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6 Ways to Turn Today’s Silver Medal Candidates into Tomorrow’s Gold Medalist Hires

How often have you progressed through the hiring process and ultimately realized that your final two candidates were almost evenly matched–one just slightly nudged out the other for the gold medal employment offer? While it’s great to be in that kind of position as the employer, it can be tough to turn down a talented second choice candidate.

However, these “silver medal candidates” pose a significant opportunity for your company and great care should be taken to continuously engage them. You never know when you may need them to step up to a gold medal platform in your organization.

Have you already had the opportunity to groom silver medal candidates into eventual hires? Or, perhaps you were previously a second choice candidate that was later given the opportunity to finish first for a different role. If so, then you understand that with thoughtful practices in place, your employer can leverage a silver medalist pipeline to edge out competition by sourcing top talent quickly and in a cost effective manner. In this blog, I’ll share six behaviors that you can implement to foster enduring positive relationships with your silver medalist applicants.

1 – Set expectations from the start

So much of the content I write underscores the importance of setting clear expectations in the hiring process–but it’s so true. This critical step begins before you ever know someone will end up as your silver medalist candidate for a role. An expectation that is a part of any respectful hiring process is that the recruiter or hiring manager should tell the candidate

  • the milestones involved with the hiring process,
  • an estimate of process duration, and
  • the method by which the candidate will be informed of his/her status during and at the end of the cycle.

The added bonus of setting expectations well is that this behavior naturally forces accountability. After all, a recruiter who doesn’t follow through with what he says he’ll do is going to damage his reputation, as well as the employment brand of the organization.

2 – Promptly communicate

To reinforce the expectations set at the beginning of the hiring process, employers should communicate with candidates regularly and promptly. Even with multiple job requisitions open and oodles of candidates, there’s no excuse not to touch base with applicants thanks to the communication automation tools that are capable of candidate personalization available in applicant tracking systems.

While it can induce less stress to communicate with candidates earlier in the process, it can be trickier to do so with the final two candidates…particularly if the top pick is reviewing an employment offer you already extended while the silver medalist waits to hear if she is still in contention. If a deadline passes while you wait on an answer from your gold medalist, message the silver medalist to explain that circumstances have changed and that you will touch base with her again in a reasonable amount of time. Then, make sure you do.

Timely communication shows your respect for the candidate, and even if she doesn’t make the cut this time, she’ll remember how you treated her and the resulting word of mouth will more favorably represent your company.

3 – Reject expertly

No one likes delivering bad news, but when there are only two candidates left in your hiring process and they’ve both invested a great deal of time completing employment applications, taking assessments and interviewing, you owe the silver medalist a formal let-down. Call him–don’t just email (or worse yet, an automated email)!

And if that’s hard, make yourself accountable heading into the final phase interview by telling him (in the expectations period, remember?) that he will receive a phone call either way at the end of the process.

Then, also follow up with an email thank you and let him know of your sincere, continued interest in him for future roles within your company. Tell him how to learn about future job postings via your ATS job alert feature, and be honest about how often you might hire for positions that fall into his wheelhouse.

4 – Connect for future follow-up

During the phone call and email thank you, let the candidate know that you’re open to connecting on social media (if you haven’t already) so that you have an easy means of staying in touch with each other in the future. This is a great way for the candidate to be exposed to future career-related content that you may personally post or that is shared from your company social media profiles.

If your organization isn’t likely to be hiring relevant roles anytime soon, offer to help the silver medalist by connecting her with others in your network through virtual introductions.

To help prepare the candidate to go for the gold at the next job opportunity, make her aware of resources that might help her improve her job-related skills or knowledge (e.g. certification study courses, industry-related member associations, etc.).

5 – Nurture candidates with technology tools

Use your applicant tracking software features to designate talented second place finishers as great future candidates for other roles. Use applicant status codes or tags to mark them as “#silver,” for example. Or, better yet, “#futuregold!”

Then, it will be easy to target this group of candidates to share culture- and job-related content with them periodically. Take it a step further and observe how they interact with social media posts and engage in follow-up. Make note of their connectivity in their candidate profile within your hiring software so that future hiring managers and recruiters in your organization have a rich record of not only their potential qualification for other roles, but also their organizational engagement.

