, FHA, and conventional loans as well as Jumbo and self-employed scenarios. About 10% of his business is re-fi’s. He also has a four year degree in business from CU.” “As you can see, he’s exactly what you asked for and more. Would you have time to see him tomorrow afternoon at 3pm?”

The Recruiter should be in control of the process as that’s the most efficient way to fill positions and make the most money if you’re paid on commission. Presenting a candidate, facts first, creates excitement in the hiring manager. They start thinkin, “My problem is solved!”.

Occasionally, a manager will ask to see the resume. Your answer: “This candidate is working at what she does best. She was not looking for a job when I contacted her and doesn’t have a resume prepared. I have verified key facts about her background and checked one (or two) of her references. In fact, here’s a summary of what her reference said….If you want to proceed with making an offer after you two meet, we can always put together a resume first, if you feel it’s necessary.”

Making successful placements is about focusing on activities that will result in a qualified candidate talking to a hiring manager with a desperate need to fill an open position. It’s that simple. In the above example I’ve skipped a few steps and summarized in generalities. It should be emphasized that Recruiters need to learn the process and the basic skills related to managing that process smoothly.

When the Recruiter takes charge, the others involved follow their lead because the Recruiter is doing what THEY do best. Credibility, trust, and respect are created with the right questions, careful listening, and knowledgeable guidance.

Avoid making the common mistakes related to the handling of resumes by seeking out the training and skills that will propel your career forward.



Greg

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


A large number of employers these days are turning to the internet for their recruitment needs. This has largely contributed to the growth of on-line recruitment agencies. Employers now use on-line recruitment agencies to post their job vacancies. Recruiting on-line also means that companies can protect their activities from competitors - this is particularly useful for an employer who might have head hunted in the past and is regarded with doubt by other employers. On-line recruitment can also help employers recruit for positions the lack expertise in, hence rely on the recruitment to sort out what’s required for them. Most of these on-line agencies require candidates to submit their details along with the resume or CVs.

The prime customer/client for on-line recruitment agencies is usually the employer - this means that on-line recruitment agencies put the needs of the employers first before those of prospective employee. Recent violations of security on-line therefore require that you vet an agency first prior to submission of your personal details.

Among the many advantages of using these on-line recruitment agencies is the flexibility it offers you, both in terms of location and time. This makes it possible for you to submit an application to any of these on-line agencies at any time of the day or night. On-line agencies become very essential if you decide to relocate and would like to find employment in your destined location. It also allows you to register with many similar agencies and even conduct temporary contracts that will provide you with various work experiences.

It is normal to submit your resume or CV to different agencies, but ensure that your target agency service a specific type of job market. Once this is accomplished then make it a habit to constantly contact the on-line recruitment agency to find out how your application is faring. They must be in a position to explain to you whether they have displayed your CV to an employer and what your prospects might be from that, like whether you have a good opportunity of getting an interview call from an employer or you don’t rank within the expectation of that same employer.

The rise of on-line recruitment agencies has truly saved many people a great deal of hard work that career change and job seeking involves. Some surveys indicate that eight out of ten employment seekers use on-line recruitment websites to do their job seeking. Most customary employment and recruitment agencies have established their own sites that allow job seekers to submit their information other than making personal office visits. The growth rates of these agencies means that employment seekers now have far broader choices of jobs and even better chances of landing employment positions that match their skills and talents.

Enrolling to the police force is different from other career moves. The methods of police recruitment are totally different from any other type of recruitment, maybe only similar to the military and other government positions. Many methods of recruitment are mostly uncomplicated. Employers can advertise for workers through the printed media like newspapers of through recruitment agencies, employment centers and store windows. Though preliminary recruitment of police usually involves advertisement of some kind, the process of recruitment is usually much more complex. Obtaining first interview invitation may not automatically mean that you are an appropriate candidate.

