How You Can Prepare Your Clients for the Millennial Workforce

How You Can Prepare Your Clients for the Millennial Workforce According to PWC, millennials will make up 50% of the UK workforce by 2020. This, combined with the lowest unemployment rate since the 1970s, has led HR professionals and employers across the UK to re-examine recruitment best practice. From benefits package updates to policy changes, we explore some of the ways you can advise your clients on how to secure the best millennial talent. 1. Illustrate the importance of a business’ reputation Gone are the days when a young person is grateful to land a job anywhere, regardless of the workplace culture and industry reputation. 78% of people will look up an employer’s reputation before applying for a role. Interestingly, money won’t sway them with half the number of candidates applying for roles saying they wouldn’t work for a company with a poor reputation, even for a pay increase. There should be a focus on managers and recruitment teams working with marketing and branding to improve the way the business is perceived by the outside world. As a recruiter, can you guide your clients, give them examples of other companies that do this well, and the wins they enjoy as a result? 2. Discuss diversity initiatives With increasing numbers of millennials entering the workplace, it follows that their thoughts and concerns are being heavily considered in terms of policy changes.   47% of millennials list diversity and inclusion as important factors in their job search. It is worth checking with the client that they have an open dialogue in the workplace surrounding equality â€" regardless of age, race, gender, sexuality, and disability. If your client does not already do so, provide guidance around targets or quotas to address a lack of diversity within the company â€" this can be seen as a very positive step in rectifying any outdated policies. 3. Erase the stigma of mental health Millennials may come across as confident and demanding in the workplace, but anxiety and depression are widespread throughout the younger generation. The research points to the fact that manifestations of mental ill-health, including loneliness and panic attacks, are characteristics of the youth of today (more so than other generations at the same age). As a result, millennials have a greater awareness of their mental health and the support available to them in the workplace. From mental health first aiders through to duvet days, there are a plethora of steps your client can take to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health at work. 4. Understand the ‘social bottom line’ Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been coined as millennials’ ‘new religion’, which is no surprise when they have grown up through the age of global warming, televised wars, revolutions and aid missions. The numbers don’t lie and, according to Cone Communications, 75% of millennials would happily take a pay cut if they could work for a socially responsible organization. They want to make sure they are contributing to a company that is serious about leaving a positive footprint on the world and environment. Have a discussion with your client about their current CSR activities, so as to be able to effectively communicate those with potential talent. These topics make up a small selection of talking points, but will hopefully leave your client with a positive impression of your industry expertise.

