recruitingworld

INFOGRAPHIC: How Your Myers Briggs Type Determines Career Paths

Jorgen Sundberg — Sun, 27 May 2012 17:29:18 +0000

Think you have what it takes to be a crime scene investigator? Or would you be better suited for the medical field or computer technology? With so many career choices, it can be difficult to settle on just one. For about 50 years, people have been using the Myers-Briggs Personality Test to help them figure [...]

INFOGRAPHIC: How Your Myers Briggs Type Determines Career Paths The Undercover Recruiter - Career and Recruitment Secrets Revealed

A different type of diversity #WorldAtOne #CIETT2012

@BillBoorman — Sat, 26 May 2012 17:07:34 +0000

I’ve been asked to be a guest on World at One on Monday on Radio 4. It’s not guaranteed of course, there might be something more important than recruiting on Monday, but all being well I’m going to be talking about diversity. Not in the traditional or legal sense, but in terms of hiring people who are just different, and why this is important, as well as changing recruitment thinking to make sure that you are not hiring the same people because you only source from the same place.
My thinking is that the world in general is for the most part, in a bit of a mess. We are trying to fix a whole host of problems with the same type of people who made them. In politics, if there was an election tomorrow I really wouldn’t know who to vote for because they really do all appear to be the same whatever the badge they might be wearing. Business has been mostly doing much the same thing. Hiring a “type”. Promoting a “type”. Rewarding conformity over different, creative thinking, and that all begins with hiring.
One of the things I’ve noticed about on-line communities and networks, is how many people build their networks around people like them, who come from the same places, like the same things and do the same job. I can understand the reassurance of only really hanging out with people who all agree and pat each other. Comfort in being the same and thinking the same, and being as one. The problem with this is that there is no new thinking. No challenge to the status quo because that’s not “how we do things around here.” Theres no new learning or thinking because people like you tend to think like you and know what you know. It becomes an old boys network. A mutual love in. Something i would describe as a cliquemunity where your face fits or you don’t fit.
I went to #CIETT2012 this week, organised by the REC. Kevin Green and the team did a brilliant job of putting on a conference that was a break from the usual offering with 2 hours of unconference and some of different people running tracks rather than presentations. When I look at the REC now, I think Kevin has done a brilliant job of changing their outlook for the benefit of their members. I know that this hasn’t always been popular or easy, and when he was first appointed there was plenty of consternation that the REC had opted for someone from the HR world rather than recruiting, but for me, it’s a decision that has paid dividends in changing the way things are done at the only real trade body for recruiters. They are no longer a private members club, and that is what businesses need to become. They need to be different, but not too many are getting the message.

Diversity of talent is an issue that is organisation wide. You are not going to fix the new business problems with the same people who caused them, and radical times need radical solutions that begins with a mind-set to accept the difference and try something new. The Footsie 100 and Fortune 500 companies largely control the economy and influence the way nations think and act. If we take recruiting back to the entry-level, they are still hiring from the same Universities for interns and new hires. The same type of people who studied the same subjects and got the same marks. Might be new people, but its new people in the same mould. The on-boarding process is geared to get new people to conform. To be like we were if you want to get on. You have to look the same, think the same and talk the same if you want to fit in and get on. You won’t fix the problems with the same thinking that created the problem in the first place, and you won’t get new thinking when you hire a series of clones.

I’m reminded of a quote I heard a while ago: “If we all think the same, some of us are irrelevant. ” If we look at the approach taken by the highly successful tech companies that have emerged and flourished over the last decade, their approach echoes this. I’m seeing trends emerging like flexible working, managing work rather than hours, interviewing for culture fit rather than fit to a specific job and other similar initiatives. It’s well documented that Google work to the philosophy of fail often, fail quickly, fail cheaply. Facebook live by the mantra of move fast and break things. LinkedIn believes that the platform is always in beta. It took different types of people to build these businesses. Different types of people who didn’t fit the usual mold.

