TalentCircles: A Platform for Talent Connection Solutions

Design Your Perfect Talent Community

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:36:00 +0000

Successful recruiting is difficult. If you want to do the job right, a good deal of work needs to go into the process. But that doesn’t mean you need to do all the work yourself. And it doesn’t mean there is only one way to do it.

At TalentCircles we realize that while we all have similar goals when it comes to recruiting—like hiring the best talent in the shortest amount of time—we don’t all need the same exact methods or amount of help to get us to that goal.

That’s why we’re focusing today’s blog post on our TalentCommunity platform: a complete talent acquisition & recruiting solution that is configurable based on individual need.

With this new modular format, we can provide you with all the tools you need to engage and screen your candidates, as well as capture and manage all their data—but you have control over designing your own community by using only the modules you want.

So, whether you are just getting started and need to build a new, diverse and information-rich talent community, or you have a legacy Applicant Tracking System that you want to be more robust and effective, TalentCircles can help. And with our open architecture, integration with any of your existing software is effortless. Our wide range of features syncs all of your talent acquisition and recruiting tools together onto one single platform to help you build your perfect talent community. One where you’re able to combine the ease of automation with the ability to build and maintain real relationships with all of your job candidates.

With this new configurable model, you can add any or all of the following modules to your TalentCommunity:

Engage

It’s all about responsiveness. TalentCircles helps you welcome candidates, grow your talent network and hire the best talent. With our Engage module we do more than get your jobs and branding noticed by job seekers. We combine the ease of automation with the ability to interact and build real relationships through the use of tools like:

· Videos	· Blogs
· Meetings	· Social sharing
· Messaging	· Automated email campaigns
· Video resumes	· Questionnaires
· Diversity circles	· Semantic job matching

Screen

By effectively utilizing the screening capabilities of our TalentCommunity platform, you can easily identify your best candidates and fill open positions quickly. Provide candidates with questionnaires or specific problems and score answers to rank candidates. You can also use video chat and hold online meetings that can be recorded so you can share everything with your team. This is a great way to quickly evaluate your talent pool and reduce hiring time.

Capture

Convert website visitors and job fair attendees into real candidates in less than a minute with our new and improved TalentCatch. With the touch of a button, you can import data into your talent network to begin the engagement process that will encourage candidates to register in your talent network with a complete profile and stay connected. Socially sharing all of your stories, job postings, webinars, and questionnaires will attract even more people and enable you to build a deep talent pool in no time at all.

Manage

We all know the importance of data for making the best decisions. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when using a variety of systems that don’t talk to each other. TalentCircles offers you one private, convenient place where you can manage all your people and every facet of your talent community. Use our Manage module for everything from importing and forwarding resumes to developing online reporting suites and accessing custom data feeds and analysis. Everything you need, from candidate history to the potential job offer can be managed with just a point and click.

Let our TalentCommunity help you build your perfect talent community. To find out how, contact us at 415-835-0202 or sales@talentcircles.com.

Rethinking Recruiting: Mobile Matters

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 18:32:00 +0000

If you’re still thinking of your mobile website as just a smaller version of your desktop site, you need to think again. When it comes to recruitment, an optimized mobile site is equally, if not more important than your traditional site. The current workforce depends on their smart phones for nearly everything. And this includes applying for jobs. But if you want the best talent to apply, you need to make sure your mobile site is updated and easy to use. In recent findings from research firm Kelton Global Research, 70% of job seekers said they want to apply for jobs on their smartphones or tablets; but 60% said they wouldn’t proceed with a job application if they ran into technical problems. That amounts to a lot of potentially strong candidates taking themselves out of the running before hiring managers even get a chance to consider them.

So what makes a good mobile recruitment or careers site? Here are 5 key aspects to keep in mind.

Think screen size. Most good desktop websites have sidebars and white space strategically placed to capture attention and draw the visitor’s eye to the most important parts of the page. With Mobile sites, you still want them to be visually appealing, but they have to adjust to fit the screen of the device the person is using. This means the navigation becomes prominent and central, as well as easy to read without being too small or too crowded. Rule of thumb: Avoid frustrating your visitors.

Fingers vs. mouse. If you’ve been on mobile sites where you need to tap a specific line of text or place a check mark in a small box, you’ve likely encountered situations where you’ve inadvertently pressed the wrong spot on the screen. While a mouse arrow is a lot more accurate, people aren’t walking around with a mouse connected to their phones. So, it’s up to the design of the mobile site to offer more non-text based hyperlinks, and larger tiles, tabs and buttons for people to tap with more ease and accuracy.

Sliding and collapsible navigation. A good mobile site will forego sidebars and multiple menus and instead have all the main content headings visible in a top to bottom scrolling format on the phone’s screen. Viewers can expand those headings buy sliding a simple arrow, or tapping a collapsible widget. The goal is to have all the main topics or headings easily visible so people quickly find what they’re looking for and then give them the option to delve deeper with one swipe or tap.

Simple job applications. Remember, people use their smartphones to request more information or submit a form because they see something that captures their attention right now—and they want to take care of it right now. If that takes more than a couple of clicks, they’re going to lose interest and move on. The best mobile sites will have something like a simple, “I’m interested” button the candidate can click to apply using their LinkedIn profile or to provide simple contact information and the option for a brief greeting or message to the hiring manager. If you want them to upload a resume, it should be a simple one-click option to grab from cloud storage or another saved file. Anything more than one or two clicks will push candidates away. In addition, the applicant should quickly receive a confirmation that the information was received. Most expect a response within 24-48 hours. Even if you’re not sure you want to set up an interview, at least acknowledge that you’ve received the person’s information.

Mobile video conference interviews. Mobile video interviewing is a huge advantage for companies who use it. There are many apps for video conferencing available. Again, simplicity is key. The technology you choose should be easy to access and use. And you’ll find that you can greatly expand the available talent network. You can reach people globally with no travel required and are likely to appeal to employed individuals who might not be actively looking for a new job but might be intrigued by your opportunity.

So, go ahead and visit your website via your smart phone and assess your experience. Was it easy to navigate? Is the careers section obvious and quickly accessible? How intuitive is your job application process? Give your whole mobile method an honest evaluation. An optimized mobile site will go a long way toward achieving an optimized recruiting method.

For more information about the best recruiting strategies, contact us at 415-835-0202 or sales@talentcircles.com.

Are Employers and Job Applicants on the Same Page? – Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 13:31:00 +0000

Last week we talked about what employers are looking for as they search for new employees. This week we’re going to look at what job applicants want from employers during their job searches.

So, what do job applicants want from potential employers?

First and foremost, job applicants want consideration. And communication is a big part of that. Applicants want to be kept in the loop during all aspects of the hiring process, from application to interview, to hired or not hired. They expect to know where they stand within a reasonable amount of time, throughout the various steps in the process.

In fact, according to a survey from CareerBuilder, companies are likely to feel the repercussions of job applicants who believe they were treated poorly during the hiring process. The survey states: “Thirty-two percent of workers said they would be less inclined to purchase products or services from a company that didn’t respond to their application. Forty-two percent would never seek employment at the company again, and twenty-two percent would tell others not to work there.” And, in case employers don’t feel inclined to respond to applicants they are not interested in, they should be aware that eighty percent of job applicants expect a response from the employer—even when they are not interested in pursuing the candidate. These are important points to consider since when it comes to a company’s brand and reputation.

In addition to frequent updates and a reasonable time frame for the start-to-finish hiring process, job applicants also look for the following as a measure of a positive hiring experience:

A short, straightforward way to apply for jobs and learn about the company and the position. If it takes too long, or requires too many steps, applicants get bored and frustrated and move on.
A strong corporate website with engaging, interactive information, along with a robust, up-to-date social media presence.
An easy, online communication system that gives the applicants a way to track progress, learn more and stay in contact with the company. Again, communication is key.
Professional yet friendly interactions with company staff members. Applicants want to feel welcome and like company employees are knowledgeable and responsive to any questions.
An accurate depiction of the job they are applying for. Good details, job requirements and a clear explanation of how success is measured. Some examples of day-to-day activities and input from others who are currently or were previously in the same position are very helpful.
An honest portrayal of the company’s culture, values and vision. Job applicants want to know how well they will fit in with the organization and that what’s important to them is in line with the company’s principles. A clear description of the work environment up front can prevent unrealistic expectations and possible disappointment later if the applicant is not a good match for the company culture.
Feedback on why they didn’t get the job when a job offer is not being put forth. This shows a true sense of professionalism on the part of the company and is greatly appreciated by candidates. At the very least, candidates should be told they are no longer in the running so they can move forward with their job search.

Employers who put the time in up front to consistently and accurately communicate with job applicants will be much more successful at providing a positive candidate experience and eliminating the frustrations that turn away many job seekers. In fact, a good rule of thumb is for companies to treat job applicants with the same consideration and respect as they would their customers.

Ultimately, employers and applicants both want to be treated with honesty, respect and consideration. It can be easy to lose focus on the other party’s concerns when people feel overwhelmed by their own need to quickly fill a job opening or to procure a job offer. But being open to the bigger picture and considering the situation from the other person’s perspective will help the recruitment process—and the after-effects—go more smoothly for everyone.

For more information on building the best talent network, please contact us at 415-835-0202 or email sales@talentcircles.com.