Winning Face-to-Face Interview by Leading the Witness - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Winning Face-to-Face Interview by Leading the Witness - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In “‘Headhunter’ Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!” I make the following statement, right up front, in the Introduction Overview: “. . . as we enter the new decade, there actually are two  sets of rules being used to play the (hiring) game:  The old rules most candidates think hiring companies still play by; and,  The new rules that the hiring companies are actually playing by.” Unfortunately, many of the new rules are designed not only to put as many “road blocks” and other barriers/obstacles as possible in the path of today’s job seeker, they also are specifically designed to eliminate as many job seekers as possible, as quickly as possible. In this blog, I am going to tell you about a method/approach I use effectively with my recruiting firm’s candidates to circumvent these obstacles, a method/approach that gives these candidates far more power and control than most think they have over the direction and pace of the face-to-face interview. This method/approach is known as “leading the witness,” and it can help you win during the face-to-face interview too! The way the game is played Before we examine the “leading the witness” method/approach, though, let me briefly illustrate the width and depth of the chasm that currently exists between how today’s job seekers think the hiring game is played and how it actually is played by companies, by directly quoting from the “purpose statement” featured in the human resources manual of a very large Fortune 500 company: “The purpose of the face-to-face interview is to further narrow (emphasis mine) your initial group of applicants by learning as much about them as you can in a relatively limited time.” Notice anything missing in this human resources “purpose statement?” Not one single word is mentioned about “determining the best candidate for the job!” Not one! Contrary to what many, if not most, job seekers today think, companies do not seek to identify the best candidates as quickly and as efficiently as possible during any stage of the hiring process, including the face-to-face interview. Rather, the emphasis is primarily on excluding as many candidates as possible, as quickly as possible, in order to “narrow” (the company’s word, not mine) the initial group of applicants. There’s even more. The manual goes on to state, “Some job seekers are very well rehearsed. They know how to anticipate or deflect difficult questions. Therefore, try to formulate questions that cannot be anticipated in advance by the candidate. Make sure your questions get them to do 70% of the talking.” Ladies and gentlemen, this is how corporate America views the “hiring game,” and this is how it is played by them! So, if you are to be successful in today’s “hiring game,” you definitely need to be well prepared and know how to “play” to win! Positioned for inclusion rather than exclusion Despite the fact that many hiring companies are on the “alert” for “well-rehearsed” candidates, it’s nonetheless vital to keep in mind that the well-rehearsed job seeker will be  far less likely to be excluded than those job seekers who are either ill prepared or not prepared at all. What hiring managers really look for in a candidate There are essentially four  things that every hiring manager wants to know from you, the job candidate, whether or not they are skilled enough to ask the right questions to elicit this information: Can you do the job? Do you want  to do the job? Will  you do the job? Are you a good cultural fit? So, no matter what questions are actually asked during the interview, brand yourself strongly by dropping “nuggets of wisdom” into your answers that address the four key areas of consideration mentioned above. (Obviously, it is not necessary to address each and every one of these four considerations in all  your answers!) This, of course, is the essence of “leading the witness.” Let me give you an example of how this works. Suppose you are interviewing for an executive sales position and the hiring manager asks you the following question: “Why would you consider leaving your present job?” An honest answer, as well as one quite likely to be given by most candidates, might go something like this: “I like my current company and it has been good to me. But I am becoming concerned about the direction of the company. We are six weeks out from the start of our new fiscal year. We don’t even have our budgets or goals yet for next year. Also, there have been some downsizings recently so I am concerned about career potential. So that is why I  am looking and would consider leaving my current company.” Ostensibly, this is a pretty good answer, right? Wrong! In my professional experience this is exactly the type of answer that is more likely to get you eliminated from further consideration, and rather quickly at that! Suffice it to say at this point that the answer throws up a whole bunch of “red flags” for the hiring manager, e.g., you are apparently more than a little dissatisfied with your current company’s inability to properly plan ahead, you’re obviously quite anxious and concerned that your head might soon be on the “chopping block,” etc., etc., etc. Branding yourself effectively A far better answer to this question, and one that employs the “leading the witness” method/approach, i.e., getting the hiring manager headed in the direction you want him/her to go with the interview, as well as one that begins addressing the four important areas of consideration mentioned above, is this one: “With my current company I have called