Managing Time Appropriately

Human resource professionals, specifically hiring managers, have trouble managing their time appropriately.  The fact is that too many hiring managers are still performing manual tasks, instead of using the available technology offered.  This can cause undue stress and present challenges daily on getting “things done.”



Do you perform a large amount of repetitive tasks in your hiring process?  Here are a few things you might wish to review and automate to save time:

• Are you still doing all paperwork manually?  It might be time to consider online applications that collect job candidate information easily and allow you to review quickly via search capabilities.  There are many available systems today that will allow you to automate many processes, freeing you up to do more important things.
• One of the most time-consuming activities for a hiring manager is routing communications to different areas of the company, it is extremely inefficient.  Communication is important during the hiring process; however, you can automate many parts of the communication.  Each department will know where the hiring process is at currently, when they are expected to be needed during the process, and more.
• New hire onboarding is typically another area that takes too much time from the hiring manager.  It is important to look at the complete onboarding process and determine what the hiring manager really needs to do.  Are there other departments or employees that can handle the task? 

As a hiring manager, it can be difficult to manage time appropriately, however, with the use of some automated technology and utilizing other departments and employees, you can manage your time more wisely, and get more done!  Maybe it is time you evaluate your daily activities and see what can be changed, updated, or automated.  Your time is worth taking a look!

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Start a New Career Path

Do you find yourself second guessing your career path?  Maybe you are feeling burnt out from your career choice, or you just want to explore different possibilities.  No matter what reason you have for wanting to start a new career path, it is possible.  Here are a few things to keep in mind as you explore and possibly start a new career path:

• Before you begin your journey of looking for a new career, it is important to understand you.  What are you looking for?  Why are you looking for a change?  Where do you want to work?  Who do you want to work with?  It is important that you ask the questions and know the answers before leaping into any change.  When you sit and ask the questions and truthfully answer them, you might be surprised by what you find and what you truly are looking for.
• Jumping into a different career can be scary for most, however, what if you tried it on for size before making the change?  Find ways you can “try” the new career path before you make any decisions.  You can volunteer in the field you want to move to, you can shadow someone that works in the position you want, or you can speak with a mentor that is in that field.  Do your research before making the change and make sure that it is truly what you think.
• Once you have gathered all the information on the career change and have tried it out, it is time to evaluate all the information.  You might discover that it is absolutely the best move for you, or you may still be undecided.  Either way, make sure you way all the pros and cons.

Starting a new career path is not something that you should take lightly.  In fact, many people will consider making a change for years before finally switching careers.  The important thing to remember is to take your time and consider these tips.

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Importance of Communication

Hiring managers and recruiters need to understand that job candidates today are looking for clear and concise communication.  Today’s candidates are thirsty for information and want it immediately.  The fact is, the importance of communication with today’s job candidates is critical to keeping them interested in your position.

You must be forward thinking and align your communication practices with technology, and your hiring process.  You can improve the candidate experience by following these tips:

• It is imperative that you keep the lines of communication open with your candidates.  Too often, hiring managers are vague with job candidates about how to communicate, the time involved in their hiring process, and more.  To keep a candidate interested, you must be clear and concise about the entire process, how they can reach you, and the timeframe of when they should expect a response.
• As job candidates move along the hiring process, it is important to keep them informed.  Clearly communicate each step, the time involved, what they should expect, etc.  When a candidate does not know what to expect, they often get frustrated and will start searching elsewhere.
• Feedback and post-interview surveys are two very important ways to keep the communication lines open.  Whether you are providing actionable feedback to candidates or are asking for feedback via a post-interview survey, it is important to get as much information as possible to improve the process.
• The number one complaint among job candidates today is the length of the hiring process.  Too many companies have made it unnecessarily long and tedious.  If you have already evaluated your process and cannot streamline it any further, you must be very clear at the beginning about the time commitment.

If you are looking to attract, hire, and retain top talent, you must look at the importance of communication within your hiring process.  Do you need to make any changes?

 

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Making LinkedIn Work for Your Job Search

Recent studies have indicated that more than 85% of all jobs are filled through networking channels, which means that most open positions never get posted on any boards for you to see.  This means that your networking must be working in your favor.  Here are a few ways to make LinkedIn work for your job search:

• As you have heard a million times, it is a good networking practice to search out the companies you want to work for on LinkedIn.  Once you have found the company, do a little research to find some of the employees that work in the department you want to work in.  Connect with them, get to know them, and start creating a relationship with them.  When the time comes for an open position, you will then have an inside connection.
• Too many job seekers forget about connecting with alumni, however, this group of people is a valuable asset to have on your side.  Find them and connect with them on LinkedIn.  They will have some valuable tips for you and may be able to recommend open positions that might be of interest to you.
• It is important that you engage daily on LinkedIn and show some professional value.  It is more than just responding or reposting, it is sharing valuable information, examples of your work, and showing the value you bring to the table.  Your posting should be working for you but at the same time providing valuable insight to others.

Take the time to cultivate relationships on LinkedIn and you will notice a difference in your job search.  It is more than just connecting with people, it is about building a relationship where you also bring value.  It is easy to start – simply say HI! 



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