Are Employers and Job Applicants on the Same Page? – Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 11:59:00 +0000

When it comes to the hiring process, both employers and job applicants enter the situation with some specific expectations and preferences. But are they aware of what’s important to each other? Maybe. Maybe not. Employers are primarily focused on ensuring that applicants are bringing the right foundational skills to the table. Job applicants are interested in companies that treat them with respect and consideration during the hiring process.

In today’s post we’ll talk about what employers want. Next week we’ll look at what’s important to job applicants.

What are employers looking for?

Whether dealing with recent college grads, seasoned employees, or mid-life career changers, there are certain skills employers want all of their employees to possess.

The “soft skills” that matter most to employers are:

The ability to work well as part of a team
Strong interpersonal and communication skills—both written and verbal
The ability to analyze information, make decisions and solve problems
Strong organizational skills (prioritize)
The ability to take initiative and influence others
Project management skills

Employers want evidence that job applicants have these skills when they look at the resume as well as during interviews. They want to know that potential employees can see the bigger picture, process information and interact well with people. Many employers say that communication is just as important as technical skills.

For college grads specifically, employers are very interested in any internships, part-time jobs, volunteering, and extracurricular activities. This type of experience often supersedes the importance of college reputation, GPA, and courses taken. They want to hear job applicants discuss these experiences in the context of communicating, collaborating, organizing and making decisions.

Attitude and preparedness for the interview are also weighted quite heavily by employers. Employers want to know that this job and this particular company are important to the applicants they’re interviewing. A good employer has put a lot of time into reading through and paring down the piles of resumes, checking out applicants’ social media presence and preparing for the interview. They are going to expect the same from the individuals applying to work for their companies.

It is important for applicants to not only be able to answer questions about their resumes, work experiences and achievements, but also to articulate very clearly why they want the job. They also need to show that they have done their homework on learning about the company by asking in-depth questions of their own. Applicants should be able to show they’ve put their time into learning about the company but they should not come across as assuming they know everything. Employers want to see genuine interest when interacting with job candidates and appreciate well thought out questions about relevant industry issues. And, of course, they want people who show up on time, project confidence and would be considered good representatives of the company.

Be sure to check back next week when we wrap up this two-part post by exploring the other half of the equation—what job applicants want from employers.

For more information on building the best talent network, please contact us at 415-835-0202 or via email sales@talentcircles.com.

Recruiting Relief for Career Services and Employers

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:33:00 +0000

College campuses are, obviously, prime territory for employee recruitment. But the popularity of campus recruiting can put a real drain on career services resources. Employers want all the help they can get to be both visible and inviting to current students as well as alumni. So they turn to career services departments to assist with innovative ways to attract talent, and help with setting up programs like on-campus workshops, information sessions and meet-and-greets. With everyone wanting treatment that puts them front and center, and sets them apart from everyone else, career services offices are feeling spread pretty thin.

Roger Woolsey, Senior Assistant Dean and Director of the Center for Professional Development at Dartmouth College, explains, “With accelerated recruiting taking place on college campuses, career development offices struggle to meet demand from employers. Notably, employers want as much interface with students as possible, which contributes to the resource drain.” He goes on to point out, however, that there are very effective solutions, like those he gets from working with TalentCircles, that provide relief for both employers and career development offices. Woolsey says, “TalentCircles provides employers a recruiting platform that not only addresses affordability to recruit on college campuses, but also allows for continuing interaction with college students. Alumni and parent employers can now create brand recognition and actually recruit students from remote locations around the world, enhancing the value add to everyone involved. Opening up TalentCircles to recruiters relieves resource drain by giving employers and students ongoing opportunities to engage and share information freely.”

In addition to the goal of getting students and alumni interested in their companies, employers are also looking for ways to ensure potential recruits have the skills and abilities they deem valuable for succeeding with the company. Woolsey says, “TalentCircle’s flexible platform allows employers and alumni to facilitate education on specific skills and abilities, and provides opportunities to mentor and conduct webinars as often as needed without over regulating from college and university career development offices.”

College career services offices can be an invaluable resource for students, alumni and employers alike. Students get help with career exploration and preparation, while employers get access to individuals who could very well turn out to be some of their top talent. Of course, there are no guarantees that students will pick the perfect career or recruiters will always find the perfect employees, but getting as much clarity as possible about the options goes a long way in alleviating the stress associated with the unknown. “Career development is all about reducing as much uncertainty as possible,” concludes Woolsey. “To do so, we need to increase overall engagement with all stakeholders. TalentCircles empowers our students to match their profiles with industry experts, request a virtual chat or meeting and to easily apply for positions. TalentCircles is a game-changer in an area where there is so much demand on the use of technology to mentor and recruit college students.”

Even with technology being such a prominent part of what makes TalentCircles so effective, relationship building is still at the heart of a successful recruiting program. Susan Magrino, President and CEO of TalentCircles, shares, “The ability to balance the speed and ease of technology with the power to build and maintain solid relationships is what makes recruiting work. I am so pleased that we have been able to build this relationship with Roger Woolsey and Dartmouth, and have, in turn, helped them create DartmouthCircles to build lasting connections between students, alumni and employers.”

For more information about how TalentCircles can bring some relief to your recruiting responsibilities, please contact us at 415-835-0202 or via email sales@talentcircles.com.

Older Workers Are More Valuable Than Ever

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:58:00 +0000

Last week we talked about how the iGen is showing a great deal of promise as they begin to enter the workforce. Today we want to look at the opposite end of the spectrum—namely the baby boomers and beyond—to show just how much value they are still able to bring to the table.

Hopefully your organization isn’t one of the many that has fallen into the unfortunate age discrimination trap; because if you’re pushing your older workers out the door, you’re losing some of your best resources.

Some of the negative stereotypes of workers in their 50’s, 60’s and older include things like not being able to handle change; being resistant to new technology; not working well with younger employees; slower to understand things; too tired and burned-out to consistently perform well; and are less creative and productive than younger workers.

However, according to Peter Cappelli and William Novelli, coauthors of the book Managing the Older Worker, the reality is that job performance actually improves as we enter those higher ages. These stereotypes are just unfounded.

What older workers bring to the table

Instead here are some of the positive attributes you can expect from the 50+ crowd:

Large network of contacts – with many years of experience behind them, older workers have had the opportunity to develop relationships with a large number and variety of people
Mentoring – young workers can learn a lot from their older counterparts who are often strong role models and motivators
Greater sense of loyalty – they’re less likely to switch jobs than younger workers and that leads to less time hiring and training someone new
Good work attendance – many older employers actually have better work attendance than their younger counterparts for non-health related absences
Strong professionalism and work ethic – it is important to them to do well and this also makes them good with detail and organization
Care about community and have a sense of purpose – psychological and social fulfillment are strong motivators for this group
Decades of experience – in both work and life, often brings a more well-rounded approach to things
Patience – when dealing with stress and crises, older workers have developed the patience to think things through rather reacting emotionally

Things for older workers to keep in mind

Of course, as with any age, older workers need to stay current. That means keeping your computer skills sharp, making good use of social media, staying on top of trends in your field, and staying in touch with contacts. In fact, reaching out to as many acquaintances as possible, like college alumni, past coworkers and members of relevant professional organizations, is more important in today’s employment marketplace than ever before. And, last but not least, staying active also goes a long way in keeping both mind and body strong.

Rather than pushing older workers out the door, we should be encouraging them to stay – and to introduce us to their friends.

For more information on building the best talent network, please contact us at 415-835-0202 or via email sales@talentcircles.com.

Are Employers Ready for the iGen?

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:53:00 +0000

Although the jury is still out on whether they are the iGen or Generation Z, the teens and young adults born around the mid 90’s show a lot of promise for employers.

Unlike Generation Y before them, Gen Z appears to be more realistic and career-minded. As this age group starts to enter the workforce, they have some strong attributes to bring to the table and hiring managers and business leaders would benefit from making an effort to get their attention. Here are some of the characteristics shared by this cohort to help you effectively focus your hiring campaigns.

They like their privacy. Being aware of the dangers of social media, they tend to be cautious about their personal information. Providing opportunities for this group to easily reach out to you, so they have the feeling of remaining in control of the situation, is likely to generate more interest than if you seem to be invading their space.
Human connections are very important to Gen Z. And they actually prefer in-person connections to those online. This is where local alumni have a good advantage over businesses who are reaching out coldly. That alumni connection holds a lot of weight when it comes to letting people in and making plans to meet up and discuss opportunities.
This group is willing to listen and learn. According to Susan Magrino, President & CEO of TalentCircles, “I am coaching several recent grads who are at the very start of this generation. They come prepared with questions, are eager to listen to what I have to say, and immediately take what they’ve learned and implement changes. They want to see if they can make a first-time position become a long-term career.”
Generation Z is more open to diversity than any generation before them. With all of the technology and social media this group has grown up with, they are used to a much broader range of cultural differences and interests than prior groups. They’re more likely to take a variety of viewpoints into consideration when making decisions and coming up with ideas. They will have a strong ability to leverage this world-wide connectivity, which helps them be more prepared to do business globally.
These individuals are focused on experience and fulfillment. The iGen wants to enjoy their work and feel they’re making a difference. They tend to look for opportunities to help out in their communities and gain relevant career-related experience before they even begin college. Colleges who have alumni start reaching out early to high school students to form bonds and be active together in the local community can bolster enrollment, develop a strong continuing alumni program, and help the companies the alums work for develop a strong talent network.
They have advanced technological skills. And advances in technology don’t seem to be slowing down. This group has grown up in a high tech world where they’ve become used to change and are accepting of new ideas. Their skills and openness will be very valuable to employers.

