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Thank You, But We’re Not Hiring (You)

in Hiring Process, Workforce Management/by Christian Willey

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.

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)

New FOX TV Pilot “HR”…Will It Be A Hit?

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

I just finished reading a post discussing a new sit-com pilot on FOX with the working title HR. I’ll link to that article a little bit later, but for now let’s consider what this new show might mean to the world of Human Resources.

I certainly support the idea of a new comedy based around the Human Resources profession–no loss for material there. But I can’t help but wonder if HR will be short-changed. Now before you think that I’m just being a Debbie..er Donnie Downer, hear me out.

Workplace Comedy

People spend the majority of their waking moments at work. Sadly, for many it’s anything but funny. It’s dull, boring, and monotonous. Only 48% of U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs according to The Conference Board–a nonprofit research organization that has conducted the Job Satisfaction Survey since 1987.

So why are workplace comedies so popular? I think Bob Newhart explained it well, “Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it, and then move on.”

When weary workers arrive home to ultimately plop in front of a screen, they’re looking for something. They want to escape. They want to get distance from their day. This can be done countless ways, but workplace comedy provides the opportunity to both escape and laugh at oneself. And for many, that is more than entertainment, it approaches a type of therapy.

So I know that I won’t find many sympathetic souls to join me in questioning the idea of HR as comedy. In fact, at first blush, the profession may seem to be tailor made for it. Even HR professionals themselves would likely agree that their jobs can frequently incite laughter, or at the very least amusement. People do funny things, and at work HR is there to…document it.

However, there is a risk that the Human Resources profession could–as often occurs–be unfairly painted with a broad brush. Frequently, HR is seen as the rule maker, rule enforcer, and both the source and destination for workplace grievances. Sure, a comedy could succeed in laying bare the hilarious truths and absurdities that HR silently, compliantly deals with–and that’s a great start–but what about the genuinely positive role of HR in the workplace? How is that story told?

The Other Side Of The Coin

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to be a buzz kill here. A sit-com is not a social movement or cause. There is no requirement that it simultaneously function as a PSA either. Its goal is to maximize the number of people tuning in to laugh on a weekly basis.

But in looking back at some popular workplace comedies, yes, they were hilarious, but they also treated the professions they satirized with dignity. Think of TV series like M*A*S*H, Taxi, WKRP In Cincinnati, and Cheers. These shows produced a ton of laughs, but they also developed depth in characters, especially the lead roles. In this way, these comedies became something more for the viewers.

Of course, there are other workplace sitcoms with well developed characters, but these weren’t alone in portraying the dignity of a profession to the masses. These sit-coms were counterbalanced by a TV drama that focused on the same profession. For instance: Scrubs could be over-the-top zaney because ER was grounded; Night Court brought humor to the courtroom, while Matlock brought justice; and the motley team of detectives in Brooklyn Nine-Nine are a nice reprieve from Law & Order: XYZ.

Where Will “HR” Land?

As I said, a comedy around the HR profession should have no trouble providing hilarious stories. I will be watching the pilot episode, and I hope the show is funny and ultimately lands a series. But more importantly, I hope that this show succeeds in creating characters who portray the positive aspects of Human Resources professionals.

Yes, let’s laugh at the self-martyring employees, office pranks gone awry, and innocent, but thoughtless and inappropriate, workplace behavior. But let’s also see the real humans behind these HR roles, the ways in which they are trying to enhance the lives of employees, provide guidance on difficult personnel matters, and how they are trying to make the workplace less dull, boring, and monotonous.

If we can walk away from the pilot episode of HR with a dozen laughs and a greater appreciation for the work of Human Resources professionals, then I think FOX may have a very promising comedy in its hands. To learn more about HR, you can check out the SHRM post here. It gives you a detailed overview of the concept, the cast of characters, and a fun discussion about possible plots for this new show–it’s a fun read.

ExactHire provides hiring software for small- to medium-sized businesses that enables Human Resources professionals to spend more time with people and less time on process.

Does HR Tech Dehumanize HR?

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

Technology distorts and weakens vital human interactions that are essential to the development of healthy, productive relationships.

Living in scholarly articles and strewn across the internet, there are endless theories and opinions on the profound impact that rapidly advancing technology is having on our society. Mixed with these viewpoints–and perhaps coloring them with shades of the apocalypse–is a very real fear; it is the fear that with the gains of technology, we are losing parts of our humanity.

