Need to hire an employee fast? Social media has straightforward, effective and inexpensive (or FREE) ways to reach out to qualified candidates.
More than 90 percent of companies are using social media to find new employees, according to a recent Jobvite study. The most popular: Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn.
If you’re up to the challenges presented by recruitment, here are four no-fail tips for using social media to find your next superstar employee:
Have you noticed the trend of reporting that good paying jobs are remaining unfilled because of a lack of qualified candidate?. Yes, in an economy being heralded as one with high and chronic unemployment, many businesses are having a hard time filling some skilled and semi-skilled positions.
Often, the skills needed are those of tradesmen like carpenters, plumbers, technicians and skilled inside salespeople. As baby boomers were drilled to get a college education, they carried the orders on to their kids. As a result, many young people either have not been able to qualify for many positions or they don’t think they can or should do many of the jobs available. Some firms have resorted to offering pay at twice the normal rate for positions and they still can’t find enough workers.
Many high schools have introduced “schools within a school” that focus on practical trades or semi-skilled professions. For example, video production, graphics arts and trades like plumbing and auto mechanics are being offered. Many students who have no plans to attend college can get practical training to take with them at graduation and are also being hired part-time while they are still in school.
Jack Rodrigues, of Rio Imports Auto Center in Clearwater, Florida has had a position for a qualified auto body mechanic open for over two years. A position became open when a staff mechanic of 20 years contracted cancer. Since then, either no applicants have had the broad experience level needed, or they want exorbitant wage amounts because there are many offers for their services. So, Jack has relied on his son and brother to handle the engine jobs, leaving the body work to him. He just hopes the right guy to fill the position walks in the door.
A recent survey done by the Wall Street Journal and Vistage International has some eye opening results. Of the 154 manufacturing firms they surveyed, 41% reported they couldn’t find candidates with the relevant experience or skills. Also surveyed were service businesses of which 30% of the 283 companies surveyed had similar trouble filling positions as did 29% of the 56 retail businesses surveyed. The lack of qualified workers is stifling the growth of small to medium sized businesses which are typically the first to recover from a recession.
The initial reaction to these results might be to suggest the business recruit unskilled workers and train willing individuals to fill the positions. Unfortunately, most small businesses do not have the training resources available to do that and often just reduce the amount of their sales commitments to the level they can fulfill without jeopardizing their quality of service.
Often times, a business relies on traditional recruiting and hiring methods, which they not only dread but is also a distraction to their business. Simple posts to Craigslist or newspaper ads usually result in a stack of responses, many so far off the mark that all are ignored and the job is unfilled unless someone literally to walks in the door. This is inefficient and misses the mark on where the current generation of workers hang out. Social networks are the means of communication for a large number of job seekers. Traditional attempts at job posts can literally go unseen. Add to that the fact that job posts have to be appealing and professional regardless of the means of conveying them.
Fact is, finding qualified candidates for a job opening has many challenges and this has led to the development of hiring platforms, like Ovation, that assist the business owner in developing appealing job descriptions that automatically post to social networks and job boards. Some even help sort out the results so that the suitable candidates rise to the top and make the selection process easier and results in better hires. These type of tools cast a wide net in the search for qualified workers.
Web and mobile enabled hiring tools are available at several price points and with an array of features. Some offer employment and background screening and pre-filled new hire paperwork in addition to the hiring, ranking and scheduling functions.
Nothing frustrates a business owner more than to leave sales on the table because they can’t fulfill them. To think that no one wants or is qualified to do the work, almost makes the problem unsolvable. But, most small business owners got to where they are because, they believed in themselves and because they didn’t give up when the going got rough. So, jobs may be going unfilled, for now, but as small business catch up to the hiring and training methods technology curve that large companies enjoy, they will be filled.
A recent survey by Careerbuilders.com revealed that it is expensive to make a bad hire. One in four of the companies responding to the survey claimed a single bad hire cost in excess of $25,000.