The iGeneration appears to be starting out strong. Start making connections with them now and they are likely to become excellent business partners for their older Gen Y counterparts.

For more information about hiring the best talent the iGen has to offer, please contact us at 415-835-0202 or via email sales@talentcircles.com.

College Seniors Need to Make the Most of Alumni Resources—Now

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 22:47:00 +0000

Today’s post is the first in a four-part series that will focus on various stages of college alumni. This week we want to look at college seniors and how current alumni can help them – as well as how they can start planning now for their soon-to-be roles and alums themselves.

Many students don’t think about the services alumni associations offer until after they graduate but, the time to start using them is while they’re still in school. Alumni themselves and alumni services programs can be great for connecting current students with wonderful opportunities they may not even be aware exist. These include things like:

Scholarship Money – Many alumni associations have scholarship programs for students. Through fundraisers and donations, money is often awarded to students for stellar academic performance.

Internships – Alumni and alumni associations can get current students in touch with businesses who offer internships that aren’t readily advertised. This enables the student and the company a chance to take a “test-drive” to learn more about their likes, dislikes, and compatibility.

Early Career Networking/Job Opportunities – By contacting alumni early, students can get a jump-start on job hunting. Alumni associations and career services offices can often provide lists of alumni, including where they live and work. Reaching out to alumni can often lead to part-time jobs while still in school, as well as provide students with job opportunities not posted to the general public.

Being Part of a Talent Pool – Many alumni are also part of one or more talent pool databases. This keeps them connected with companies and communities so they stay in the loop when new job opportunities arise. Alumni can help guide students in joining worthwhile, relevant talent pools.

How to Connect

Alumni connections are often more important and useful than many students realize. So you really need to start leveraging them. Start with your campus resources. This is part of what your tuition pays for after all. Go to the associations or offices that interest you to explain what you want or just hear what alumni opportunities are available. If you get a list of appropriate alumni to contact, don’t hesitate to reach out to them.

Even in the age of social media, meeting face-to-face is still a popular option. It’s great to actually get together with someone over lunch and have a true social experience. So, if you connect with local alumni, try for the more personal, in-person get together whenever it’s possible.

That being said, obviously, social media is the easiest way to build connections. In fact, most schools have alumni groups or networks on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google +. Students can start building relationships with alumni now so they’ve established ties they can reach out to upon graduation and beyond.

Career Services Offices are also very helpful in connecting students with alumni who are employed in companies that have internships available. This connection can help students get noticed rather than allowing them to disappear into the sea of applicants. It also gives students a chance to get the true inside scoop on what it’s like to work for the company.

Many schools also offer on-campus events that alumni attend to help with everything from interview tips to mentoring programs. Be sure to attend these events when they come up. In addition to the subject matter, it’s just a great way to meet and work with your school’s alumni.

And, remember, as you seek out alumni-related resources and begin making your connections, it’s also important to think about what you’ll be able to offer when you become an alumnus. Giving back in the form of donations is always encouraged and is a good way to show that you you’ve benefited from alumni connections. But you can also show support by being active in setting up and participating in alumni events.

Alumni can help you make connections, share their expertise and experiences, and aid you in understanding what it takes to be successful in your field. The time to start building these relationships is now.

For information on how we work with career services and alumni associations, as well as how to join a good talent pool, call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

How is Workplace Diversity Changing?

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:42:00 +0000

A diverse workforce isn’t simply a numbers game focused on how many members of certain groups of people you employ. It’s about bringing the diverse perspectives, work experiences, life styles and cultures of those groups together to make your company a better place.

Inclusion

This starts with inclusion. Beyond just accepting people’s differences into your existing culture, the focus needs to be on valuing and respecting those differences in order to create a new learning culture. A culture that appreciates differing viewpoints and inspires healthy conflict rather than conformity. If you create an environment where people are comfortable being themselves and are encouraged to voice their opinions, you’ll be able to build a fully contributing workforce

Neil Lenane, Business Leader Recruiting at Progressive Insurance was quoted in a recent Forbes article saying, “If you do not intentionally include, you unintentionally exclude.” Time and again, research shows that businesses who focus on building diverse teams outperform those who don’t. A big part of that performance is due to the innovation that comes from combining all of those people’s different outlooks.

Diversity is something that makes us smarter

In fact, a recent Scientific America article, says that diversity makes us smarter. It cites several studies that show how social diversity brings unique experiences and input to workplace problem solving, which in turn leads to better decision-making and business outcomes. The lesson, the article says, is “when we hear dissent from someone who is different from us, it provokes more thought than when it comes from someone who looks like us.”

According to the article, just bringing different types of people together causes them to believe that they will automatically have different perspectives and this makes them work harder to explain their own viewpoints as well as to understand the outlooks of others. This ultimately leads to better outcomes.

In Scott Page’s book, The Difference, he says that “progress and innovation may depend less on lone thinkers with enormous IQs than on diverse people working together and capitalizing on their individuality.”

Extending beyond employees in the workplace

Something else to consider when it comes to including diverse groups in your workforce is how those different perspectives can be applied to your customers. The innovative ideas that come from these groups can open you up to new product, service or marketing ideas that you might otherwise have never thought about. You’re likely to find there are all types of opportunities to expand your market by reaching out to minority groups or capitalizing on niche markets.

If you want to learn more about developing a robust diversity and inclusion strategy, and how to measure the impact of a diverse, inclusive and culturally competent workforce, check out SHRM’s upcoming Diversity & Inclusion Conference & Exposition.

And, for information on how we can help you add diverse talent to your existing talent pool, call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

Talent Leaders Say Quality of Hire is What Matters Most

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 15:26:00 +0000

When asked what single metric is most valuable in tracking their recruiting team’s performance, talent leaders say that quality of hire is what matters most. This is according to LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends 2016 report.

The top three methods companies are using to measure “quality of hire” are 1) new hire performance evaluations, 2) turnover or retention statistics, and 3) hiring manager satisfaction.

While performance evaluations and retention statistics were nearly tied—at 50% and 49% respectively—as the most commonly used methods for measuring quality of hire, the majority of respondents in the LinkedIn study said they feel there is definitely room for improvement in the way quality is currently being measured.

When you consider that some estimates put almost half of all new hires in the category of “failures” within 18 months, the “quality of hire metric” seems to be a pretty important one.

Some suggestions for better measurement strategies when it comes to quality of hire include replacing standard job descriptions with performance objectives. The majority of job descriptions tend to emphasize skills and experience, or talk about competencies in broad behavioral terms. Concentrating instead on ramp-up time, specific end results and definable accomplishments provides a way to actually measure and track success.

Since quality of hire denotes the value a new employee brings to an organization, companies also need to be clear about what “value” means to them. Things like employee engagement and cultural fit have become extremely important when it comes to employee retention. And since retention is one way employers measure new hire quality, recruiters who really understand the culture and corporate brand of the companies they work with, will be the most effective at providing high quality new hires.

Speaking of corporate branding, another one of the trends the LinkedIn study reported is that 59% of respondents said they will be investing more in their corporate branding strategy than they did last year. Social media has made corporate branding more important than ever. This is actually good news when it comes to the “quality of hire” issue. A company’s brand is all about its core values, beliefs and purpose. When a company’s branding is really clear, it helps lay the groundwork for ensuring the candidate and company are a good match for each other.

Accurately capturing and tracking performance data not only gives you a clear picture of how you’re currently doing on the talent management front, it will also help you continually improve future recruiting strategies.

If you have questions about tracking performance data or how to recruit the highest quality new hires, we can help. Call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

Want to Improve Your Campus Recruiting Process? It’s All About Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 20:30:00 +0000

While the need for instant access and automated everything is standing strong, the ability to balance the speed and ease of technology with the power to build and maintain solid relationships is what will set you apart from the competition. Start incorporating these strategies into your new college recruitment plan and you can look forward to a highly successful campus recruiting season this fall.

Strengthen your relationships with Career Services – Beef up your alliances in the Career Services departments of the universities that interest you. Making them your key point of contact gives you a central, reliable location for information and introductions. They can get you opportunities with student organizations, suggest the right department heads to contact and help you build solid partnerships within the university.

Get personal – Start getting to know the talent you want to recruit before you even step foot (whether virtually or in-person) at the campus job fair. Using social media, you can track candidates based on their interests, groups and activities and continue to follow those that show potential. Shortly before the job fair, make contact to introduce yourself and encourage them to meet with you during the event for a quick chat. Associating a real and amiable person with your company can go a long way in encouraging top talent to apply and/or join your talent network.

Offer internships and create ambassadors – One of the best ways to create a strong talent pool is to provide internship opportunities for college students. They get experience and exposure to your company, and you get to test drive a potential future hire. The relationship you build with interns can be far reaching. Whether they continue to work for you or not, they can make your company name recognized among peers and faculty. They can help market your brand, share information and become some of the strongest ambassadors for your organization. Additionally, if you have alumni working for your company, include them in your campus recruiting activities as presenters, interviewers or just as a friendly face who has something in common.