Humans as Resources

The term “Human Resources” was coined in the late 19th Century– at the beginning of the Second Industrial Revolution. Then, it simply referred to the concept of humans as capital assets, or worse, commodities. It was not until the latter half of the 20th Century in the United States, with the founding of what would become the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), that the modern understanding of Human Resources began to evolve.

Today, Human Resources Management has grown from a profession primarily handling payroll and benefits, to one that manages the entire employee life cycle, succession planning, compliance, and labor relations–to name just a few functions. But as the scope of Human Resources Management has grown, so too has the time and work required to execute these functions. This fact has led organizations to do one of two things: hire additional, specialized HR professionals for the myriad functions; or rely on a few highly trained individuals to manage it all.

For many small- to medium-sized businesses, hiring additional HR professionals is not an option, so these organizations must rely on the talents and efforts of a few–or even just one. But how can an “HR Department of One” perform at a level of efficiency that matches an “HR Department of Many”?

Dehumanize HR

Dehumanize HR. Yes, a highly controversial answer when taken out of context; however, when an organization’s ultimate goals are considered, it becomes very clear that much of Human Resources Management is not about managing humans, it’s about managing processes. And a process managed by technology, rather than an HR professional, creates the time and opportunity for people to meaningfully interact–the net result being an experience that is more human, not less.

Over the past decade, our society–our world–has grown increasingly connected with rapid advances in technology. The Digital Age has brought efficiencies to almost every part of our lives, many that would have been unfathomable to those living in the mid-20th Century. So why could there be hesitancy to adopt technology to create efficiencies in Human Resources Management?

Fear: HR Software Is a Threat

Some HR professionals fear that by incorporating technology into their departments, they will be eliminating the need for HR staff. The thought is that if technology can automate so much, then why will we need a person to do it manually? This could lead to a fear of having to fire good people, not to mention the fear of losing one’s own position.

Reality: Technology is a tool to be used.

At least for the time being, much of the technology used in HR today still requires intelligent, experienced humans behind it. So the real danger for HR professionals is in failing to adopt and learn new technologies. The technology won’t replace you, but other humans who know how to use the technology will.

Fear: HR Technology Is a Liability

Transitioning from “do it yourself” to “login, click, and voila!” can be nerve-racking initially. There‘s the uneasiness of it being too easy–what once took hours to complete can now be accomplished in minutes. And so suspicion and doubt may arise as to whether the personal information is safe, documentation is adequate, and compliance reporting requirements can be met.

Reality: Technology can increase security and accuracy.

Although it may be natural to believe more in what we can see than in what we cannot see, technology has advantages: it does not forget, it does not misunderstand, it does not misfile. Great HR software is developed by a team that knows the HR industry and the compliance complexities that it entails. The best solutions will be backed by a customer support team that stays abreast of changes and ensures that the software is continually updated to meet a client’s compliance and reporting requirements.

Fear: Automating HR with Technology Is Just Wrong

For some, any change that radically alters their way of doing things will simply be labeled as wrong. End of story. This fear is held with the valid belief that not all things “new” add value. By refusing to consider new technology, these individuals can continue to think and perform within their safe zone, while feeling more in control.

Reality: Automation provides professional growth opportunities.

Let’s not get emotional. Yes, there is the aforementioned uneasiness of doing something new when we’ve done something one way for a long time. But, we must not confuse “change for the sake of change” with growth. It should be every professional’s goal to continually improve and grow in what they do. This can be done through learning new concepts, implementing new ideas, or finding and using new tools. Not all concepts, ideas, and tools will add value, but refusing to explore the possibilities inhibits your growth as a professional.

These are just a few fears that some HR professionals may have when they consider adopting HR technology for their organizations. The common thread among them is that the fears are unfounded when considering quality HR technology. Sure, there is junkware out there that may validate these fears, but organizations that carefully research options will find a number of solutions that meet their needs and empower their HR staff to focus on people, rather than process.

What’s Your Recruiting Personality? [QUIZ]

in Workforce Management/by Randi Renee Doerr, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Looking to get into the recruiting profession? Or, maybe you’re already a seasoned pro but just want to better identify your true recruiting strengths? Whatever the case, take ExactHire’s “What’s Your Recruiting Personality?” Quiz to identify your talent acquisition sweet spot.

From recruiting analytics and compliance reporting to social media and screening, this entertaining yet informative quiz will use your answers to ten short multiple choice questions to point you in the direction of your most prominent recruitment personality type.

