Employment Industry News
Preparing for an Employment Upsurge
May 2010
Now that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel— and you’re pretty sure it’s not a freight train — do you begin staffing back up to pre-recession levels, or do you keep running a lean-and-mean organization?
Think strategically about your re-staffing needs in terms of revenue growth and customer service, suggests Kanani Masterson, VP of business development for the Tristaff Group, a staffing and executive search firm in San Diego.
Clients who cut back so far that their customers aren’t getting good levels of service damage reputations and relationships, she says. Most of Masterson’s clients make sure that they hire people who will benefit the bottom line.
In the same vein, Richard Reinhardt, vice president of F&H Solutions Group, an HR services group in Atlanta, advises companies to stay lean as long as they can — unless the indicators clearly show that their business is significantly improving.
“It is worse to begin hiring and then lay people off shortly thereafter,” he says.
Don’t Overlook Employees
Existing employees are a key audience that deserves careful attention, says Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com in Richmond, VA. Don’t overlook loyal employees who have helped you through bad times. Focus on those A-level employees that you would like to retain.
Try non-monetary incentives:
- Schedule flexibility Full-time workers may want more time off; part-timers may want more hours.
- Career-path coaching Be proactive. Offer training to help employees get to the next level.
- Say “Thank you” Simple praise and appreciation for a job well done will go a long way.
Follow Policies and Promises
Pay close attention when rehiring. Follow all policies or commitments. “Even if the company thinks that they could find better qualified employees instead of recalling laid-off workers, the rest of the employees in the company will question the integrity of management for not adhering to their own rules,” Reinhardt cautions. Those companies not constrained by a layoff policy can open
the jobs up to all applicants, including former employees.
To prepare for the inevitability of some turnover or to ramp up as the economy improves, Boyer suggests:
- Having a constant pipeline of job candidates to quickly fill hiring needs.
- Staying in touch with A-level candidates you might not currently have room for.
- Developing a system of employee referrals.
Finally, he says: “Be more selective during this round of hiring.” Given the excess of highly qualified candidates this recession has generated, companies have the ability to evaluate their human resource investments more selectively than they may have in the past. Take advantage of it.▲
Four Tips for a Winning Resume
Article originally featured on about.com
By Susan Heathfield for about.com
An employer can receive hundreds of resumes in response to an advertised position. For every hundred resumes an employer receives, only a few resumes stand out from the crowd. Want your resume to shine in the eyes of the employer you want to attract? Start by including a well-written resume cover letter with the resume. Then, follow these resume guidelines to create an interview winning resume that is head and shoulders above the crowd.
Formatting and feel, on a mailed-in resume, matter. Your resume, at first glance, can impress or depress the employer. Lots of open space, a clear, easy-to-read font such as 12 point Arial, and easy-to-find and skim information, entice the employer to read on. With electronic publishing, every mailed resume should be freshly printed on high quality paper. And don’t even think of sending your application to my company in your current employer’s envelope, or with metered postage. Think about what this says about the integrity of the candidate. I receive, at least, one of these a week. Envelopes do matter.
You will likely grow tired of hearing this but correct spelling, appropriate grammar, no missing words, and no typing mistakes make your resume an employer-pleaser right out of the starting gate. An error-free resume is rare. Indeed, some hiring managers will not further consider your candidacy if they find even one mistake. Every mistake makes me pause and think. Every mistake makes me question your carefulness, care, and attention to detail. Don’t make me pause; don’t make me think.
Contact Information: In this era of instant messaging, email, and cell phones, there is absolutely no reason to make contacting you difficult for the potential employer. Yet, over half the resumes I receive have no contact information except a home phone number. And guess what? You’re never home. Give the potential employer your cell phone number, even if you have to buy a mobile for your job search. Avoid the dreaded phone tag that may make you miss out on an interview altogether.
Write and customize an “objective” for each job and employer. The objective is your opportunity to connect your skills, experience, traits, and job requirements with those the employer is seeking. Read the job posting carefully and you can pick out exactly what the employer believes he needs. Don’t settle for a lame, “I seek a challenging opportunity to utilize my skills with a progressive employer who will provide opportunities for growth.”
In response to an ad for a marketing specialist, I received this customized objective: “I am seeking a position as a marketing specialist in a growing, environmentally conscious company that will utilize my current skills in the development of advertising and other marketing materials and website design and writing. At the same time, I hope to gain experience in market research, Internet competitive analysis, and market segmentation.” Who do you think I called?
Archived Articles
April 2010: Practical HR Applications for Social Media
February 2010: Dealing with Depression in the Workplace
July 2009: Should You Survey Employees’ Thinking Now?
June 2009: Mastering Office Politics
May 2009: Leading in a Tough Economy
April 2009: Financial Woes Spur Some Short-term Hiring
April 2009: Do You Have a Strong Corporate Culture?
February 2009: Good Negotiation Means Good Listening