Hiring Managers Seeing More Lies on Resumes

Editor's Note: In a survey of 3,500 employees by HireRight, it was reported that 88% of those tested had lied on their resume compared with 70% five years ago. In this article in Fortune, Anne Fisher interviews Mary O’Loughlin, HireRight’s vice president of global customer experience, to find out why people are exaggerating on their resumes.

Yet another reason for inventing whole chunks of a CV: Embarrassment about having lost a job to the recession. “Candidates think there is a huge stigma attached to unemployment,” notes O’Loughlin. “So they make up things to fill that gap in their work history.”

She notes that it is a far worse stigma to be dishonest than to lose a job! Click here to read more.

Throwback Thursday: Get More Efficiency Out Of Female Employees

If the title of this article got you going, I understand. 11 Tips on Getting More Efficiency out of Women Employees was an actual article in the magazine Mass Transportation published in 1943. As checked with Snopes, it is real and here is the cover. (To see the story in full, go to Snopes.com)


Here is the article with the word "employe" changed to "employee":


1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters. They are less likely to be flirtatious. They need the work, or they would not be doing it. The still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.
2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It is always well to impress upon older women, the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.


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4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset, the importance of time; the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they will keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they cannot shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she will grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point cannot be stressed too much in keeping women happy.
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Source:Tara Gowland, Seattle Jobs Examiner, March 24, 2009


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What Recruiters Ask a Job Candidate During a Job Interview

Want to make a better hire?  Great article for Employers who need a simple and  fast reminder as to the questions you want clarity on before making a hiring decision. (Editor's Note)




"So you have just lost an employee - maybe they quit, maybe you fired them, maybe they moved within the company. Regardless of the reason, now is the time to decide the type of person you want - not the background or experience-level (that part is easy), but the things not seen in a resume.

Here are some of the questions you will want answered before making an offer

• What is this person's real weaknesses?
• How loyal is this person?
• Is this person as proactive, organized, creative etc that they claim to be?
• Can they work autonomously?
• What really motivates this person?


To determine a candidate's weaknesses, ask:

• If I were to contact your last boss, what would they say would be the biggest area you could improve upon?
• What is a weakness that you are currently working towards making a strength?
• What things do some of your coworkers may say are your weaknesses but you believe are your strengths?

To determine a candidate's loyalty, ask:

• What did you do the last time a recruiter called you?
• Thinking of past managers, which managers did you feel more loyal to and why?
• What type of person do you respect the most?

To determine a candidate's initiative, creativity etc, ask:

• Initiative - Tell me about project XYZ - how did you identify the problem and what were the steps you took to implement a change. Tell me a time when you identified a problem and had to communicate it to management - what was it about the problem that caught your attention and what did you do to convince management to allow you to implement change.
• Organized - Tell me a time when your ability to organize was challenged the most and did you find a way to create order from chaos? How do you plan your day? What tips would you give someone who is overwhelmed with paperwork or tasks?
• Creativity - Tell me about your last idea. What inspired you and did you change you idea after consideration? How would you improve upon this process? Tell me a time when you creatively solved a problem in a way no one had considered in the past?

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10 Tricks To Use LinkedIn As A Recruiting Tool:Recruiters

LinkedIn has become a major tool of choice in the recruitment trade. It has made some recent changes that have me questioning its future, but I still can’t deny how useful the site is for recruiters and networkers alike.


Here is my short list of tips on how to use LinkedIn for recruiting:

1. Accept ALL invitations to connect - There are arguments for and against this and quality vs. quantity, but as a recruiter, the true value of your network is measured by its size – bigger IS better. You never know when that invitation is going to connect you to that very private Sr. Executive that no one else is connected to.

2. Invite everyone to connect - Growing your network takes a lot of work and commitment. Make it a point to add 10 new people to your network, daily (business days). Add your friends, family, colleagues, candidates, etc.

3. Join relevant profession/industry groups - The new LinkedIn search function allows you to search people that are members of the same LinkedIn interest groups as you, regardless of whether you’re connected or not. So, by joining the many Six Sigma Professional groups, you will automatically be given access to the thousands of members of the group.

