Make Sure Inclusivity is at the Heart of Your Recruitment

Make Sure Inclusivity is at the Heart of Your Recruitment There’s no one size fits all as the skills required for one specific industry won’t be the same for another, which is why every organization needs to tailor their recruitment strategy. Despite the differences in requirements and process, all organizations need to place inclusivity at the heart of their recruitment to ensure the selection process is equitable for all. Not only does these benefit candidates, but it means businesses can make the most of all the talent available. There are simple strategies that you can implement which will improve the inclusivity of your recruitment, whilst streamlining current processes. Take stock Before embarking on revolutionizing your recruitment strategy, it’s important to take a step back and consider the processes you are currently using. Don’t just consider how you conduct your selection process but make sure you’re also taking a good look at elements such as how you attract candidates, as well as how you manage the post-interview and onboarding process. By taking stock of where you are now, you will be able to pinpoint exactly where your recruitment processes are lacking or may be outdated. It is important to remember that when applying, candidates will do their research on your organization too. Whether they take the leap and apply for your job could hinge on the impression they get of your company.   This could be from your website, marketing material, or their own customer experience.   It’s therefore imperative to showcase yourselves and the inclusivity of your organization as much as possible! Information like your gender pay statistics, if your organization qualifies, is readily available on the government portal and is likely to be something which prospective employees look at as part of their research.   Its therefore important to publish an accompanying narrative to explain the gap and set out what action you are taking to address any imbalance.   By taking this proactive approach it will give prospective candidates faith that you are trying to eliminate any gender pay gaps. Attracting candidates How you advertise the job has a big impact on the candidates that subsequently apply. Review job descriptions to make sure that they are not precluding groups of candidates from applying for that role, or for any role within your organization. Similarly, many organizations choose to outsource the process to a recruitment agency so make sure that their recruitment practices are adhering to and enhancing your inclusivity policies to allow you to make the most of a diverse talent pool. Some things that need to be continually revised when advertising a job role include: The job description â€" Instead of always using the same job description year on year, make sure you revise it each time you advertise to ensure it is up to date and accurately reflects what is required especially as the skills needed in the workplace are always changing. The vocabulary used â€" There are certain words and phrases that have connotations that would deter groups from applying. For example, use of the word ‘driven’ appears to just be synonymous with ‘motivated’, however, it could imply that the candidate needs to be of a certain age and ability and could also have masculine undertones. The images included The images you choose to use should clearly demonstrate the diversity of your team, as this may encourage those in underrepresented groups to apply as it is clear you value everyone’s voice. Selection Assessment centers and selection days are a prominent way for organizations to gain a ‘true’ representation of the skills and personalities of the applicants and are a common feature of graduate schemes. Whilst they appear to be an engaging alternative to the traditional one-on-one interview, they may actually be a deterrent if they require levels of physical activity that would not be necessary for the role on a day-to-day basis. Assessment may not show if the candidate is suitable for the job in question. If the task you are asking candidates to undertake is not something they would be required to regularly perform as part of the role, it may be more beneficial to find a different way to assess the candidate’s suitability.   This could include things such as holding open days or ‘taster days’ as part of the initial attraction process, offering a ‘work trail’ rather than a formal interview.   It may also be necessary to adapt tests or selection exercises i.e. granting some additional time for completion, or simply questioning whether time tests are needed at all. Interview It is very common for line managers to be the ones conducting interviews, and it is even more common for these managers to be relying on the recruitment experience they have gained throughout their career alongside the limited training they have received, as opposed to a comprehensive interview training specific program. Without comprehensive training, it’s possible they are more susceptible to unconscious biases or may have picked up bad habits along the way. Instead, anyone who has a prominent role in the recruitment process should be skilled up ineffective, inclusive recruitment practices and should fully understand the important role they play, and the impact unconscious biases can have. Those who conduct interviews may be the first person a prospective candidate meets face to face so they should embody the brand and values you wish to be known for. Interview panels should be comprised of a variety of voices and groups so that a balanced decision can be made this could be a mi x of genders, ages, ethnicities, and others who may not be at a senior level. Whilst an informal interview can put the candidate at ease and encourage a conversation to flow, it can also mean negative biases or practices can manifest. Whilst it is important to make a candidate feel relaxed, the interview should also remain structured and focused on the competency of the candidate, so the process is fair to all. Everyone should be asked the same questions and their answers are judged against the same grading scheme so they can be directly compared. This way, the most suitable candidate for a specific role in question can be found. Its imperative at every stage of the employee journey that you consider what adjustments you can make to ensure that all employees, whatever their background, age, or gender or whether they have an apparent disability or not, see, feel and experience your organization as being committed to a culture which provides the supported needed at every stage to enable its people to do their job to the best of their ability.   Focusing on the inclusivity of your recruitment strategy is integral to creating a positive brand identity for your business and will ensure that no candidate is deterred from applying to your organization, meaning you have access to the whole talent pool. Celebrating the uniqueness of everyone in your workforce will enable you to become the envy of your competitors. About the author: Teresa Boughey MA FCIPD is CEO of award-winning Jungle HR and works with Executive Boards and Leadership Teams during times of change and business transformations. She is passionate about enabling organizations to create inclusive workplace cultures. Teresa is a UK Female Entrepreneur Ambassador and a member of the Women and Enterprise and Women and Work APPG. Teresa’s revolutionary new book Closing the Gap â€" 5 steps to creating an Inclusive Culture is perfect for any business professional at any stage of their inclusivity journey.