Keep Everyone Well-Informed – Honesty and integrity are key when it comes to building relationships. This is no different in the recruitment process. Let people know right away what you’re offering and what you’re expecting. If you don’t have any immediate job openings during the career fair, be honest about that, but also explain how they could benefit in the future from being part of your talent network now. When you are actively trying to fill jobs, stay in contact with students who have interviewed so they know where they stand in the process while decisions are still being made. Any feedback you can give on their resumes and interview skills will be greatly appreciated as well. It’s also a great idea to keep career services informed about how many students you interviewed, extended offers to, and hired. Let them know how their students’ work performance compares to that of students at other universities you’ve worked with and offer to be part of a regular follow-up program. The university, the students and your organization will all benefit.

Remember, it’s all about building and nurturing the relationship so that everybody wins. Here at TalentCircles^TM we can help you do that as efficiently as possible by using technology and tools like TalentCatch^TM to capture and organize all the information you gather. Contact us at 415-835-0202 or sales@TalentCircles.com to make following up and engaging with your university contacts and the students you want to keep in your talent network a cinch.

Integrate a Talent Network into Your Recruiting Process

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 14:00:00 +0000

Recruiters with large numbers of people in their talent networks are always in high demand. The more people there are to choose from, the more options for high quality talent employers have. Not only that, but a strong talent network also helps companies save on time and hiring costs and lowers turnover. So, if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to plug a good talent network into your existing system.

A complete talent acquisition and recruiting solution, like what we offer here at TalentCircles, will help you successfully integrate a talent network that works with your needs. Ultimately, the goal is to bring supply and demand together so you always have the talent you want whenever you need it. Here are some of the features and benefits you should expect from a quality talent network solution.

Mimic real-life interactions – Uses a virtual setting to enable you to screen, interview and interact with candidates so you optimally execute on your staffing plan: hire fast, hire well, and hire cost-effectively.

Networking and Communication – Regular, ongoing texts and emails keep you in constant communication with your candidates so you don’t have to start over at square one, waiting for new applicants, each time you have a job opening. Maintaining regular communication lets you identify bottlenecks and minimize problems. Ongoing engagement with candidates is essential.

Create relationships with your future hires – Helps you build, brand and manage your live talent network. Let’s you interact with active and passive candidates. Enables you to screen them efficiently as well as manage your attraction and selection process

Create Profiles – Candidates have a live account in your network they can update and enrich, including adding availability schedules. Profiles can be used for searching, matching, and business intelligence purposes.

Cloud-based and mobile-ready – Be accessible anywhere at any time on tablets and smartphones. Capture candidates during job and career fairs. Scan paper and electronic resumes and automatically transform them into profiles.

Social – Candidates join your talent community using their preferred social login. They can share information about jobs and your company with others in their social networks.

Content Marketing – Offer videos, documents, blogs, webinars that interest your candidates.

Jobs – Post jobs on your network or import a job feed. Let candidates share jobs with their own social networks.

Searching and Semantic Job Matching – Find the best candidates—those whose skills and attitudes fit your company's needs and culture—in your talent pool. Automatically.

Notifications – Send notifications when new jobs or new content are posted in your talent network.

Sharing – Easily—and electronically—share candidate information, test results, ratings, portfolios, video interviews and more with all stakeholders.

Email Campaigns and Messaging – Send branded emails with customizable templates to candidates and track effectiveness. Send private messages to your candidates synced with your desktop messaging application.

Integrated Calendar – Send invites for virtual and in-person meetings - synced with your desktop calendar application.

Questionnaires – Attach pre-recorded questionnaires to your job postings and sort candidates by scores.

Video Interviews & Webinars – Screen candidates, discuss documents and conduct job reviews or information sessions.

Circles and Categorization – Segment your community into branded groups of interest like "Sales", "Veterans" or "Students". Support a variety of tools which can be used to screen and help categorize candidates according to things like experience, skills and behavioral qualities.

Import Résumés – Import old candidate data from spreadsheets or other systems easily.

Analyze & Report – Track performance on a huge variety of data points, and report on your activity to fine-tune your attraction methods.

Stop letting good candidates slip through the cracks and take control of the recruitment process. Take a Quick Tour of what we offer, then call us today to get started on integrating a talent network into your hiring and recruiting strategy. 415-835-0202 or sales@TalentCircles.com

Good CEOs Get Why Diversity and Inclusion Matters

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 15:01:00 +0000

Focusing on talent diversity is no longer optional. It’s a requirement for optimum business performance—and the mandate needs to come from the very top. A true diversity and inclusion initiative is about more than ensuring that rules are followed and the requisite diversity programs and regulations are in place. It needs to be part of a company’s core values, not an add-on that looks good on paper. More and more CEOs are recognizing the benefits of true talent diversity for not only their companies bottom lines, but also for their employees’ personal growth and the growth of the economy as a whole.

Diverse companies outperform non-diverse companies

Research continues to show that companies with a diverse workforce perform better financially. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’18^thAnnual Global CEO Survey, 85% of the CEOs surveyed said their formal diversity and inclusiveness strategy has improved their bottom line. And recent research from McKinsey shows that out of 366 public companies examined, ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Furthermore, a new Credit Suisse report explains that companies with women as board directors, as well as those with lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender employees in senior roles, outperform the companies that lack that diversity.

Focusing on Diversity helps bridge the talent gap

The wider the net that businesses cast to find talent, the more options they’ll have. When those options open up to include multiple channels and as many varieties of people as possible, the talent gap gets smaller. Not only do companies up the sheer numbers of people to add to their talent networks, they also generate more interest from the talent they want to recruit when they can show their commitment to talent diversity. Research from PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that 86% of female and 74% of male millennials take a company’s policies on diversity, equality and inclusion into consideration when deciding whether or not they want to work for them.

Helping the economy

When it comes to gender diversity and inclusion, people are seeing a very positive “ripple effect” on families, communities and overall economies when companies provide women with more opportunities to advance in business. In fact, according to the nonprofit diversity organization, Catalyst, “The economic empowerment of women can improve a country’s growth and stability, combat shrinking labor forces and raise the gross domestic product.”

Opening opportunities to learn and grow

People of differing backgrounds bring wide-ranging experiences and varied viewpoints to the table in companies that embrace diversity. This variety of ideas and opinions often leads to much better decision-making than in companies with too many likeminded people. Some research also suggests that it’s not just the variety of ideas that lead to improved decisions, it’s also the increase in processing time. Diverse groups take more time to process all the information at hand in order to thoroughly understand different viewpoints and therefore they make better informed decisions that drive high-performance cultures. Additionally, a great by-product of diverse cultures in the workplace is an increase in knowledge, understanding and acceptance that can translate to communities outside of work. For people who normally might not get the opportunity to interact with and really get to know people from different ethnic groups, or with a different sexual orientation or global outlook, talent-diverse companies provide a chance to challenge preconceived ideas and prejudices, and help stop discrimination.

A truly diverse organization goes beyond investing in blanket diversity initiatives and instead works to foster lasting cultural change in talent networks.

If you have questions about talent diversity or would like to learn more about the best hiring and recruiting practices, call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

5 Staffing Trends Holding Strong in 2016

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 15:04:00 +0000

As we hit the halfway mark of 2016, these five staffing trends appear to be holding strong. So, if you’re not already focusing on them, it’s time to start.

· Branding matters – A brand is more than a logo and an external appearance. Ultimately, it’s the identity of everything the company embodies. When you think about the purpose of your business, along with the core values and beliefs that drive it, you are getting at the heart of your brand. Candidates want to see that heart to determine if a company’s values and objectives are in line with their own. This is actually a good thing because it helps lay the groundwork for ensuring the candidate and company are a good match for each other. Once you’ve clearly defined your brand, you need to promote your business through social media and actively network and build relationships. Whether you do it electronically or in person, be authentic and clear about what you believe in, and you’ll attract likeminded candidates and colleagues with whom you can build lasting alliances.

· Revisiting the use of social media for recruiting – There’s no question that social media and online professional networks are necessities when it comes to a good recruiting strategy. But many employers and recruiters have taken a step back to reevaluate the way they’re using them. While placing hiring ads on popular social sites is still useful, staying on top of new developments and options within these sites can help you more effectively leverage social media. Focusing on niche community sites within an industry can get you in front of more relevant candidates. And, with each new in-app function the popular social sites come up with, there are more ways to engage with your audience. With a more sophisticated approach to social media, you can do things like create exceptionally targeted ads that will only appear when a user meets your specified criteria.

· Struggling to find quality candidates – Unfortunately, plenty of recruiters and hiring managers are still seeing a skills gap and are having trouble finding good people. While the Internet has given us the ability to reach a larger number of potential candidates than ever before, there is a need to balance quantity and quality. With a good applicant tracking system you can determine which recruiting campaigns and efforts yield the best candidates. Recruitment analytics software can provide incredible insights for developing specialized recruiting campaigns that will get you not just quantity, but, most importantly, quality candidates.