On the radio show I’m going to talk about 3 things that I think would change the way companies recruit. It means turning the recruitment process on its head and looking at fit before capability, and intentionally targeting people who are different to the people you have now.

1: Sourcing from different places in particular universities.

2: Matching to culture.

3: Auditioning for work over interviewing.

I really enjoyed #CIETT2012. I got a real sense that there is an acknowledgment that things need to change, and they are not really working as they are. It’s time to think different and stop doing what we’ve always done in the attraction and recruitment process. Go hire some crazy ones.

Bill

How to Write Resumes for Jobs in Education [7 Tips]

Jorgen Sundberg — Sat, 26 May 2012 15:20:01 +0000

An education field offers you with a lot of opportunities, whereby, you can prove your potential, and serve the most interesting area you desire for. It can be administration, examination, teaching, assistance, or associated support functions. So, while applying for such jobs, you need to display your good academic records and research abilities, to prove [...]

How to Write Resumes for Jobs in Education [7 Tips] The Undercover Recruiter - Career and Recruitment Secrets Revealed

Video Killed the HR Star – Q&A with HireVue Video Experts

Holland Dombeck — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:17:58 +0000

You asked (literally) and we delivered…

FOT would like to give a special thanks to everyone who tuned into our webinar “5 Ways Video to Raise Your HR and Recruiting Game” this past Wed. Below you will find the questions we were unable to get to during the presentation along with answers from our video experts, Scot Sessions and Chip Luman from HireVue.

Q: Any recommendations for hardware (cameras, mics, lighting, vendors) and editing software? Please post on FOT site afterwards, if possible.

A: Any PC or Mac with a webcam and internet connection. Additionally for interviews – Candidate side (iPhone 4, iPad 2, iPod touch 4) Manager side (any smart phone with a browser)

Q: What about the recent crap-storm surrounding GSA employees making video for their convention?

A: Where much is given, much is required. Employees need to use good common sense and really promote the employment brand.

Q: You pay interview expenses to interviewees? In the UK the interviewee pays their own costs usually…

A: With digital On Demand interviewing the candidate will be that much more interested in interviewing with your company. That shows the candidate that the company is concerned about the overall expense with interviews.

Q: Have you guys actually USED the Video Interviewing method? How do candidates respond to the request?

A: HireVue drinks their own kool-aid. We all have taken an On Demand interview prior to joining the company. Even our new CEO, David Bradford.

Q: Why not use gotomeeting video, its included in the price for webinars?

A: Like Skype and other video conferencing tools you h ave zero ability to create jobs and questions that once recorded can be shared and rated all in one platform. The key word is “ease”. If it’s not easy you won’t get your hiring team to use and if you do they will do so somewhat grudgingly.

Skype simply replaces a live interaction, digital interviewing improves workflow, quality of hire and talent pooling.

Q: Apologies if I missed it, but is the interview on demand process one that an applicant would go to our site and self-administer their interview…and our scripted questions are presented to them via a taped video questioner. And the taped results are what we can then review (thus saving us the time of doing multiple screening interviews)?

A: That is one way of using On Demand. Interviews can either be done by invite or self administered. Either way the interview questions are always created before hand allowing for consistency in the interview process. This way when reviewing candidates the questions will all be the same allowing a hiring manager to skip, fast forward, and compare candidate responses to the same question without having to listen to the whole interview all over again. Big time savings.

Q: I would like to know what advantages there would be on having a partner for Video Interviewing as opposed to currently utilizing Skype or vid conference interviews controlled by HR.

A: Like Skype and other video conferencing tools you have zero ability to create jobs and questions that once recorded can be shared and rated all in one platform. Again, the key word is “ease”.

You have no workflow tools to support the process, nor is there a support model for your candidates or recruiters which may lead to a poor candidate experience and increased costs related to supporting the process.

Q: Do you have any companies using video interview to test certain technical skills like writing code?

A: We have some companies that use the whiteboard (candidate facing chat) to do code tests. They also use the OnDemand text questions to request code, they then follow up with a video question asking them to explain why they wrote the code the way they did.