6 – Put silver medalists on the fast track

A surefire way to disengage silver medal candidates is to make them reinvent the wheel to apply to future roles that interest them. Consider that they’ve already gone through your entire selection process, so there must be opportunities to put them on the fast track for certain roles.

If you proactively source them for a new position, do the equivalent of giving them a “bye” in your recruiting tournament and start them at a later stage in the hiring process. The one exception to this may be if your organization/industry must adhere to certain compliance requirements that necessitate each individual experiencing every stage for a position.

Nevertheless, your applicant tracking system should make it easy for them to optionally pull forward previous resumes and standard application questions, while giving them the opportunity to answer job-related questions that are unique to the new role for which they are applying.

If they previously took an employee assessment that you use for many job categories, then there’s no need for them to retake it. And, especially if they are interviewing for a similar position the second time around–and you specifically invited them to apply–consider taking an informal approach with a coffee conversation to gauge the candidate’s interest, and to find out what’s new as it relates to the position and their career.

 

With proper grooming of silver medalist candidates, it will cost fewer staff hours to assess and hire the best candidates for the position because they will already be ready to go in your talent pipeline.

Choose Right HR Software | ExactHire

How to Make Social Media Work for Your Recruiting Process

These days, social media is about the best way for job seekers to see what’s out there and for hiring managers to find job seekers. Leveraging the community that social media sites provide can be an extremely effective way to source talent.

However, there are some things to remember. You have to understand the site is merely a platform. Simply being on the site will not generate results. You’ll have to make full use of the tools, network, and in some cases, paid features to be successful.

What works well?

  • First, complete all registration steps and requested information.
  • Note that full profiles with content, posts and updates will land at the top of search results.
  • Everyday interaction on social media will be required to stay “current” as well.
  • Don’t make your social media presence all about you.
  • Engage with others in non-job seeking or non-recruiting ways, too.

What doesn’t work?

  • Hiring managers can’t just post jobs and wait for the applicants to come to them. The “post and pray” method doesn’t work on even the best social media sites. You’ll have to identify keywords and run searches that target your ideal candidate. Leverage the communication features of the site to reach out and follow-up.
  • Job seekers have to go a step further and interact with and reach out to potential hiring managers. Merely setting up a profile, uploading a resume and sitting back hoping recruiters will come to them will get them nowhere.

Take a personal approach, after all we are talking about social networking.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is by far the best place for prospective white collar job seekers and recruiters. With some basic search knowledge, job seekers can identify individuals who may be the decision makers for hiring at desired locations. This allows them the ability to better customize their outreach to employers during the job application process, as well as use their network to ask for introductions to a specific individual in a position to influence the hiring decision.

They can also get the scoop on what’s available by following individuals, companies and groups. Savvy job seekers will look beyond the job postings and pay attention to what companies are posting. They shouldn’t request to connect with someone only to turn around and ask that person about a job. This tactic can be very annoying to anyone who has been on the receiving end of those connection requests before. If job seekers want to cold contact, they are better off calling the hiring manager as long as the job postings don’t advise against this approach.

As a hiring manager, you can attract individuals by leveraging your own social media profile, connections and company pages to promote openings. The same aforementioned basic search knowledge can be used to identify potential candidates. Pay attention to profile updates, promotions and those who are publishing to give you an indication of top performers.

Facebook

Although not known to be a professional networking and social media venue, Facebook does have its own advantages. Job seekers can follow their favorite companies and brands, all of whom are posting not only consumer content, but company updates and job listings. Job seekers who want to work for their favorite brands pay attention to them on Facebook.

Hiring managers, you can hire your biggest company fans by paying attention to who interacts with your company’s page. If you hire people who are already fans of your products or services they are more likely to be valuable brand ambassadors and have a passion for what they are doing within your business.

The Muse

Relatively new to the social media career site beat, The Muse is a neat site with many tools for job seekers including career advice and career development tips. Companies who are active on The Muse will have direct access to job seekers, especially those with a focus on professional and career development. You can even leverage your hiring and recruiting expertise and apply to be a career counselor.

Job seekers will enjoy themed content relating to professional development and career growth. Astute hiring managers can look to provide content and coaching while interacting with job seekers.

Business Journals

Local business journals are always on the pulse of the local marketplace. They also frequently announce promotions, “people on the move,” new businesses, new offices and many other pieces of job seeking intelligence. If you’re sourcing applicants, following the social media profiles of business journals (as well as their actual online publications) is an excellent way to identify key players and top performers…not to mention keep an eye on the latest news about the labor market.