· Focus on passive candidates – Given the skills gap and the difficulty in finding qualified people to fill jobs, reaching passive candidates is more important than ever. Fortunately, it’s also easier than ever. In addition to traditional networking, which you should still be doing, social media networking provides a natural path for getting in front of people who aren’t actively looking for a new job but might be open to the possibility. Starting conversations based on shared interests, mentioning connections and building relationships is the key to filling your talent pool with strong candidates for current and future positions.

· Investment in new technology – Without a doubt, if you haven’t replaced outdated recruiting practices and technologies with automated systems, you will struggle to stay in the game. The mountain of information now available to recruiters and hiring managers is a powerful asset in the hiring process, but it can also be overwhelming if you have to sort through all the data manually. That’s where applicant tracking or customer relations management systems come in. Being able to integrate all your information across a variety of platforms, and then easily search, organize and evaluate candidates isn’t a “nice to have” option, it’s a must have to compete in today’s market. Let technology organize data and crunch numbers while you bring the humanity to build relationships and make the best decisions.

To learn more about the best hiring and recruiting practices, call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

Using Video Interviews to Attract Top Talent

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 13:00:00 +0000

While a phone call, email and social media can provide a cursory view of the personality and skills of a potential hire, most hiring managers wouldn’t consider extending a job offer for a significant position without an actual face-to-face meeting with the candidate. Why? Because non-verbal cues and cultural fit are too important to overlook.

Technology has made the world a much smaller place in terms of our ability to instantly communicate with people electronically regardless of location, which is great. Until we can actually teleport, however, location does present some challenges for recruiters and hiring professionals in terms of the face-to-face aspect of interviewing. A good deal of time and money can wasted be when recruits, who end up not being a good fit, are flown in for in-person interviews at the company’s expense. And, if left to the applicant to handle travel expenses, some exceptional talent may choose to walk away rather than invest the time and money early in the interview process. And this is where video interviews come into play.

What is a video interview?

Video interviews offer the benefits of in-person interviews without the scheduling hassles or travel time and expenses.

With a good video interviewing platform, you’ll be able to choose different video options depending on your needs. The two most common video interview styles used by recruiters and hiring managers are live-video interviews and one-way video interviews.

Live-video interviews are the most similar to an in-person interview. You still need to schedule a time that works for all parties involved, but with everyone being able to “attend” the interview from a remote location, there is no need for anyone to travel and scheduling becomes much easier. The interview interaction very closely mimics that of actually being in the same room with each other. You’re able to see and hear responses in real time, but it also gets recorded so the interview can be shared with other stakeholders who weren’t present during the live version. The recordings can be scored or ranked so the best get first priority when collaborating with stakeholders.

In One-way interviews, candidates are emailed a link they can access at any time that’s convenient for them. They are provided with text or video-based questions that they will answer via recorded video. In their video recording, candidates will demonstrate their personalities and discuss their skills. Depending on the video platform you use, you can customize options like how long someone can sit and think before hitting record to answer each question. And you can standardize questions for each job so comparing applicants is easy. After a candidate submits his or her video, the recruiter or hiring manager can view the interview whenever it’s convenient and can share it with others on the team who have a vested interest.

A good platform will also have tech support available to help with everything from set-up to viewing and sharing recordings to troubleshooting technical problems.

Why use video interviews?

There are plenty of reasons to incorporate video interviews into your standard hiring practices.

· One of the best aspects of video interviews is how much time they save. Rather than being at the mercy of travel arrangements for candidates who live a long distance from the job location or interview site, video interviews can be done almost immediately and without the expense of airfare, hotels, etc. In addition, hiring managers can review and make decisions about a multitude of video interviews in the amount of time it normally takes to schedule and conduct just one traditional, face-to-face interview. And, with the ease that video interviewing provides, recruiters and hiring managers can get more in-depth information from candidates early in the process, rather than waiting until later to set up an actual interview. Overall, getting through interviews faster shortens the length of hiring time. Quicker hiring means less chance of losing good candidates.

· Collaboration also improves with recorded video interviews because every member of the team or group of stakeholders can see the interview first hand without actually having to be present at the exact time and location of an in-person interview.

· Job applicants like to know they’re dealing with companies that are up on cutting edge technology. Using video interviews sends a positive message and is likely to help attract top talent.

· Being able to sort through a large talent pool quickly provides the opportunity to interview many more people than standard interviewing would allow. And with more people available, the more options you have for better hires.

· Video interviews allow you to continually add to your talent pool. Even if someone isn’t a great fit for the current job opening, you’ve got an interview already on file for consideration when other job opportunities arise.

To learn more about getting started with video interviewing and other cutting edge recruiting practices, call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

What Can Employers do About the Skills Gap?

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 13:14:00 +0000

Although there has been some back and forth about the severity of the employment “skills gap” problem, it looks like enough people are feeling the effects of it to make it an issue that needs addressing.

As might be expected, employers are still seeing shortages in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, but, according to a recent study from CareerBuilder, plenty of other occupations, such as those in the management, legal and service sectors are struggling to find skilled workers too.

And this struggle can be costly. The CareerBuilder study found that for each job vacancy lasting three or more months, a company loses, on average, more than $14,000. And one in six companies loses $25,000 or more. The study goes on to point out, “Considering the fact that 54 percent of employers currently have open positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates, and 35 percent of all employers have positions that stay open for 12 weeks or longer, those costs can add up quickly and have broader implications for business performance.”

The specific reasons for the lack of qualified workers varies somewhat, but one recurring theme is that colleges are not preparing students adequately for jobs in the real world.

Sometimes this stems from in-demand jobs just not seeing enough graduates in the appropriate majors. Other times, students might graduate with the right major but the college curricula just haven’t been able to keep up with how quickly technology changes.

This leads to students lacking the critical, job-specific skills needed to handle leading edge technology.

If companies require specific new skills that colleges don’t teach, recent college grads aren’t finding the jobs they expected to upon graduation. In the last two decades, underemployment (referring to recent college graduates working in jobs that don’t require bachelor’s degrees) had pretty consistently measured around 33%. In 2012, however, that number rose to 44%, according to the New York Fed paper, “Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs?”

Colleges shouldn’t be expected to handle all the blame and burden alone, however. Academia and business need to work together. Academic institutions should be talking to employers about what they need; which will likely lead to colleges and universities having to reevaluate the process for creating and updating course curricula. At the same time, with technological advances seeming to impact the pace at which we do just about everything these days, companies need to be more willing to pick up where college leaves off and take an active role in training employees.

One Harvard Business Review article points out that apprenticeships are a great way to get new employees up to speed. In fact, it states that “Graduates of apprenticeship programs enjoy an estimated $250,000 increase in lifetime earnings, and employers get a 38% return on their investment.” The article also suggests that employers in similar sectors join together to the address skills gap issues. It encourages them to work with educational institutions to design training initiatives that focus on career pathways while integrating classroom education with real-life or simulated work sessions.

Remember, when companies invest in training their employees—and offer truly competitive compensation for workers with in-demand skills—they engender employee loyalty.

In addition to businesses and academia working together, job seekers need to do their part in actively keeping up with the latest innovations and changes in their field. They need to be willing to seek out and ask for training when necessary and ensure they have, or are at least working toward, marketable job-specific skills. Not only that, but companies also want to see that they have the necessary “soft skills.” Many employers mention that it’s equally challenging finding people who can communicate effectively, get along well as part of a team, have confidence and a good attitude, are flexible, and can be resourceful problem solvers.

It will take a true joint-effort on the part of academia, employers and job seekers to bridge the skills gap and ensure a real, long-term solution to the problem.

For more information about finding the people with the skills needed to succeed in your current job openings, contact us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

Making the Tech Industry More Attractive to Women

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 14:48:00 +0000

It’s no secret that the tech industry has a substantially higher number of males than females. But what is surprising is that rather than seeing an increase over the past few decades in the number of females getting tech-related college degrees, the number is actually decreasing. In 1984, 37 percent of all computer-science graduates were women, but today that number is just 18 percent. Not only that, but a mere 0.4 percent of high school girls express interest in majoring in computer science.

So, what is keeping more women from entering the technology industry? If Silicon Valley is any indication, maybe the fact that men with bachelor’s or graduate degrees make 52 - 61% more than women with the same educational attainment level has something to do with it.

Or, maybe it’s the tech culture. ComputerWeekly.com shared a recent survey citing women’s top three reasons why the technology field is less appealing to female recruits:

1 - The masculine/“macho” culture
2 - Being the only female on the team
3 - Women having to work harder to succeed

Interestingly, “Women having to work harder to succeed” was near the very bottom of the list of reasons men gave for the tech industry’s lower appeal to women. Men considered the industry’s “geek” or “nerd” image as the main reason that keeps women away. And that, too, seems to be valid.

According to a post on Forbes.com by Tracey Welson-Rossman, founder of the non-profit organization, TechGirlz, which teaches middle school girls about opportunities in the tech industry, she has had a lot of opportunity to understand the decline in the number of females entering the technology field. “The facts are clear: girls think computer careers are boring, the media portrays techies as nerds and geeks, schools offer few programming or tech classes, and parents do not fully understand all the choices that tech offers for careers.” She points out there needs to be a change in the way technology, as a career, is being presented to girls. If tech jobs are explained in ways that make them appealing to girls, then girls will pursue them.