on both industrial and manufacturing facilities as well as had some experience in distribution. Additionally, I have hiring and firing responsibility over a team of 34 people. It is not so much that I am looking to leave my current position as I am very interested in the opportunity with your company. I  understand this is an expansion position. With my background in building high performance teams and driving new businessâ€"we were up 28% last year, by the wayâ€"I   believe I can bring to you the skills in developing the value-added solutions that you deliver to your customers, in order to keep their operations running efficiently and safely.” Let’s briefly dissect this answer and see how (and why!) it begins to brand you effectively by addressing the four key considerations virtually all hiring managers make (even though they might not consciously be aware of it!) when selecting candidates. Can you do the job? Prior to the face-to-face interview you should prepare yourself by asking (and answering!) the following types of questions (by no means an exhaustive list): What exactly is the specific nature of this job and what would a hiring manager likely want to know about and see in a successful candidate for the position? What does your research reveal about the qualities a successful person in this role would need to have? Then, of course, you will brand yourself as someone who can, indeed, do  the job by dropping in the aforementioned “nuggets of wisdom,” e. g., “I have called on both industrial  and manufacturing facilities . . . have . . . experience in distribution . . . hiring and firing responsibility over a team of 34 people. . . .” (Let’s assume that this portion of your answer encompasses a number of things you learned (or inferred) during your research that the company wants and expects in a person filling this position.) Do you want  to do the job? There is a truism in hiring: “When hiring, look for both skill and will.” Can  you do the job? relates to “skill.” “Will” is addressed by this question: Do you want  to do the  job?, as well as the next question, will  you do the job? Therefore, it is vital that you formulate, beforehand, some specific “nuggets” to include in your answers to the hiring manager’s questions that demonstrate you do, indeed, want to do the job. In this case, you will have accomplished that goal by including the following in your answer: “I am very interested in the opportunity with your company. I understand this is an expansion position.” Will you do the job? Time and time again people have been hired who seem to “want the job” only to show up and never actually do the job! In today’s economic environment, hiring managers certainly can’t afford to make that mistake, and they don’t make it often, either. So take every opportunity to weave stories and comments into the interview about the  times you have worked nights, weekends, overtime, etc., to get the job done. And don’t wait for a question such as, “Tell me about a time when you were overdue on a project and what you did about it?” to show them you will do the job. Proactivelyâ€"and appropriately, of courseâ€"weave your stories and comments into the conversation. Are you a cultural fit? Be advised: People hire people who tend to be very much like themselves (and their co-workers). You should therefore carefully study the company’s website, news releases and media stories (if any) about the company, to begin getting a “feel” for the company’s culture. Also network with professionals at that company who are in your LinkedIn network. Make every attempt during the time available to you to learn about the culture of the organization and then brand yourself as a “cultural fit” by again, citing proactive examples and telling relevant stories. Let’s refer back to the “improved” answer to the question of “Why would you consider leaving your current company?” The portion of the answer that begins addressing the  â€œcultural fit” issue is this one: “. . . I can bring to you the skills in developing the value-added solutions that you deliver to your customers, in order to keep their operations running efficiently and safely.” (This type of statement could simply be a careful rewording of a statement you found in the company’s annual report!) Certainly, the statement suggests that you at least have an elementary understanding of and appreciation for the company’s culture. And, finally . . . Based upon my professional experience of dealing with many job candidates for many years, I know that, to most job seekers, learning to effectively employ the “leading the witness” method/approach during job interviews (it can also be effectively used in telephone interviews, as well as face-to-face interviews) can seem to be a rather daunting task, at least initially. “It feels too phony,’ ‘too contrived,’ it feels too much like ‘game playing.’” (I’ve heard all of these initial comments from job candidates we coach!) Well, it isn’t “phony,” and it isn’t “contrived.” It is, however, very much like “game playing” because, as I’ve stated repeatedly in forum after forum, hiring is a “game,” and like any game, if you intend to win, you had better learn how to “play” effectively! Embracing and effectively utilizing the “leading the witness” method/approach can help you do just that. Author: Skip Freeman is the author of “Headhunter” Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever! and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The HTW Group (Hire to Win), an Atlanta, GA, Metropolitan Area Executive Search Firm. Specializing in the placement of sales, engineering, manufacturing and RD professionals, he has developed powerful techniques that help companies hire the best and help the best get hired.

