How Can Recruiters Create Compelling Content

How Can Recruiters Create Compelling Content When did you last do an internet search of your company to find out what content is out there for your future  employees to read? Have you ever adjusted your content strategy so that you can share the right information about your company?  Compelling content is probably one of the most important elements of  employer branding. Our panel of 10 recruiting experts share their knowledge on how you can create compelling content to draw the top talent in. Leela Srinivasan Compelling content combines creativity and personalization, relevance and resonance. For one-to-one communication, take the time to research your candidate. What can you uncover that feels distinct about them, and how can you weave that insight naturally into your reach-out? Is every word in your email working hard for you? What more impactful word choices could you make? Compare notes with the rest of your team so you can learn what specific phrases are piquing people’s interest. For one-to-many communication, befriend your marketing team so you have co-conspirators on your employee blog, employer branding videos and more. Leela Srinivasan, Chief Marketing Officer at Lever. Amy Volas If you’re new to the world of creating content, partner with your marketing team or a friend that is already doing it well and gain insight into ways your valuable insights can be shared in a meaningful way. It starts with picking a topic that you care about and sharing valuable information via your network. What’s your favorite social network, pick 1 and take baby steps.   Then listen to feedback, ask for it and tweak along the way while expanding where you share your content.   If you get bitten by the “content bug”, consider publishing articles on sites like Undercover Recruiter. Amy Volas is  Chieftain of Avenue Talent Partners. Lars Schmidt Compelling content starts with understanding your target audience, and then tailoring your content to their needs. What excites them? What makes them happy? Where do they go to learn things? How do they want to be communicated to? The biggest mistake recruiters make is to shotgun generic content with the hopes it will stick. Theres too much noise for that to work. Once you start personalizing, you start breaking through. Lars Schmidt  is the Founder of Amplify. Chad MacRae It’s always about knowing your audience. “Compelling” to an accountant is different than “compelling” to a web developer. Know your audience, know what they care about, know what they worry about, know what keeps them up at night â€" then you’ll know what content to create. Chad MacRae is the Founder of Recruiting Social. Erin Wilson Recruiters sit on the front lines. They are the face of the organization. They are also the first person the candidate generally trusts. I have always found the most effective content comes from an authentic place. Jobseekers are facing an opaque, combative, process riddled with information asymmetry. Create content that levels the playing field. Erin Wilson  is Founder and Talent Engineer at Hirepool.io Stacy Zapar Recruiters should speak about the things that are interesting and relevant to both them and their audience. Great content makes people feel something, learn something or do something. What are you passionate about? What are you knowledgeable about? What does your audience (candidates) want to hear or learn more about? Stick to those topics and you cant go wrong! Stacy is the Founder of Tenfold The Talent Agency. John Feldmann Recruiter-generated content is one of the most important and under-utilized marketing tools for talent acquisition. Anyone who has recruiting experience has knowledge to share, whether or not it’s in the form of best practices, new tools and tricks, or personal stories and experiences. It’s up to management to emphasize to recruiters the importance of creating and sharing content for the benefit of their personal brand, as well as the company’s. An integral part of recruiting is marketing to potential clients and candidates. An integral part of marketing is demonstrating industry expertise, and an integral part of demonstrating expertise is creating relevant content! John Feldmann  is a writer for Insperity Recruiting Services. Maren Hogan The best way to capture talent that matters to your company’s values is by creating job descriptions that don’t suck. At Red Branch, we outline all the honest structures that make us impactful. Yes, we wear yoga pants and drink wine on Fridays, but we’re an extremely hard-working team. We accept challenges, tackle crises with a brave face and don’t settle for average. Job candidates are told this from the start, not because I want to scare people away, but because I want to be honest about what they can expect from my company. Compelling content for us means being honest and funny, so people get what they’re getting into. Maren Hogan is CEO and Founder of Red Branch Media. Craig Fisher When creating content, always ask yourself, so what?.   Its great that your company won an award, for instance.   But how does this knowledge benefit the reader?   The same goes any story you write, video you make, podcast you record.   Put yourself in the average viewers shoes and ask yourself how that content benefits you.   If it is just entertainment, then it better be very entertaining. Craig Fisher is  Head of Employer Brand, CA Technologies, and Allegis Global Solutions. Will Staney The most compelling content that recruiters can create is content that benefits their stakeholders, current and future candidates. While lots of recruiters out there blog about the current state of the recruiting industry, the smart recruiters are writing content that’ll help candidates, i.e. what not to do in interviews, how to build the perfect resume, what companies are looking for in candidates during interviews, etc. Content that will help them do better in front of hiring managers, etc. They can also focus on helping tell the real human stories of the people behind the companies they work for to help humanize the brand and attract employees who will have a personal connection to the mission. Will is the  Founder Principal Consultant at Proactive Talent Strategies.