Recruitment of police usually involves evaluations of the aspirant’s mental responses and their individual personalities. The armed forces differ in their methods of conducting these tests, but most often these tests are involved irrespective of the division of the forces. The police may also conduct tests to gauge the candidates will to abide by the professions ethical code. Prospective candidates for the police force are these days desired to at least posses a college degree. But don’t expect police recruitment procedures to be similar everywhere you go. Different agencies will require qualifications from candidates. In America candidates possessing college degrees have more preference because they’re believed to have a better grasp of issues facing the country. it is also believed that highly qualified candidates have a good understanding of human rights and issues of equality.

Physical requirements also differ among various departments. Police recruiters most often will favor candidates with certain height and weight specification. Majority of departments will also require the candidate to be subjected to a full medical check up before approval and training is administered. For the forces physical fitness is a mandatory requirement prior to enlistment. There are also other factors that affect recruitment of police officers, an example is when a person has previously been convicted for a criminal act as an adult, then this may automatically render his application null. Individuals with alcohol or any drug related problem are also considered unsuitable. Other departments can also disqualify candidates with poor credit rating.

The United Kingdom police recruitment starts with an application form as a way of sifting out individuals who wouldn’t make good police officers. Once a candidate is successful with the paper application process he/she is put through thorough testing process to evaluate their suitability for the job. Successful candidates in these tests are then subjected to a certain period of probation training, which marks the end of the selection process. Survey indicate that out of all the prospective candidates interested in joining the police force, only one out of seven usually make it through that rigorous initial assessment process.



Paula

Kimberly Schenk asked:


If you’re looking to use your business knowledge and experience in a new way, consider Executive Recruiting as your next profession. Recruiting offers great pay, a flexible schedule, multiple employment options, and possibly most important of all, a balanced life.

There is a myth that recruiters must be great salespeople. That is not true. Good sales skills can always enhance ones’ performance but it is not essential to be a successful recruiter. What is needed is a consistent work ethic, the ability to follow a method, a professional demeanor, honesty, integrity, and enthusiasm. Successful recruiters do a lot of listening vs. a lot of talking. Developing good listening skills can be learned and is one key ingredient to making more placements.

The recruiting industry is flourishing. Growth expectations are between 50% and 70% by 2014. There are different ways to do business as a recruiter. First, there are Retained Search Firms. They are known to get their fee up front. They are paid whether or not they deliver the candidate who gets hired. They tend to have the highest fees in the industry. There has been a steady decline in the companies who use these firms because of the internet and the ability to access candidates on all levels. Many companies switched to contingency fee recruiters because they are paid only if they deliver the best candidate.

Contingency fee Executive Recruiters are paid a fee when their client-employer hires a candidate the recruiter found and that candidate starts work. Contingency fee recruiters are known for their ability to access 100% of the candidate marketplace (vs. the 20% reached by ads alone). They have the skill sets to use third party referrals and that elevates their ability to make great matches. 85% of employers responding to surveys rate them as providing the best caliber of candidates. Executive recruiting fees traditionally are 20% - 30% of a candidates’ first year salary.

Staffing agencies advertise themselves as finding jobs for people. Their standard practice is to focus on numbers. If 20 people respond to an ad they try and bring all 20 in for an interview. Their clients use and often depend on their temp services. Staffing temp jobs leads in many cases to hires. They focus on high volumes of candidates, job orders, interviews and placements. Their recruiters are used to a fast pace, high volume, high energy atmosphere.

The good news is 98% of companies have used staffing agencies. The bad news is they have a turnover rate of 50% to 90% of recruiters with less than six months experience. As candidates become more sophisticated, they are becoming less cooperative with the old fashioned “control” tactics many of these agencies use.

Contract Recruiters work directly for an employer with multiple positions to fill. Assignments can last one to six to twelve months. Contract positions may turn into permanent assignment job offers. This segment of the recruiting industry is growing rapidly and is a happy alternative for good recruiters who don’t really want their own business. The average compensation rate is $25.00 to $75.00 per hour. Some positions pay more depending on the industry demand. A few pay less. It’s a great value for employers. They can hire many candidates for a lower cost per hire.

Recruiting is a wonderful profession, in my opinion. I strongly recommend investing in a recruiter training program that teaches sound principles and methods. Learning a system will place you in the top 15% of producers. The key to being in the top 15% is understanding how to use third party referrals vs. job boards alone. Visit http://www.toprecruiersecrets.com Our recruiter training e-book offers a great value.

