Banks is a real asset to the recruitment industry. And I was thrilled to of been in attendance at a wonderful lunch

In this post, I want to share some valuable tidbits from that presentation – I’m sure Banks won’t mind that I pass on his genius to you:

1. 700,000 Aussies work offshore in specialised areas. Read that again: Australia’s specialized talent doesn’t even work on home turf. That’s a nice reality check – are we doing enough to woo talent back home to safe (and profitable!) harbour?

2. Only 1% of search assignments in Australia are retained. In other words, that means 99% of search assignments fall into contingency. It’s no damned wonder agencies are becoming less valuable by the minute: We charge nothing to work with us, and our reputation is down the tubes. Commission-only? It sucks.

3. High performers have a distinct stamp according to Banks: 1) They constantly outperform peers, and 2) they deliver results with credibility. Oh, and that’s without you even lifting a finger.

4. Need more traits of a high performing talent profile? Sure thing: 3) they master new experience with ease and are ahead of their peers. They’ll be recruiting for jobs in five years that we’re not even aware of now. 4) They’re smart, witty and curious and of course, 5) They recognize that behaviour counts.

5. Just in case you didn’t get the main point of 4 and 5 above, it comes down to this: High performers are about way more than sales.

6. Recruitment agencies need to niche. And be bloody brilliant in that niche to boot. That lets agencies steal market share from the Big Guys by specializing with top value and becoming the go-to agency for specific talent. Gone are the generalist glory days. Not such a bad thing I’m thinking

Here’s a last tip from Banks himself: If you think RPO is hot, keep your eyes on training and development. It’s going to be bigger in 5 years than RPO ever was – and that’s the perfect opportunity for the little guys out there to get ahead and scoop up both credibility and market share.

You in?

Why might I say this…?

Well they are as boring as Bat$%#%. This topic has been on my mind for a while, and when I saw a tweet on twitter from Katie McNab (Pepsi Co Recruitment Manager) I decided it was time to vent.

Katie showed an example of two ads that she believed were dismal  and she was right, well I was mortified when they both looked like 95% of Ads on Australian Job boards.

If you want to attract talent, the right people, bright people, start pitching to them the way they deserved to be pitched at. Ads are your way of standing out from the crowd. And no one seems to be standing out; we all seem to be standing together and it is quite ugly.

Now when I say stand out I don’t mean start going crazy with words such as, Cowabunga Dude, This is the Bomb or best organization ever. I mean be clear and concise and for God’s sake don’t use the word “Our Client”

Remember, it’s people we’re conversing with, not R O B O T S

The ideal ad in my eyes is one that does the following

•  Speaks to you like a REAL person, humor goes a long way
• Clearly defies salary and location
• Explains responsibilities and requirements
• Gives insight in to the company and what it does
• And more importantly why a candidate would want to work there

Internal recruiters also take note, it’s your company you are representing, and your tone in ads gives a brilliant indication of the persona and demeanor within, chances are if it sounds boring it probably is, and vice versa.

So before you write an ad next, think to yourself would I jump at this opportunity, is it interesting and does my tone perceive the companies tone?

And honestly if you are not confident at writing ads or you are not the creative type, hire a copywriter get in done properly, remember its you and your clients reputation your putting on the line.

Happy Ad Writing

Nathan Reese

It should be clean and clear, with engaging language that presents you in a professional manner. There are some things that will make you look good, and other things that will make you look bad. You should be aware of the positive and the negative so that you know both how to improve, and the traps that are out there. Here are our ten top tips:

Things to Avoid:

1. Spelling Mistakes

A prospective employer won’t notice if you don’t make any spelling mistakes. But if you do make one it will stand out a mile. It gives an incredibly bad impression and tells the employer that you rush work and lack attention to detail. Don’t let a spelling mistake be your downfall!

2. Personal Pronoun

Despite being a document that says everything about your career, your CV should avoid being overly personal. At this point, an employer is much more interested in what you can do as opposed to who you are so it’s best to avoid the personal pronoun “I”.

Instead of this:I consistently demonstrated my ability to meet targets

Use:Consistently demonstrated ability to meet targets
This will give your CV a greater air of professionalism.

3. Being Generic

An employer can instantly tell the difference between a CV that has been sent out to hundreds of employers and one that has been tailored to a specific job. Tailoring your CV tells an employer that you are interested in their job, and that you will put that extra effort in to get what you want. A tailored CV will put you strides ahead of people who just send out blanket CVs. A blanket CV will tell that employer that they are just one job among many that you are applying for.