Whether you’re happy managing metrics, driven by social shares or energized by candidate conversations…there’s a recruitment role that speaks to your passion. No matter which personality type you call your own, one thing is certain across all personalities…the recruitment field is always evolving and challenging professionals to adapt their sourcing styles.

This is especially true when it comes to navigating the mobile recruiting space. As a result, the ExactHire team has included examples of mobile recruiting software features especially well-suited for each recruiter type in each persona description.

What are you waiting for? Take the quiz and then share the results with your friends!

Image Credit: Any Questions? by Matthias Ripp (contact)

Stressed Out HR

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

A funny thing happens when you get busy. You get stressed. Now, some people handle stress better than others, but to some degree stress affects a change on everyone. You begin to lose focus on the unimportant things or, at least, the not immediately important things. This is hardwired in all of us, and it can be really useful for, say, a race car driver or a mountain climber. Those guys and gals need to be focused on the extreme activities in front of them and not much else.

But what about your average Joe or Jane in the Human Resources Department? How does stress and this narrowing of focus impact them?

Human Resources Cutting Corners

Recruiting for talent is stressful, especially in today’s job market. To succeed in finding and hiring the best for your organization, you have to raise awareness and garner excitement around your open position first. This means you must write a compelling job description that attracts top talent and hopefully references an awesome work culture. You also need to cast your nets wide by posting jobs on social media, utilizing niche job boards, and leveraging the power of job aggregators. Then you have to review and organize applications and communicate with hiring managers and applicants. This might be manageable with one or two open positions, but what if you’re hiring for several jobs? And what if you’re an HR Department of One? Hello stress!

Stress begins to seep into your workflow the moment work volume exceeds your work capacity. This is precisely when “immediately unimportant” items or tasks get dropped.

Now, some might say that high work volume is “a good problem to have” and “job security,” and that “desperate times” (high work volume), “call for desperate measures” (cutting corners/dropping items). But this mentality and approach can sabotage an organization’s talent management efforts because it masquerades as a solution, while not addressing an inconvenient truth: a well-planned, efficient hiring process does not contain any unimportant items or tasks–everything is important.

But say your organization doesn’t have a well-planned, efficient hiring process. Suppose it, instead, places its faith in an HR professional with a keen sense of what’s important and timely for an effective, high-quality hiring process. Well, stress has a funny way of dulling the senses, and when an organization relies on the “keen senses” of HR to reach its talent goals, it’s setting itself up for failure. Because while cutting corners may be a byproduct of high work volume at first, eventually those cut corners will become an established part of the process.

Unintended Behavior Modification

Ever seen a dog exploring the boundaries of a newly installed electric fence? You know, those invisible ones. I haven’t (because I find a real fence to be kinder), but from what I hear, the dog will approach the boundary and receive a shock. Eventually, after getting zapped enough times, the dog learns not to approach the boundary for fear of being shocked.

When our HR professional drops items or tasks in the face of “too much volume, not enough capacity,” he is modifying his behavior to overcome stress just like the dog. Overtime, the HR professional will learn to drop items and tasks before he reaches capacity, so as to avoid the stress. This leads to a drop in recruiting/hiring quality because the dropped items are often things like:

Posting jobs to social media with frequency (“But, one tweet is enough, right?”)

Writing a remarkable job description (“But, all the vital information is there…they get the idea.”)

Consistent, timely, and appropriate follow up with applicants (“But, it’s not immediately important.”)

Projecting a friendly and welcoming demeanor to job applicants (“But, I’m too stressed to be kind!”)

Proactively communicating with colleagues to keep everyone on the same page ( “Sorry, I meant to tell you sooner. I just have a lot on my plate.”)

Taking care of the above distinguishes an organization in the eyes of top talent (the excuses…are just that, excuses). Neglecting the above is not professional, and it hurts the hiring process. So does that mean 60-hour work weeks for our HR Department of One? No.

Getting Resourceful

If the dog in our story above wants to chase a squirrel beyond its limits and avoid the shock of the electric fence, running into the fence more often is not going to help. The shock (stress) will only increase. But suppose that dog climbed up on the the patio table adjacent to the invisible fence and jumped over it? It avoids the shock and can now have a chance at that squirrel.