A Hot Tip To Advance Quickly in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

A Hot Tip To Advance Quickly in Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What is it so hard to believe you should be the best you can be, and work for someone else? Why do so few people genuinely want to be employees? Why is it impossible to believe you can be a person with great self-worth who also respects the opportunity to work? Apparently, most Millennials believe that going to the office looks like The Office, the television show that makes working for someone else look ridiculous. I thought The Office was a really good comedy, with high quality writing and amazing actors. The show used an office setting much like I Love Lucy used marriage. The relationship problems made us laugh, primarily because marriage seemed like a bunch of pranks that husbands and wives played on each other. In New York magazine, Richard Greenwald, a labor scholar at Brooklyn College, “says he’ s struck by how many of his students chafe at the notion of traditional office jobs.” How could that be? How could a generation of educated people come to think that working for an organization is ridiculous? How could earning a living cause “chafing?” As an educator, I wonder what curriculum we are teaching that would make working for Unilever, Zara, Nestle, Coke, Apple, Google, and so on, look ridiculous. Have we somehow run down the reputation of organizations? Have we diminished the idea that you are lucky when you are chosen for an opportunity in a business that someone else has built? I am most concerned that abject disrespect that has become a meme. I’m also concerned that watching a comedy show would actually convince anyone that it’s depicting real life. My daughter has a cat. We never mistake him for Grumpy Cat on YouTube. We don’t think that Esther the Wonder Pig is the average pig. Where is the genesis of the respect problem? As an employer and a career coach, I see exactly what Greenwald is purporting. There are a lot of people who treat working like it’s a joke. Bosses have to prod, push, demand, become vexed and bent out of shape in order for work to get done. They have to have a cruise ship mentality â€" making sure there are plenty of snacks, fun activities and a morale officer, formerly known as a human resources director. In between all that, some small amount of work needs to be accomplished. I’m sorry to seem like the Grinch right now. I know you are just kicking off your year. You hopefully have grand plans for your personal brand as well as your career. I want you to have all that â€" and more. So here’s a hot tip. If you want to be a real stand out, it’s pretty easy. Bring your respect for the organization, proof that you take work seriously, and have your high jinx on your own time. This has been a public service announcement on behalf of employers everywhere.

What Careers Best Suit Introverts and Extroverts

What Careers Best Suit Introverts and Extroverts Would you identify yourself as being an introvert or an extrovert? You can find people who fall under each of these categories in most workplaces and particular traits displayed by each personality type mean that they tend to work in different ways. For example, some of us strive when working with others, whereas others perform better when they work on their own. For this reason, certain jobs are better suited to introverts and extroverts. Apparently, 60% of the population consider themselves extroverts, however, it isnt always black and white and a lot of us display a combination introvert and extrovert characteristics. So how do introverts and extroverts behave in the workplace and which jobs are best for which type of personality? This infographic by careerassessmentsite.com  investigates. What are the common traits of introverts and extroverts? Introverts: Thoughtful Reserved Learn through observation Self-aware Like to spend time on their own Extroverts: Outgoing Comfortable in groups Up for trying new things Speaks their thoughts Energised by others and has a big group of friends and acquaintances. How  do introverts and extroverts behave in the office/classroom? Extroverts enjoy getting involved in verbal discussion and are quick to share their thoughts and opinions with others; whereas introverts prefer a quiet workplace and will take more time to gather and examine information before making decisions. Extroverts like to brainstorm in big groups, to hear others peoples ideas and share their own. In contrast, introverts are more likely to work alone on independent projects. Extroverts will often initiate group activities/gatherings and  enjoy conversations about personal matters, whereas introverts would much rather keep their life outside of work private and only get involved in work-related discussion. What are the best jobs for introverts and extroverts? Extroverts: Careers that involve interaction with the general public and working as a part of a team are typically better suited to extrovert personalities. A few examples are: Construction Worker Event Planner Police Officer Introverts: Jobs that allow the individual to work independently are a better fit for introverts, who are more studious and prefer to work alone. A few examples are: Graphic Designer Software Developer Truck Driver RELATED: How to Manage Introverts and Extroverts

