The Art of Matchmaking 3 Ways Recruiters Can Find that Elusive Perfect Candidate

The Art of Matchmaking 3 Ways Recruiters Can Find that Elusive Perfect Candidate This post is sponsored by MightyRecruiter. Be sure to join their  upcoming webinar, Master Your Match-making Skills: Find Your Job’s Perfect Match, on Monday, February 13, and ask your questions first hand! Recruiters are constantly asked to do more with less bandwidth, and 2017 is no exception. This year, 56 percent of companies report that they’ll increase their hiring volumes, but 65% of businesses also admit that they won’t be adding more recruiting headcount to shoulder the larger workload. That means that recruiters are going to have to be even smarter and more efficient when it comes to finding those elusive and often fabled perfect candidates. Below are a few ideas for how to go about making the ultimate candidate-job match (note: none involve waiting around for the perfect candidate to apply to your job posting, and none involve sending out 1,000 bulk emails that aren’t tailored to what you’re specifically looking for in a candidate). Here are 3 ways Recruiters Can Find that Elusive Perfect Candidate: 1. Network Out of the Box: When you expand your network, you expand your reach â€" this allows you to connect to candidates you normally wouldn’t come across, which in turn furthers opportunities to make the perfect match. LinkedIn is still the number one networking site that recruiters use to look for talent. But if LinkedIn is your only networking site, then you’re really missing out. A lot of candidates are pulling their profiles off of LinkedIn because of the amount of recruiting spam they receive, and most rarely log in every day. Consider sourcing on other sites like Github, Facebook, Twitter, AngelList, Meetup.com, Behance, and Dribble. There are quite a few other networking sites to consider that are industry-specific; for example, Engineering Exchange and Fashion Networks. Also, consider hosting an offline networking event to meet local talent. These events can be low-key, and they don’t necessarily have to be about recruiting â€" consider having your first one be about building your brand and n etwork, and go from there. And ask your hiring managers to pitch networking event ideas too. 2. Expand Your Knowledge of Positions, Companies, and Industries: One of the biggest complaints candidates have about recruiters is that they pitch jobs without knowing much about the position or the company. This is true of both third-party and corporate recruiters. Before pitching a position to a candidate, aim to learn as much as you can about the job and the company, including things like team size, current projects, growth opportunities, the hiring manager’s work style, and company benefits. If you recruit in a specific industry, try to know as much as you can about that industry. For example, take software. If you’re recruiting in the software industry, you should know the difference between Java and JavaScript! Now there is no way for you to know everything about each job or company you’re recruiting for. If you get a job description with a term or skill you do not understand, Google it. Research it! Change is constant in almost every industry. And sometimes change occurs on not only a weekly basis, but a daily one. Take time out of yo ur day to read the news, or better yet, set up Google Alerts on topics related to your industry or industries. Taking the time to expand your knowledge base allows you to relate to candidates a lot better â€" they’ll be more engaged in their interactions with you, conversations will flow more naturally, and your job of determining whether or not the candidate is a good match for the position will be a lot easier. 3. Write Better Job Descriptions: Job descriptions are often vague, and too frequently resemble a long laundry list of requirements and qualifications â€" they rarely go into detail about what the day-to-day of the job entails. The best job descriptions are written for the candidate, allowing him/her to learn about how they’ll contribute to the company and play a role in a set of projects and initiatives. They also allow the candidate to firmly grasp what their work life will be like doing that particular job. And many job descriptions offer little information about the company. It’s important that you profile the company succinctly yet thoroughly in a job description â€" note the company’s mission and what their culture is like, and definitely note the perks/benefits the company offers. When you take the time to write a detailed and more exact job description, you better your chances of weeding out unqualified candidates, and bring yourself closer to connecting with that perfect match. Tip: MightyRecruiter is an all-in-one hiring solution that has hundreds of professionally written job description templates that recruiters or hiring leaders in need of a quick solution can utilize. Rethinking the way you go about finding that perfect candidate can be extremely effective. Remember, the perfect match is out there for every job â€" you, as the recruiter, just need to do a little work in the matchmaking department! Don’t forget to sign up for MightyRecruiter’s free upcoming webinar, Master Your Match-making Skills: Find Your Job’s Perfect Match, on Monday, February 13, to learn about what steps you can take to find that ideal candidate.