OK, first of all what is a bad hire? A bad hire, obviously, is one that did not work out for the company and required termination. The major characteristic identified in the survey was that the individual didn’t produce the proper quality of work. Also, negative attitude and the inability to work well with other employees was cited. Negative effect on customers and legal issues were other problems.
How does a bad hire ring up the costs? Lost productivity and lost time taken to train an individual combined with the costs to locate and hire a replacement are expensive. A bad hire or bad apple can infect the morale of a team and bring down productivity in others as well. Often, a company’s culture will quickly identify someone who isn’t going to work out. That is if the company has a positive culture.
Very well, what can a company do to prevent bad hires? Sometimes a candidate is an excellent actor and can fake their way into a company. The CareerBuilder survey revealed these reasons that a bad hire is made:
Sometimes, a bad hire is made – face it. Here’s how tools like Ovation can help to minimize bad hires. When a company adopts a hiring tool, they can start recruiting (not necessarily hiring) year round. Use the hiring tool to create effective job descriptions. Outline specific expectations and responsibilities in the job post.
“Whether it’s a negative attitude, lack of follow through or other concerns, the impact of a bad hire is significant,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. “Not only can it create productivity and morale issues, it can also affect the bottom line.” Good advice.
Managers in the hospitality business have a tough job. They must deal with vendors, customers, store design and maintenance as well as employees. Non-managerial positions in the hospitality business tend to be unskilled and low paid, adding another layer of challenges. The workers can be less than reliable and often here today, gone tomorrow.
Hiring new employees in restaurants, bars and nightclubs is typically accomplished by relying on traditional methods such as – taking applications of walk-ins looking for work; asking current employees if they ‘know somebody’; or perhaps placing a sign in the window or posting to newspapers or CraigsList. These methods do produce results, but are they the best methods?
Here is a typical hiring scenario. The establishment hiring manager does one of the above recruiting methods and as applicants come in, they have them complete an application and perhaps the floor manager will spend 5 minutes talking to them. The application goes into a pile of others and when enough are collected, the manager will shuffle them into piles and narrow them down. (If they placed an ad on Craigslist, the results can be overwhelming and chaotic. ) While this is a major distraction to running an establishment, it is also inefficient and contributes to high turnover because the hiring choices have not been vetted enough to identify the best candidates.
Most hiring activities occur when an establishment is either understaffed or growing, both hectic times. So, why do businesses continue to use these methods? First, the unstated reason is that managers like to see a prospective employee in person and “size them up”. Second, people generally do not like change. In fact, when approached with new ideas or methods, many people look for reasons to say no rather than yes.
New online tools including Ovation are making the organization and management of the hiring process in hospitality businesses much more effective. Let the computer post the jobs, keep track of the applicants, sort them best to worst and provide a steady stream of workers. By keeping a job open at all times, fresh applicants will fill the pipeline. A good online hiring solution will rank the applicants with the best suited ones rising to the top. By taking the stream of applicants out of the restaurant and onto an online platform, an establishment can better spend time developing and implementing training programs. Well trained employees are better and happier employees and since they represent the frontline in hospitality, that is very important.
The hospitality industry is a stepping stone industry for many people. Gen Y’ers, students, and people in transition represent a large part of the pool of employees and applicants. Competition for good employees is stiffer than one might guess. To pick the gems from the pack, businesses must go to where the employees are – job boards like Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com and social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Getting professional job posts out on these sites is best done using the vast array of Internet software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools. Fortunately, the change from traditional hiring to the new hiring environment can be easy and fun.
The job market is getting better, especially for qualified candidates. The use of social recruiting and job boards like Indeed and Craigslist provide a job seeker with many options. So, to be successful in your search for the ‘perfect’ candidate requires a strategy to make your offer more enticing than others. Think like a candidate when you are casting your recruiting net. Ovation is designed to help craft professional job descriptions and applications which are effective tool to do just that.