4. Getting the Guidelines Wrong

If the job advertisement asks for a two page functional CV then that’s what you should send. If they ask for a chronological CV with details of all of your past employment then you should send that. Pay close attention to the guidelines and make sure you follow them to the letter. Any mistake will tell that employer that you aren’t good at following instructions – not a good impression to make!

5. Lying

It is hugely important to be honest on your CV. You should definitely put yourself in a good and positive light, and make the best out of all of your achievements, however small. But you should never lie on your CV. If you do you could get found out and fired. This will not only cause you pain but could make it more difficult to get jobs in the future as that employer may refuse to give you a reference.

Ways to Beef Up a Resume:

6. Be Specific

Be very specific about your achievements and, where possible, quantify. If you have increased annual turnover by £10,000 then make that very clear. If you have increased staff productivity say that. Don’t be afraid to include figures. It will impress your prospective employer and give a clear, concrete example of the types of things that you are capable of.

7. Create an Image

Whereas you want to be avoid being overly personal, you should still see your CV as an opportunity to create your image. This will depend very much on the type of job that you are going for. If you are going for a design job then your CV will be the place where you can get creative. If you are going for a management job you will want your CV to look professional. Try and find out what the standard for your industry is and work around that. An academic, for example, will have to include lists of their publications, an actor a list of their productions. Make sure you find out what you should be doing, and then do it even better.

8. Prioritise

Put the things that are the most important at the top of any list.
Change:
Maintained records, filing and office supply purchasing for departmentWorked closely with the President to develop strategic direction
To:
Worked closely with the President to develop strategic directionMaintained records, filing and office supply purchasing for department
Remember that the person reading your CV may have read hundreds already and will be skimming through them to see what stands out. Make sure the most important information is the easiest to get to.

9. Have Direction

padding. Say where you plan to be and how you will get there. In your covering letter you can go into detail about how this particular job will help you to achieve your goals.

10. Use PAR Statements

PAR means Problem-Action-Results. To use a PAR statement first state the problem, then state the action that you took, and finish with the results. Here are some examples:
Took control of an inefficient and disorganized office, streamlining processes and introducing new management guidelines, to increase efficiency by 50%.
Or
Improved a catering company’s low sales figures by implementing an online sales system which increased annual turnover by $12,000.
Follow these tips to produce an excellent CV which will get you far on your way to getting hired!

By Maria Nemenman

Although providing references is a normal step in the recruitment process, previous employers should be careful what they write, warns Harmers Workplace Lawyers.

Peter Ferraro, Senior Associate, said providing references could lead to a number of issues, such as misrepresentation and defamation claims as well as invasion of privacy.

“Reference checking provides a potential employer with valuable information when it comes to assessing whether or not a candidate is suitable for a role, yet there is a fine line between providing too much or not enough information about a candidate’s skills, previous experience and their ability to do the job,” he said.

While many referees feel compelled to provide a glowing reference for a previous employee, Ferraro recommends that if they are going to provide a reference, sticking to the basic facts is sometimes the safer option. “Former employers are under no legal obligation to provide a reference; simply confirming the details of a person’s employment is perfectly acceptable.

“If you do want to provide a character reference for a former employee, do this cautiously as you don’t want to run the risk of being held liable for defamation because you provided an unfavorable reference for someone that didn’t get the job. In addition, intentionally providing inaccurate information about someone or withholding critical information about an employee could land you in trouble with a claim for misrepresentation from the new employer with the potential to seek compensation for damages,” he said.

Ferraro said many organisations now have a ‘no written reference’ policy, instead only providing a statement of employment certificate, which places an even greater importance on the validity of verbal references.

He also noted that with the unemployment rate recently having dipped under 5%, employers must now more than ever be mindful of the references they provide. “My advice to employers regarding their duties and obligations is, if in doubt about a particular employee, don’t provide a written reference.”

Advice for employers asked to be a referee:

• Provide factual and truthful information and avoid disclosing personal details about the candidate’s details that may hinder their chances of securing a role.
• Don’t talk up a poor performer for the sake of placing them elsewhere.
• If you can’t answer the questions honestly, or you don’t want to be negative, don’t answer the questions.
• Instead of providing a character reference, this could be handled by saying “I know Sharon in a professional capacity and to my knowledge she did her job properly.”

Advice for hiring managers and recruiters:

• Treat feedback received about any potential employee as only a component of the assessment process and ensure that you verify factual information such as education qualifications.
• Resist the urge to ask around about a potential employee – this could be seen as an invasion of their privacy.
• Ensure you have the candidate’s approval before proceeding with reference checking.

Advice for potential employees seeking a reference:

• Choose your referee wisely and ensure you have their consent prior to being contacted for a reference
• Ensure that you choose a legitimate referee – don’t ask a friend to pose as an HR manager.
• Ensure you only provide factual information to a potential employer about your previous experience – negligently providing false or misleading information could land you in trouble.