4. Join relevant geographical groups - In “network theory” it’s called clustering. In general, the theory is that most people invite friends/family/colleagues to join their social groups. Since we still live and work in a predominantly bricks and mortar world that means that most of my immediate network, lives in the same city I do (or one of its suburbs). So, if you are working on an “out of town” role, a great way to find more candidates is to start connecting to contacts that live in the target city.

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10 Online Recruiting Tips That Are A Must: HR/Recruiters

Recruiting employees online is a whole different ballgame from traditional hiring methods. Instead of a newspaper audience, employers have thousands of Internet-savvy job seekers and passive applicants to choose from. Connecting with the right candidate requires a strategic approach to online recruiting, since it can be difficult to choose the right plan for your company. Here are a few tips to help you best use the Internet to increase your candidate pool.

1. Spruce up your "careers" Web page. Cambria Consulting Inc., a Boston-based firm specializing in HR management, identified seven crucial features for high-impact corporate "careers" Web pages. First, the careers link should be prominent on the corporate home page. Second, the page should be easy to navigate and provide interesting information about the corporate culture. Third, a “job-cart" function should allow candidates to research multiple openings and apply for them. Fourth, résumé builders should be available to help candidates present their backgrounds in ways that HR can analyze. Fifth, the page must have an up-to-date listing of job openings. Sixth, standard, easy-to-read job descriptions on the page should include all tasks and skills required. Lastly, the site should have a link to an HR representative – not just a phone number or mailing address – to give candidates an action item to pursue.



2. Use Google to find candidates on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a career-focused social-networking site. Many people have made their LinkedIn.com profiles public, so they are indexed by search engines such as Google. To find “director of information technology” candidates, for example, enter this search string on Google:
site:www.linkedin.com -intitle:directory -intitle:answers -intitle:directory “director of information technology”



3. Search LinkedIn effectively. The advanced search functions on LinkedIn allow you to search by current and past employers, professional title, name, location and keywords. The results include members of your extended network up to three contact levels away. You will be able to see the names and biographies of potential recruits and their current employer, and can easily contact them.



4. Use Facebook’s “My Company’s Hiring” application. All of your recruiters should have a Facebook page where they can talk about issues important to job candidates in their areas of specialization. The “My Company’s Hiring” application can be added to each page, allowing recruiters to post listings of current job openings.



5. Create a Facebook Workplace group. Facebook Workplaces are closed groups. Only people with a company-hosted email address can join them. These groups can foster community among your employees, but they can also serve as a place to post job listings and ask for employee referrals.



6. Network through LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations. LinkedIn members can endorse others on the site. After a user is endorsed, the recommendation will appear on the user's profile. Each testimonial will also link to the recommender's biography. These endorsements are yet another channel through which you can connect to people.

Click here to read part 2 of this article


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Why Employers Should Hire Older Workers

Can you handle the truth? If you think you can, let me test you. The last time you interviewed an employee over age 50, were you concerned that he or she would not be able to be as productive as a 20 or 30-year-old employee?

Were you worried that the older employee might have memory or health problems, not be familiar with or be able to be trained to use new technology, or might retire before he or she completes training? Myths, myths, and more myths suddenly develop in the minds of employers when they interview an older worker (50 to 64 years of age).

The first myth that comes to mind to an employer is that an older worker might have health problems; therefore, an older worker will cost the company too much money in terms of health care premiums. It is true that older male employees do utilize more health care dollars than younger male employees; on the other hand, older male employees generally do not carry as many dependents on their health policy as younger male employees do. Therefore, any increases in health care costs older workers might generate, are likely to be offset by having fewer dependents. In regards to older female employees over age 50, they generally use less health care dollars than younger female employees because they are past childbearing age.

If absenteeism rates determine health, then older workers should be healthier than younger workers. Research has shown that absenteeism rates are lower for employees' 50 to 65 years of age than employees between 33 to 44 years of age.