The qualified job seeker is looking for a job relevant to their skills and ambitions, they often won’t stick around your post if it isn’t in their sweet spot. So, capture their attention quickly and keep it.
Here are 8 tips to help you get inside a candidate’s mindset:
1. Make the job title as relevant to the job as possible because many people search for a job using a site’s keyword search. For example, rather than just labeling a position “Restaurant Manager”, get more specific with job titles like, “Manager for Fine Dining Restaurant” or “Manager for Fast Food Chain of Restaurants”. Try “Audit Manager for CPA firm” rather than “Auditor” or ‘Accountant’.
2. Establish “WIIFM” or “What’s in it for Me?” in the opening paragraph of the job description. For example, rather than starting with ‘ You will be responsible…’, one might say “Our team of professionals provide an energized environment that makes work fun and stimulating…”.
3. Talk about your company’s culture and include the team in describing that culture. For example, “Our team enjoys flex schedules and work together to get jobs done timely and correctly” or “Our team is empowered to make the customer happy, because a new customer is harder to get than a happy repeat customer”.
4. Be as precise as possible when listing the required skills and qualifications required. List optional skills as such so, as not to discourage applicants who fit the job but may not have those extras. At the same time, a specific job description will weed out the unqualified applicants.
5. List the location of the job and if there are optional locations, list them. Many companies hire on a regional or national basis. Candidates finding your postings on the Internet may be interested in another location or in working remotely.
6. List the pay range of the position so you don’t waste your time or their time. If a job doesn’t meet their pay expectations, let them move on to another posting.
7. List some of the benefits your company offers, and not necessarily those that cost you money, like free lunches, tuition reimbursement, 401Ks, and gym memberships. For example flex schedules and dog friendly work environments are very important to many candidates. Remember, they are buying into your culture as well as the job itself.
8. Ask specific questions in the job application. Ovation allows you to ask custom questions of the applicant. These are very useful in ranking the candidate according to suitability. For example, ‘Do you have the _____ certification?’ or ‘Do you have reliable transportation?’ or ‘Are you available for various shifts?’
Have You Seen Your Own Background Check?
In the pursuit of the best employees, companies are using innovative methods to find the right people. Social networks are a great venue to post job ads. Up to 60% of businesses will use them this year either exclusively or in conjunction with other recruiting methods.
It makes sense; to get the best, you have to go where the people are. Generation Y or Millennials-those born after the mid-1980s-are rejecting traditional job search methods, such as blindly sending out resumes, cold-calling employers or pounding the pavement. With online tools, job seekers can undertake a comprehensive job search without leaving home.
In response, some companies have developed revolutionary job posting and hiring tools. They use technology to make the experience easy for both job seekers and employers.
Many businesses don’t have recruiters or HR in-house and likely outsource those functions. Hiring for them is daunting and a distraction, and many have trouble managing the process.
Applicant tracking systems, once only available to large companies have, are now available through software-as-a-service tools like Ovation, Taleo, Snagajob among others. These advanced systems are now convenient and affordable for businesses of any size.
The appeal of hiring software is straightforward; they simplify many recruitment tasks: from helping craft an effective job description to posting directly to the social networks like Indeed.com, Craigslist, Twitter, LinkedIn and others.
In addition, web-based recruitment systems can provide online applications and collect resumes. What’s more, the best software integrates mobile apps, which gives employers flexibility to untether from the desk.
Ready to take your hiring to the next level? Here are five tips for using these new tools when posting jobs to social networks:
1. Write an appealing job post
Always make sure your job description is complete, realistic and engaging. A tired, tedious job post can easily be lost on a social network. The most compelling posts, ones with the best response rates, stand out and talk to the candidate. Personalize your descriptions. The first person tense allows the reader picture themselves in the job. Utilizing phrases like “you will be responsible to…” or “you will help the team achieve…” can make a difference in attracting confident team players.