Avoid putting a previous manager in a difficult position by asking them to provide a positive reference if you know that you underperformed in your role.

1. Time-saver

If speed-of-response is what’s required, you can forget social media.Few employers have a forward-thinking hiring strategy, so when the need for new staff arises the demand is immediate.  Unless the employer has generated its own talent community only recruitment agencies with their established connections – or ‘talent pools’ – can access the right people quickly.

Building communities around networks such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn takes many months of hard work.  Savvy recruiters will be developing their own talent networks or joining other well-established ones, such as the UK Marketing Lounge.

The combination of developed talent pools (the recruitment agency’s database) and community networks allows recruiters to quickly access the right people, ensuring the employer’s time demands are met.  Outsourcing recruitment allows employers to focus on their core business.

For jobseekers recruitment agencies lessen the need to trawl through the internet searching for jobs.

2. Confidentiality

Employers wanting to protect their business should use reliable recruiters.  Jobseekers needing to remain anonymous have little choice but to engage an agent.  Social media is great for branding but there’s nothing discreet about it – get it wrong and the repercussions could be disastrous.

By undertaking their own recruitment, employers offer competitors an insight in the company’s direction and success.  Recruitment agencies identify potential employees without the need to the broadcast the employer’s name.

3. Expertise

Good recruiters offer guidance on job roles and responsibilities as well as associated market trends, salaries, suitability and availability.  For both employers and jobseekers this invaluable information will ensure both party’s expectations are met.

Whilst social media’s content dissemination allows access to an almighty range of help, hints and tips, it is often far too generic to be pertinent to individuals or particular organisations.  Recruiters who know their stuff afford knowledge in the specific sectors they understand.

4. Low risk

Social media might be comparatively inexpensive (in many instances it is free) but users often find that time investment does not correlate with success.  For employers, dedicating swathes of unquantifiable hours may result in ideal candidates going unnoticed, elongating the recruitment process, resulting in lost time.  And time is money.

Worse still, social media is a broadcaster – and it not only retains information, it recalls it too.  Get your strategy wrong and you risk damaging your brand, possibly forever.

Recruitment agencies are a safer bet because they assume the risk.  Many recruiters will offer rebates for unsuccessful placements or replacement guarantees.  There is no such surety in social.

5. Personable

Tangible, sustainable, business development is achieved by face-to-face interaction.  Social media, whilst a facilitator of such, does not allow this.  Also, online profiles are often misleading, whereas there is little ambiguity in physical engagement.

Good recruiters will expect to visit client sites and are encouraged to meet their candidates.  With a better understanding of both entities, recruitment agencies help reduce the time employers spend interviewing irrelevant people.

Social media can be a fickle place.  The recruitment process should be built on trust.

By Simon Lewis Only Marketing Jobs

We are going full steam ahead on a new social media campaign with Twitter and Facebook as another medium to keep you up to date with the latest and greatest.

Updates will include

• Who is being hired and fired
• Innovative ways on sourcing talent in a candidate short market
• Salary Reviews
• Legislations
• And anything else we believe is going to make your life easier.

Please join here at

Twitter = www.twitter.com/Superior_Talent

Facebook = http://www.tinyurl.com.au/13xe

The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Recruiting
This leads us to our next topic of Social Recruiting.
Using Social Media to attract talent is becoming one of the best ways to keep in touch with potential candidates and attract them to your organisation. But don’t for a minute think its easy.

• Don’t start without a plan
• Don’t just post job descriptions / Ads on social platforms.
• Don’t start posting content everyday (People dislike spam)
• Don’t ask candidates to join without giving something back
• Don’t forget to give to take
• Don’t be Pushy
• Do post once – twice a week on what’s happening in your organization
• Giving a potential candidate an insight to your organization is a powerful way to engage them
• Use the social platforms to engage candidates in potential opportunities. This is not a job description, but something like this is a good example; “Superior Recruitment have an opportunity available for a Senior Consultant. We’re looking for someone a little like ourselves, have a look here to find out more” You get the gist? It’s simple, friendly, non pushy and gives the potential candidate the option of reading further.
• Do post photos of office and environment and what’s happening within. The more info / photos the more potential candidates can engage with you and your environment.
• Feel free to ask questions and post polls
• Let candidates know what you’re participating in, and the awards and recognitions the company has achieved.

If you need more information and would like to understand how to better utlise your social media avenues, we would love to help. Give us a call on 1300 445 920

We hope to have shed some light on social recruitment. Don’t forget to join our social media campaigns on the information above.

Till next time, happy recruiting

Nathan Reese