Why Not Use Unconventional Wisdom to Halt Competition?

Jorgen Sundberg — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:44:12 +0000

“Sometimes I have believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” - Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass I like this quote because it is full of promise and unconventional wisdom. You might ask why bother with what might be impossible. Wouldn’t it be easier to go after what is possible, known and familiar? [...]

Why Not Use Unconventional Wisdom to Halt Competition? The Undercover Recruiter - Career and Recruitment Secrets Revealed

5 Fundamental Truths About Brand and Employee Engagement

Rita Shor — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:00:45 +0000

Companies with the most loyal customers also tend to have the most brand-engaged employees; employees that live the brand promise. Your employees have the unique ability to foster deep brand engagements with not only customers, but also with suppliers, business partners, and virtually all of your company’s key stakeholders. How do the world’s most successful [...]

Three brilliant under used LinkedIn social recruiting tools

Andy Headworth — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:08:01 +0000

Everyone is now talking about social recruiting, using social media in recruitment, but still many people are missing a few tricks with the 'recruiting default social network', LinkedIn. Just because you have a LinkedIn profile, does not mean you are using it properly. I know - I have seen hundreds of examples of recruiters (agency and corporate) LinkedIn profiles that make me wince! It is a recruiters dream product and yet still so many of them pay it lip-service.

Anyway for the ones that want to get even more out of it, here are three brilliant LinkedIn tools to help you do your job - find and engage with more new candidates and clients.

Here are three superb tips that will help you use LinkedIn more effectively every day.

Who Works At. A simple but really good application that tells you (via a visual popup on your screen) who in your LinkedIn network works at a particular company. Not only does the app (a Chrome browser extension)prioritise the results with the most relevant people, but it also allows you to look at all the new hires and any (people) promotions or changes in the company. There, I told you it was superb, didn't I? So here is a simple example:

I went to the Accenture website in my browser and then clicked the application link(top right in the red square). This then popped up the information box:

No.1 shows the people in my network that I am connected to that work at Accenture - 4951; No.2 shows where the links are to see new hires etc and No.3 is a really quick way for you to Follow Accenture on LinkedIn.
I don't have to explain the massive benefits of this tool now, do I? You are recruiters after all!
Aside from using this tool to connect with people via LinkedIn, take it a stage further and then find these people (now you have their names) on Twitter or Google+ (maybe even Facebook), and engage with them on a more social level.
This is a great strategy - talk to them about subjects they are talking about - and it probably won't even be work stuff. Listen, show an interest and engage with them. It is a very powerful way of developing relationships, with people that would normally wouldn't give recruiters the time of day!
LinkedIn Signal. You may not know what this is by name, but you will see it every day. This is the status update 'box' that appears in the middle of your screen when you have logged into LinkedIn. It is the updates from the people in your network No.1 in the image below:

Now, click on No.2 (red circle) and you open up a goldmine of information - the Signal search functionality.

You can now search ALL the status updates of your LinkedIn connections, using the normal LinkedIn search functionality (No.1). Then here comes the kicker - you can save the searches! Then every time you return to a search it will do a real-time search within the status updates.

So get creating searches for your competitors, influencers, industry keywords etc ! I have created a string (as you can see above) that will show anyone posting in their updates words around job seeking. Useful if you want to get active candidates.

this tool is brilliant, yet not many people are using it. Give it a try and you really won't be disappointed!
Company Updates. On your LinkedIn Company page, you will have a box on the right hand side that says Followers - carrying on with the Accenture example:
These are all the people that are following them to get updates and information from them. There will be analysts, industry people, journalists etc but there will also be loads of people that are interested in working for them. Bingo!
LinkedIn now allow you to segment these Followers of your company and engage with them accordingly (it is being rolled out - larger companies are getting it first). You can create specific and targeted follower lists based on different criteria: Industry, Seniority, Job Function, Company Size, Non-company Employees, and Geography.