Another health care problem that employers are concern about is that older workers have memory problems. The latest research shows that people do lose some of their memory ability in their working and secondary memories as they age; however, only 10 percent of people over age 65 show any significant memory impairment. Therefore, when people are at risk for memory impairment, they are usually well into their retirement years.

The second myth that comes to mind to an employer is that an older worker will not be familiar with technology or will be too difficult to train. Did you know that the fastest growing groups of new users to the Internet are those over age 40? Okay, your great grandmother may have had trouble using a computer, but research has shown that employees over age 50 are able to learn to operate a computer as well as younger employees. In terms of training, any extra training costs, such as additional one to one training, which an older worker might require, are usually offset by reduced turnover rates among older workers.
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Recruiters:10 Tips for Recruiting the Best Candidates

Looking for talent? The smartest employers, who hire the best people, recruit a pre-qualified candidate pool of potential employees before they need to fill a job. Or, as Harvey Mackay, well-known, irreverent, author and speaker, says about networking, Dig Your Well, Before You're Thirsty.


You can develop relationships with potential candidates long before you need them. These ideas will also help you in recruiting a large pool of candidates when you have a current position available. Read on to discover the best ways to develop your talent pool and recruit employees.

The earlier you adopt these practices, the better your organization will do in the upcoming war for talent. (And, trust me, you will experience wars for talent as the baby boomer generation retires.) Read on to discover the best ways to develop your talent pool.

Recruiting Your Ideal Candidate

A job description that tells potential employees the exact requirements of the position is useful. Even more useful is the process you use to develop the job description internally and the behavioral characteristics of your ideal candidate. Assemble a team of people who represent the best qualities of the people who currently hold the same or a similar position. Include the hiring manager.

Develop a job description that delineates the key responsibilities and outputs of the position. Then, define the behavioral characteristics of the person you feel is your ideal candidate. Finally, list your five - ten key responsibilities and characteristics you will use to screen resumes, perform phone screens and eventually, establish the questions for the candidates you interview.

Sound like a lot of effort? It is. But, you'll have a much better idea about the characteristics of the ideal candidate you want to attract to your company when you do this planning via email or a recruiting planning meeting.

Tap Your Employee Networks in Recruiting Candidates

Spread word-of-mouth information about the position availability, or eventual availability, to each employee so they can constantly look for superior candidates in their networks of friends and associates. In this age of online social and professional networking, the chances are, you and your employees are instantly connected to hundreds, and even thousands, of potential candidates. Tap into this potential audience on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to name just a few.

Use trade show booth time to meet and get to know potential candidates as well as customers. Encourage employees to gather business cards from, and develop relationships with, high potential possible employees. And, don't stop with employees alone; tap the networks of your social, board, funder and academic connections, too.

In a client company, the sales manager referred a childhood friend, who was moving back to our state, for a position. Out of touch for several years, the now new employee had contacted all of his friends when he needed to relocate from Chicago to the Detroit area. My client benefitted from the sales manager's network and hired an outstanding employee.

Make sure you publicize your interest in employee referrals. In some companies, employee referrals, especially for hard-to-fill positions, are even rewarded with cash bonuses. Posting all open positions, announcing openings at the company meetings and sharing growth plans with company members will help spread your message.

Take Advantage of Your Industry Contacts, Association Memberships and Trade Groups for Recruiting Candidates

Pay for employees to participate in and network in industry groups, conferences and trade shows. Periodically, create master lists of industry leaders and other potential employees from customers, colleagues, coworkers and friends. Develop a plan for contacting these people systematically and regularly. Be prepared to share your job description with them through mail, email, on the Internet and by fax. Follow up on every good lead.

Use extensive telephone networking. Bring people in for interviews before you have an available position. You may even want to consider starting a periodic company newsletter to keep your master lists of potential employees, customers and interested others up-to-date about company progress and happenings. You can use online and/or mail distribution to send these out.

Looking for the "right" associations to join? Check out this resource: Find Associations, People, and Businesses from the American Society of Association Executives.

Use Your Web Site for Recruiting Candidates

Does your "Join Our Team" section of your company Web site tell and even, "sell," potential employees about the vision, mission, values and culture of your company? Do you present a message about how people are valued? Do you express your commitment to quality and to your customers? If not, you are missing out on one of the most important recruiting tools you have to appeal to prospective high-potential employees.