Our HR Department of One can likewise chase top talent (purple squirrels even) by being resourceful when faced with stress caused by high work volumes. Rather than viewing work capacity as static and immovable, they can explore ways to increase capacity and enhance quality in hiring. HR technology accomplishes both. By automating many of the time-consuming tasks that are vital to high quality recruiting and hiring processes, HR can be free to focus on the things that distinguish their organizations in the job market.

ExactHire provides hiring and employee onboarding solutions to assist organizations in attracting, hiring, and retaining talent. To learn more about how you can leverage our SaaS solutions to optimize your talent management efforts, contact us today!

Feature Image Credit: stressed by rick (contact)

2 Ways To Avoid A “Workation”

in Workforce Management/by Christa Wynk

It’s fall break time and lots of ExactHire employees have vacation plans over the next two weeks. It’s hard to avoid slipping into vacation mode a little early, knowing that the beach is calling my name. Having flexible work time allows some extra time to prep for travel, but I am also reminded of the extra work that will be waiting for me upon my return. How do you avoid a slump in productivity before vacation, a heap of work after vacation, or–most importantly–bringing work with you on “workation”?

Work Hard Before….

This is the philosophy I am trying to use this time around, and it seems to be working so far. T-minus 2 days ‘til I leave for the Caribbean, but I still have lots I want to get done. I am hoping that my Inbox will be nearly empty before leave, and I am working to get all invoices and bills entered ahead of time. The more I can do now, the less I have to do when I get back–no one wants to play catch up! I also know my personality and that I can better relax on vacation, knowing that all my work is taken care of. I know there will still be a stack of items to work through upon my return, but tying up loose ends before I go means that the stack won’t be nearly as tall or time-sensitive.

Relax Early….

Ahhh, but there are times when it is so nice to just start coasting into vacation! It’s easy to get excited about travel plans, the fun things you’ll do, the gorgeous blue waters, the hot sunshine…(I’m a beach bum, but born in the wrong state! Can you tell!?) Anyways, with this approach you might know that you have items to finish upon your return, but if none of those items are time-sensitive, they won’t worry you while you’re away. In this way, you enter vacation calm and relaxed–not burnt out. Some might also refer to the HUGE amount of work waiting for you as “job security”. Just be careful that the HUGE amount of work won’t lead to a stressful first week back–that could very well negate the positive effects of your vacation.

Considerations For Both Approaches

List tasks for the week before vacation, during vacation, and the week after vacation.
- Prioritize based first on due-date, then on importance.

Which tasks can be done by another member of your team while you are gone?
- How difficult are these tasks?
- If complicated, can you complete those tasks before you leave?

Of course, your organization’s work culture will also determine which of these approaches you take. How your team covers duties while employees are out may influence how much you take on or put off. Make sure to communicate with your colleagues so that even if your “vacation approach” is different, the organization and customer service are not negatively affected.

Bon voyage!

ExactHire provides hiring software to help HR Professionals streamline processes and get more done in less time with better outcomes. To learn more, contact us today!

Getting The Most From Your Work Commute

in Workforce Management/by Tom Branson

Hello. How ‘bout that ride in.

Every weekday morning, millions of Americans take to their cars and head to work. According to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, workers from the 30 largest U.S. cities spend an average of 4.33 hours commuting to and from work each week. Those working in New York City lament the longest work drive in the nation at 6.65 hours per week. That’s a lot of time on the road that can leave motorists and their employers paying a heavy toll.

Mental Health

Ever been stuck in traffic and taken a quick look at the faces of your fellow drivers? Well, stop! Keep your eyes on the road. That’s how accidents happen.

Now, ever been a passenger in a car and observed the drivers’ expressions while in traffic? You might notice a lot of grimaced or yelling faces mixed with dejection, boredom, anger, and anxiety. Sure, there are smiling and laughing faces, but those are few and far between. The majority of drivers are stressed, and they’re taking it with them to work.

The University of Montreal’s School of Industrial Relations found that commute times of more than 20 minutes can lead to “professional burnout” for many employees–disillusionment, cynicism, and general unhappiness with their workplace. And a study from the U.K.’s Office of National Statistics found that commuters, when compared to non-commuters:

felt less satisfied with their lives,
rated their daily activities as less worthwhile,
reported less happiness and higher anxiety than non-commuters.

Mental and physical health will often, if not always, impact one another. So it should come as no surprise that employees who face long, stressful commutes, also suffer from physical ailments.