How to get unstuck in life

How to get unstuck in life I am a person who lives and dies by her to-do list. And right now, Im dying. Im dying because I am following all the prescribed rules except one. Here are things Im doing well: 1. I clear my inbox. I deal with each email the second I read itby responding, deleting, or transferring to my to do list. 2. I have a single list. I have As, Bs, and Cs for my priorities, so I can tell what is most important to do on any given day. 3. I make sure I have long-term goals. And I put them in my list of As. I identify the items I must get done before the end of the day. But I also add at least one non-deadline-based item that helps me reach a bigger, life-changing goal. 4. I rewrite the list every day by hand. Because if something on the list is not worth taking the time to rewrite by hand, its not worth taking the time to do. 5. I make sure I get all the As done first. Only then do I move on to less important items. Just kidding. I dont do this. But I should. Honestly, I can tell that it doesnt really matter if I follow all the other rules when Im not doing this one. Theres a book by Michael Stainer titled, Do More Great Work: Stop the Busywork. Start the Work That Matters. I know I have a problem sticking to stuff that matters: as soon as I typed the title, I thought, Why is the word that capitalized? I checked back on Amazon twice to make sure. It doesnt seem right to me. Then I tell myself I need to look up the AP Stylebook to see what the rule is. I think the is never capitalized in a title and that is optional, but I think, in this case, it looks better as lower case. Then I tell myself, look, I just really need to get this post done. If I look up the AP Stylebook, and find an answer, which is probably not going to be easy to find because honestly, Im not the queen of Google searches. Even if I manage to do that, I will not feel like I have accomplished something important today. But if I finish this post, I will feel like I am meeting an important goal of writing a post each day. Also, I tell myself that the best work I do is when I am not constantly distracted by randomly interesting searches. Like, the last time I remember doing this was, in fact, last night, when I got stuck looking up soporific. It means sleep inducing. But I thought maybe I was missing a nuance of the word because it was in a picture caption in a movie review. Who puts a word like that in a picture caption? So I thought it had another slang meaning or something. And then, when it turns out that it really does mean sleep inducing I didnt feel accomplished. It was not on my to-do list. And I cant even figure out how to slip it into my own writing. Unless you find my paragraph about soporific to be soporific. Stainers book has a chapter written by me. Which, Im sure I wrote only because I put it on my A list 400 days in a row, sending it to him, finally, ten days late. Or something like that. And he has chapters by other luminaries who I am convinced do their A list before they even eat breakfast: Seth Godin, Chris Guillebeau, Leo Babauta. The important thing about reading a book like Stainers is that if I read people telling me that I should not do bullshit work all day, then I am more likely to hold myself accountable to my A list. This problem comes down to my struggle with self-discipline. I think everyone struggles. I think theres a Maslow hierarchy of self-discipline. First you have to get out of bed in the morning. Then you have to write a to-do list every morning, and write a schedule to accommodate it. Then you have to have the self-discipline to start giving stuff up because you dont have time for everything the highest form of self-discipline is admitting that you will not be doing some things in the day. I have done all that. So what Im left with is stuff that is easy to do. But its usually Bs. And some stuff thats hard to do. Those are the As. Today I told myself no surfing. No staring at the wall. No reading my book. (Im reading Bonk, by the way, which is scintillating, and thank you to Jens Fiederer who recommended the chapter about pig orgasms that last ten minutes.) But then I saw a GChat link from Michael Roston about the Dutch parliament. I had to click. It turns out that there is a group trying to make sex with twelve-year-olds legal. So they formed a political party in order to get the laws changed. But the group dropped out of the election because they found they are spending so much time campaigning that they are losing focus of their main goal, which is to legalize pedophilia. And I thought: Dutch pedophiles are more focused on their long-term goals than I am. My problem is that I cannot write my own long-term goal in as clear a way as the pedophiles. I coach so many people who tell me they cant move forward because they dont know where they are going. And I tell them, make something up. I tell them to commit to a goal, any goal, and move toward it until you think of a better one. The act of moving toward something helps you crystallize where, exactly, you want to be moving. I wish I could tell you Im doing that, but recently Ive been writing about it more than doing it. Because Im scared. Its so scary to commit to a goal when you know its not the real goal. Success requires a leap of faith that goal setting is trial and error and the process of finding clarity not the one-time process of immaculate conception of clarity. When I was learning about to do lists, each step seemed too hard. And empty in box seemed impossible. Handwriting a to do list every morning felt absurd. But in each case, after I did it a while, it felt right and probably essential to me. So I guess I will just have to trust that if I force myself to choose a goal, my goals will get more and more clear, and the productivity piece will start falling into place.