In order for more women to seek out opportunities in tech, girls need to start being exposed to them early on. And in a positive, interesting light. Taking the focus away from something that may seem like drudgery for some (perhaps programming) and shifting the focus to include creative problem solving, can make a big difference in generating interest. This is what spurred the quadrupling of women computer-science graduates at Harvey Mudd College.

Hopefully, the curriculum at elementary, middle and high schools will start containing more resources for introducing computer science and technology-related career ideas as early (and intriguingly) as possible. Schools and parents need to stress the importance of women in technology fields and nurture that message throughout the school years.

Even if that happens, it seems that the tech environment itself has quite a bit of work to do if employers want to retain the women that actually do enter the field. Presently, they are underpaid, often passed over for promotions, feel isolated, and seem to struggle more than in other industries when it comes to work-life balance and gender biases. In fact, compared to their male peers, women are more likely to leave the industry within a year. As more women leave the tech industry, fewer positive role models for girls remain and this only perpetuates women’s reluctance to enter the tech field.

As an employer or recruiter in the tech industry, here are some things to keep in mind in your efforts to attract more women to your company and keep them once they’re there:

Revamp your job descriptions to make them more creative and interesting
Get involved in tech organizations for women to learn more and recruit potential hires
Pay women better
Demand gender equality throughout your company
Actively recruit more women across all job levels to prevent the feeling of isolation
Groom women for leadership and promote them fairly
Listen to female employees’ ideas and suggestions
Institute policies for better work-life balance
Avoid hiring in your own image and actively encourage diversity

Remember, having talented women in key leadership roles shows that you support women’s career advancement, which will be very attractive to future female recruits.

And, in addition to better departmental communications, organization and innovation potential when you add more women to your tech environment, here’s one more important fact to consider: according to the index provider MSCI, companies with strong female leadership see a 36% higher return on equity. So, what are you waiting for?

Call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com for more information on successful recruiting strategies.

Are Your Job Descriptions Compelling Enough to Recruit College Grads?

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:25:00 +0000

Consider that your job posting might be the first impression a person has of your company. If you look at your current listings, do they convey the image you want? Does yours stand out among other job postings? Today’s college graduates are looking for exciting opportunities with a company they can feel good about. As an employer or recruiter, it’s up to you to “wow” your audience—or at the very least, intrigue them.

Obviously you need to be honest and realistic about what someone can expect from the job, but there are ways you can keep it real while also making it compelling. Here are some ideas to help you get noticed.

Grab the reader’s attention immediately. Treat your job description as an ad, because it is one. And just like with any ad, you need a great headline. Rather than the job title being the first thing people read, think about some ways you can draw people in. Try something like, “Want a job that has you looking forward to Monday mornings?” Or, open with something fun and unexpected about the company. Give people a reason to want to get to know more about your company and the job you’re hiring for.

Give your job descriptions a personality. Even if you’re able to capture attention with a great headline, your audience will lose interest if the actual description of the job is dull. A dull, uninspired job description equates to a dull, uninspired job. Convey your company culture and use a voice that sounds inviting. Sell people on why it’s a good job and why the company is a great place to work. And stay away from tired language like, the qualified candidate will possess… Try something with more flavor like, Looking for someone with a passion for design or with a powerful intellectual curiosity.

Don’t go overboard on the details. Keep the job posting on the short side. Around 600 words is a good length, although a more complex job might require something a bit longer and an entry level or very straight forward position can be a little shorter. The goal is to cover the key points so potential candidates are informed, but you don’t cause strong applicants to glaze over and lose interest.

Know your “Must have’s” versus your “Would be nice to have’s.” It’s important to list the top four or five critical qualifications of the job. What skills or qualifications (any licenses or degrees, for example) are you absolutely unwilling to compromise on. List these as non-negotiable. This will weed out the truly unqualified individuals. Then, think through what other qualities or skills you would want someone to bring to the table and why. Do they play a major role in doing the job successfully? Perhaps there are things that really aren’t all that essential. You need a good balance between enough and not too many when it comes to required and preferred qualifications. You don’t want to risk pushing away talented individuals because of too many unnecessary restrictions.

Include graphics/pictures – Make it visually appealing. No one wants to wade through tons of text to decipher what the job and the company are all about. Here is a fun example of a job listing that combines personality and visual appeal quite nicely: Job Description - Be Awesome

Include video – YouTube has over a billion users (almost one-third of all people on the Internet) and every day they watch hundreds of millions of hours of video on YouTube. Additionally, growth in watch time on YouTube is up at least 50% year over year for three straight years. In other words, YouTube is somewhere you want to be. Here are some ways to incorporate video with your job listings.

Use candid interviews with employees about why they love working for your company.
Show the unique benefits your company offers.
Show the diversity of the people who are employed at your company.
Talk about exciting projects employees get to work on.
Do your employees get to make a difference in the world? Let them talk about it.
Define the qualities of the types of people who are successful in your company.
Talk specifically about the work potential employees would be doing.
Create a fun video that emphasizes your company culture so you can attract other employees with similar attitudes.
“How-to videos” on a technical topic posted on YouTube can be a great way to introduce your company to potential job candidates

Make it easy to apply. Think Amazon’s “Buy now with 1-click” option. It’s clear, direct and super simple. Don’t turn people away by requiring them to complete excessive forms and jump through hoops in order to apply for the job. And make the call to action inviting. You could use something like, Click here to join the crew! Using video to conduct interviews after people apply (with Skype, for example) is also an appealing option. Mention that in your ad if it’s an option for you.

And, just a reminder, don’t forget the essentials. While it’s important to give your job listings personality and pizzazz, don’t get so caught up in the creative side that you neglect to include the necessities in your posting: Job title, job summary, main responsibilities, mandatory qualifications and skills, preferred qualifications and skills, location (including if travel will be involved), instructions for applying and contact information.

Call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com for more information on successful recruiting strategies.

How to Get Job Seekers to Join Talent Networks—And Why It's So Important

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 25 May 2016 12:54:00 +0000

Current talent networks are kind of like the 2.0 version of the old talent pipeline. Now, technology enters the picture and provides electronic options for collecting and maintaining endless amounts of data about potential job candidates and job opportunities. Talent networks are not just a list of names and resumes. They are powerful communities that bring supply and demand together. (See our White Paper, Staffing Firms and Talent Pools: The Time Has Come to Sink or Swim.)

They are such a win-win for job seekers and employers that you’d be hard pressed not to have or join one.

Benefits to the Company
Here is a quick summary of advantages to creating a talent network for your company:

Getting your message heard – You are creating a space where you can share your vision, ideals and opportunities, and encourage likeminded people to connect and consider how they might fit.

Developing and strengthening your brand – Talent networks allow you to raise your profile among target audiences and increase recognition in order to attract a more highly skilled workforce.

Attracting and retaining top talent – Job candidates will have direct access to a broad range of opportunities, information and company employees so they can develop a real relationship with your company over time.

Filling job vacancies much faster – When you’ve already got a pipeline of skilled workers categorized according to experience, skills, interests and so on, the recruitment process gets whittled down substantially.

Tracking trends – As you collect more and more data based on the way people within your talent network interact and respond to information, you can leverage this to market your company and your job opportunities more effectively.

So, how do you populate your network with talent? Start by creating awareness and making people understand the value it brings to them.

Create Awareness

-On your careers page or agency site, you want to make the opportunity to join your talent network front and center. It needs to be easy to join and navigate.

-It’s also important that you optimize your page so search engines find it. (Search engine optimization is a huge topic in and of itself, so if you aren’t already on top of that, be sure to get help from a good SEO firm.) You will want to have a lot of relevant content on the page. In addition to current job openings, you should, at the very least, include things like comprehensive and interesting job descriptions for all the positions you fill regularly, news and city guides for the locations of your jobs and offices, and a few good company-branding YouTube videos.

-Advertising your talent network is also important for creating awareness. Use these places to actively and engagingly advertise your talent network.

Social media sites

Job boards

Job fairs

College career services offices

Freelance marketplaces

Your corporate website

Ads on search engines like Google and YouTube

Messaging apps like Twitter, Snapchat and Periscope

And don’t just follow, friend and connect. Actively engage with people who show some interest. Stream events, showcase what it’s like to work at the company, and provide them with significant information and resources they could find valuable.

-Get your employees to actively invite friends and acquaintances to come and join them in your company’s talent network.

-Old school phone calls and emails that offer the suggestion to just check out your talent networks page can still be effective too.

Benefits to Job Seekers

As you advertise and encourage candidates to join your talent network, be sure to point out how they’ll benefit. People who join can:

· Stay connected with companies of interest

· Have direct access to a broad range of opportunities and develop relationships with companies

· Receive alerts with new job opportunities that match interests and capabilities

· Share job opportunities with family and friends through Social Media or email

· Create a living profile with things like video and a portfolio

· Have a virtual community to discuss opportunities, goals and interests, as well as to ask questions and get information about career-related and other topics

· Stay in the loop and receive prompt feedback about the result of their expressed interest

The scope of what Talent networks can offer will just continue to grow. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will have access to a wide array of great talent that will keep expanding as your business does. If you have questions about how to create a talent network for your organization, call us at 415-835-0202 or email us at sales@talentcircles.com.