Knowing how to approach candidates who are happily employed and knowing exactly what to say will set you apart from the 85% of recruiters who rely solely on job board resumes. Your compensation will reflect the difference as well. When you know how to use third party referrals, you’re no longer making cold calls; you’re calling contacts complete with phone numbers and some background.

If you have common sense and a desire to do what is right for the candidate and your client you will find recruiting to be rewarding emotionally, intellectually, and financially. The maturity and judgment that comes with life experience will enhance your performance as a recruiter. If you want a new career try recruiting!



Joseph

System Recruitment asked:


Many workers who work with contract recruitment firms do not realize the benefits of temporary positions at specific points in their career. The main goal of graduates and experienced workers throughout the United Kingdom is finding permanent employment in their field. The barriers to entry for these professionals make it difficult to find long-term jobs that are fulfilling and meet wage expectations. You need to think of contract recruitment in a positive light to help advance your career.

Contract recruitment offers young workers a chance to build their resume without committing to a lifelong job. A data entry position that last six months allows you to earn a pay-check while placing a credential on your CV. It is important to highlight leadership positions and advancement within project positions to use contract recruitment for permanent positions. You cannot simply list data entry on your CV and expect a recruiter to appreciate the full scope of this position.

A multitude of contract positions can help you develop a network of contacts unavailable to professionals stuck in the bubble of permanent positions. Your movement from one office to another in contract positions gives you access to hundreds of potential colleagues. There is a tendency for project workers to shrink away from conversations with permanent staff to avoid making connections broken when contracts expire. You need to buck this trend if you want to get comfortable with contract recruitment and commiserate with colleagues.

You need to look at contract recruitment as an opportunity to test your skills and learn areas of weakness. University graduates may be familiar with theories on sales, marketing and administration but lack experience implementing plans of action. You need to assess your skills in contract recruitment before you attempt to land a permanent position in your industry. Your contract supervisor can provide regular reviews to help you refine your talents toward practical ends.

There is no guarantee about any job but many temporary positions can lead to permanent jobs for the right candidates. A growing company that employs a handful of contract workers may look for one or two employees to stay with the company. It is wise to stay grounded when considering the possibility of advancement from contract positions. You can review open positions, gain familiarity with a company’s human resources practices and assess the possibility of staying beyond your contract.



Chester

System Recruitment asked:


The process of applying and interviewing for a new job obscure an applicant’s view of what employers search for during permanent recruitment. An applicant takes hours of his time to fill out background information without thinking about why companies are asking for these details. You need to appreciate the goals set by a company during permanent recruitment to guide your quest for a long-term position.

Every employer wants to know that an applicant is committed to the company over the long term before making a final decision. The use of permanent recruitment takes a significant amount of time, energy and money for a hiring company. The hard work of recruiters, interviewers and trainers cannot be wasted on candidates who will leave in the near future. You should look long and hard at your career objectives to determine if you meet this initial criterion.

A continuous work history from college through the present helps an applicant garner attention during permanent recruitment drives. Most companies look through job histories to find unexplained holes. These holes are used in interviews to weed out candidates who have switched careers and lack experience for a particular position. You need to be able to fill in these holes with reasonable expectations like starting a family and illnesses if you want to please potential employers.

The compatibility of an applicant with current staff members and other applicants should not be overlooked. One way companies test the chemistry between applicants and current employees is the use of group interviews. These interviews allow experienced staff to write out questions dealing with daily responsibilities and assess the communication skills of applicants. These group interviews rarely form a majority of the decision-making process though applicants should act natural to develop rapport with potential colleagues.

Recruiters and managers will look at permanent recruitment in financial terms when multiple applicants fit the aforementioned criteria. A company using permanent recruitment will look at the initial costs of hiring an employee. This cost is compared to the benefits of greater efficiency and decreased stress by other staffers to determine the value of the hiring decision. The annual savings of an individual hiring decision are extrapolated over multiple years to determine how an applicant fits into a company’s long term goals. You need to demonstrate that your skills, experiences and personal style will be a good investment for an employer before you accept a job.