Then using a reporting part of the page - Who Followed Your Post - you will then be able to track some excellent engagement information on your company page.
So, make sure that you give people the opportunity to Follow your company on LinkedIn. This will be gold dust from a future engagement perspective. Go to https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins and add the Follow Our Company button to your website, blog etc.
Don't be bashful about this, these are FREE and focused potential candidates for your company, so get them on board and build your Follower count.

These really are 3 brilliant FREE TOOLS that you should be using with LinkedIn. I cannot see any reason why you wouldn't use them.

And of course if there are any other 3rd party tools LinkedIn you want to make me and my readers aware of, please share away in the comments below.

If you like reading this blog, then click on the orange RSS icon here and get the latest Sirona Says posts delivered to your RSS reader or your inbox the moment they come out.

Three brilliant under used LinkedIn social recruiting tools

Andy Headworth — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:07:44 +0000

Anyway for the ones that want to get even more out of it, here are three brilliant LinkedIn tools to help you do your job - find and engage with more new candidates and clients.

Here are three superb tips that will help you use LinkedIn more effectively every day.

Who Works At. A simple but really good application that tells you (via a visual popup on your screen) who in your LinkedIn network works at a particular company. Not only does the app (a Chrome browser extension)prioritise the results with the most relevant people, but it also allows you to look at all the new hires and any (people) promotions or changes in the company. There, I told you it was superb, didn't I? So here is a simple example:

I went to the Accenture website in my browser and then clicked the application link(top right in the red square). This then popped up the information box:

No.1 shows the people in my network that I am connected to that work at Accenture - 4951; No.2 shows where the links are to see new hires etc and No.3 is a really quick way for you to Follow Accenture on LinkedIn.
I don't have to explain the massive benefits of this tool now, do I? You are recruiters after all!
Aside from using this tool to connect with people via LinkedIn, take it a stage further and then find these people (now you have their names) on Twitter or Google+ (maybe even Facebook), and engage with them on a more social level.
This is a great strategy - talk to them about subjects they are talking about - and it probably won't even be work stuff. Listen, show an interest and engage with them. It is a very powerful way of developing relationships, with people that would normally wouldn't give recruiters the time of day!
LinkedIn Signal. You may not know what this is by name, but you will see it every day. This is the status update 'box' that appears in the middle of your screen when you have logged into LinkedIn. It is the updates from the people in your network No.1 in the image below:

Now, click on No.2 (red circle) and you open up a goldmine of information - the Signal search functionality.

You can now search ALL the status updates of your LinkedIn connections, using the normal LinkedIn search functionality (No.1). Then here comes the kicker - you can save the searches! Then every time you return to a search it will do a real-time search within the status updates.

So get creating searches for your competitors, influencers, industry keywords etc ! I have created a string (as you can see above) that will show anyone posting in their updates words around job seeking. Useful if you want to get active candidates.

this tool is brilliant, yet not many people are using it. Give it a try and you really won't be disappointed!
Company Updates. On your LinkedIn Company page, you will have a box on the right hand side that says Followers - carrying on with the Accenture example:
These are all the people that are following them to get updates and information from them. There will be analysts, industry people, journalists etc but there will also be loads of people that are interested in working for them. Bingo!
LinkedIn now allow you to segment these Followers of your company and engage with them accordingly (it is being rolled out - larger companies are getting it first). You can create specific and targeted follower lists based on different criteria: Industry, Seniority, Job Function, Company Size, Non-company Employees, and Geography.

Then using a reporting part of the page - Who Followed Your Post - you will then be able to track some excellent engagement information on your company page.
So, make sure that you give people the opportunity to Follow your company on LinkedIn. This will be gold dust from a future engagement perspective. Go to https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins and add the Follow Our Company button to your website, blog etc.
Don't be bashful about this, these are FREE and focused potential candidates for your company, so get them on board and build your Follower count.

These really are 3 brilliant FREE TOOLS that you should be using with LinkedIn. I cannot see any reason why you wouldn't use them.

And of course if there are any other 3rd party tools LinkedIn you want to make me and my readers aware of, please share away in the comments below.