How to Save Energy When Using Water Heaters

How to Save Energy When Using Water Heaters The world is going green, and with good reason â€" we desperately need to  use our energy resources more wisely to avoid destroying our planet. And today, fortunately, using a greener source of energy will also  translate into more green for your pocket through the cash savings you  will enjoy. Therefore, you should not shy away from seeking efficient  energy sources based on the fear that you will have to dig deeper into  your pocket â€" as far as water heating efficiency goes, you can have your cake and still eat it, so to speak. 1. Drain Your Tank If you still have a tank-type water heater, you should drain it every once in a while to get rid of the sediment that settles at the bottom. This will increase your energy efficiency because such deposits result in hampered heat transfer, which means you will end up wasting a lot of energy and probably not getting the hot water you need from such a system. 2. Cover your Heated Pool Yes, this might sound like an extra hustle you would rather avoid, but it will give you worthwhile power savings. If you are no longer using your pool, cover it to reduce the amount of heat the water loses, and this will reduce the energy your heater consumes in order to keep the water hot. 3. Go Tankless Older version water heaters have been proven to be ruthless power hogs that waste up to more than half the energy they get. And yet, we have tankless water heaters whose power efficiency can go well past 70%. Therefore, if you want to save the greatest amount of energy while heating the water your family needs, start looking for the best electric tankless water heater you can find. 4. Have a Drain Water Heat Recovery System Believe it or not, up to 90% of the energy you spend heating your water goes to waste as the hot water drains away. That is shocking; and also quite a revelation for someone who wants to do something about the energy they spend on heating water. A good solution to this problem is having your house outfitted with a drain water waste heat recovery system; which recycles the heat in the water so that your heater does not have the full responsibility of supplying the water. Such systems have been reported to improve energy efficiency by up to 30%. So, you can imagine what they can do for someone who has an energy efficient tankless water heater. 5. Get an Energy Start Certified Water Heater The heating appliances industry knows how rampant energy inefficiencies in this sector. That is why they have come up with standards to determine just how efficient the appliance you are buying is to ensure you get a product that saves you more energy. Efficiencies among water heaters often reach double-digit percentage points. Therefore, you should try to get a water heater with a high rating to ensure that it saves you more energy as you heat the water in your home. 6. Use Less Hot Water Sounds obvious , right? But it might be a little trickier to implement than you would think. For instance, changing your showering routine in order to save power might feel like torture. But fortunately, there are things you can do so that you enjoy the hot water in your home and still reduce the amount you spend heating it up. For instance, you can use a low-flow shower head. Secondly, you don’t have to use hot water all through when washing your utensils or clothes, it will just waste hot water and your time as well. Also, if you can spend less time in the shower, that will work to your benefit by ensuring you have less energy costs. Conclusion Saving energy as you use water heaters is easier than most people think. In most cases, it should not even cost you a dime; all you need is to change your hot water usage habits and that will translate into significant energy savings. Above are some ways you can save energy â€" and money â€" as you use water heaters.

You Cannot Keep Up a Façade for Three Years - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

You Cannot Keep Up a Façade for Three Years - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If you are looking for a job. Dont put up a facade and hope that youll eventually come to terms with what you have resigned yourself to do. Dont do it. Just dont. If you are in a job that is not your ideal job. Dont fake it. Your best work will not come through. Your best efforts will never be applied to this role. Dont do it. Just dont. Dont put up a facade to attempt doing  a role that you are not passionate about. Don’t tell yourself a lie that you will eventually have to refute.  Eventually you will need to come to terms with that facade. If you tell the  truth, you dont have to remember anything. ~Mark Twain This is especially true for the stories we tell ourselves. Be faithful to yourself. Be truthful to yourself. Be real you cannot keep up a façade for three years I use 3 years to point out how long it might take for your facade to crack. By this time your facade will have  consumed your energy and especially your time. You may be able to put up with a false front for a while, but over the course of time you will tire of putting on airs. You will tire of spending so much energy into supporting a fallacy. What can you do about it? Take charge. Own your career. Own your interviewing process. Own your facade. Everyone puts on a facade at different times of their lives.  Facades aren’t necessarily a bad thing.  Facades are useful  for different parts of you life.  Just make sure the facade you commit to is the one that defines you, nourishes you, ands inspires you to be and do your best. Whats the risk? Career stultification. Settling for something you arent passionate about. Forcing yourself to accept a lie. “Im not upset that you lied to me, Im upset that from now on I cant believe you.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche This is especially harsh when these are the lies we are telling ourselves. The risk is We can never believe our own stories again. Tell the Truth. Especially to yourself. Your career and livelihood depend on it. Author: Jeff   is a veteran in the Enterprise Content Management industry. Over the past 20 years he has worked with customers and partners to design, develop and deploy solutions around the world. Jeff is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle. He has worked for Microsoft, FileNet (IBM), K2, Captaris, Open Text, Kofax and Kodak. He speaks and blogs about ECM and the Intersection between Social, Mobile and Cloud Computing.