Instead of the typical, dryly-written job listings about available positions, your Web site needs to include this vision, this information that sets your company apart from others in your industry. Your job listings must sparkle with personality so a potential candidate thinks, "this organization is for me." And, now that you have their attention, you also need to provide a way for candidates to easily submit resumes for consideration for future positions.

One client Web site has a "Talk to the President" link and, believe me, people do. We receive a constant stream of resumes and contacts through this invitation and even hired a Director of Production who made his first contact here. Another posts generic position descriptions for positions that frequently need applicants. People respond. Web site recruiting works.

Maintain Frequent Contact With Interested Candidates

Don't let these potential employees submit their resumes and never hear from you again either. You'd lose all the momentum you just spent time developing with the favored few. Just as I recommended earlier with employee networks and professional contacts, continue and nurture the relationship.

Enable interested candidates to subscribe to the company newsletter; consider writing a mini-newsletter just for them. Follow-up all website submissions with a greeting that thanks the individual for their interest in your company. Send a periodic update about your job openings. Invite the potential employee to visit your organization when they are in the area. Your professional, ongoing contact with interested people ensures recruiting success.

Become an Employer of Choice for Recruiting Candidates

Think about what a potential employee considers before agreeing to join your organization or business. Are you stable, making money and growing? Are you employee-friendly? Does your mission catch the mindshare and/or the heartstrings of the people you most want to recruit? Will a new employee feel part of something bigger than themselves if they join you? Will your organization nurture their talent and provide exciting opportunities for challenge and professional growth?

If you can answer these questions affirmatively, analyze every component of your recruiting process to make sure that you are sending these messages. If you want to be an employer of choice, you must act like an employer of choice. Further more, you must communicate this commitment to your prospective employees.

People look for little things - that are really big things - such as noticing whether you return phone calls promptly. They observe when all interviewers repeat the same questions. They are aware that you responded to acknowledge receipt of their resume. They appreciate a phone call when someone else is picked for the job they wanted. (Yes, you still need to send a letter to the people you interviewed, but the more informal follow-up is appreciated.) They feel welcomed when they can communicate with you via email.

In addition, being an employer of choice is a reputation you build in your industry that is a powerful tool in attracting top talent.

Recruit Using the Internet

The Internet, in addition to your own organization Web site, is in its infancy in terms of its usefulness to employers, potential employees and society, in general. Learn how to use the Internet to find and attract great candidates. These are options you can currently consider.

• Post your positions on professional association Web sites. This includes local chapter Web sites or professional associations related to the job. (This is an excellent method for finding local talent.)

• Post open positions on Web sites that private vendors or your state and/or local government provide. In Michigan, positions can be posted at no cost on various websites including JobOpenings.net - Michigan, MLive.com - Everything Michigan and Michigan Workforce Development. (Search for your local job sites at America's Job Bank, About's Job Searching site and at Alison Doyle's Job Searching site for your state Workforce Development organization through your state department of labor. You'll find multiple options for both posting positions and searching for jobs.)

• Post your classified ad on newspaper-related Web sites. Most newspapers have an affiliated Web site where you can post ads. These ads are either included in the price of a classsifed print ad or you can pay separately for online posting only. Make sure your recruitment ads "sell" the vision and the advantages of your organization. Effective ads portray your company as an exciting and rewarding place to work. Effective job postings make people want to apply to your firm.

• Pay to post on some commercial Web sites.

Use Headhunters and Recruiters

Sometimes, it is worth your time to use headhunters, recruiters, and employment placement firms. The best firms have done much of this homework and candidate pool development for you. Expect to pay 20-35 percent of the cost of the new recruit's annual salary. But, for some positions, and in some industries, the cost in your department's time and the time invested in a possible failed search, are worth it.

Additionally, recruiters have an already-developed pool of candidates. They provide a second pair of experienced eyes to help you with your search. Some of them are very good. I met with a recruiter recently and offered him a sales job in a client organization on the spot. Believe me, he was that good - I can definitely see him finding great candidates for employers.