2. Ask Questions early
Asking the right questions early in the process will help identify qualified candidates quickly. Many hiring tools can be customized to ask candidates job-specific questions in advance of a face-to-face or telephone interview. For example, asking about reliable transportation, shift availability, or relocation preferences can be useful in vetting candidates to narrow your search.
3. Repost often
Like a loaf of bread, social media posts can become stale fast. New job postings continuously push older ones down the list. To succeed, you must keep yours on top and ahead of the pack. The key is to repost often on sites like Craigslist and Twitter. This will keep your place on prime web page real estate. Frequent wording changes in the post can also help improve response rates.
4. Cast a wide net
Job applicants don’t all look in the same place for opportunities. For example, a potential restaurant manager may only be searching under “Hospitality” or “Food Service.” However, posting the same job under “Business Management” or “Customer Service” may generate other excellent candidates. Outstanding candidates can often be found by networking, so don’t forget to start your search with a reach out to your contact list asking for referrals.
5. Respond Quickly
The ease of applying for jobs through social networks allows candidates to respond to many job posts. To get the right person for the job, sometimes employers have to act fast. If you see an attractive application, response or resume, respond to the applicant with timely emails, texts or a phone call indicating your interest.
Also, it is easy to forget about the tension job seekers feel when waiting. Never leave anyone on the hook. Drop an email to all applicants, informing them whether they are or are not in the running. Respectful communication will always be appreciated, even if it is not pleasant news
Technology makes finding your next superstar employee easier. However, competition for skilled candidates is stronger than ever By using the new social recruiting tools effectively, an employer can increase the chance of connecting to their next great hire.
In the pursuit of the best employees, companies are using innovative methods to find the right people. Social networks are a great venue to post job ads. Up to 60% of businesses will use them this year either exclusively or in conjunction with other recruiting methods.
It makes sense; to get the best, you have to go where the people are. Generation Y or millennials those born after the mid-1980s-are rejecting traditional job search methods, such as blindly sending out resumes, cold-calling employers or pounding the pavement. With online tools, job seekers can undertake a comprehensive job search without leaving home.
In response, some companies have developed revolutionary job posting and hiring tools. They use technology to make the experience easy for both job seekers and employers.
Many businesses don’t have recruiters or HR in-house and likely outsource those functions. Hiring for them is daunting and a distraction, and many have trouble managing the process.
Applicant tracking systems, once only available to large companies have, are now available through software-as-a-service tools like Ovation, Taleo, Snagajob among others. These advanced systems are now convenient and affordable for businesses of any size.
The appeal of hiring software is straightforward; they simplify many recruitment tasks: from helping craft an effective job description to posting directly to the social networks like Indeed.com, Craigslist, Twitter, LinkedIn and others.
In addition, web-based recruitment systems can provide online applications and collect resumes. What’s more, the best software integrates mobile apps, which gives employers flexibility to untether from the desk.
Ready to take your hiring to the next level? Here are five tips for using these new tools when posting jobs to social networks:
1. Write an appealing job post
Always make sure your job description is complete, realistic and engaging. A tired, tedious job post can easily be lost on a social network. The most compelling posts, ones with the best response rates, stand out and talk to the candidate. Personalize your descriptions. The first person tense allows the reader picture themselves in the job. Utilizing phrases like “you will be responsible to…” or “you will help the team achieve…” can make a difference in attracting confident team players.
2. Ask Questions early
Asking the right questions early in the process will help identify qualified candidates quickly. Many hiring tools can be customized to ask candidates job-specific questions in advance of a face-to-face or telephone interview. For example, asking about reliable transportation, shift availability, or relocation preferences can be useful in vetting candidates to narrow your search.
3. Re-post often
Like a loaf of bread, social media posts can become stale fast. New job postings continuously push older ones down the list. To succeed, you must keep yours on top and ahead of the pack. The key is to repost often on sites like Craigslist and Twitter. This will keep your place on prime web page real estate. Frequent wording changes in the post can also help improve response rates.