Syndicate Your Personal Brand Through Social Media - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Syndicate Your Personal Brand Through Social Media - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I read about 200+ blog posts a day through my feed reader. I can consume, filter and organize this information in less than a half hour. The more we adjust to technology and force its use, the easier it becomes to digest the information. This post is written to help you spread your brand to other social networks automatically, to get the most personal branding juice (freshly squeezed and not from concentrate) imaginable. At this point, we all know we need some e-presence, but many of us dont understand how to make the most impact in the least amount of time. People ask me how Im so visible online and today I will share a proven method to syndicate your blog content for free. 1) Twitter syndication Chances are that if you have a blog, you use Feedburner for your subscription options. One service I added about 6 months ago was Feedblitz. Feedblitz is an email subscription service, where people who subscribe will receive your latest post through email. After registering for Feedblitz, you get a subscription chicklet, which you can add to your blog. If you click your own chicklet, the window below will appear and you have the option to subscribe to your blog through Twitter. When this happens, the result is a Tweet every time you post on your blog, with a link back to your blog. Ive been doing it for a long time now and it works perfectly. Be forewarned though that some view this as spam, so make sure you participate on Twitter with more than just your blog content. 2) Facebook syndication Facebook is a very interesting beast of a social network. Promotions take the form of content that is picked up by an individuals news feed. This could be tied to your relationship status, uploaded pictures or even wall messages. When you are already connected to others on Facebook, you have the opportunity to automatically share your blog content with them. I use the Facebook application called Blog RSS Feed Reader, which allows you to add a personal blog or corporate blog to your Facebook profile for your friends to read. It’s a great way to drive traffic to your blog or website. 3) FriendFeed syndication The whole point of using FriendFeed is to put all of your content or participation in social networks to a single feed. When you first register for FriendFeed, the system asks you what you are willing to share with those who are following your account. One option is Blogging, which allows you to share the posts on your blog, through RSS syndicate in your feed. This suggestion isnt a tip or a trick, but it is a third way of pushing your content automatically to your audience. Im still getting my hands around FriendFeed and can only recommend it to the radically transparent people out there or to those who only let select, trusted, friends have access to your feed.