Job seekers who follow business journals will gain insight on companies that are actively growing, hiring and promoting. They can put these companies on their short list, then flip over to LinkedIn and try to identify the decision makers.

Write [on Social Media]

This works equally well for job seekers and hiring managers. Hiring managers want to hire smart people and job seekers want to work for smart people. Make your own social media content plan and calendar. Utilize Twitter and LinkedIn to promote your recruitment brand, your company and your knowledge and expertise. Don’t forget to regularly share your job listings on social media with relevant hashtags, too. You can streamline this process using an applicant tracking system with social recruiting features. As you build a following, you will begin to attract candidates because you’ll bring positive, relevant attention to you and your company.

For job seekers, staying current on social media will help them maintain a digital portfolio and resume. For best results, they should keep it focused to their specialty and post frequently–it’s free advertising. Hiring managers are sure to be looking at job candidates’ social media profiles, so it is in the best of interest of job seekers to make sure it is not only professional but full of quality content.

 

There are many other social media platforms out there to investigate. Ultimately you’ll want to find a platform that aligns with your industry and the applicants with which you want to associate. You need to go to where your candidates are and that may even include following your competitors’ social media pages, too.

Photo Credit: Maialisa

6 Skills to Master in Your First Year Out of College

1. How to Write a Resume

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Resumes are like the windows into your job seeking souls, or a window into what you did before this job. Either way, they’re important. Whether or not you think you are a resume “expert,” every position requires a little tweaking of the resume. So, it doesn’t matter how good or bad you think your resume is, there are hundreds of ways to create or improve one that looks totally professional. Here are some previous blogs about how to do just that:

2. How to Budget

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I’m still working on this one myself, but learning how to budget your money is crucial in the year after you graduate. Through college, you were generally guaranteed a place to live and could beg your friends into giving you their leftovers, but now you might be out on your own. If you are (or if you’re trying to be) it could be time to actually log your spending/savings so that you’re not left out in the cold. If you don’t want to take my word on it, maybe read the Forbes take on it.

3. Taking Care of Yourself

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And that means getting in and out of bed at a reasonable hour. This is probably the easiest and hardest part of graduating college. Sure, you had to learn how to “cook” and maintain decently healthy living habits, but now it’s the time where you actually have to pretend to know how to be an adult. This means exercising, knowing where the produce section of the grocery store is, and hopefully having more than just alcohol and ketchup packets in your fridge at any given time.

4. Creating and Maintaining Professional Relationships

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It’s easy to fall into the routine of seeing the same people everyday, and if you’ve just graduated, it’s even easier to forget the difference in experience levels. Creating professional relationships are simple; just show and give respect where deserved, but maintaining the professionalism is a little more difficult. If you already have a job or want to study how you can become a functioning member of work culture, you can check out these blogs:

5. Interviewing Well

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Lucky for you, ExactHire has multiple blogs on how to do just that! Here are a few that you should definitely check out in order to find success at every turn, or interview.

6. Having an Opinion

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This may seem like an obvious skill to have mastered, especially after you ruled the classroom with your deep and probing thoughts; but what happens when your opinion on Jane Eyre’s choice to return to blind Mr. Rochester is no longer relevant? Answer: you form new opinions. Just as you had to do your research for that research project your senior year, you have to research your new job. The more you know and understand about the company, the easier it will be to give your own input. Though it may seem scary at first to have different thoughts than those around you, stick to what you know, show that you care, but always be open to new and other opinions.

Image credit: PUSH FOR HELP by Jonahthan Nightingale (contact)

Thank You, But We’re Not Hiring (You)

Thank you for your interest in our company. Though your resume was impressive, we have decided to consider other applicants further. I apologize for the disappointing news, best of luck in your job search.

After reading an email like the one above, a flurry of emotions begin to take hold. Overwhelming disappointment, crippling self-doubt, and a fear of eternal unemployment begin to manifest when reading rejection after rejection. College students and recent graduates, who were once eager to take on the business world, receive these emails and are quickly knocked down into the dark hollows of reality and exclusion.

