What Are Talent Communities and How Do They Drive Value

What Are Talent Communities and How Do They Drive Value A lot of people are talking these days about talent pipelines, and specifically using them as a means to shorten time to hire by building relationships with high-quality passive candidates over time. When done correctly, talent communities convert career site visitors into a database where they are nurtured until they are ready to convert down the funnel into an applicant in the ATS. What’s a Talent Community? First off, let’s define talent communities.   Many people use the phrases talent communities, talent pipelines, and talent CRM as synonyms.   While these concepts are all a bit different, we’ll use them as more or less interchangeably in this discussion. A talent community is a mechanism where passive job seekers can learn more about a company until they are ready to apply.   Its most common form is as an email newsletter where candidates are receiving information on a monthly or quarterly basis that helps them better understand the company so that they can make an informed decision on whether or not to apply when they are ready for a new job.   Online and offline events, texting, and other forms of communication can also be in the mix when keeping in touch with these candidates. How does it work? A person finds out about your company.   They go to your careers site.   They think “wow, this is an interesting place to work.”   But, they aren’t ready to apply for a job. Perhaps they have been at the same job for 5 years and don’t have an updated resume.   Maybe they are halfway through a Ph.D. program.   Maybe they just switched jobs 3 months ago.   Whatever the reason, they will not end up in your ATS. Enter the talent community.   This is where people who are interested but not ready to apply can leave their name, email, and what job family they’re interested in. Nurturing Candidates Here’s where most companies fall down.   They get a form on their careers site that allows them to capture info from passive candidates, and then they don’t do anything with these people! It’s not enough to simply have a database, you need to engage with these people through online and offline events, emails, and 1:1 conversations. Segmentation At the most basic, each talent community should be segmented into different functional areas.   For example, you may segment yours into engineering, sales, marketing, etc.   A more advanced talent community will also segment by geography, and perhaps by affinity groups such as veterans or women in tech. The way I think about segmentation is to think through the various groups of people who a candidate would like to chat with to learn more about your culture.   There’s probably a group of people who do their current job, a group that works in the office they are interested in, and maybe just some like-minded people who they would want to hang out with after work. Communication Now that we’ve segmented our database, it’s time to communicate with them.   The baseline communication should be a monthly email with culture-related content which is relevant to the role a given prospect is interested in.   Quarterly communication is ok, but you risk losing candidates this way and decreasing the open rates of your emails over time. Some companies send job openings to their talent communities.   This is fine, as long as the main thrust is around culture-related information.   Passive job seekers aren’t applying for jobs, and so open reqs are a lot less interesting than information related to the tech your engineering team is working with, or how your sales team celebrates the wins. Pro tip: have your recruiters reach out on a 1:1 basis to high-value prospects you’d like to activate in the short term.   They know about your company and therefore should be very open to a 10-minute talk about open roles. The ROI Talent pipelines can add value in a few different ways.   One is in terms of capturing candidates you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.   So, one way to think about ROI is simply multiplying your cost/hire by the number of hires you’ve made from the talent community. The other major way a talent community can help is by shortening your time to hire.   This results in massive ROI as each day a valuable employee is onboard can lead to thousands of dollars in savings. Final Advice While implementing and maintaining a talent community may seem daunting, the best advice I can give is to get started.   Every day you don’t have one, you’re losing high-quality passive candidates who can help you meet your hiring goals! Check out this video for a quick 101 explanation on talent communities: About the author:  Phil Strazzulla  is passionate about educating the HR ecosystem about everything talent acquisition.   He began his career working in early stage investing at Bessemer Venture Partners before getting his MBA at Harvard Business School, which lead him to the HR industry. About the author:   Phil Strazzulla is passionate about educating the HR ecosystem about everything talent acquisition.   He began his career working in early-stage investing at Bessemer Venture Partners before getting his MBA at Harvard Business School, which lead him to the HR industry.

