5 Ways to Cut Down the Hiring Process Costs

With 2022 coming to a close, many employees will be making the most of the opportunity to reflect upon their careers. January presents a fresh start, with endless career opportunities and renewed optimism. It is the perfect time to hire fresh staff for your team, isn’t it?

Before you begin hiring new employees, you need to fully audit your own recruitment process. Identifying potential savings is a fantastic way to keep your recruitment fit for purpose. On that note, here are five ways to save money and time when it comes to the hiring process.

#1: PLAN AHEAD

You need to have a different game plan than your competitors. Companies that hire in January need to be competitive with their job offers and move fast to get a shot at securing their preferred candidates. It all starts with Human Resource planning.

What are you looking for? The company must then compare their needs to the expected number of qualified candidates in the labor market.

#2: HIGHLIGHT YOUR HIRING PROCESS COSTS

Costs have indirect and direct links. It is important for you to identify both. The direct costs of the hiring process include referral fees, external assessments, background checks, agency fees, LinkedIn Premium or Recruiter accounts, onboarding, training, and creation of contracts.

For indirect costs, it includes candidate dropouts, poor hires, poor team morale, and time away from work. Slow assessment periods or delayed offers can generate hidden costs too!

#3: KNOW YOUR BEST ACQUISITION CHANNELS

In specialist markets, it is likely that you will have to invest in paid job advertisements. Many employers invest in LinkedIn, Jobstreet, Indeed, and Facebook to promote jobs. It is hard to resist the temptation to make sure every single potential candidate sees your opportunity.

Look closely at your advertising channels and create a comprehensive list of all these. Make sure to sort and manage your channels by estimated total cost per year, current usage, and payment models. You will be able to predict your top performing acquisition channels upon assessment of this list. Junk the unnecessary!

#4: AUTOMATE MANUAL TASKS

If you can save time and money by automating manual tasks, do so. Time lost at any stage of the hiring process quickly dominoes resulting in the lengthy time-to-hires and lost candidates.

Here are the manual tasks that can be automated or templated:

a. Application alerts
b. Responses to candidate applications
c. Disqualification emails
d. Getting candidate contact details from CV
e. Creating recruitment related tasks in your project management tool
f. Adding candidates to mailing lists
g. Sending assessments to candidates
h. Sharing candidate history and CV with hiring managers
i. Booking time in hiring managers’ schedules
j. Booking interview times with candidates

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Automating tasks will keep your hiring process more efficient.

#5: EMBRACE COLLABORATIVE HIRING

As organizations grow, the communication lines between recruiters and hiring managers often become more distant and weaker. Combat this by using collaborative hiring. Collaborative hiring happens when you engage more employees in the hiring process.

More employees beyond the recruiter or hiring manager give the candidate a more cohesive vision of what it would be like to work in your organization. Additionally, you will get more feedback on the candidate. Included other employees in the interview, introduction, and assessment phases.

Source: 1

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How to Handle Dishonest Employees

It is challenging to maintain a perfect record of accomplishment of hiring the right people. Occasionally, a bad apple slips into the basket. You can end up with an unpleasant employee in your team. Whether this employee is difficult to work with or is dishonest, having this type of an employee is any employer’s worst nightmare.

The simple answer to how to handle dishonest employees is to get rid of him or her. However, you have to resolve matters following the established rules and principles.

#1: GET UNQUESTIONABLE PROOF OF THE DISHONEST BEHAVIOR

If you are someone mediating a case of dishonesty, your first step is being absolutely certain that the act took place. You should look for evidence while using legal methods and fully respecting privacy laws. Another employee’s words are not strong enough evidence to conclude that you are dealing with a case of dishonesty. You need to cover all the bases.

#2: BE DATA-DRIVEN

It is easier to detect dishonest and corrupt behavior when everything is measured and tracked. Expenses need to be closely tracked. Accountability can also be put in writing such as having an Equipment Accountability Form. Apart from receipts and expense sheets, you can perform a background check on the employee in question.

You need to find out if the employee in question has a history of dishonest behavior or if this instance is an isolated case. You can contact any of his or her former employers to get a wider perspective.