Staffing Agencies Help Solve the Challenges of Hiring Good Seasonal Workers

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 18 May 2016 15:08:00 +0000

For organizations with seasonal fluctuations in business, hiring temporary workers is often a necessity. Regardless of when they need additional help -- whether it’s over the holidays or during temperature-dictated cycles (think beaches and amusement parks in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in winter) – everyone needs employees they can rely on. “Temporary employee” should never be synonymous with “low-caliber employee.”

Of course, the nature of short-term job assignments can make it difficult to find available, committed, hard-working people who realize (and care) that their actions really do have an impact on the business’ bottom line. Difficult, but not impossible.

Luckily, there are staffing agencies that can help businesses and good seasonal workers connect. The key to that connection is information and communication.

What to look for in a staffing agency

One of the most important aspects to consider when working with a staffing agency is the strength of its database. You want to work with a firm that has a large pool of talent to draw from. And this talent needs to be well screened with complete profiles that are easily accessed and able to be organized according to specifications that matter to you. While you want the availability of a large number of potential candidates, the ability to search those large numbers with speed and precision will set the strongest agencies apart.

The best agencies should gain a good understanding of your job requirements and your company’s values. They should learn which skills and traits typically work best in your industry and environment and help match you with people from their database who possess them. You will want the agency to share your job postings with their entire talent pool, but also have technology at work that narrows that pool to the very best possible options for you—with thorough data available on each person.

It's also important that the whole system is easy to navigate for both you and potential candidates. People need to be able to apply, connect and interview quickly and easily. Ideally, there will be a variety of options for communicating, sharing information, referring friends and staying in touch. Your goal should be to create your own specific, ever-expanding and up-to-date talent pool within the agency’s vast database so you’re always prepared for your seasonal hiring.

Overall, you want to look for agencies who understand your company’s needs, values and requirements, and have access to technology that makes the hiring process as smooth and reliable as possible.

To learn more, visit our website at www.talentcircles.com, contact us via email at sales@TalentCircles.com or call 888-280-0808 for more information.

Diversity and Skills: The Importance of Hiring Military Veterans

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 11 May 2016 13:16:00 +0000

While the unemployment rate for veterans has been declining over the last few years, many are still struggling to find civilian jobs. This seems to stem from both the veterans themselves not feeling adequately prepared to make the transition from military to mainstream, and from employers thinking that many of the skills acquired during military service don’t translate to the civilian labor force.

Thankfully, new Veterans assistance programs, like Joining Forces, are continuing to be created to help with the transition and to connect veterans with employers committed to hiring returning military personnel. (Here is a list of employers who’ve made a public commitment to hiring Veterans.)

For employers, hiring Veterans goes beyond just doing the right thing for the people who have served our country. It’s actually a good business decision. In the Military Times last week, Michelle Obama was quoted during an event that announced more than 50 companies have committed to hire and train at least 110,000 veterans and military spouses over the next five years. She said, “They made these commitments because time and again they saw for themselves that our veterans and military spouses are simply the best employees around. And they realized that training and hiring these folks isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s the smart thing to do for their bottom lines.”

The skills and strengths former military personnel can bring to your company are numerous and varied. If you’re uncertain how some of their experiences relate to civilian job needs, here are some things to keep in mind as read the resumes of job-seeking Veterans.

Skills and attributes

· Look past specifics of their roles in the military to see instances of creativity, leadership, independence, initiative and technical expertise. Veterans, by the nature of their jobs in the military, are often good at creatively solving complex problems and quickly develop confidence in their abilities to lead others early in their careers.

· Many Veterans have developed strong planning abilities and good competitive analysis skills.

· Performance coaching occurs regularly in the military. Those who have performed the coaching, as well as those who’ve received it, can bring both a positive attitude toward coaching as well as excellent insights into performance improvement ideas for your company.

· Military personnel regularly need to learn new skills quickly in very stressful environments. This encourages the ability to think on their feet and make quick decisions under pressure, which are great skills to have at your disposal in all kinds of civilian jobs.

· With the wide variety of personalities in the military, Veterans have had the experience of learning to work well as part of a team with all levels of personnel. They often develop strong interpersonal skills that enable them to work with many types of people to meet desired goals.

· Veterans develop a strong work ethic and can be counted on for their loyalty and dedication.

When you come from an environment where your life may literally depend on doing your job well, you quickly develop a good work ethic. Most Veterans are hard-working, detail-oriented, have a strong sense of integrity and are driven by a sense of service to their team and country.

Specific military roles and how they relate to civilian jobs

-Ranks like Private, Seaman and Airman usually have the least number of years in the military but have still picked up some solid experience. They’ve learned how to listen and pick up new skills, how to become part of a team who works toward a shared goal and may even gain some project management experience.

-Titles like Corporal, Sergeant, and Petty Officer are those who’ve been promoted to supervisory roles. Many received formal leadership training and are good at both working together with their teams as well as being able to take charge and lead them. As these non-commissioned officers advance in rank, they can go from overseeing one team to many teams, involving responsibility for anywhere from 10 to 500 people, and deal with more and more complicated plans and missions. They can perform very well in a variety of project management, personnel management and supervisory roles.

-Ranks such as Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Commander, Colonel, and General often get a college degree before joining the military. These Commissioned officers can use their strong leadership skills for high level organizational planning and developing business strategy. They can often do well in C-suite roles and positions in operations, communications, logistics and human resources.

As you consider former military personnel, remember that Veterans may have some difficulty communicating how their skills from their military service will translate to civilian jobs. Try writing job descriptions where the requirements align somewhat with military equivalents, and learn to read into how the experiences they’ve had really can relate to the work you need done. The more aware you are of how to decipher the information you’re given and relate it to the jobs you need to fill, the more opportunities you have for tapping into some great talent that other, less informed employers are overlooking.

Learn more about committing to Joining Forces here. And for more information about adding military Veterans to your talent pool, visit our website at www.talentcircles.com, contact us at sales@TalentCircles.com or call 888-280-0808 for more information.

Convincing Top Candidates to Consider and Accept Your Job Offer

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 04 May 2016 15:20:00 +0000

With the lower unemployment rate allowing job seekers to be in the driver’s seat and technology enabling companies and recruiters to reach more people than ever before, finding good talent is taking a backseat to winning over that talent. Here’s how to make the most of your efforts to convince top candidates to consider—and accept—your job offer.

Make all of your recruiting activities accessible on the mobile platform

If you’ve ever lost, forgotten or neglected to charge your smart phone, you’re likely familiar with that immediate jolt of panic (possibly bordering on terror) that sets in. It’s as if part of you is missing. With these strong connections to our phones, we expect to be able to conduct anything of importance using them. And job seeking activities definitely fall within that category. If you want the best response rate from job applicants, anything you need to communicate about a job opportunity or your company should be readily and easily accessible via the mobile platform.

Be sure people can find job opportunities, learn about your company, apply for jobs, ask questions, interview and accept job offers easily with their smart phones. If potential candidates don’t have the option to apply for jobs using a mobile platform, there’s a good chance many of them will just move on to a company that does provide that option. Make it easy for them to not only upload resumes and complete applications, but also schedule their own interviews based on hiring managers’ calendar availability. And, remember, responsiveness is paramount to keeping individuals engaged and interested.

Create videos about your company

People love video. It's high impact, engaging, and let's face it, much easier than reading. Use people's YouTube addiction to your advantage. You can create everything from corporate videos that describe the company (make it interesting!) to informal employee-created videos that provide enthusiastic, real-life insights into the personality of the company. Show why employees like it there and let them discuss their favorite perks. Videos can also be created for job opportunities, acting as a live job description or recruitment ad. They can even be individualized for specific recruits. The key is to be creative and compelling.

Make your job descriptions exciting

Don’t simply dust off the old job description and assume it’s going to be a) accurate or b) appealing. Many times the original job description for the now-open position has changed substantially over time, so it’s important to verify what the position really entails. You don’t want to mislead someone with a description that doesn’t really fit what you need the person to do, since that can often lead to the quick departure of your new hire. At the same time, you want to make the job posting interesting enough that people don’t glaze over while reading it. If possible, get feedback from the person leaving the role (if the individual was a strong performer) about the most important and interesting aspects of the position. Also ask coworkers and stakeholders what they find most valuable about the job.

Create a job description that encompasses both facts and passion about the role. Compare your job description with similar jobs at other companies in your industry. Ask people to give their opinions of which descriptions are more interesting and why. Use that information to help tweak and improve what you’ve written. You can also ask potential candidates what terminology would make the job sound the most appealing. And, remember, with the popularity of video, you’ll want to include a video version of your exciting new job posting as well.

Be very quick in responding to candidates

We’ve come a long way from the days of getting resumes printed and sending them out via snail mail, waiting for weeks to even get acknowledgement that the resume was received. Now, we want things to be instantaneous (especially the millennials!) People want to apply quickly, connect quickly, interview quickly, and get employed quickly. If top candidates start the process but don’t receive an offer in a reasonable amount of time, which is often less than two weeks, they tend to drop out and move on to another opportunity.
It might be helpful to look at past data to see how the quality of new hires correlates to the speed of the hiring process. Is the quality of personnel diminished when the hiring process was slow? In other words, did the good people move on and leave you with the 2^nd or 3^rd string? If so, make that information available to everyone involved in the hiring process so they realize the impact a delayed hire can have on business. If need be, single out the slowpokes and see if that helps kick start their efforts.