College students spend four years participating in activities, workshops, volunteer events, and clubs among the countless hours of class and homework to simply be told that, outside of internship experiences, any extracurriculars hold little to no bearing on what the business is actually looking for in a candidate. Internship experience is often heavily tied to your major; CNN reported the following about various college majors and levels of success found through employment rates as well as wage:

Graduates who majored in agriculture, construction or nursing are dominating the job market. Their unemployment rates are 2% or lower — less than half the national average of 5%. Recent grads with nursing degrees make about $48,000 a year. Fine arts graduates struggle a lot — their starting salaries are on the lower side of the spectrum of new graduates: $29,000 a year, 7.6% are without a job and 62.3% end up taking lower paying jobs that don’t require a college degree.

This may seem daunting, but I am here to help! As an English major, I was told time and time again that I would never find a job – we all know the English major jokes, like McSweeney’s, Things to do with your English Degree, but in reality, it doesn’t matter what degree you have or even how hard you work – what matters is how smart you work or at least how smart you say you worked on your resume. The key is phrasing and confidence. So let’s start on how to even get through the countless job boards in order to gain the attention of a potential employer.

Where to Look

Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, and here in Indianapolis–the Charitable Advisors nonprofit job board—are just a few of the many job boards that you, a potential applicant, can look through to find a position nearly anywhere in the world. Some of my tips are to really look at the descriptions before you just click “Apply” all willy-nilly. After all, you don’t want to receive emails and phone calls from employers in which you’re not actually interested…it’s a waste of everyone’s time, yours included.

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When looking at the postings, there should be some key takeaways and red flags. With each post and potential application you should make a mental pros/cons list. As an example, let’s look at the three listings:

1st Post – Freelance Social Media Coordinator:
Pro: “Posted five hours ago” – ensures that you’ll be one of the first applicants
Con: “Dates: October 31st-January 22nd*” – no potential to work more than 3 months
2nd Post – Freelance Writer
Pro: “Sponsored by Work Market” – since the company is sponsoring their own work, it is likely that they are well known and can provide a position that is exactly what you are looking for (in the freelance world)
Con: “Sponsored by Work Market” – oftentimes when a job listing is sponsored, it either has been dormant or it is done through a recruiting agency (which isn’t always a bad thing, it’s all about your personal preference) and Work Market is a site that requires payment for specific applications
3rd Post – Sales Specialist – PT Freelance
Pro: “Part-Time Sales” – as long as you enjoy sales positions, this is guaranteed to not have a predetermined end date
Con: “Posted 30+ days ago” – this job has probably been dormant or filled for awhile now.
Generally, it is unlikely to hear back from a listing that has been posted for more than 10 days (based on personal experience)

Though I can’t guarantee you these methods will work in finding you a job, I have listed a few websites where you can find a job, potentially leading you to the pond of real-world employment (or interning).
Indeed
VelvetJobs (this one requires a membership)
Charitable Advisors (non-profit positions)
Monster
SimplyHired

Selling Yourself (and Skills)

I’ve mentioned a few times that the huge selling point is phrasing and working smarter, not harder; in a resume, cover letter, or interview you want the employer to see you as an ideal fit. As a fine arts grad myself, this should be overwhelmingly concerning, right? Well, lucky for me, I minored in business and interned solely in the marketing field throughout college (hence, I am able to phrase my experience as a strong concentration in business and marketing). My dreams of being an editor-in-chief and publishing young adult authors such as Sarah Dessen and J.K. Rowling have been put on the back burner (for now) in order to make ends meet. I’m kidding – I truly have enjoyed working in the marketing field, and anyone that enjoys reading, editing, and writing should strongly consider looking into a business-esque job because the possibilities are endless. But that doesn’t let everyone off the hook; if you didn’t minor or intern in the business field, how do you even land an interview?

First, you’ve got to believe in yourself. Sounds cheesy, I know, but if you think you’re qualified, than others are more likely to believe it too. Your resume is the primary place to present this confidence. Everyone knows how to list jobs and internships, but not everyone knows how to describe the experience. Monster, one of the job boards listed above, made a list of mistakes to avoid that you can check out here, but what I have found to be most important are tips number four and eight.

4. Highlighting duties instead of accomplishments
It’s easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing job duties on your resume…Employers, however, don’t care so much about what you’ve done as what you’ve accomplished in your various activities. They’re looking for statements more like these:
· Used laptop computer to record weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference.
· Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared them for a 10-minute holiday program performance.
· Reorganized 10 years worth of unwieldy files, making them easily accessible to department members.