Physical Health

A 2012 report by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that greater commuting distances are associated with decreased cardiorespiratory fitness, increased weight, and other indicators of metabolic risk. Additionally, the cramped quarters of a car present the perfect setting for back and neck pain. This is to say nothing of the spikes in blood pressure that may occur thanks to:

That guy who cut you off
That guy who’s driving too slow
That guy who doesn’t use a signal
That guy who’s tailgating

Yeah, you know those guys. They’re a real pain.

Strategies to Overcome the Effects of Long Work Commutes

Fortunately, a long daily commute doesn’t have to be a life sentence of pain and stress. By realizing that long commutes can be hazardous to your physical and mental health, employees and employers can be proactive in combating the negative outcomes–and maybe even add some positive ones.

What Employers Can Do

Telecommuting: In addition to cutting down or eliminating commutes, telecommuting has been shown to increase employee productivity, retention, and satisfaction, according to a study in the Harvard Business Review. For those reasons and others, telecommuting is a rising trend among employers in the United States, where nearly 24% of workers state that they work some hours from home (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011).

Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA): Often times, work commutes cause employees stress and anxiety because some days they are challenged to fit everything into the day. Whether it be doctor’s appointments, childcare, volunteer commitments, or car maintenance, these commuters are feeling the time crunch –and that 20-minute traffic delay doesn’t help.

Employers who offer employees flexibility to work where and when they prefer also provide them with the autonomy to manage their daily schedules in the most effective manner. As with telecommuting, research has shown that productivity and absenteeism are positively impacted by a FWA (SHRM, 2014)

Fitness Space/Classes: Employers can seek to provide employees with resources to alleviate stress too. This can be as simple as providing a quiet room for meditation or, at larger office spaces, access to a fitness facility. Professionals–for mental or physical health–can be invited in to teach crash courses in stress-relieving techniques, such as yoga, mindfulness, meditation, tai chi, or high-intensity cardio workouts.

What Employees Can Do

Change Your Perspective: Before getting into the car, realize that more than likely you will encounter traffic, delays, and idiot-drivers. By simply taking the time to set realistic expectations for your drive, you’ll be less likely to become stressed by delays and the antics of your fellow-drivers.

Podcast or Audio Books: Get a jump on your workday by listening to a podcast for professional/personal development. Or, if you can’t find the time to read for pleasure, why not spend your commute listening to a book? These approaches will have you looking forward to your commute, and the delays may not seem so bad.

Mindfulness: There are many resources available for practicing mindfulness. If you are not familiar with the practice, read up on it and consider using your commute as an opportunity to practice it. In essence, you will seek to be present in the moment of driving–not using past experiences to explain the present, or worrying about future, possible outcomes that may result from the present–just relaxed, with your attention on the drive. You’ll arrive to work fresh and stress-free.

Getting The Most From Your Work Commute

Commuting to and from work is a necessity for most employees. And although more and more employers are offering telecommuting as an option, it is not likely that your work commute will completely go away anytime soon. To combat the negative impact of commuting to work, both employers and employees must take a proactive approach to managing employee stress inside and outside the workplace.

Eliminating unnecessary employee stress is one of the best ways for organizations to retain employees; it’s also one of the best ways to hire them. ExactHire offers hiring technology that eliminates stress for HR Departments and provides job applicants with a transparent, seamless, stress-free experience from application to onboarding.

Image credit: Los Angeles Traffic by Luke Jones(contact)

Time-Saving Strategies for Employee Onboarding

in Workforce Management/by Randi Renee Doerr, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

“I need more hours in the day to get everything done,” is something I used to constantly think. For Human Resources professionals, this thought often comes to mind during the onboarding phase of a new hire. There is so much to do, and so little time to do it.

The only way to get more hours in a day is to shed current “time-consumer” activities or to sleep less–and let’s be clear, my sleep hours are protected like Fort Knox. That leaves shedding current time-consumers, and even that doesn’t seem like a logical solution because those things still need to get done. So what’s the solution?

You need to have a strategy for approaching your work and optimizing your time. My two favorite time-saving strategies are called “One Touch” and the “4 D’s”.

One Touch

The One Touch strategy is something that most frequently applies to paperwork. It’s a way to cut through clutter. When you encounter a piece of paper, your goal is to touch it once. I like to think about it like my mailbox: when I get an item, I either toss it into the trash before entering the house, put the mail in the “to be paid” tray, or take action on it immediately. Same thing can be said for the papers that land on my desk or in my inbox.