Are We Creating A More Entrepreneurial Generation

Are We Creating A More Entrepreneurial Generation Author: Jane Scott Paul OBE â€"  Chief Executive of AAT Jane Scott OBE â€" Chief Executive of AAT It is clear from the press that the outlook remains bleak for our young people. There are around one million 16 to 24 year-olds not in education, training or employment and the labour market is becoming crowded with an excess of university graduates that aren’t being offered work for which they are qualified. This year 47 per cent of new graduates took on non-graduate jobs (up from 37 per cent in 2001). It’s a harsh reality that confirms that under-employment is still prevalent and graduates now are well aware of the hard times they face trying to break into decent professional jobs. The ONS reports that our careers advice services are in “severe crisis” with the  latest figures showing the vast majority of students are failing to get the help they need. An overwhelming 93 per cent of youngsters said they did not get all the information required to make informed choices on their future career. Schools are still pushing traditional routes with two-thirds saying they were pointed towards academic paths, such as A Level (62 per cent) and university (65 per cent). Only a quarter of the 14-25 year-olds (26 per cent) had information on starting an apprenticeship  and even fewer (17 per cent) on what vocational qualifications might be available. These statistics demonstrate that we need to make young people aware of other choices. The traditional formula for a career (school + university degrees = a professional job in a chosen sector) does not necessarily deliver. The economy has changed and so has the labour market and what it demands. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that the pathways leading to a stable job are expanding and, in some cases, prove more effective. David Cameron revealed in his five-point plan for economic growth that a ‘radical reform in education’ is needed in order to help reboot the economy and lift the country out of recession. Amongst this is the ambition to create a “new norm” whereby school leavers either enter university and further education, or apprenticeships and skills training. There will be more pathways and more choice for our youth led by employer demand to correlate to the changing needs of the business world. This shift in the education landscape has led to a shift in attitudes amongst young people who are rightly questioning how to go about getting a job. What is changing? Each year, AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) conducts an annual survey of its membership to look into the views, attitudes and satisfaction levels of members at all key stages of the membership journey on a variety of topics. We also ask them about their intended career paths so we can better understand how they intend to use the AAT qualification. This year, we realised an interesting trend. Of around 1,500 students, almost a quarter (22 per cent) said they were interested in starting up a business [Click to tweet] in the next five years compared to 13 per cent in 2011. Similarly, more students are taking up apprenticeships (25 per cent are currently studying as part of a formal apprenticeship scheme) â€" up nearly 10 per cent from this time last year. The results are indicative of an unreliable job market and the changes that are happening within the education system. The introduction of £9,000 tuition fees and uncertain graduate outcomes have prompted many to question the best route into a career and consider alternatives such as on-the-job training and self-employment. The economic downturn has created a more ‘entrepreneurial generation’, eager to take control and, in some cases, work for themselves. [Click to tweet] The Skills Minister Matthew Hancock recently launched a challenge to teenagers to think more about starting their own business and I agree that this is something we as a society need to encourage. It’s been said that small businesses will be the vehicle that will lift the country out of recession, and if we want this to be true, then we need to be supporting young people and giving them the tools for success. On the surface, ‘being your own boss’ is an attractive notion â€" you can dictate your own hours, holidays and work arrangements, for example. But with this comes an endless amount of decisions surrounding how one will establish and grow a business, i.e. financial management, marketing, business planning, administration, etc. If this is the direction in which our young people want to head, then we need to take a step back and consider the skills we are offering them at school. Do subjects need to change to reflect the direction in which the economy is heading with more start-ups predicted? Should we be prioritising subjects that cover basic finance and business management â€" such as budgeting and book-keeping? Understanding the purpose and use of control accounts and journals Maintaining and using control accounts and the journal Reconciling a bank statement with the cash book Understanding the banking process and main services of banks and building societies Understanding requirements of retention and storage relating to banking documents. Are we adapting sufficiently quickly to the fact that young people will no longer be following the same route into a career that they did thirty years ago? It is encouraging that we’re creating an ‘entrepreneurial’ generation with an appetite for success but we need to increase the chances of success so that they can flourish and contribute to our economy. 9