Writing a Resume Summary - Tips to Make Sure That You Do a Resume

Writing a Resume Summary - Tips to Make Sure That You Do a ResumeWriting a resume summary is one of the most important things you should be doing when you go to write your resume. Writing a resume can be done online but it is much easier to do with the use of a paper resume. Using a paper resume can help you make sure that you cover all the bases in your resume. It also makes it easier for you to go back and see what is missing or what could be changed.Writing a resume can be complicated because you have so many options and you can't be too specific in what you are trying to say. The first thing you need to do when you are writing a resume is to find a place where you can go to get information about the company you are applying to. You want to be as specific as possible in your information so that you can make sure you are covering everything you need to with your resume.When you are looking for information you may want to use a professional resume writing software that will help you write a resume quickly and easily. This type of software can get you a professional resume written that you can send to the company in just a few minutes. Many people will start their careers by using resume writing software because it is easy and it can help them to write a resume quickly and save money.Writing a resume can be fun if you have some type of structure for yourself. It can also be very hard if you don't have any type of structure at all. If you feel that the general writing skills that you have are not enough then you should use a resume writing software that will help you get a good resume without much work.When you are writing a summary job description that includes a list of qualifications, you will want to make sure that you are covering all the bases in your resume. There will be some things that you will want to be able to omit. If you omit some things that are specific to the position that you are applying for, then you may have trouble getting the job.Using a resume writing software that will help you write a summary job description that covers all the bases in your resume can help you get the job faster and save time. This can also help you save money because you won't have to waste time on a paper resume that has nothing on it. Your resume may need to be edited before it is submitted to the company.You can't expect to be able to take a resume summary and rewrite it to look like a professional resume. The reason why you need to take the time to write a resume is so that you can show them how well you would perform as an employee. If you don't write a good resume you won't get the job.Most companies have a basic resume format that you should follow. This is how you will need to write a resume that will look professional and make a good impression on the hiring manager. If you use the right tools and get help from a professional resume writing software you can make sure that you have all the right information on your resume before the com pany even sees it.