If you like reading this blog, then click on the orange RSS icon here and get the latest Sirona Says posts delivered to your RSS reader or your inbox the moment they come out.

#truDublin in 3 Words

@BillBoorman — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:53:54 +0000

How To Recruit for Niche Positions [5 Useful Tips]

Jorgen Sundberg — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:26:49 +0000

Sometimes to find the perfect candidate for your open position you have to think small. That’s what niche recruiting is all about. As job boards boom, recruiters are starting to realize that specialization is actually saving time and money. With current unemployment hovering around 8% in the U.S. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, [...]

How To Recruit for Niche Positions [5 Useful Tips] The Undercover Recruiter - Career and Recruitment Secrets Revealed

Top Talent in a Flash: How SanDisk’s Tom Brouchoud Wins with Passive Candidates

Leela Srinivasan — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:30:56 +0000

Part VI of our interview series features Tom Brouchoud, SanDisk’s Senior Manager of Global Talent Acquisition, who just celebrated his 10-year anniversary with the company. SanDisk’s recruitment needs span the globe, with locations in the United States, Japan, Israel, and across Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. Why does your company focus on recruiting passive candidates? Tom Brouchoud, [...]

Three Recruiting Tech Startups You Should Know About

Kyle Lagunas — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:35 +0000

Of nearly 50 initial applicants, six innovative recruiting tech startups were invited to compete last week for $10,000 at this year’s Recruiting Innovation Summit in Mountain View, CA (Editor’s note: The Recruiting Innovation Summit is produced by ERE Media, owner of SourceCon). Presenters gave a live demo their product, took questions from the audience, and then answered questions from the panel of judges–Jason Warner, Steve Boese and Ethel Chen. Each startup was rated based on business model, viability, potential impact on the industry, and other factors.

The winner–Mystery Applicant–is a sophisticated data and analytics tool for measuring candidate experience. Applicants fill out a questionnaire, rating the specific points in the recruiting and hiring process (with a whopping 40% conversion rate!). Through a clutter-free dashboard, users gain immediate insights into what’s working in their recruiting process and what’s not–from a candidate’s perspective–and can use this data to validate or refine their recruiting strategy.

Here are three other companies in the competition that I felt showed great promise for recruiters and jobseekers alike:

1. GooodJob

Category: Referral Programs

What it does: GooodJob is an employee referral and social recruiting platform. Recruiters create job listings and distribute the job across various networks. Employees interested in opting in to the referral program grant permissions to recruiters to post job opportunities to their private social media accounts at a specific maximum frequency (once a week, once a month, etc.). Activity and referrals are tracked, and employees are rewarded for their efforts.

Why it’s hot: What makes GooodJob innovative is how successfully it leverages gaming elements (points, leaderboards, prizes) to motivate employees. Rather than only rewarding placements, GooodJob rewards employees’ efforts to feed some talent into your pipeline with points. Points can be accrued and used for small prizes like movie tickets and large prizes like cool gadgets or cash bonuses.

2. OnGig

Category: Job Board

What it does: OnGig is no ordinary job board, and its job listings go beyond the traditional job description. When posting a job, recruiters answer key questions such as why the position is open, challenges the candidate will face, and growth opportunities for the role. When applying for a job, candidates are offered interview tips and given the opportunity to send a note to the hiring company before applying.

Why it’s hot: Job listings with OnGig are highly visual, featuring video interviews with the hiring manager and his or her team, and photos of the office and space in which candidates would be working. It’s also highly social; viewers can leave comments or ask questions, share the posting, apply for or follow the job. Because the platform gives candidates more interactivity, it’s a great way for employers to have more touch with candidates from the beginning.

3. Lab of Apps

Category: Recruiting App

What it does: The Next Step by Lab of Apps is a mobile recruiting app powered by LinkedIn. Job seekers can view opportunities in specific geographic locations, and like or dislike each opportunity to refine the results generated by the search. They can then share any listing via social media accounts (currently only integrated with LinkedIn). Candidates can indicate interest to the recruiter, chat live, or send a note requesting more information.