8. Leaving off important information
You may be tempted, for example, to eliminate mention of the jobs you’ve taken to earn extra money for school. Typically, however, the soft skills you’ve gained from these experiences (e.g., work ethic, time management) are more important to employers than you might think.

These tips lead the employer to see that you’re driven to achieve rather than someone likely to sit by and wait for direction. Success, no matter how big or small, is an important factor to exhibit on a resume. It shows the employer that you are motivated and confident in your ability to bring achievement to a team. It’s easy to become discouraged when entering the workforce, but what is important to remember is that you are capable of anything you set your mind to. Finding a job you like is hard but selling yourself on a piece of paper is even harder; you have to believe that you deserve that job then take the necessary steps to obtain it.
The hiring playing field is far from level, but by being confident in your skill set and searching in the right places, you may find just the job you’ve been looking for.

Image credit: Dealing With Rejection by Honest Blogger (contact)

Trending: Reverse Job Fairs

Money makes the world go ‘round. And time is money.  So it is no wonder that companies and job seekers alike look for ways to save time and money in finding the right employer-employee match. A newer fad that seems to be catching on in the recruiting world is a trend referred to as Reverse Job Fairs, or RJF.

What Is A Reverse Job Fair?

Job seekers set up booths with science-fair like flair. Stacks of printed resumes, posters of accomplishments, degrees, pictures, recommendations, achievements, and samples of individual works can be displayed around the main attraction, the job seeker. All the while, hiring managers and recruiters can walk around and see what type of talent is available.

  • Employers Come to Candidates

    A divergence from the normal job fair, where HR professionals display information about their company and wait for candidates to act interested and approach their booth, this approach offers a different perspective. RJFs display the job-seeker’s assets and allow the HR/ recruiting role to peruse the stock of potential candidates.

  • Spotlight On The Candidate

    The time is now. As the job markets continue to become more competitive and companies are fighting over qualified candidates, this approach allows you (the job seeker) to present yourself in a way that highlights all your best assets and abilities.

  • Where Are RJFs?

    Many colleges are already setting these RJFs up for seniors and recent graduates to help them land the proper job that can launch their careers. Most colleges host industry-specific RJFs or organize them with a common theme in order attract many employers. Having a focused theme also yields a pool of qualified candidates with desirable traits.

  • How Much Does it Cost to Attend?

    Time is the biggest investment here. Not only in the time a job seeker stands at a booth, but in the time invested before the RJF. Like most things, you get back what you put into a RJF. Spending time to prep the booth, materials, and presentation are worthwhile for the job seeker.

  • Results

    Hiring managers and recruiters agree that RJFs offer them a good bang for the buck, so to speak. Being able to scan over 100 potential candidates in a few hours and dig in deeper to the most qualified candidates saves a lot of time.


ExactHire offers small- to medium-sized businesses the opportunity to save time and money with hiring technology. Applicant Tracking, Reference Checking, and Onboarding can all be automated and streamlined with the use of our cloud-based solutions. To learn more visit our exacthire.com or contact us today!

 
Image credit: DAY 255 (TEXT ADDED) by WEST MIDLANDS POLICE (contact)

Speaking With Passion – Job Seekers Can Learn From The Seattle Seahawks

Well, the Super Bowl matchup is set. And although my hometown team took quite the proverbial…uh…kick in the face (is that a proverb?), I believe the two best teams from the 2014 season are headed to Phoenix. I’m still trying to purge the Colts-Patriots game from my memory and extract foot from mouth.

The Packers-Seahawks game was obviously the best matchup of the two. There were a lot of great plays during the game, but let’s review the post-game interviews to see what job seekers can glean from what I’d like to call the Seattle Interview Technique, or “SIT”.

Bringing Passion To The Interview – SIT

You remember last year, when a rising star named Richard Sherman approached a post-game interview with….well, with a little bit of energy?


Classic. No one will forget that. Some thought it was crazy, but it’s actually what SIT is all about: passion.

Sure he scared the daylights out of Erin Andrews, but he got everyone’s attention too. And if you can’t grab the interviewer’s attention, you won’t likely stand out as the best. But job seekers, a little bit of advice: Even if you are THE BEST, let’s stick to answering the interviewer’s questions.