When you work in an HR role, calls from potential recruiters come several times a week. I ask for references and check them. I also talk with non-competing firms to get referrals of recruiters with whom they've been pleased. You can also research recruiters at the Recruiter's Online Network.

Use Temporary Agencies and Firms for Recruitment

Consider using temporary staff as a solution to "try a person out in a position" or to staff a position you are not sure you need for the long haul. Temporary employees can also provide a useful buffer for the ups and downs of the business cycle so that you do not have to affect your core staff during down times.

Temp firms will recruit and screen to your specifications and guarantee your satisfaction. They save your staff immense amounts of time as they provide testing, drug screening, reference checking, background checks, and anything else you'd like, for a nominal fee. By the time I meet the selected group of candidates, most of the work, other than a personal job interview, has been completed for me.

Additionally, as the firms become familiar with your needs, just as headhunters and recruiters do, they will seek out and suggest talent they believe meets your criteria for star candidates.

I work with two or three agencies and my client company hires only the top five percent of temporary staff members, so we hire great people.

Find Out Where Your Ideal Candidates Live

Identify what your needed candidates read; notice the Web sites they visit; study the listservs on which they participate; determine the industry magazines and newspapers they read. Identify their favorite news sources, forums, discussion groups, and places to practice social networking. In other words, find out everything you can about the types of people who make up the top ten percent of your current employees and the best of your talent pool.

Use this information to screen resumes, of course, and to develop effective interview questions. Most importantly, use this information to develop creative, fun recruiting strategies for your potential openings. Sit with an interested group that includes members of the group you are trying to recruit and brainstorm other potential ways to locate a well-qualified pool of candidates for each position.

Some examples I've seen include a very funny ad in a staid newspaper. It literally jumped off the page because it stood out so strongly from the pack. (The ad was looking for a creative for an ad agency; I'll bet they found their perfect candidate.) I've been recruited as a potential staff member while browsing in a book store. People recruit at trade shows from the people visiting their booths.

Just One More Thought About Recruiting Employees - Publicity

Here's a bonus thought about recruiting great employees: The publicity your organization receives in the news media, in print, on television, on the radio and online is tremendously important for recruiting. A few good words, an interesting article or a piece about your mission that reflects your organization in a favorable light, will result in potential employees coming to you. And that, in my way of thinking, is the best way of all to find great potential employees for your candidate pool.

Ideas for recruiting are endless and endlessly challenging, but the time and effort you invest are worth it when they result in top talent for your organization.

http://humanresources.about.com/cs/recruiting/a/candidatepool.htm


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10 Mistakes Employers Make When Recruiting/Hiring

We have been here since 1952 and have been through literally thousands of hiring processes. We are asked about the biggest and most frequent mistakes that hiring authorities make in the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process. Here they are:

1. Not having a clear idea of what they are looking for - that everyone understands. Hiring authorities aren’t specific enough about the duties, skills, and competencies they need. They confuse amount of experience with competency: “8 to 10 years of experience” - does that mean that someone with six years of experience can’t do the job? Or what about the candidate who has had one year of experience 10 times? Putting any kind of numbers of years of experience limits them. What is important?

Employers would be better off defining the functions they want done very specifically, and then finding someone who can do it. This may mean someone who has done it well before or someone who has the potential to do it well. The specifics need to be written by the hiring authority who has the “pain,” i.e., the person who needs the help and is going to be responsible for the new employee.

Concocting “wish lists” of super-human attributes, combined with unrealistically low pay scales relative to expectations of the experience needed, will create havoc in a talent search. Hazy, ambiguous descriptions along with generalities like “good written and oral communication skills” don’t help either. Know your target.

2. Having an unrealistic idea of what kind of candidates might be available and the money it may take to hire them. Just because everyone would like to hire Superman or Wonder Woman, that doesn’t mean they are available or will go to work at your company. There is no perfect candidate, and waiting for one is as unrealistic as searching for one.