Micheal

Edwin Abl asked:


In the last few years there has been an ever increasing rise in the use of Recruitment Process Resourcing (RPO) / outsourced recruitment by companies. It certainly seems to be a trend and industry that is growing, but as a senior HR leader or Director how do you know this set-up is best for your business? We will try to address the positive and negative impacts of such an agreement to help your decision making process easier.

Recruitment outsourcing can take its shape in various forms - from retained recruitment with agencies to full blown outsourced agreements with RPO companies/consultants on site in your business. A good place to start is how much recruitment your organisation is carrying out and whether there is a need based on the volumes of hires you make? Ultimately you are considering recruitment outsourcing because you have a problem with your current recruitment. You need to look at what this problem is specifically.

Are HR not capable of making enough direct hires because they have not got a recruitment background?

Is there so much volume that your HR department cannot cope? Are you planning to embark on a heavy recruitment drive?

Are you looking to cut costs in HR / agency fees?

Are you just sick of dealing with agencies directly?

Is HR slowing the HR process up?

The list goes on…

Once you have evaluated your problem and realised the specific need you want to address - you are now in a much more informed position to make a decision on whether outsourcing is right for you.

There is no doubt that outsourcing your recruitment can help alleviate several of these problems and put your mind at ease, knowing you have experts running your recruitment campaigns. But there can also be pitfalls and a lack of control - sometimes outsourced companies can create more problems, adding tiers to the recruitment process and prolonging the cycle from time to hire.

Let’s look at the advantages for you implementing an outsourced recruitment department:

Firstly, you will have experienced recruiters dealing with your hiring (rather than HR) whom are often not recruiters as their core skills lay in other areas. This hopefully will mean they will be able to source candidates directly and have experience using headhunting methods, saving you money from paying high agency fees for every new hire you make. If the recruitment outsourcing company are not doing this/enabling you to do this, then I really can’t see much value they are adding. If they are not you may as well just keep your HR personnel in place.

Recruitment outsourcing companies sell their services on the premise they will be saving you money on your recruitment budget, so you need to scrutinise the numbers carefully. But will they have the experience and capability to deliver on your requirements directly or will they have to use agencies in any case, therefore the cost differential being very minimal (potentially more). As you are then using two tiers unnecessarily.

If you simply want to relieve the time and pressure of recruiting off your own shoulders and have no HR function, outsourcing can be a very effective way of handling the process. They will free up your time to run the business You will benefit from having just one point of contact running your recruitment that then facilitate the process on your behalf with agencies and external providers. There is no doubt this would ease the pain you may feel if you burdened. Again, these services are sold trying to counter balance the age old problem of you being berated with agency calls - you have effectively delegated this to people who understand the recruitment business.

The negative side of outsourcing has been mentioned briefly, there is no doubt outsourcing has its problems. For starters, how can they guarantee an effective recruitment campaign just because it has been outsourced? Will they be more effective than your current HR department or is it just going to cost more money? Often recruitment outsourcing companies have recruiters whom are more like a HR department in any case, so they will be using external suppliers most of the time. By implementing a recruitment company in-between the business and agencies you may then be adding an unnecessary layer to the process. As the outsourcing company will love to be in control, potentially slowing the process down as they have too many procedures in place and rigid ways of working. For example; running Preferred Supplier Lists without giving access to agencies with specialised candidates. Don’t get me wrong PSL agreements are important, but in the current market specialist / niche recruitment suppliers will be the ones with the best candidates due to their market focus, and often outsourcing firms (like HR) will simply not allow applications to come through because of the fact they are not preferred. If it was your business you don’t necessarily care if they are preferred suppliers you just want the best people for your business.

If you are embarking on this process and considering outsourcing remember to assess your problem and specifically understand why you want to outsource. As outsourcing has in large been created by recruitment companies who have taken advantage of a perceived problem by clients just to ensure a regular cash flow/revenue stream without really adding much value.



Jerry