So fast forward to this past Sunday. There was obviously a lot of energy and emotion after Seattle’s improbable comeback. There was a lot of SIT on display too!

This is the ideal SIT. There’s passion, but humility. Communication is clear. Word choice is good. Ms. Andrews probably walked away with tears in her eyes, convinced that Mr. Wilson was the best QB around–or at least the best fit for the Seahawks. 

Job Seekers: You don’t have to be the best. You just have to be the best fit for the job and the organization.


Later on, wide receiver Doug Baldwin channeled Richard Sherman and made the case that he and his team had overcome doubters. Apparently, this was an attempt to convince the interviewer that he possessed perseverance and unrelenting confidence in the face of adversity.

There was a lot of passion in this outburst (unfortunately the video has been lost to the internet), but there was a minor detail that undercut his point: The Seahawks were actually the #1 playoff seed and 6-point favorites in that game; very few doubters to be found.

But meh, whatever gets you going in the morning. SIT is not always easy to execute. It’s a balance between exuding passion and coming across as a professional. For me, this example of SIT rang hollow. Thankfully, Russell Wilson’s interview forced this contrived mess to the back page.

Job Seekers: Passion is great, but don’t force it. It could actually take away from, rather than enhance, your performance.


It’s important to note that SIT is not practiced by all Seahawks. In fact, one player has decided to go the opposite direction. Seattle’s starting running back, Marshawn Lynch, has popularized his own, highly controversial technique, MUM–which isn’t an acronym at all. When Mr. Lynch decides to respond to a question, it’s usually only a few words and often repeated throughout the interview.

Yeah, sometimes you are just THAT good. You can walk into an interview, throw down your portfolio, and let your work speak for itself…drop the mic. But even if you are that good, the interviewer still has a job to do. The interview–unnecessary as it may seem–is an important process for the employer–the employer who you chose to engage with by the way. Yeah.

Job Seekers: Please only attempt this technique if your performance is so excellent that it speaks for itself…or if you have an endorsement deal with Skittles. Yeah.

Passion + Performance = Success

The Seattle Seahawks have earned their position in the Super Bowl thanks to an impressive combination of experience, talent, and superb performance. However, it is their passion for what they do that gets attention and makes them standout in interviews. It’s not always the top performers or veterans that make it to the top, many times it’s the people who can combine those tangibles with a driving passion to be THE BEST.

 

ExactHire provides technology for hiring that helps organizations hire individuals with the right mix of talent, experience, and passion. Pre employment screening solutions include background checking, reference checking, and behavioral/cognitive assessments. For more information, please visit our Resources page or contact us today.

 

Image credit:
Loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium Seahawks-10
by Philip Robertson (contact)

So You’ve Graduated And Need A Job – Now What?

The month of August seems to bring new life, and especially after our seemingly endless Permafrost due to the Polar Vortex, new life is beyond welcome. The month of May also brings a new round of college graduates ready to bring new life to the workforce after years of educational development and preparation. If you’ve graduated recently, this blog is for you!

First and foremost, congratulations on your degree! Your seemingly endless hours of studying and prepping (and occasional partying) will pay off, but it is up to you to emphasize what YOU bring to the workforce and not rely solely on the a piece of paper that says you earned a degree. The diploma is an achievement, but how you use your education is the greater achievement. From employers’ eyes, companies are seeking individuals who can utilize education in a way that yields benefits to the companies themselves. How you apply what you learned is the key that opens new doors.

Your homework does not stop at graduation. It is only the beginning. When you are applying for jobs, do not apply whimsically. Research the companies in which you are looking. Know the companies’ products, locations, and what they really do. Ask yourself, “Does this company appear to offer opportunities to challenge me where I can grow?” along with “Is this a company where I feel like I can ethically work?” I am quite sure you are thinking, “Sure, that’s nice to think about, but I have loans to pay off so I need a job now.” I am not disagreeing there…those loans will need to be paid back and paid back soon, but you need to find a company where you fit just as the company needs employees that fit their culture.

Job Tips for New Graduates

From a recruiter’s eye, seeing an applicant’s resume with an extensive display of job jumping of six months here, four months here, nine months there can easily make the recruiter want to pass on you, even if you are qualified, because you would be considered a flight risk. According to a CBS MoneyWatch article, employee turnover digs deeply in the company budget, and an organization cannot financially take the risk on hiring someone who might be job jumping again in a few months. Longevity is a good thing. Even if you accept a position that is not your dream role, stay at that company for at least a year but preferably two or three; you do not know when you might be able to internally transfer to a new role that you prefer, and future employers will find your commitment appealing.