Protecting Your Business and Personal Brand During a Fire - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Protecting Your Business and Personal Brand During a Fire - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Small or large, as soon as you hire on employees, you increase your chances of having to fire someone by 100%. Inevitably, the time will come when a worker is not performing to your standards or has done something against company policy. While many firings aren’t hostile, it nevertheless is an important step to take the time and learn how to protect yourself should there be hostilities. As the face of the company connected to every social media site around, keeping your reputation in tact is more important than ever before. Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe Under absolutely no circumstances should you ever release any information about the firing on any social media network no matter how private you think it is. Their name as well as any information regarding the firing is purely confidential. You’ll only end up in a heap of legal trouble if you break this silence. Even if the person fired is being as slanderous as they can to cause you trouble, remain calm and respond as a mature adult. Publicly ask them if they would like to speak about the matter in private. Offer up a time and date as well. This helps diffuse the situation because if the fired employee responds in a negative, it paints them as the immature one. This method also prevents you from letting slip any private information. Be Proactive Assuming you’ve had time to prepare your firing speech, you will have also had time to plan out what information you need to change to protect your young business and yourself. In small businesses, everyone has the communal passwords. Because there are so few people, everyone having access means a much easier way to make updates and deal with the populace through social media. Once an employee leaves, they’ll still have access to everything they had a password to, leaving you extremely vulnerable. Before the employee is fired, write down a list of everything they have had access to over their time working for you. As soon as they’re gone, immediately go through each platform to change the passwords. Remind the remaining employees that sharing them will not be tolerated and is grounds for getting fired. This will dissuade any friends of the ex-employee from sharing the information. Make it a Favor When it comes time to actually sit down with the person and deliver the news, the worst thing you can possibly do is insult them. Keep in mind that if things go poorly, they will spread the news far and wide that your new business is a horrible place to support, seriously damaging your potential growth. Instead, think of the firing in terms of how you can let them go without hurting their feelings. The best way to do this is by treating it like a favor or an opportunity. Clearly this individual has a great skill set, but it doesn’t quite work out with the current company’s needs. It’s no one’s fault, it’s simply a poor fit. Many people can understand this and a few may even be relieved they can finally go ply their trade elsewhere. Taking this a step further, do what you can to help them after the firing. Few people will bad mouth a let go if they’re supplied with six months of unemployment on top of a boss that’s connected them with other brands they would work better with. During such an emotionally charged situation, the best thing you can do is dampen the negativity by legitimately showing concern. Act Immediately Occasionally, the worst case scenario will happen. No matter what you do, no matter how much you try to lessen the blow, the ex-employee will do everything in their power to sully your reputation. Your responsibility during this crucial time is to act immediately. If they say something rude on Twitter, tweet back. Do what you can to get the truth on the table without spilling any of their confidential information. However, as a word of warning, respond only once your emotions are in check. No one appreciates their character being called into question no matter how right or wrong they are. On social media, the winner is the person that remains cool, collected and logical. Because the employee decided to drag the dispute into the public eye, you’ll have the upper hand so long as you can refrain from using their emotionally charged tactics.