Why it’s hot: I like this app mainly for its usability. Though candidates already can review opportunities via their smartphones–mobile versions of company job portals, branded mobile apps, etc.–this product puts key functionality in the hands of its users while keeping things simple. The user interface is sleek and easy to use, featuring one-click apply and on-the-spot interviewing.

Consumer Technology Will Continue to Drive Innovation

To one degree or another, consumer technology–social, mobile, gamification–was present in all of the products showcased at the Recruiting Innovation Summit. Considering the growing prevalence of these technologies in other products, I believe consumerization will continue to shape recruiting technology. This trend is changing the way we recruit, interview and hire, and I look forward to seeing more innovation in this space.

If you missed the conference, you can find video of the competition (hosted by Dice.com) here. Which innovative products are you loving? What do you want to see more of from recruiting software vendors?

Note: A version of this post was originally featured on the Software Advice blog

Three Recruiting Tech Startups You Should Know About

Kyle Lagunas — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:35 +0000

Here are three other companies in the competition that I felt showed great promise for recruiters and jobseekers alike:

1. GooodJob

Category: Referral Programs

2. OnGig

Category: Job Board

3. Lab of Apps

Category: Recruiting App

Consumer Technology Will Continue to Drive Innovation

Note: A version of this post was originally featured on the Software Advice blog

• Email to a friend • Article Search • View comments • Track comments •

Thought policing on the internet

@BillBoorman — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:24:18 +0000

Reblogged from tobefranktoo:

Those of you familiar with the brilliant novel 1984 by George Orwell will know exactly what I’m talking about. If you aren’t, then basically the Thought Police arrest, and quite often kill innocent civilians if they are caught criticizing the government or even if they are suspecting to be thinking bad things about the government! One only needs to look at Justin Bieber’s Google+ stream to find a perfect example.

The @CERN Track: Perfect ATS

@BillBoorman — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:48:50 +0000

At #TruGeneva I got to meet the Head of Recruiting for CERN James Purvis. It was interesting to hear the challenges they face in hiring some of the greatest brains in Europe if not the world. During the conversation James spoke about the challenge of what an ATS should look like in these social days. He produced this video for #TruMadrid, posing the question:

The conversation carried over to #truDublin and this summary was captured by SocialTalent who did a great job of mixing the final cut. Here is what #truDublin had to say after some added refreshment, Dublin style.

What are your views on what the perfect ATS might look like?

Bill

Five (Inexpensive Or Free) Cloud-Based Productivity Tools For Sourcers

Lance Haun — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:00:28 +0000

When I talk to people about what tools they use on a day-to-day basis, they usually default to the recruiting specific tools they use. They might be trying out something new or maybe they are frustrated with an ATS or search tool.

When I ask about what’s driving their backoffice or productivity, I often get blank stares. People might be living off of e-mail, a calendar, a spreadsheet, or maybe nothing at all. And that might be fine if you’re never out of the office, don’t ever miss anything important or never have a computer issue.

For those of us who may have one or more of those issues, using an internet-based application might be the way to go. The key advantages being that your data is available, often on all of your devices (including mobile) and is backed up. So what should you be checking out? Here are five essential tools (plus some extras) to try out.

1. Office Productivity: Google Apps for Business

If you’ve ever used Google’s Gmail, you’ll probably be familiar with Google Apps for Business. While Gmail is really great for single users, Google Apps allows you to incorporate your domain name and have all of your services customized based on your domain name. What kinds of services are offered? You’ll get integrated e-mail, calendar, document creation (word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations) and cloud storage. The starting price for all of this is free (for up to 10 users). For $50/user/year, you can get a bigger e-mail inbox (up to 25 GB), better spam control, guaranteed uptime and customer support.

The other advantage is that there is a whole marketplace of products that are built to integrate with Google Apps. Some of them are mentioned here, too. Another great feature is that you’ll have access to your e-mails, calendar and documents on the go on whatever device you use. I have a Mac laptop, Android phone, iPad and my wife has a PC that we use to access all of these things. I don’t worry about e-mailing myself documents anymore.