The Power of Not Very Powerful People

The Power of Not Very Powerful People Donald Asher is the author of “Cracking the Hidden Job Market.”   The book is full of common sense tips for finding a job, combined with get tough orders on what it takes to become employed.   For example, Asher says you should have 100 active leads all the time.   100 active leads working all the time. The good news is, then, he tells you how to go about it. In one chapter, he talks about listing everyone you know and approaching them for leads.   And he means everyone.   He spends a good deal of time on people you might never consider for leads â€" the very opposite of the “powerful” people in your town or industry who would appear naturally at the top of your list. Much of his advice is about simply talking to everyone you meet; you never know where or when a lead may come to you. One story he recounts is of a job candidate who’d flown into town for an interview.   As she rode to the interview in a cab, she asked the cabbie what he thought of the company.   His response wasn’t favorable; he’d heard many bad things.   “Tough place to work, unfair, broken promises. That kind of thing.   I think _____ company is better, and they’re in the same industry.” The applicant took the time after her interview to call the other company.   She told them that she was in town interviewing with the competition, and asked if they’d be willing to speak with her while she was in town on the other company’s dime.   She wound up getting two offers, and could choose the better of the two companies. People have made connections and learned about leads from babysitters, landscapers, dog walkers, waiters, and yes, cabbies.   I know a guy here in Jacksonville who has a very small circle of friends; he has a full time and a part time job in Jacksonville, but I guarantee that you’ve never heard of him.   Every time Kenny Chesney or Faith Hill comes to town to perform, they have dinner with him.   Every time.   Their treat. If you wanted to break into country music, he’d be a guy to know.    We know from networking training that people love to be asked for advice; it makes them feel important and seen.  The problem is we often focus only on who we consider powerful, and they get asked a lot.   It’s the connected, but not powerful, people who may have the best leads.   Talk to everyone. P.S.: Talk nice.   The flip side of this rule is that you never know how someone you interact with is connected.   I also know a woman who was running a few minutes late for her third interview for a great job.   Traffic was heavy, and the car in front of her just wasn’t moving fast enough.   She made an ill-advised gesture, yelled out her window, and drove into another lane to go around the offending vehicle.   Imagine her surprise when the slow driver (the company’s director) finally arrived and called her into the office to start the interview.   Talk to everyone, and talk nice.

Online Reputation Management FAQs for Executive Job Search - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Online Reputation Management FAQs for Executive Job Search

Must Have Free Apps For Working Parents [Infographic]

Must Have Free Apps For Working Parents [Infographic] Photo credit: afagen via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Anyone who is a working parent will understand just how difficult it is to get everything done every day. Having a full-time career and having young children can be very stressful. There is so little time to unwind and let go of your responsibilities. This infographic from HappyCleans will perhaps make things a little easier as it attempts to organize your life a little better with the help of apps. Being more organized essentially gives you the gift of time, as the last thing you want to be when you’re short of time is disorganized! For example, with household tasks it’s important to delegate even just a little bit. Apps like Chorma can help you to do that as it turns chores into a competition so all family members earn points for getting them done. You’d be surprised how competitive kids are so it may be worth giving this one a try. Check out the full infographic now for apps that help with health and safety, routine, travelling, connecting, household tasks, and budgeting. Hopefully you will find at least one that is useful!

Vintage WIGU - Are you taking the scenic route - When I Grow Up

Vintage WIGU - Are you taking the scenic route - When I Grow Up Hey gang! Hannah here, and Im the When I Grow Up Social Media Maven.  Youll see me hanging round the Facebook groups stuff.  (Say ello if you see me!)  Michelle thought itd be fun if I picked a post from her archives, and I couldnt go past this gem.  I feel like Queen of the Scenic Route, and sometimes I need a reminder that its not a bad thing!  You can read the original here. Find Joy in the Journey by Quotable Life In a session the other night, my client explained, “Y’know, I’m always the kind of person that wants everything to change and start happening in, like, a week!” We both laughed, because we knew that life rarely ever works that way, especially when you have a Big Change to make (becoming an entrepreneur, switching careers, following your passion, yada yada yada). But it got me thinking about how beneficial it is sometimes to take the long way around, and have that change take months â€" or even years. So think back on that goal that took you so long to accomplish, or the one that you were forced to take the roundabout way on, and answer this: What have you learned by taking the scenic route? Meet ya in the comments!

Resume Writing Service - What You Need to Know

Resume Writing Service - What You Need to KnowThere are many people who use a resume writing service to help with their resume writing. Many other people hire a resume writing service to write a resume for them.If you are going to hire a resume writing service to do the job for you, you should know what to expect. Here is a brief description of the resume writing services and how they operate.Resume writing service - or resume writing company as some prefer to call it - works with individuals to create and submit a resume. A resume writing service operates much like an employment agency. The most popular method of resume writing is called the personalized resume and is now often utilized by almost every business with a professional presence.In a nutshell, an individual is hired to create a professional looking resume that is personalized to the individual, so the resume goes out to the human resource department at the company, or the next level of management. The job of the human res ource department is to weed through resumes, and select which one is worthy of hiring the applicant. Another characteristic of a personalized resume is that it is entirely customized to the applicant. A personalized resume is a great way to get your resume noticed.A variety of advantages accrue from the use of a resume writing service: speed, customization, accuracy, and flexibility are the top three benefits of using a resume writing service. With a service, a person's resume goes out to the right people at the right time, so that you don't have to spend days or weeks rewriting it. The writer will ensure you get the job. The services include expert content and writing, too.It is important to note that many companies can't afford to hire a highly qualified resume writer to write their resume. So, an individual looking to build a professional career may need to hire a specialized resume writing service, but be sure to get the highest quality work you can possibly get for your money.A resume writing service is an important element in the entire recruitment process. One can customize a resume to get noticed and can also use the writing service to write a resume to get a job.