human resources
The Power of Recruiting
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently released findings on the power of individual human resources functions and recruiting came out on top as the most impactful HR function for businesses.
As we know here in Colorado, in this highly competitive job market and in these challenging economic times, HR departments are lucky to have a large pool of the best and brightest to pick from. But with this comes a responsibility to recruit the right talent who are the best return on investment.
Job offers and counter offers from all angles
For the Denver Business Journal –By Stephanie Klein
When you’ve decided to look for a new job, and have worked diligently to secure an offer, having that offer in hand can lead you to believe your search is over. In reality, you’re not done yet. After receiving an offer, it is not uncommon to receive a counter offer from your current employer. Among HR and recruitment experts, conventional wisdom is that accepting a counter offer is career suicide, period. While most recruiters typically support this notion, many report experiencing an above-average incidence of it happening in the last several quarters. Why is there an increase? Is it still a bad idea to accept a counter offer? Let’s look at the factors contributing to this trend and how both candidates and employers can address it.
Is cultural fit more important than qualifications?
It used to be that all a fresh-faced college graduate or career changer needed to land a new job was a clean suit and a neatly typed resume containing all the right qualifications. Nowadays, the talent pool is overflowing with qualified applicants, which allows businesses to be more particular about finding who they need. For example, in 2010 at least 35.9 percent of people in Colorado had a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education, compared to 27.9 of people in the entire country. With so many credentials floating around, companies can afford to focus on cultural fit before handing out those coveted jobs.
Attract better applicants using candid job descriptions
When you are looking to attract better qualified job candidates, there are many benchmarks employers expect applicants to meet that aren’t always communicated. Some familiar expectations include what should be in a resume and how it should be delivered. What many employers don’t realize, though, is through their job posting, they can appear confused about who they are, and exactly what they desire in a potential employee. To see what we mean, look no further than the average job posting.
3 Reasons to Follow Up with Job Applicants
It doesn’t matter if you’re a recent college graduate or a seasoned executive, finding a well-paying job these days can be tough. The United States Department of Labor reports Colorado’s unemployment rate at 8.1 percent as of May, slightly better than the national average of 8.2 percent. So it comes as no surprise that hiring managers nowadays must sift through dozens, if not hundreds, of applications per job posting. Typically, these gatekeepers pinpoint the most promising applicants and ignore the rest in the name of efficiency. However, failing to respond to all potential candidates is not only rude, but risky. Here are three reasons why.
Talent management is a buzzword today – what does it mean?
In days gone by, if you worked for a medium to large-sized company, the personnel department was the place that processed your job application and federal Form W-4 when you were hired and maybe handled your pension. There wasn’t much interaction beyond that.
Times have been changing since those days of paper files and mimeographs, and once again, we can thank technology for driving a major shift in business strategy that started with the evolution of the Human Resources department and accelerated with another new concept known as “talent management.”
After computers began to automate many traditional personnel functions, managers in that arena were freed up to offer broader employee assistance. The Human Resources Department coordinated sophisticated benefit enrollments, staff trainings and evaluations. Starting in the 1990s, there was a new focus on staff development and view that people, not just capital or property, are business assets.
So, you want an “A” player…
As appeared in the Denver Business Journal — By Stephanie Klein
The good news is hiring continues to pick up, and many companies are reporting a more optimistic view of the year ahead. This confidence is partly based upon estimations that 2012’s revenue numbers could be the best they’ve been in three years. After all the turmoil we’ve been through, it’s hard to not get excited about such positive projections. As companies approve budgets, hiring managers have been given the green light to hire, and are planning the dream candidate – the elusive “A” player that embodies all the characteristics the company needs. It’s that perfect new employee who will help grow the top line, drive operational efficiency, and simultaneously create raving fans out of coworkers and managers alike. Sounds great, right? Before you move full steam ahead, though, consider the following steps along the way.
Acceleration toward skilled workforce has implications for companies, unemployed
As appeared in the Denver Business Journal — By Stephanie Klein
One of the biggest challenges our economy, as well as many businesses, is facing right now is a pervasive and ongoing skills mismatch. Companies are seeking talented, experienced people, but unemployment numbers are still high and holding flat, demonstrating that their quest for skilled workers is bearing little fruit.
Unfortunately for many employers and unemployed individuals, this trend shows no signs of slowing down and instead appears to be increasing. Reports suggest that by 2020, high-pay, high-skill jobs will account for nearly 75 percent of new jobs being created, with only a small percentage of individuals available to fill them. That leaves about 25 percent of low pay, low skills jobs to be divided among the majority of workers.
Know your people as well as your financial numbers
Denver Business Journal – by Stephanie Klein
While the need for strong financial acumen is a given when it comes to running a successful business, another more crucial measurement is that of a business’s employees. Do you have a system for measuring the value of your company’s talent? The fact is, a business’s financial success hinges on the sum total talent of its employees. Some of the best known and most successful companies judge its overall performance based not only on financials but on human capital as well.
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