Passing a Phone Interview

Passing a Phone Interview Admittedly, there is no such thing as “passing a phone interview”. But it certainly does feel that way when all goes well. Passing a phone interview can be described as simply being remembered after the interview is done.When an interview goes bad, signs show themselves in subtle, passive ways that can only be understood by listening to a recording of an interview. It takes practice to understand when someone is either showing interest or politely showing lack of interest.Recording Calls to Analyze Your InterviewIf the act of recording yourself in an interview makes you uncomfortable, just remember you have to listen to effectively know when an interview goes bad. Typically, most people do not like the sound of their own voice.Recording your calls is a great way to listen to yourself over and over again. This way you can spot things you wish to change, or seek out more assistance through Find My Profession’s Interview Prep.Here are some signs you should listen for in your recor ding to determine if you are passing a phone interview.Questions Geared at Discouraging YouWhen an interview goes bad, the questions sound like the hiring manager is trying to talk you out of accepting the job:“Don’t you think this is a step back for you?” “Are you sure this is a job you can handle?” “I am not sure we can pay you what you were paid elsewhere. Are you still interested?”This does not mean you did something wrong. The employer may use this as a tactic to get you to reject the job on your own terms. On the positive side, it may also be a tactic to get you to accept a lower salary if you are hired.How do you know the difference? Listen to the person’s voice carefully. Negotiations and challenges have a positive sound. Lack of interest does not. No matter what happens, passing a phone interview requires class and professionalism. Finish out the interview and thank the employer for the time.Labored Explanations of the Job DescriptionYou know when an intervi ew goes bad because the hiring manager starts to explain the duties of a job while sounding completely bored with all of it. The hiring manager may be going through the motions of interviewing people they know will never get hired.Listen to the explanation of a job that sounds like the hiring manager would much rather be spending time on a candidate of interest.They Hang up on YouYes, true story, it has happened. The interview went like this:Hiring Manager: “I see you have worked for us in the past.” Candidate: “Yes, about 10 years ago I started my career with your company and…” Hiring Manager: {hangs up} Candidate: {calls back 3 or 4 times and no one answers}This sounds more like the employer is NOT passing the phone interview. This company obviously had a policy against rehiring employees and did not do its homework before calling you. It was their mistake, so forget about it. It was a very short interview, so no time was wasted.The Phone Interview Feels Like a Bad Date That Won’t EndBad dates last forever, and so do phone interviews for a job that increasingly feels like it will never happen.When talking to clients of Find My Profession about interviews, many times they express they know when an interview goes bad based on the emotional reaction of the hiring manager. They did not feel like they were passing a phone interview. There is no way to accurately read minds. But, as with bad dates, when you get a bad feeling it usually means something went wrong.While listening to the recording of my own interview, I had noticed at one point it seemed like both the hiring manager and the candidate were trying to salvage an interview. It did not work and was not a very short interview, but it certainly should have been!When It Comes to Finding Your New CareerAll you can do is your best until you know better. If it is meant to be, it will happen for you. You have to keep trying until you find your profession. Passing a phone interview may simply mean you hung up the phone knowing the discussion about your resume was very positive and the company sounded interested.