When you go on interviews for the jobs to which you applied, be ready and be confident. Again, that is easier said than done. There is that Catch 22 question: How do I get a job if I don’t have experience, and how do I get experience if I don’t have a job? Focus on any college employment and volunteer activities in which you participated and share what you learned and how you grew from those activities. When meeting with recruiters, explain those responsibilities and how those skills you acquired and refined can transfer to the job in which you are interviewing. If you were not very involved in college, start volunteering now. Volunteering is a great way to serve others, and in addition, do some professional networking.

Work on your communication skills. Speak with a confident tone and eliminate the “uhhhs.” Make eye contact, but do not stare because that can be considered a rude or aggressive behavior. Practice makes perfect so complete mock interviews with your college Career Services office or with professionals with whom you trust their feedback. In your interviews, emphasize another key aspect you bring to the table–technology skills. Your generation grew up with technology so describe the tools you have used and how you are eager to learn about incorporating new technology to maximize efficiency.

Willingness & Enthusiasm Matter

Be open-minded and look at the macro (world) and micro (company/employment field) with wide eyes. You are a novice, but that is ok! Share with the employer that you are willing to learn, and you can bring a plethora of ideas that can bring new life to the company. Not all of your ideas will be implemented or even supported, but if you show you are willing to share your ideas and are accepting of constructive criticism, your ideas could bloom where they are planted. Employers want employees that are firmly rooted in the wellness of the organization so this is your time to shine and share. You are not going to get the corner office and move up to CEO immediately, but hard work can help you move up that ladder.

Congratulations again, Graduates! You have been receiving “wisdom” from others for years so take that wisdom and customize what you have learned on your endeavors. It is a new, exciting and even scary time for you, but if you do your homework and continue to learn, whether it be about your profession or specific companies or related topics, you will continuously improve your most influential and powerful tool…yourself!

ExactHire provides recruiting and employee onboarding software to small and medium businesses to help them leverage technology in the hiring process. For more information about my company’s product, please visit our resources page or contact us.

Image credit: Graduation Cake Guy by David Goehring (contact)

How to Close Your Final Interview – 2 Key Tips

There are lots of resources on the web about how to put together a good resume, find job openings, get through online application software and get in the door as an applicant. No doubt these are important things for any potential job seeker.

However, there is another element of the process that doesn’t seem to get as much attention — how to close for the job. Before you jump to any conclusions, this isn’t about turning you into a salesperson. So, don’t let the “close” term intimidate you. Instead, it’s just a natural conclusion to the process to that point. I’m a big believer that these last two steps to closing for the job you want can and will differentiate you from other candidates.

So, below are two key tips to incorporating the close into your job search…

Summarize everything that’s happened & discover concerns

You’ve done all the hard work of getting a foot in the door, performing well in prior interviews, providing references, etc. Now that the final interview is finishing up, seize the opportunity when the interviewer asks if you have any final questions. Certainly, be prepared to ask about the things that may not have been answered to that point. Once those are resolved, now is the chance to find out more. First off, be prepared (briefly) to summarize your unique qualifications for the job and why you feel you’ll be a good fit for the organization. This should be no longer than 20-30 seconds.

Once you’ve finished this statement, ask the following (in your own words):

Are there any aspects of my background or my fit for this position that create any concern for you?

This may seem uncomfortable at first, but putting this on the table will help you discover very quickly if there is anything that might potentially hurt your chances with the person conducting this final interview. Knowing it now at least allows you to address it.

Ask for the job

This is the “close” referenced earlier, and it doesn’t have to be any type of gimmick or salesy pitch. As I said before, it should just be a natural next step from what has happened to this point. You’ve made the final interview, you’ve answered all questions, you’ve summarized why you feel you’ll be a good fit for the role, and you’ve asked if there are any final issues that might keep you from moving forward. Assuming the interviewer indicates there are no real concerns from his/her standpoint, now is the chance to take the mystery out of the process. At this point (again, in your own words), state the following:

Based on my qualifications and what we’ve covered to this point, I’m very interested in filling this position for the company. What are the next steps we need to take from here?