Present data to top candidates that shows how well matched they are to the job

Track hiring and performance data to see what works. If you have facts about the types of people who typically do well in your company and in specific roles, you create a win-win situation. First, you know what skills and attributes to look for, and you have a good idea of the type of personality that fits your culture and job needs. This will help you look for the right people to begin with. Then, once you find the best people, you can present them with measurable data showing how strongly they correlate to people who fit in with and do well in your company. Showing them how likely they are to succeed and enjoy working in this new job gives you great leverage and is an excellent selling point.

The bottom line is, you need to have a solid idea of the types of candidates who work most successfully in your company, and be innovative in the ways you attract, connect with and sell those kinds of candidates on working for you.

Visit our website at www.talentcircles.com, contact us at sales@TalentCircles.com or call 888-280-0808 for more information.

5 Reasons Economic Developers Need Workforce Talent Pools

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 16:56:00 +0000

While those of you in the economic development field may often feel like your hands are tied when it comes to the politics dominating economic development policy, there are areas where you can take more control. One of the most important is getting the availability of skilled employees in sync with the increased needs of the business community. That’s where online talent pools come in.

Talent pools (also called talent networks) are similar to what we used to call the talent pipeline or bench. Only now, there are electronic options for collecting and maintaining endless amounts of data. Everything from candidates’ specific interests, skills sets and projects they’ve worked on to businesses’ detailed job placement needs and the types of individuals who fit best with their particular corporate cultures. Talent pools are not just a list of names and resumes. They are powerful communities that bring supply and demand together.

Economic developers who take the steps to create searchable workforce talent pools will free up time often spent on endless staffing issues and can focus instead on true economic development functions. Here are five benefits economic developers can gain from establishing online talent pools.

1. Get your message heard

When you develop an online talent pool, you are also creating a space where you can share your vision and ideals. You can distribute specific content through videos, webinars and meet-ups to increase the public’s knowledge of the importance of economic development and encourage like-minded people to connect and consider how they might fit into the economic development workforce. Regardless of your state, country or continent, your reach for new talent no longer has the limits of location. As people engage with you, you have the opportunity to show why your region is one of the top destinations for talented professionals.

2. Develop and strengthen your brand

Economic development teams and community businesses can work together to strengthen their brands through talent pools. Talent pools allow you to raise your profile among target audiences, increase recognition and unify the community behind consistent messages. This gives you a greater ability to engage candidates through branding and other more meaningful ways. You can also create unique communities for specific groups and use these to attract talent to cities and states, resulting in a more highly skilled workforce and stronger business and economic growth.

3. Attract (and retain) top talent

Talent pools are also a boon for potential job candidates. They will have direct access to a broad range of opportunities and can develop real relationships with companies over time. When talent pools are done right, candidates will get more feedback about the result of their expressed interest rather than just being a resume in a waste basket. Candidates can also have a living profile with things like video and a portfolio. And, they can remain in a talent community after being on-boarded and off-boarded. A talent pool provides a virtual location for past, current and potential candidates and employers to discuss opportunities, goals and interests, as well as to ask questions and get information about career-related and other topics. When you create a comfortable, informative and interesting environment for people, they will continue to come back as well as share that experience with friends and colleagues.

4. Attract new businesses

By demonstrating to businesses how you can partner with them to promote their brand, spread their message and enhance their workforce, you will add to the benefits of doing business in your region. This partnership could include online visibility into and analysis of the talent in the talent pools. It would be very inviting for new businesses to know that they can be part of an established workforce recruiting solution that provides a place for them to search, engage with, screen and video interview candidates. Talent pools are also a great source of information about the current needs and mindsets of a wide variety of groups and individuals.

5. Fill job vacancies much faster

As you know, it sometimes takes many months of recruiting to fill a single vacancy. When you’ve got a pipeline of skilled workers already prepared, however, those months will be whittled down substantially. With talent pools, you can create communities and categorize candidates according to experience, skills, level of capability, behavioral qualities, and specific types of workers that fit your needs, while also storing all of the applicant and candidate information (like profiles, resumes and portfolios) you amass over time. As you continue to grow, and keep in touch with, your talent pool, you will have many people to reach out to when new positions open up. A talent pool gives you access to a broader range of high-quality candidates and a large variety of methods for communicating, screening, interviewing, assessing and hiring candidates in a greatly reduced cycle time.

Talent development pools can play a critical role in helping economies remain strong, stable and sustainable. To find out how talent pools can benefit you, please call us at 415-835-0202 or email sales@talentcircles.com.

Are You Addressing These 3 Important Staffing Trends for 2016?

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 23:12:00 +0000

Are You Addressing These 3 Important Staffing Trends for 2016?

Is it really possible that we are into the second quarter of 2016 already? Even if you’re in denial, a glance at the calendar confirms it’s true. So where have your first quarter efforts taken you? Are you focused on the right things to stay ahead of your competition? Here are three important staffing trends that should be driving your endeavors.

Candidates are in the driver’s seat

It’s not going to be an easy year for recruiting. With lower unemployment rates, strong candidates are either already working or have the option to be picky about accepting job offers. The majority of top performers who are currently employed are not actively looking, so recruiters and companies need to find new ways to attract these passive candidates.

Candidates need to be sold on companies. It’s important to market your company as a great place to work. In addition to a decent (if not great) salary and benefits, what perks do you offer? Candidates really want to know “what’s in it for me?” There are many types of incentives you can provide. Just be sure you are clear about how working for you company is a win-win for everyone involved.

In addition to “WIFM” from a perks and incentives perspective, people also want to know that a company’s values are in line with their own. Building your brand so it’s obvious what your company is all about also helps to ensure that the people you attract are the ones who will fit in with your corporate culture.

Existing employees are extremely valuable

Companies are realizing the value of their existing employees. And in times like these, you need to work hard at providing reasons to stay. The top talent is getting courted by your competition so you want to show them why they’re better off staying where they are. In many ways this is similar to the idea of selling new candidates on why your company is a great place to work, but it can be easy to overlook the need to “sell” someone who is already on board. Don’t let that happen. Keep communication open and regularly show appreciation for a job well done. To find out what entices people to stay, conduct “retention interviews.” Instead of waiting until someone gives notice, then conducting an exit interview, try conducting interviews with people who have been with you for a while and find out what it is that appeals to them about the job and company.

Many companies are also using training/education to fill in gaps for missing skills in current employees rather than looking outside for someone who already has those skills. Remember, a good attitude goes a long way, and is not something that can’t be taught.

Asking existing employees for referrals continues to be a great source for new talent. Employees who were hired based on a referral are often among the top performers. Encourage referrals—including asking people to tap into their professional networks—by putting a good employee referral program in place.

Technology rules: Accessibility plus data, data and more data

Since the competition for candidates is heating up, it’s important for companies to focus on the candidate experience. People are on the go, and your staffing efforts need to move with them via smart phones, tablets and laptops. Be accessible and make it simple for candidates to connect with your company. Start making use of video in your hiring ads and company profile if you don’t already. Not only is it more stimulating, it enables people to read less and move forward faster. You need to use the technology available to make it easy for candidates to access information and apply for jobs; and for you to offer faster answers and be generally more responsive. If you’re not attentive enough, quickly enough, good candidates will lose interest.

Leveraging social media and various online groups and communities is becoming more and more necessary. Companies now have more access to information about potential candidates than ever before. You just need to be certain you are using the information effectively to better target the people you want to hire. Tracking and organizing all of the data people put out there can sound overwhelming at first, but with the right software, you will be able to create a talent pool that will continue to grow with you and be essential for all stages of employment.

Employers are likely to be struggling this year more than the candidates looking for jobs. So, do your homework. Understand what changes you need to make in order to sell the best candidates and current employees on the benefits of working for your company. Get creative, embrace new technologies and make it happen.

Visit our website at www.talentcircles.com, contact us at sales@TalentCircles.com or call 888-280-0808 for more information.

Times are Changing for Recruiters, Are You Prepared?

noreply@blogger.com (TalentCircles) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 18:11:00 +0000

So, what do your client businesses and potential candidates expect from you?

“They both want better results and to see barriers and dead-weight inefficiencies taken out of 20th century processes that are still relied upon today.” This information comes from our latest white paper, Staffing Firms and Talent Pools: The Time Has Come to Sink or Swim.

Businesses are finding that, with changing times, the long-standing staffing model has some major shortcomings. These companies are being pressed more than ever before to find the right talent, engage and make the best use of it, and maximize ROI on the talent engagement life cycle. This means the tried and true staffing firm model must evolve and leverage new technology to be more effective and provide the service and value that is really needed.

Those recruiting firms that are stepping up to the plate to address changing client and candidate needs are embracing the benefits and importance of an important new technology: online talent pools.

Excerpted from our white paper, “Talent pools are beginning to happen…They are powerful enablers of bringing talent supply and demand together, and they are a new way for staffing firms to meet changing client and candidate expectations.”

Download our new white paper here to learn how, staffing firms that integrate emerging talent pool technology with the best of their existing capabilities and processes can improve their performance while satisfying both clients and candidates.

Visit our website at www.talentcircles.com, contact us at sales@TalentCircles.com or call 888-280-0808.