If you are a small firm or you just want to up your professional profile by having a domain name, Google Apps is a great place to get started. Single users who don’t want to mess with a domain name can stick with Gmail and still get almost all of these features too.

Bonus: Microsoft Office 365

If you’re tied into Microsoft products or just particularly like what they have to offer, the Office 365 product that Microsoft offers is very similar to Google Apps. While there is no free option, the small business option is similar in pricing and features to the basic paid version of Google Apps. I like both of them, it really just came down to my preferences. If you’re a Microsoft fan, you should check it out if you’re looking to make the jump.

Bonus: Evernote & Dropbox

If you don’t want to do the whole office suite thing, go for Evernote, a neat app that let’s you take notes, pictures and recordings with your phone and sync them with any of your other devices. For those who just want to sync files across multiple devices, Dropbox is a great utility with 2 GB of free space.

2. Social Media Management: HootSuite

HootSuite is the best social media manager for the money. If you’re using social media at all for recruiting or sourcing candidates and you don’t have a built-in or preferred provider, HootSuite is my go-to app. The free version allows you to manage multiple social profiles (up to 5), schedule messages, track mentions and keywords and automatically post items from a feed reader. The paid version ($10/mo) allows unlimited social profiles and RSS feeds. It integrates smoothly with Twitter, Facebook (including pages) and LinkedIn. They also have a bevy of mobile apps (including one for Blackberry users) that sync your dashboards across all devices.

For example, I can track every time someone shares a link to SourceCon (even if they don’t tag me, the SourceCon Twitter account or hashtag). Or, I can schedule messages to go out every day for the next month reminding people about an upcoming webinar or event. And once it is in, I don’t have to worry about it anymore.

Bonus: ifttt

If you’re wondering what ifttt is, it stands for “if this, then that.” In short, it is a tool that allows you to set up automated tasks that can do everything from text you when the forecast calls for rain to update you when a job opening is posted in your area. There are some pre-built “recipes” included and you can always be creative and venture out on your own. While I wouldn’t recommend automating your entire social workflow, this is a great way to do some of those tasks you want done easily.

3. CRM: Zoho CRM

If you are an entrepreneur or solo practitioner, having a customer relationship management system (or CRM) is a must. While there are some excellent CRM options for dealing with candidates (like Avature), if you’re handling both clients and candidates, having a more traditional CRM might be a better option. And not only is Zoho CRM a great option in general, it also has a free option that you can try out. The paid version might be worth upgrading to (includes integration with Google Apps) as well as the version that integrates with your phone. Together, that will set you back $15 a month. If you want to do integration with Microsoft Outlook and Office, that’s $6/mo. While SalesForce is a great option for larger companies (and if you have it in your enterprise, you should definitely be using it), for smaller companies, Zoho is a good option.

Bonus: Mavenlink

While not a CRM, Mavenlink is a project management tool. Consider it a task list on steroids and it can be integrated with Google Apps as well. For managing longer term projects, Mavenlink is great for small teams or even just using it solo. The free version has unlimited users as well.

4. Accounting Management: Wave Accounting

I don’t know too many sourcers and recruiters who love doing accounting. So if you’re stuck doing this chore (either as an entrepreneur, full-time solo gig or on the side), being able to plug in Wave Accounting (for free!) and manage your business finances and send out invoices like a pro is the way to go. It will automatically sync up with your business bank accounts or credit cards and keep track of invoices. And if you have no accounting training, it does a fairly good job of helping you keep clean books so your accountant doesn’t hate you at the end of the year. It also integrates with Shoeboxed (an app for keeping track of receipts), Freshbooks (another popular, paid cloud-based accounting software) and, yes, Google Apps as well.