4 Resume Hacks for Better Success

4 Resume Hacks for Better Success 4 Resume Hacks for Better Success When it comes to your resume, you cant write a one-off literary masterpiece and then leaving it at that. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as having one flawless resume that will fit your needs for every single job application that you make.It may seem heartbreaking to take your perfect resume that you have spent ages working on and then pull it apart. But, in these days of very high competition in the workplace, you will need to know how to hack your resume if you want it to be a success for any future job applications. Tweak Your Resume to Fit the Job DescriptionLooking and sounding like you could seamlessly fit into an existing well-established working team is your main goal with your resume. You will want your prospective new employer to read through your resume and get an instant feeling that you already speak and act like one of the team. An employer will be more inclined to choose you for an interview based on what they see in your resume should it look like you would f it into their company culture without causing any disruptions or needing too much extra guidance to help you fit into their working structure.Do a bit of homework and learn about the company history. Look at how they use their company-speak. Do they use certain key phrases and keywords often? Pick up clues about their company culture and how their staff dress for the office.By getting a good feel for the company and how they operate you will be able to tailor your resume and carefully weave in their most favorite keywords and key phrases to allow you to sound like them. By using the same language in your resume as they commonly use in everyday life at work, you can make yourself look like one of the team even before you have met them in person.A good clue towards spotting favorite keywords and key phrases is to carefully read the job description that they have posted with their job advertisement. Use the same working as you see in the job description where you can.Download a Profess ional Resume TemplateUsing a high-quality, professionally designed resume template can be a very useful tool to help you tailor your document to each job that you apply for. With our fabulous array of stylish resume templates, you are free to download in Word and fully customize with your own information. You are then free to re-edit your resume template each time you need to alter your keywords and weave in important key phrases that are used by different companies.Freesumes has made it easy to choose and download the right template to suit your personal style, personality and even the type of industry or business sector you are working in.Have the experience to back up your claimsWhile listing your experience and qualifications, it is important to list those that are most relevant to the post you are applying for. You may well have spent a long time carefully detailing every single piece of work experience and qualifications you gained since being a teenager but remember that the employer will only care about the ones that make you a suitable candidate for the job in hand. Don’t throw the finest keywords at your resume without being able to prove you have the necessary qualifications and experience to back up your claims. The employer will also not have the time and patience to sit and wade through blocks of texts to pick out the relevant pieces that make you suitable. Adding too much detail to your resume will quickly result in you being screened out.Forget your prehistoric dataWhile you may want to include every piece of relevant experience you carry that would make you a suitable candidate for this role, be careful here not to include really old information that may not be of any interest to the employer.We are talking about people who may have spent many years working within the same industry or business sector. Yes, you may have amassed an amazing portfolio of work experience over the years, but times do change and techniques and technology move on .If you present the employer with a whole lot of experience that was gained more than ten years ago, they may well consider your knowledge to be outdated. This can often be a sticking point for mature workers who may be changing careers and returning to an old career path that they originally pursued years ago. Most employers will be more interested in fresh or current skills and knowledge that you have gained over more recent years.While there is nothing wrong with listing your relevant work experience going back 15 or even 20 years, it is best to summarize this in your personal profile section or cover letter. previous article Free Rose White Resume Template next article The Efficient Layout Resume Template Freebie you might also likeHow to Write About Your Accomplishments on Your Resume

Jobs in Resume Writing

Jobs in Resume WritingA common confusion among the job seekers is that of what is a resume and what is a job in resume writing. Though the two are different, there are certain similarities between the two. Both have to do with the candidate's previous career and where he/she has been in it.Resumes have to be in writing. Therefore, you have to be very careful when choosing the format of your resume. You have to be patient while creating it and make sure that all the information is accurate. Make sure that you are familiar with all the format of the resume. It should be short and direct as well as being able to speak about your experience and qualifications.Now, we move on to the jobs in resume writing. When a job seeker applies for a position, it is the company who provides him/her with an employment letter. In this letter, the candidate mentions all the basic requirements and the job details. The resume is like a supplement to the job description. This is necessary for most of the jo bs in resume writing.The fact that the resume is a supplement to the job description is a great advantage because you can tailor it to the job requirement and that too, according to the company requirement. When you have your resume ready, you can start thinking about the format and content of the document. It can be a letter or a short synopsis. You have to think a lot and even modify it so that it is convincing.As I have mentioned earlier, a great way to prepare for a good employment letters is to practice by writing one for every job you want to apply for. This will help you hone your writing skills and you will also get a clear idea about the job advertisement.Resume writing can be consideredas a profession or a craft by some job seekers. It is only natural because a resume is just like a tool for the aspirant.As soon as you have a resume, you will realize how much better you will feel about yourself. It will be a useful tool for you to highlight your achievements in life, provi de a history of your career and demonstrate your leadership qualities. You will find this a good way to market yourself and it will also help you land the jobs in resume writing.When you decide to write a resume, get ready for a long day. But once you have written your resume, you will be glad you had taken the time to prepare it well in advance.