The only way to become realistic about what the market might bear is to interview enough candidates to know what is available and the commensurate earnings expected. It may take quite a few interviews. The number of quality candidates is drastically lower than it was even two years ago. Our clients are often shocked that the salaries they are locked into won’t allow them to hire the quality or experience they wish for.

And just because you believe that your company is wonderful, it doesn’t mean: (1) everyone wants to go to work there, (2) they will accept any amount you offer, and (3) there aren’t four or five other firms like yours trying to hire the same candidates.

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How to Better Motivate Your Employees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yUG_92j7Qo

10 Tips for Giving Feedback as an Employer

One of the most critical issues in the employer-employee relationship is feedback. The employee wants to know how they are doing, what they can improve on, and what the employer's expectations are. So take some time now and read this article to discover 10 fantastic tips on giving feedback as an employer!

1. Agree a ‘contract’ between yourself and the recipient so that they are prepared and receptive for feedback.

2. Check for wellbeing and also for capacity. Back off when capacity reached. You can always agree to talk again at a future date.

3. Take your time to explain things, checking for understanding. If what you are trying to say is difficult to explain say so up front and perhaps try saying it a couple of ways. If working across cultures and languages ask the individual for help to ‘get the meaning right’.

4. Where possible illustrate with real examples but if your examples are weak or inappropriate be open about this. Do not fall into the trap of giving feedback through giving an example, having it refuted, finding another, having it refuted, and so on.

5. Do not treat questions and challenge as further ‘evidence’ [‘I said that you did not listen, and here you are, not listening] or unwillingness to listen and learn. Some people absorb feedback best through asking questions.

6. Allow space for the recipient to reflect, check, challenge, etc

7. Ask the individual if they can think of examples that illustrate what you are saying

8. Engage the individual in generating ideas for development actions. Allow individuals to come up with their own ideas. Present options and ideas for improvement and development – not solutions

9. Allow time for the positives. See if you can harness positives and strengths towards addressing development areas

10. Remember that perception is reality but also that intentions are important and where there is a disconnect the person to whom you are giving feedback needs to focus on how to better realise their intentions and figure out what is coming between their intention and their impact

. . . . . And, don’t forget to ask for feedback in exchange . . . . .

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Lisette Howlett, Top 10 tips for giving feedback
http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human-Resources/790/Top-10-tips-for-giving-feedback.html

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How to Motivate Survivors of a Downsizing

Following a layoff, supervisors must be aware that employees need to be motivated differently during a downsizing period versus a growth or hiring period. A supervisor who attempts to motivate his/her employees, during a downsizing, as if the company where in a growth (hiring) phase will only deteriorate their employees already poor morale.

Survivors of a layoff are frequently left with as many negative emotions and beliefs as those who were laid-off. However, many supervisors have the mistaken belief that surviving employees should feel grateful that they didn't lose their jobs; in reality, just the opposite emotions occur in most surviving employees. Surviving employees usually transition through a number of negative emotions and negative beliefs about work, management, and the company overall. Some of the negative emotions that can develop in surviving employees include confusion, anxiety, stress, victimization, grief, mistrust, apathy, and hostility. The resulting negative beliefs that can develop following a downsizing include, employees believing that their jobs are not secure, that the company has lost its direction and vision, and that the organization does not care about its employees.

Imagine how you would feel following a downsizing if you questioned whether your employer was telling you the whole truth about their future plans. Most likely you will not be very motivated as you go through the motions of work, and what once motivated you in the past, at work, will not likely continue to be effective as a motivator following the downsizing.

In order to motivate surviving employees, supervisors need to grasp the understanding that a period of rebuilding will need to occur before past motivators will work again to motivate employees. Following a downsizing, supervisors should spend time focusing on rebuilding their employees' attitudes and emotions back to where they were during the last growth (hiring) phase in the organization.

1.) The best way to correct negative beliefs, resulting from a downsizing, is to provide employees with frequent, truthful, and direct communication. Prior to a corporate downsizing, communications within an organization are usually secretive, restrictive, and minimal. The resulting secretive communication leads to employees developing beliefs that are suspicious of future communications. Therefore, after a downsizing has occurred, company communication should become more frequent and direct in order to help employees recover from their suspicious beliefs and mistrustful emotions. If future layoffs may occur, it's best to be honest and tell the employees about it directly versus through the rumor mill.