#3: ASSESS THE IMPACT IT HAS ON YOUR ORGANIZATION

After examining the facts and realizing that you are dealing with dishonest behavior from an employee, the next step is to evaluate what the consequences are for the company. Realistically, evaluating the potential impact of this situation can help you make a plan on how to handle it appropriately.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#4: DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH THE EMPLOYEE

Once you are certain that dishonest behavior took place and you have investigated the impact it can have on the organization, you need to openly discuss the matter with the employee in question. Such a discussion can reveal the motives behind the employee’s behavior and even resolve the entire issue in situations when the damage was minimal.

#5: SET CLEAR CONSEQUENCES FOR THE DISHONEST BEHAVIOR

Set clear consequences for the dishonest actions, starting from a probation period up to termination. Knowing there are clear and well-defined consequences can help you take action and move ahead. I am not saying that it is easy to do, but it is a crucial step to making things right.

#6: ENCOURAGE OPEN FEEDBACK AND TRANSPARENCY

Build a culture that encourages transparency and openness. Workplace transparency is open communication between leaders and employees. Leaders shall commit to openly sharing expectations, mistakes, setbacks, feedback, revenue, and other metrics.

If a team member thinks something seems out of the ordinary or something seems off, he or she should bring it up and comfortably escalate the matter to the manager.  Leaders can lead by example through giving constant feedback or constructive criticisms. 

Sources: 1 & 2

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How to Handle Conflicts with Your Boss

Sometimes the toughest part of your job is not the work…it is the people. The mixture of personalities and individual differences can cause conflicts. In the workplace, conflict causes a significant degree of frustration, discomfort, sadness, anger, and pain. It is a different story when the conflict is between you and your boss.

Where your boss is concerned, you want to be sure to apply plenty of finesse. It is crucial that you remain calm and objective. There is nothing to be gained and much to lose by getting angry and being disrespectful. You may not be able to see each other eye-to-eye, but you will have shared thoughts by further nurturing your relationship. Thay being said, here are some tips you can apply to handle the conflicts with your boss:

#1: ACKNOWLEDGING AND RESPECTING AUTHORITY

Put all your energy into understanding and empathizing with the management’s point of view. Ask open-ended questions until you fully understand where your boss is coming from. Resolution begins with respecting each other’s point of view.

#2: RE-DIRECT THE DISCUSSION

Find a common ground that makes sense for you, your boss, and the organization. Stay on this topic until you identify a mutually beneficial outcome that you can work towards to.

#3: ASK FOR HELP

An honest, sit-down conversation is more likely to yield a thoughtful response than an emotional exchange sandwiched between meetings. Unless it is an emergency, you can ask your boss for an appointment so that you will have time to gather your thoughts. It is best to approach your boss with a calm and collected attitude to get your point across and to ask for necessary help.

#4: KNOW YOUR TIMING

Timing is essential when approaching your boss about issues and other combative events. You may be the perfect target for a feisty exchange if he or she just had a major setback.

Know your timing! Try to avoid addressing conflicts before lunch when hunger might distort reason or just before the end of shift when everyone is eager to go home.

#5: ASK IF YOU CAN SHARE YOUR VIEWPOINT

Once you are given permission to discuss your concern, be clear and compelling. Link your perspective to what matters most to your boss, the organization, and your common goal. If your boss is not (physically and emotionally) available to talk, reschedule the discussion when the dust settles.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Sources: 1 & 2

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Why Are Millennials So Challenging to Manage?

Fully understanding how the minds of Millennials work is a near-impossible task! However, it is crucial to address a few generation-defining characteristics to help enhance your understanding.

#1: MILLENNIALS VIEW THEMSELVES AND OTHERS AS EQUALS

Regardless of their co-workers’ relative seniority, level of education, or other remarkable accomplishments, Millennials view themselves and other generations as equals. You can either interpret this as a sign of entitlement or a sign of secured self-image. The perception of equivalence is partially rooted from the fact that they bring a unique skillset to the workplace, and they know it.

Millennials are fluent in technology compared to previous generations. Their recommendations often provide increased organizational efficiency, and they expect to be taken seriously for that.