Are you a Global Graduate University of Manchester Careers Blog

Are you a Global Graduate University of Manchester Careers Blog Global Graduates  is an exclusive programme for University of Manchester students, offering the opportunity to meet with alumni in host cities across the world (thanks to the generous funding of donors). This years  programme  will take  32 lucky applicants to Hong Kong, London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Singapore and Toronto an amazing opportunity! The 2017 programme is now open for applications from eligible  undergrads (not in the final year of study), and were  holding information sessions in February and March with further details including application hints and tips. Not to be missed. If you meet the criteria, I doubt youll need further convincing to apply.but if you do, one of last years Global Grads, Alasdair Irwin, has written about his experience. Deadline for applications: Sunday 19 March Alasdair in Hong Kong When applying for the Global Graduates programme, Hong Kong was the destination that filled me with the most wonder. Given the surge of China in recent years and Hong Kong’s long standing reputation as an economic powerhouse, it is somewhat surprising that Hong Kong remains an enigma for many in the West. Since starting at university, Ive been determined to learn more about China and I saw this programme as the perfect way  to do so. After arriving in Hong Kong, it wasnt until taking the late night shuttle bus to the hotel that I began to appreciate that I was somewhere special. Driving through an illuminated labyrinth of skyscrapers, it was hard not to feel overawed. This was a feeling that I was to experience a lot over the following week. The week consisted of meetings with alumni from The University of Manchester across a whole range of disciplines from finance, to insurance, to  engineering. Navigating around a hot and humid Hong Kong for 5-6 meetings a day without being late was challenging at times, but I’m glad to say we pulled it off for the most part! Before visiting Hong Kong, I had no idea that the University had another Manchester Business School based there. When we visited, we were told that we were now part of this global network and that we would always be welcome. This really brought home how lucky we were to be chosen for the programme. A personal highlight of the trip was visiting Black Point Power Station operated by China Light Power. We were treated to lunch with senior staff members and shown around the plant. I was also made aware of potential internship opportunities with the company which I will definitely enquire about further. Although we had a busy schedule, this  gave us more opportunities to learn from the alumni. After returning to the UK, I didnt remember the times feeling tired or jet-lagged; the lasting memories were of the meetings with the alumni and being absorbed in a new culture in breath-taking surroundings. This experience has given me confidence when dealing with professionals, allowing me to lose my inhibitions when networking. We learned what the alumni expect from graduates applying to work at their companies. This has given me invaluable insight which will be of great benefit when seeking employment. I would like to say thank you to all of the alumni volunteers for allowing me to have this life changing experience. I hope that in the future I might be able give back to the University as they have done! Alasdair and colleagues in Hong Kong All Student blogs Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted

Connecting with People

Connecting with People Leil Lowndes is a speaker and communications consultant and author of several books, including How to Instantly Connect with Anyone. Lowndes provides tips for creating quick bonds with people you meet.   Her theory is that if you can make people feel at ease with you (and good about themselves) you will be able to network more easily, close more sales and get more job offers.   She calls this skill Emotional Prediction, or EP.   EP takes the concept of Emotional Intelligence and adds a layer: the ability to predict how someone will feel in a given situation.   Being tuned in to other people’s emotions â€" and taking steps to make them feel better about themselves â€" will help you become more likeable.   Lowndes says that people will associate you â€" and the memory of you â€" with the emotion they experienced when they met you.   If you make someone uncomfortable, she’ll avoid you.   Make him feel warm and appreciated, and he’ll get a warm feeling whenever he thinks about you. Some people are naturals at this skill; we call people “charming” and “charismatic” as a sort of shorthand for the ability to make people like them instantly.   If you’ve ever been in a room with former president Bill Clinton, you’ve seen that particular power of attraction. Lowndes knows that not everyone is born with this gift, so she provides 99 tips on how to master the art of connection. She provides a wide variety of tips, from making meaningful eye contact if it’s difficult for you (tell yourself that you’ll need to describe the exact color and shape of the person’s eyes after you meet) to how to start a friendship with someone.   Her friendship advice is simple: find a way to connect with your prospective friend two or three times after meeting.   For example: you meet someone at a networking event and decide that he or she would be a cool person to know for professional (or personal) reasons.   Lowndes suggests striking up a conversation about something the other person is passionate about and asking for advice. Let’s say your acquaintance is a movie buff.   Ask for a recommendation on the best film of the past year.   Rent the film, and then provide feedback and thanks to your new contact.   Ask for more recommendations periodically via phone or email.   When you see an opportunity, offer something of value, like tickets to a local film debut and voilà â€" you’ve formed the basis for a friendship. If you’re working on expanding your network or determined to make more connections in 2011, How to Instantly Connect with Anyone might be the book for you.   Look for more connection tips in future posts.