2.) The best way to correct negative emotions, resulting from a downsizing, is with empathy and positive emotions. During the first two to three weeks following a downsizing, a supervisor should focus on being empathetic with his/her employees' emotions. (Empathy: the ability to understand another's emotions, without attempting to stop or alter those emotions.) After two to three weeks of displaying empathy, it's time for the supervisor to start countering negative emotions with positive emotions and negative beliefs with truthful and hopeful beliefs.

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Recruiting Is Different During The Recession - 3 Reasons Why

Economic pressures on workers combined with a higher unemployment rate might lead you to assume that recruiting and hiring are easier during a downturn. Depending on the nature of your job openings, recruiting is not necessarily easier in a downturn, but it is different. Some of the challenges we are used to are still there and are easier to meet (e.g. fewer demands and less negotiating from candidates) but there are new challenges too. Such as:

1. Candidates Don’t want to Change Jobs

One of the biggest hiring challenges in an economic downturn is that passive job seekers do not want to change jobs. While you will get an increase in the number of unemployed candidates, it may be that the candidate you want for a particular position is currently working. And employed passive job seekers are much less likely to change jobs in a recession as many of them perceive changing as risky. The irony is that staying put in their current job many times is not the safest choice. For example the government’s bailout of AIG, banks, and other seemingly stable financial institutions shows us that risks are not always what they seem.

Recruiters and hiring managers today need to work to get passive candidates to overcome their fear of change. Understand what motivates the candidate and outline all the ways that the job opening is attractive specifically to them. The fact that you are recruiting and hiring now might be a point to underscore with candidates assuming you are hiring for expansion purposes; it mean something positive is happening at your company and you are secure enough to make investments for the future.

2. Qualified Candidates are Still Hard to Find

As more organizations lay-off staff and the unemployment numbers climb, recruiters are hearing from more and more people looking for work. Rather than making a recruiter’s job easier, the increase in applicants means recruiters must be more judicious than ever in culling through the information to find the right candidates. Using all the tools available – including careful resume screening, phone interviews, face-to-face meetings, and both formal and informal (i.e. back door) reference checks – is more important than ever to make sure you’re making the right choices. Recruiters must take the time and ask the right questions to determine why the candidate is out of work or seeking a new position. We also have to be savvy when checking references to avoid getting “sympathy” references that lack candid feedback.

3. Generalized Unemployment Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story

While the headlines will tell you that unemployment is up over last year (Editor's note: Article is dated- Current unemployment is around 8.8% up from  around six percent nationally when this article was written-scary) , unemployment amongst the type of people you are recruiting might be drastically different. For instance teenaged workers might be easy to find -- according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a 19.1 percent unemployment rate for teenagers. On the other hand, the unemployment rate for college graduates is 2.5 percent, still a relatively low level. (editor's note: Now over 60%)

Recruiting during an economic downturn is not easier, but it is different. And, for organizations intent on finding top talent, adjustments must be made to their recruiting strategy.


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Do's & Don'ts of Firing an Employee

Having to fire an employee is one of the most difficult and traumatic decisions that a business owner can make. Letting an employee go is hard not only on the employee, but also on the employer, and the other employees in your company. It is a decision that should never be undertaken lightly.

Common reasons for firing an employee include:

* Performance-related issues
* Poor personality fit or attitude fit with company
* Attendance issues
* Violating company policies
* Lack of work
* Company reorganization

We've put together some quick tips on the do's and don'ts of terminating an employee:

What to Do:

1. Make the firing decision carefully, but once made, act quickly - Firing an employee is one of the most difficult decisions an employer can make, regardless of the reason for the termination. Make sure the decision is well-reasoned and thought out, and then if the decision is made to terminate, act quickly so that it does not continue to negatively affect you or other employees.

2. If firing due to performance-related reasons, ensure that multiple meetings have been held with the employee prior to making the firing decision to address and correct the performance issue.