5. Communication Management: Skype + Google Voice

If you’re on the phone all day, you probably have a dedicated phone line. But if you’re like me and maybe use the phone only a couple of times a day, using this combo might be worth your time. First of all, you’ll need to sign up for a Skype account, download Skype software and add a subscription to call the US and Canada as well as an online number. Next, you’ll sign up for Google Voice (free), get your free phone number from Google and plugin the phone numbers you want your Google Voice calls forwarding to (for example, your Skype online number and your cell phone).

Now I give out my Google Voice number to anyone who wants to get in touch with me. When I’m home, I use a headset plugged in to my computer and Skype program or the Skype application on my cell phone (which is using my home wifi network). When I’m on the road, I can still receive those calls on my cell phone. And with the Google Voice website, I can send and receive texts for free as well. For outgoing calls, I use Skype directly.

The other benefit is that if you’re regularly speaking to people from overseas, Skype is widely used as a free app for video or audio calls. And if they don’t use Skype, calling through Google Voice can save you a chunk of change.

What other cloud based tools are you using for workplace productivity?

Five (Inexpensive Or Free) Cloud-Based Productivity Tools For Sourcers

Lance Haun — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:00:28 +0000

1. Office Productivity: Google Apps for Business

Bonus: Microsoft Office 365

Bonus: Evernote & Dropbox

2. Social Media Management: HootSuite

Bonus: ifttt

3. CRM: Zoho CRM

Bonus: Mavenlink

4. Accounting Management: Wave Accounting

5. Communication Management: Skype + Google Voice

What other cloud based tools are you using for workplace productivity?

• Email to a friend • Article Search • View comments • Track comments •

WEBINAR TODAY: 5 Ways to Use Video to Raise Your HR and Recruiting Game

Holland Dombeck — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:52:08 +0000

Join FOT favorites, Kris Dunn and Tim Sackett, today as they deliver the May FOT Webinar: 5 Ways to Use Video to Raise Your HR and Recruiting Game, sponsored by our friends at HireVue.

Register for this FOT webinar and your hosts will provide you with the following insights on using video as a fundamental part of your HR and recruiting strategy:

Employment Branding - See how to build a more robust and impacting employment brand by using video to build transparency to the outside world – including candidates for your open positions.
Recruiting - Learn how today’s technology transcends the old cliche “video conference” system, allowing you to vet candidates more effectively without wasting time with early-stage face-to-face interviews.
Role Play for Managers - Find out what smart companies are doing to weave role play scenarios into all managerial training and to ensure managers can perform in tough situations on command.
Training Shorts Delivered via Mobile - See how to enhance your training effectiveness by creating just-in-time training shorts that can be delivered via mobile.
A “How To” Guide to Get Started with Video in Your HR/Recruiting Organization - We’ll cover how companies are building light infrastructure to deliver on the potential of video – without breaking the bank.

Register now and the gang at Fistful of Talent will send you a special FOT toolkit – “Lights, Camera, Hired: How to Use Video to Land Your Next Hire” – once the webinar is complete!

INFOGRAPHIC: Where To Find UK Tech and Start-Up Jobs

Jorgen Sundberg — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:21:12 +0000

London Tech City is booming again as the job fair for graduate technology Ninjas, Gurus and even the occasional Jedi is back this weekend with the latest Silicon Milkroundabout. The event will see 100s of the UK’s top start-ups offering more than 800 jobs to the UK’s brightest and best Tech and Engineering graduates. Big [...]

INFOGRAPHIC: Where To Find UK Tech and Start-Up Jobs The Undercover Recruiter - Career and Recruitment Secrets Revealed

INFOGRAPHIC: How Social Media Can Help You Find Graduate Jobs

Jorgen Sundberg — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:21:04 +0000

Graduate jobs have always been difficult to obtain, but now that employers plan to increase internships hires by 8.5% in 2012, things will get even more difficult and competitive. There will be more applicants for the positions and now more than ever is the time to find a way to stand out in a crowd. [...]

INFOGRAPHIC: How Social Media Can Help You Find Graduate Jobs The Undercover Recruiter - Career and Recruitment Secrets Revealed