Top 5 Resume Writing Services

Top 5 Resume Writing ServicesTop five resume writing services are listed below. Each of these top services provide the basic resume writing service, but also extend their services to other services such as custom resume formats and cover letters.ABACUS - ACE is a top five resume service which will actually create a professional looking resume in five days or less. Its research and development department offer resume templates that are both professional and user friendly and also offers resume input services for companies or even individual users. The company has created a vast database of resumes covering all major fields of employment.CEO Center - This top resume writing service helps corporate organizations find skilled candidates and match them with job opportunities according to each individual company needs. CEO Center performs hiring assessments on applicants, taking into account their education, experience, and skill set. These assessments will help businesses and corporations filter out potential employees.Career List - Career List is an online directory where you can find local, national, and international candidates. The website allows you to filter job listings by job type, location, and industry. You can also find jobs in your area by choosing to search by specific industry. It is a top five resume writing service that offers information on how to write a resume and write a cover letter.Resume Professionals - The company offers two different resume formats: the traditional format and the new, one page resume. Their new format is created by utilizing high quality content available in the Internet and social media. It offers resume formats that are easily readable, and it is very easy to create. It also includes tutorials and samples.ResumeBuilder - The top five resume writing service also offers customized resume templates. It has templates that are designed to meet the needs of various industries. You can get customized templates that are easy to cu stomize to fit your needs.Resume Pro - Resume Pro offers three different resume templates including the 'Million Dollar Resume' which is also one of the most popular resume templates on the Internet. It also offers templates for executives, technology professionals, and business owners. These templates are used by many large companies such as GE, Microsoft, and Intel.If you are looking for top five resume writing services that will help you in making your resume stand out from the crowd, you can search on the Internet and see what will best suit your requirements. There are many top five resume writing services available to choose from. Choose one that meets your needs best.

Dont quit your job until you have a new one - Sterling Career Concepts

Dont quit your job until you have a new one Dont quit your job until you have a new one Don’t Quit Your Job Until You Find a Better One. Maybe your Mom gave you this advice: “Don’t quit your job until you have a new one.” Mom was onto something.  (I promise I wont tell her she was right.) Hiring managers and recruiters agree it’s easier to find a new position if you’re currently employed. Its a controversial and unfair statement. Its wrong to admit, but currently employed professionals are considered more attractive candidates. The perception of unemployment is that you are desperate or eager to accept any position. This isnt necessarily true, but perception can be reality. Study after study states  that currently employed candidates are hired more frequently than unemployed candidates, and that it especially gets tough if youve been out of work for quite some time. So, please No matter how frustrating your current situation is, please do your best to hang on and not quit until you have a new one.  Its not easy to find the time to conduct a search while working full-time, but its also not easy to keep explaining to everyone why you left your last position. There are some exceptions to this advice. If youre subjected to verbal abuse or an otherwise extremely negative work environment, your mental state of health is more important than an answer to an interview question.  So this situation is a personal one with many scenarios and variables.  Logistics and moving geographically far away impacts the situation as well. Long distance searches are possible and are easier nowadays with improved technological tools.  Generally speaking though, if you are able to remain where you are or can tough it out in your current position for a while longer, its best to conduct a search as a gainfully employed professional. Additional Resources: You might like the following blog posts on related topics: A Simple Tip for Reinvigorating a Job Search 4 Tips for a Successful Job Search Tips to stay motivated during job search

How to Use Keywords in a Job Search - Sterling Career Concepts

How to Use Keywords in a Job Search How to Use Keywords in a Job Search Keywords are important to modern job seekers for two reasons: (1) to help successfully navigate through the technology involved in todays job search processes, and (2) the use of appropriate keywords in a job seekers resume and cover letter will show that he/she is knowledgeable and in tune with the industry and field. It helps confirm fit and knowledge. Keywords are frequently used in applicant tracking systems to help conduct an initial screen of resumes that will then be reviewed by a person. Without the right keywords, your resume won’t be selected! To be sure you are effectively integrating keywords into a resume, pull 2-3 target job postings to identity common keywords that should be used in your own resume. Next, use a free online word cloud generator (such as www.wordle.net) for a visual representation of which words are used most frequently in your resume. Try to integrate all of the target job postings’ common keywords in your own resume for the best chance of being selected as someone potential employers would like to interview. If you’re unsure of the best way to incorporate keywords into your resume, Laurie is an expert resume writer who incorporates all of the most effective techniques to produce cutting-edge resumes for clients. Feel free to reach out to her to see how she can help your resume stand out from those of other applicants.