4D’s

Most people consider “4D’s” and “One Touch” the same strategy, but whichever strategy works for you, and whatever you would like to call it is a-okay by me. Here are the 4D’s:

Do it. These are typically important and urgent items with short-term deadlines. Take care of it and mark it DONE. Think of someone who brings you a completed I-9. That’s a “Do It” task.
Dump it. These items are unnecessary clutter and unimportant. Think of sales fliers for items your company will not partake or purchase. Take that to the trash.
Delegate it. If someone else possesses the skill set to handle an item, pass that item on. Think of an IT competency questionnaire that will result in the IT department training a new employee. Delegate the submission and scheduling of the IT training directly to the IT department.
Defer it. This is an item that you need to do, no one else can do it, and the deadline is not soon. Make sure that by deferring an item, you do not become a bottleneck in the process. Think of a new hire that submits an apparel form, but you only order new hire apparel once a month. You defer this item until the regularly scheduled moment.

To help manage your employee onboarding process a bit better, implement one of the above strategies. Whichever strategy you choose will be better than none at all. For extra assistance in implementing these strategies, consider investing in technology as part of your total time-saving solution. Onboarding Software can help with workflow and reminders, and it will require fewer touches of virtual pieces of paper.

ExactHire works with small- and medium-sized organizations to help them leverage technology in hiring. For more information about our employee onboarding software, try our pricing estimator and/or schedule a live demo with us today.

Image credit: Clock on East Montague by North Charleston (contact)

Perks and Quirks of Working for an SMB

in Workforce Management/by Featured Author

Working for a small to medium-sized business (SMB) is much different than working for a large corporation in various ways. In my personal experience, I have to admit that working for a smaller company better fits my personality. The tight-knit camaraderie and close connections we have to each other’s personal lives feels more like a family environment than the sweatshop-esque call center that I fled before starting here.

Sure, we don’t always get the same financial perks that a Fortune 500 company can offer, but we aren’t getting cheated on our paychecks either. There is a give and take in any relationship–even the employee/employer relationship.

Perks

For me, the benefits of a caring team and the perks of occasionally working from home are worth more to me than a company match on a highly-regulated 401K. I am happy to invest my earnings in other vehicles and keep the mileage low on my actual vehicle.

We also bond as a team in a manner that is much more satisfying and organic than anything I have experienced in my past careers. We enjoy the State Fair on an annual basis, reach goals to earn fun prizes, laugh and joke in the hallway, and support each other professionally.

Quirks

As in life, things are not all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes working for a smaller company can bring in the very real issue of transparency and lack of professional privacy. Whether it be the announcement of someone’s first sale, new grandchild, or the company budget – we all know the story pretty quickly. But it’s nice to know that if our co-founder is going to be out for the afternoon, we will all get a little note with a FYI. This is a unique quirk of working for a small business–nobody’s rights are being violated here. Having high-visibility is embraced by our team as just the nature of our office life.

All of these small business quirks combine to create a wonderful atmosphere that encourages each of us to do our best and support each other. In times of trial and tribulation, we come together to prevail. Most of these are professional challenges, but very recently, we had a bit of a unique situation in our local office.

Quirky Example: The Bucket Brigade

During a typical April shower in Indianapolis (think monsoon thunderstorm), on an otherwise calm Thursday afternoon in the office, we started to hear some unusually loud precipitation. At first, we weren’t sure if something was really wrong until we entered an unoccupied office and stood shocked by streams of water cascading from the ceiling at multiple points! And this was not just any office, but the office of our sister-company’s vacationing president. Electronics, documents, books, personal items, and more that were being showered with water.

The skeleton crew from our joint office quickly gathered and became the Bucket Brigade. Together we made the best out of the stressful situation by forming a make-shift clean-up crew with the common goal of salvaging the important items that had been drenched. I think most corporate offices would have called ‘the authorities’ and remained idle with the fear of being reprimanded for touching the belongings of others. But being part of a small company meant that our team members who were working remotely could instantly ramp up their efforts, while we were free to address the immediate need of clean-up. Thankfully, we were able to save all the items that had gotten wet, and we gained a fun story and team nickname too.

ExactHire specializes in providing hiring solutions for the SMB market. As a small business that seeks to leverage technology for continued growth, we understand the value and power of affordable technology backed by reliable customer support. To learn how our hiring solutions can enhance your HR operations, contact us today!