January 26, 2011

Edited and Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Published by Success Performance Solutions.

What's Inside this issue of The Total View:

1. Recruiting Solutions Expand Use Of Social Media

2. Workforce Trends

3. What Motivates Employees

4. Annual Performance Reviews Simplified!

5. Leadership Guide and Workbooks for Managing Geeks, Geezers & Googlization!

Recruiting Solutions Expand Use Of Social Media

In a trend started during the latter half of the past decade, employers were forced to sift through mounds of online applications, thanks to the convenience of online job boards.  The recession and millions of displaced workers only exacerbated the challenge. Recruiters are forced to read a lot of applications submitted by candidates who don't qualify. That has led many employers to scale back their use of online job boards.

According to a December survey from the Corporate Executive Board, about 24% of companies plan to decrease their usage of third-party employment websites and job boards this year. Instead nearly 80% of the companies surveyed are hiring a different breed of recruiters who can find passive candidates, using networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIN , as well poaching candidates from competitors. 

The experience of a Northeastern Wisconsin employer highlights the problem of what I projected several years ago would be a "resu-mess." The employer had 134 $15-an-hour entry-level job openings. It received 850 applications. After reviewing them for high school diplomas or GED certificates, work history and experience, it eliminated 450 applicants. The remainder were tested for physical dexterity and given eighth-grade reading and math tests, which eliminated 208 more. The remaining 192 applicants were given personal interviews which focused on character issues.

That article enticed me to visit our applicant processing system to assess the relationship between the number of ad views to completed applications per open position.  For Chief Marketing Officer, 285 potential candidates viewed the ad using a combination of an online job board and LinkedIN. Seventy-two completed the application, but only one candidate met the requirements of the client.  A sales executive position attracted 170 candidates after being viewed by 5,636 jobseekers. A search for hospitality associates caught the eye of 21,234 candidates.  Eight hundred thirty-nine (839) applied.  Less than 150 applicants qualified for interviews.

This sheer volume of applications is forcing companies, small and large, to rethink how they recruit. Simply cutting back on posting jobs to CareerBuilder or Monster isn't enough.

Qualified but passive candidates are building connections in LinkedIn. But many companies have blocked accessibility to networking sites.  Human resources professionals, generally a conservative group, are also often reluctant to join networking sites.  Without access to online networks and a robust list of connections, recruiters are fighting this war for talent in handcuffs.

This onslaught of applications is also being processed and filtered by fewer recruiters and downsized human resources departments. Recruiting, compliance and administrative human resources functions in many small businesses are handled by one employee.

More applications and fewer resources lead to delays in responding to candidates. Top candidates may fall through the cracks and be ignored.  Likewise, they might be turned off by a slow response and lack of acknowledgement.  That's an ill-advised strategy that employers competing for a precious few qualified employees cannot afford to continue.

An online applicant processing system (APS) is one solution many companies are adopting.  An APS allows employers to open the recruiting funnel without overwhelming resources to filter out unqualified candidates.

Using an APS, a hiring manager creates a job listing and then adds screening filter questions. Each question is carefully weighted and prioritized. Candidates can apply using an unlimited number of online job boards such as CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, free job boards, social media networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook, employee referrals, and other sites like Craig's List. When the manager logs into the APS system, he or she can quickly view all candidates or filter for only candidates who meet the minimum qualifications. Unqualified candidates can be notified automatically using the system's email templates. 

Workforce Trends

An obesity pandemic has put pressure on health care systems throughout the world. The United States currently spends about $160 billion-twice what it did a decade ago-and that amount could double again by 2018. Obesity indireclty costs the United States at least $450 billion annually - almost three times the direct medical cost.

Source: McKinsey Quarterly

For more  workforce and hiring trends, visit Perfect Labor Storm website and Perfect Labor Storm blog.

What Motivates Employees

Business values and motivators determine the "why" of human behavior.  
 

For managers, Business Values and Motivators answers the nagging question - How can I motivate my employees?  
 

For employees and individuals looking to re-energize their careers, the Business Values and Motivators report helps them understand what they value most.  As people, we tend to value certain viewpoints positively and judge others negatively.   How we value or judge determines our motivations and provide us with our sources of energy or conflicts and stress in our personal and professional lives.
 

What are Business Motivators? Read more.

Annual Performance Reviews Simplified!

Save time, increase productivity, and eliminate hassles when administering employee performance reviews with HReviewer.

Ask any manager what he or she hates most about the job and you'll often hear "performance reviews."   That's why we've created HReviewer.

We recognized a huge gap in the performance evaluation market between paper forms and online performance management. 

HReviewer is a user-friendly, centralized online solution to streamline and improve the annual, semi-annual or periodic review for small to medium sized organizations. It's convenient and very affordable too.  Our goal was simple: to help take the hassle out of getting managers to complete performance appraisal forms and giving employees more frequent feedback. 

The system comes with a library of competencies, an easy to use form creator, at-a-glance dashboards and reports, and a built-in reminder system to help HR track down managers when reviews are due....or past due!

More about HReviewer or Email us to schedule a FREE demo. 

Just Released!  Leader Guide and Workbooks for Managing Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization

Start the New Year out right. The leading edge of Baby Boomers start turning 65 in just a few weeks. Make 2011 the year of managing successfully the wired, the tired, and technology!

For the first time in history, four generations are co-mingling in the workplace. Capitalizing on each generation's strengths is a must. Minimizing generational clash points is a necessity. Keeping each generation engaged and motivated is critical.

Learn more....

Consultants and Trainers?  Contact us about our reseller and certification program.