3. Be respectful and discreet when having the termination meeting. The meeting should preserve the dignity of the employee.

4. Ensure that your severance or notice arrangements meet legal requirements. Consult an employment lawyer if necessary.

5. Ensure that you have a written termination letter and release which documents the terms and conditions of the termination.

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5 Tips to Improve Employee Morale

Increased turnovers, costly decreases in productivity and overall employee dissatisfaction are all ramifications of low morale in the workplace. Moral is a vital component of any organization or business for it to thrive and achieve success.

Here are five ways to improve workplace morale easily and inexpensively that will boost your team's performance and lower levels of tension and stress.


Install a Humor Board

Most every office has several memo boards for important work-related information, some pleasant, some not so pleasant. Install a memo board in a neutral location that is specifically for people to post jokes, cartoons, funny pictures or amusing anecdotes. This way everyone can get a little laugh after arriving for work on a dreary Monday morning.

Adopt Flextime Schedules

If possible, work out a way for employees to have more flexibility in their schedules. You may be surprised at the amount of stress that can be alleviated by this one thing. With daycares and households with two working parents, and possibly only one vehicle, this small move can be monumental to some people. Work out a schedule or system for employees to leave an hour early or come in an hour late on certain days. Alternate days and times so that everyone gets an opportunity to benefit if needed.

Get Away From It All

Hold meetings and conferences at a location away from the office if at all possible. A restaurant or local park would be a welcome alternative to a stuffy boardroom on a clear, spring day. People may be more alert and more receptive to the specifics of the meeting in another less stifling environment.

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Learn How To Create An Effective Internship Program!

Recruiters: Pre-Screening Job Interview Phone Call - How To

The pre-screening phone call for job interviews may seem like a small task, but if not done correctly can leave your company with a poor reputation. To be successful as a recruiter, employer, or small-business owner, learn from this video and do it the right way. Recruiters what is your secret to an effective "first contact" interview? Comments Below. thanks







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How To Discipline An Employee In 7 Simple Steps

How do you discipline an employee? Discipline can be an effective tool to improve your team's efficiency, productivity and morale. This  sometimes slightly humorous but well organized Videojug film will show you how to discipline an employee to its greatest effect.





Source:Videojug

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How to Improve Teamwork in the Workplace

by Jacinth Klee

For an organization to succeed and sustain commendable results in current economic times, it is imperative to develop and maintain a culture of teamwork within the whole organization. Teamwork comprises of co-operation and integration of efforts in order to achieve better results and higher job satisfaction among workers, rather than individual focus and unhealthy competition, which causes suspicion and hostility within the company. Moreover, working in teams promotes creation of ideas, improves performance through sharing while reducing unnecessary duplication of efforts.

To develop teamwork culture within an organization, the management must first understand the essential components of teamwork, the characteristics of a successful team, the factors that motivate the members (or workers) to work together towards achieving common goals and the mechanics of achieving teamwork within a company, before they can communicate their expectations to the rest of the company.

STEPS TOWARDS BUILDING A TEAMWORK CULTURE:

Clear Goals
To build a teamwork culture, the workers in an organization must know and understand the goals of the company. It would be very unproductive if the goals are unclear, and you will have a situation where individuals have their own interpretation of the company goals, and thus work towards totally different objectives.
The organizational goals and objectives must be clearly and distinctly communicated to the workers or team. In order for them to be committed to the results, they have to know what they are expected to accomplish and understand how they will work together to achieve these goals.

Mutual Trust
The general willingness to trust differs with each individual, depending on their personality types, academic and social backgrounds. There will be people who are at extreme ends of the spectrum the gullible and the suspicious. Building trust is therefore very important; employees or team members have to believe in the character and ability of each other. However, the organizational culture will also affect the climate of trust. An organization that values openness, empowerment and honesty is more likely to create trusting cultures.

Integrated commitment
This means intense loyalty and dedication to the company. The employees identify with their organization and possess a feeling of pride and belonging. They are willing to expend energy, time and resources to achieve the organizational goals.

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Learn How To Create An Effective Internship Program!