Anyone who has ever made the final interview stage, only to have the position go to someone else unexpectedly, knows how frustrating this can be. Following these steps will help you avoid this scenario. Regardless of how the sequence plays out, you’ll know where you stand as you walk out of the interview.

Again, don’t make the mistake of assuming interviewers will share their true feelings about your chances of landing their job. There’s nothing for them to gain by proactively offering their thoughts in this type of situation. Instead, stretch outside your comfort zone and make sure you get the information you want.

ExactHire offers software that helps small- to medium-sized companies to automate their hiring process and improve results. For more information about our software applications, please visit our resources page or contact us.

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Got a Failure to Communicate? Soft Skills Matter More Than You Think

It is not uncommon to hear the words “skills gap” repeatedly mentioned by hiring managers when discussing why positions are vacant and how to win the search for the Holy Grail (AKA–the perfectly fitting candidates to fill those vacant positions). There is great debate on what exactly comprises a “skills gap” and why positions stay vacant. Is the gap based on technological skills? Technical skills? Soft skills? A mix? A recent telephone survey conducted by Adecco Staffing to 500 executives sheds some light on this topic, and the results generated from that phone survey might not be that shocking. 44% of those surveyed reported the gap they experience most often is based on a lack of soft skills.

How to Screen for Soft Skills

Soft skills. Interesting adjective: soft. Soft skills are anything but soft because those skills provide the core foundation for an employee’s success within an organization, and that success is essential for a company to survive in this volatile economic market. If a company hires a candidate with less than stellar soft skills, that can be a huge liability to the company. Customer service is a key role in every position, no matter if that person does not directly contact the company’s clients. Employees must positively interact with teammates in order to deliver exemplary customer service and not just meet, but exceed, the customer’s demands. If the customer is not happy, that customer will find another company to make it happy…and tell other potential customers about its experience along the way. Employee assessments can assist hiring managers in identifying candidates who could possibly integrate successfully into the company culture. We are human. Disagreements can and will occur because great talent comes from various personality styles; it is how those disagreements occur constructively and how they are resolved positively for growth to occur and innovative ideas to formulate and come to fruition.

Effective communication skills are some of the most sought after soft skills. Unless the job specifically requires it, a person does not need to be an accomplished speaker or published writer with a long list of accolades; that person does need to have the communication skills to express thoughts and ideas efficiently and be able to give and receive constructive criticism in a positive manner along with demonstrating the ability to coherently express himself/herself in written language. Displaying professionalism in the work environment means displaying the same behaviors sought. Leading by example impacts others more profoundly than preaching empty words and barking orders. Managers need to take a look in the mirror and ask themselves: Am I a supportive mentor to my team? Am I displaying the same characteristics I expect from my team?

Ways to Enhance Your Communication Skills

So how can a person improve his/her soft skills? Volunteering is a great way to help others while helping oneself. When working with diverse groups of people, a person will be introduced to different communication styles which in turn gives an individual an opportunity to refine his/her communication skills. There is an extensive list of nonprofit organizations that are desperately seeking human capital to volunteer; use your favorite search engine to get a list of those places, or just contact an organization that piques your interest and call it to see how you can volunteer. Another way to enhance communication skills is to find a professional mentor who can support you as you branch out of your comfort zone and what you feel is the norm. Look at networking groups to meet and integrate with others. Take a class. Many colleges have noncredit classes at a low fee or credit based classes you can audit at a reduced tuition rate if you do not want the college credits. There are so many classes that are applicable to human resources, interpersonal communications, and organizational development that will expand your ideas, but even taking a course based on a hobby introduces you to others’ perspectives where you can also share your own. It is never too late to learn new concepts.

Employers want employees who can “play well” together because time is too limited of a resource to be spending it putting out fires among the team. The old adage plays true–you are only as strong as the weakest link, and if that link breaks, it might not be able to be repaired. Time needs to be spent on the organization’s mission and not bandaging internal conflicts. People tend to spend more time at work or working at home than non-work related activities so it is important to develop a team of mutually supportive individuals aiming for the same goals but with creativity and innovative skills to help the team take a very unique route to achieve those goals. After all, isn’t it great to enjoy the scenery on the way to arriving at the destination?

To learn more about employee assessments available from ExactHire, please visit our assessment features page or contact us today.

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