#2: MILLENNIALS ARE MORE “SENSITIVE”

Previous generations considered Millennials as more sensitive. A part of it is true and it’s not all bad. Millennials have low tolerance for injustice, disrespect, and hostility.

They are willing to speak up about the quality of their experiences (i.e., the good and bad) and are willing to apply compassion in what they do. Thus, they are aware of the harm inflicted by toxic management. They are wary of its risks including burnout and diminished performance arising from unsupportive working environments.

#3: MILLENNIALS DESIRE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

According to data from Gallup, 60% of Millennials are open to new job opportunities, making them the generation that is most likely to change jobs when they get the chance. Millennials are eager to climb the metaphorical ladder. They keep a constant eye out for professional growth.

The desire for professional growth may be influenced by social comparison and social media. From peers publishing their latest accomplishments on LinkedIn to the implicit follower counts on other platforms, Millennials often measure their accomplishments against their peers.

#4: MILLENNIALS NEED FREQUENT FEEDBACK

Millennials have seemingly insatiable craving for feedback and instant gratification. In response to technology, the Internet has become a background noise for constant positive and negative feedback. Beyond the noise, this generation has come to rely on crowd-sourced data to guide their every move.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Regardless of whether you are giving constructive feedback or compliments, it is important to understand their expectations about frequency when determining how to communicate with them in the workplace.

HOW TO MANAGE THEM

If you are concerned about how to manage them in the workplace, you need to learn how to communicate in a way that encourages them to stay open. For instance, you may start by saying: “I am going to be frank with you about your performance because I see your potential and I trust that you can handle this feedback.”

Using this strategy frames the feedback no matter how difficult it is to deliver. Moreover, it puts your employee in a position where being receptive to feedback affirms their reputation as a respectable peer. Additionally, you can provide opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Millennials can be your greatest allies and your hardest working group of employees if you manage them correctly. Consider the generation-defining characteristics mentioned above to guide your leadership style!

Sources: 1 & 2

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Going Online to Find the Right Job

job search

As many people will know from experience, trying to find the right job can be a real challenge these days. While there are plenty of career options that you can consider in Singapore, it is important to choose the right type of job for you based on your interests, qualifications, skills, and preferences. However, you also need to remember that there is a lot of competition for jobs in all industries these days, so you have to go the extra mile to find and get the job that is right for you.

The good news is that you can turn to internet technology these days if you want to find and get the right job. In fact, many people now head online in order to help them to find the right job in the ideal industry, and many even improve their skills and qualifications online in order to boost their chances of success. Whether you are looking for specialist jobs on a full-time basis or part time jobs in Singapore, going online can help. In this article, we will look at some of the reasons to go online to improve your chances of finding the ideal job.

Some of the Benefits of Going Online

There are many benefits of going online to find the ideal job, and this is why a lot of people go down this route. Some of the key ones are:

You Can Train Online

One of the key benefits of going online is that you can train and study to get into the perfect job. If you have researched the type of job you want, but you do not currently have the skills and qualifications required, there are plenty of educational and training facilities that you can access. This then means that you can gain the qualifications and develop the skills needed to get into your chosen field.

There Are Job Sites to Register With

Another of the benefits of going online is that there are now plenty of job agency sites that deal with jobs in all sorts of industries. You can save yourself a huge amount of time and inconvenience by registering your details on these sites along with information about the type of work and hours that you are looking for. The details of relevant jobs can then be emailed to you directly so that you can take a look and complete an application if you are interested.

You Can Complete Online Applications

One of the other key benefits that you can look forward to when you go online is the ability to complete and submit your application with total ease and convenience. You do not have to complete lengthy forms, use snail mail to send the application and supporting documents, and wait forever for a response. Everything can now be done electronically, which makes it faster and easier to apply for your chosen jobs.

These are just some of the many benefits that you can look forward to when you go online to find the right job.

By going online, you will find it easier to locate the right job, as you will not have to trawl advertisements when you register on job agency sites. In addition, you will be able to complete everything from your job search to the application without any issues and from the comfort of your own home.

With the internet becoming a hugely popular platform for employers, you will also be able to benefit from greater choice when you go online to look for work. This then makes it easier for you to find the ideal position for your needs.

 

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