4. Cast a wide net
Job applicants don’t all look in the same place for opportunities. For example, a potential restaurant manager may only be searching under “Hospitality” or “Food Service.” However, posting the same job under “Business Management” or “Customer Service” may generate other excellent candidates. Outstanding candidates can often be found by networking, so don’t forget to start your search with a reach out to your contact list asking for referrals.
5. Respond Quickly
The ease of applying for jobs through social networks allows candidates to respond to many job posts. To get the right person for the job, sometimes employers have to act fast. If you see an attractive application, response or resume, respond to the applicant with timely emails, texts or a phone call indicating your interest.
Also, it is easy to forget about the tension job seekers feel when waiting. Never leave anyone on the hook. Drop an email to all applicants, informing them whether they are or are not in the running. Respectful communication will always be appreciated, even if it is not pleasant news
Technology makes finding your next superstar employee easier. However, competition for skilled candidates is stronger than ever By using the new social recruiting tools effectively, an employer can increase the chance of connecting to their next great hire.
If you are in the restaurant, nightclub, bar or hotel/resort business, you are in the hospitality business. It is an exciting, people-centric and time-demanding business that is not for the faint of heart. It can also be one of the most “fun-centric” industries as well, since your customer is usually in the leisure mode when you see them, either eating, drinking, traveling or kicking back. Most jobs below owner/management level are semi-skilled, typically low paid, tip-dependent and attract a younger worker. Oh, by the way, the work is hard.
A big challenge in the hospitality business is the revolving door of workers. It is logical that turnover is great because of the age and demographics of the workforce. Young people change directions with the wind and hospitality workers generally aren’t in for a career. In fact, your training model becomes a key indicator of your company’s success since it is constantly in use.
A company’s culture is perhaps the most under emphasized component of small to medium sized businesses. A company’s culture is the assumptions and behaviors that the people in an organization use in engaging with each other and with the customer. The culture typically evolves on its own in a small business from the top down, for good or for bad. Large companies invest heavily in their culture since a good culture makes a business operate smoothly and affects the customer’s perception of the business. The Four Seasons chain of hotels and the Nordstrom department stores are often used as examples of companies with culture built around an excellent customer experience. That is a great premise for an industry that must please a lot of people with different levels of satisfaction.
Part of the instilling of a culture in an employee is providing a good experience when they join the organization. This experience is called the onboarding of a new employee and can set the tone for the relationship; again for good or for bad. The key to a good onboarding experience is completeness, friendliness and consistency.
In small business, onboarding begins with the delivery of new hire paperwork and the general instructions and expectations to the new hire.
Believe it or not, small businesses have a difficult time delivering complete and timely new hire paperwork since most have a rather harried environment and operate with a sense of urgency.
Every employee must fill out certain paperwork to comply with the law and to set up for payroll. This includes completing an I-9, a W-4 as well as various forms like basic employee data forms, and direct deposit forms. All this, plus the time an employee handbook is delivered, benefits information is made available to the employee and perhaps a welcome letter from the owner rounds out the batch of paperwork the new hire receives. The job of collecting the information usually falls on the operations manager or human resources department if one exists. In the hospitality industry, people aren’t usually hired until they are needed so, the sooner they can be put to work, the better. The proper completion of some forms requires verification of identification documents or submission of banking info for direct deposit. Inevitably, new employees arrive without identification or some other documentation. This often results in starting the employee off without a complete enrollment and often the follow-up falls short. Not a smooth transition for either the employee or the employer.
Providing new hire paperwork electronically to the employee before they show up for work through either an email or a link to the documents can take some of the strain off of the first day and allow the employee to complete the paperwork in a more leisurely manner. The employee simply shows up with the forms completed and identification in hand for verification.
Ovation provides such an electronic new hire onboarding tool with its hiring and background screening tools in an affordable, easy to use, and effective one stop platform. The platform was designed specifically with the small business in mind and is a great resource for the hospitality industry where, time and first impressions are all important.