School Daze - College Grad Job Search - CareerAlley

School Daze - College Grad Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. When you are asked if you can do a job, tell em, Certainly I can! Then get busy and find out how to do it. Theodore Roosevelt I remember all of the jobs I had while I was in college and none of them, thankfully, led to the career I pursued once I graduated. I didnt get to do any interesting internships (actually, I didnt get to do any internships). I think the most memorable job I had while I was in college was working in a deli, fishing pickles out of huge barrels (and I dont think Ive eaten a pickle since). But its not always the job (or jobs) you had while you were in college. Its how you leverage the experiences youve had that will determine your success. Of course if youve had amazing internships during college that can only help, but there is an art to making not so interesting jobs sound great (okay, maybe not fishing for pickles). Collegetimes This college site has a section that is focused on jobs. Their tag line College Jobs s the place to find all the latest jobs and internships for college students, and entry-level jobs for recent graduates and alumni. We also host any jobs related to academia, universities, research, postdoc, and otherwise tells it all. There are tabs at the top for Browse Jobs, Job Preparation, Job negotiation and more. Below this are links for searching for both on-campus and off-campus jobs, followed by a list o the latest jobs. Gradspot This site, which is focused on life after college, has a great careers page. There are links at the top of the page for Preparing for the Job hunt, Finding the perfect job and settling into the Workplace. There are articles on a number of related topics as well as Career Features with links to great articles such as What are the best city for Grads the best and worst cities to look for jobs and so much more. Grad to Great Another interesting site that focuses on the college grad (and I love the name of the site). The main page has featured articles (such as Jobternships and Online Job Board Scams and more), Resume and Cover Letter tips. The top of the page has additional links to Tips Advice, Events and a Blog. Plus, there is a resources link which includes Career Coaches, Cover Letters, Job Interviews and so much more. Definitely worth a look. Urban Interns A very interesting website and concept, the description on their website Urban Interns is a national marketplace that connects small businesses with people seeking part-time jobs and internships tells it all. What is interesting is that some of the opportunities are Virtual or in Person, College Student or Professional, Paid or Unpaid and more. There is a box on the bottom right hand side for job seekers, click your city and search for jobs (or register). Check out the Blog as well. Entry Level Careers Examiner by Heather Huhman on examiner.com offers tons of related articles (such as Should I take a post-grad unpaid internship). The main page shows the most recent articles (with title and the first few sentences of the article). Whats really neat is the right hand side of the page which lists articles by topic (ranked by number), with topics such as Job Search, Landing a job and Internships. Also really useful are the lists of resources on the bottom right hand side. Tons of resources, job boards including entry level focused links. Good luck in your search.

Want To Expand Into Amazon Then Think Like Bezos

Want To Expand Into Amazon Then Think Like Bezos Expansion is the goal for business owners. If they could, they’d open a store in the Amazon Rainforest to boost sales and maximize profits. Growth doesn’t come easily. Out of every ten startups which have dreams of being the next big thing, only two of them stay open. Yep, 80% of small businesses fail at some point. To make $1 billion, you have to think and act like the men and women who have come before. And, who better to look to than the wealthiest man on the planet, Jeff Bezos? You can adopt his finances by assuming his attitude. These are the four essentials to keep in mind. The Three-Quarter Rule Common logic says that entrepreneurs need to be sure before they make a decision. That way, the risks are fewer and there’s less chance of making errors. Bezos disagrees, saying “most decisions should be made with around 70% of the information.” Why? It’s because when you wait around for the extra 25% to 30%, you’re probably going to miss an opportunity. Three-quarters is about the perfect amount to negate the risks which will kill the company. Other than that, you will need to deal with the road bumps and react when they appear. Ignore The Distractions The amazing thing about billionaires is their ability to work harder, faster and longer than anyone else. The total minutes they clock aren’t as important as their efficiency. Bezos ignores the distractions and zones in on the things which require his time and expertise. Everything else is delegated to his trusty team. Small businesses might not have employees yet, but they can still offload the interruptions. www.arksolvers.com is an IT firm which will deal with bugs, glitches, and offline periods. www.jellyfish.net takes care of marketing so the message sticks and boosts lead generation. A lawyer will deal with the legal stuff. Your to-do list should focus on your priorities. Forget The Competition In many ways, the company’s rivals are essential as they influence decisions. When the competition invests in new tech or brings out a new service, you take notice and react. However, obsessing over what they are doing and why and it isn’t a wise move according to Bezos. Too many organizations get caught up and end up stealing ideas. What makes Amazon unique is that it came up with a service no one knew they wanted yet they sought it all the same. “Even when they don’t know it, customers want something better.” Don’t Be A Victim Of Success The website starts to get lots of traffic and the bricks and mortar store is doing well, too. The company is expanding at a rate the likes of which you never imagined in your wildest dreams. Then, things begin to drop off and plateau. Why? It’s because success breeds laziness. One thing Amazon never did was to stop pushing the envelope. When Prime became huge, the business added same-day delivery as well as Prime Video and Day. Recently, they bought the rights to English soccer matches for the next Premier League season. Can anyone say the firm is resting on its laurels?