5 Ways Informal Learning Tools Boost Workplace Productivity CareerMetis.com

5 Ways Informal Learning Tools Boost Workplace Productivity Did you know that around 80 percent of all corporate training happens through workplace communications with colleagues, professionals, and supervisors???According to research, around 67 percent of employees use social media for work-related tasks such as brainstorming with their peers, obtaining first-hand customer feedback, and reading relevant articles published on various blogs and websites.eval?With the advent of technology, informal learning has rapidly become a part of our lives. ?It is transforming the way knowledge is acquired, particularly in the workplace.According to the advocates of informal learning, over 70 percent of the knowledge we receive in life and in the workplace is acquired informally. One powerful example in this regard is of language.An individual learns a language for the first time in the informal environment of his house and not in a school.?Similarly, the majority of us develop social skills not through etiquette lessons but by means of life experiences.? In addition, some of the utmost imperative abilities that guarantee office productivity, such as communication, cooperation, coordination and even practical skills, are often refined via instrumental and continuing informal corporate learning tools that include counseling, coaching, feedback and scrutiny.Benefits of Informal Learning in the WorkplaceHere are 5 ways of incorporating informal learning tools` in the workplace can improve corporate success and productivity:1) Make Learning a Fun ProcessevalevalMany prosperous businesses in the world today make considerable investments in office-based training initiatives.Companies that acknowledge up-to-date methodologies in implementing office-based learning activities also experience a considerable improvement in efficiency, improved workforce retention, and enhanced product quality.?However, it is important to make the learning process stimulating for workers to inspire them to develop their expertise. Old-fashioned methods of corpor ate learning can come across as rigid and mind-numbing to many workers.?The staff often considers corporate training and meetings as humdrum and not much pertinent to their office performance.evalOne effective method of making the learning process exciting is to focus on project-based learning. As a manager, set specific milestones in a project that encourage employees to acquire new skills.The outcomes of the venture may not directly advantage the company, however, the capabilities that workers acquire should be pertinent.2) Trigger Quick LearningIt is observed that employees recognize the need for acquiring additional knowledge when they diagnose a problem in the workplace. They try to come up with substitute approaches for tackling the problem and recognize the necessity to learn further before they can effectively handle the issue.?Hence, if a company offers interactive opportunities for them to learn informally while on the job, they can quickly acquire new skills that can faci litate the company even after the problem is solved.Employees find it more appealing to learn informally since, unlike formal training, the informal learning process is free from the stress of clearing an exam, getting a decent grade, and performing well to mention something worthwhile on their CV.Hence, they find it more convenient to indulge in and endure the impetus of informal education.3) Offer FlexibilityAs adults, we all enjoy autonomy and control. In the workplace, the majority of the employees consider formal training as a bitter capsule, whereas, informal learning is contemplated as more fulfilling as it occurs at their own pace, and according to their own interest.The easy availability of informal learning tools has simplified the way learning occurs in the workplace. Now, there is no need for any substantial learning strategy. Due to the internet, employees have access to the extensive knowledge that can be used to incessantly obtain new knowledge.Managers also find it m ore stress-free to partake in a spontaneous discussion that involves sharing valuable knowledge informally rather than formal training. In case of a formal setting, they would need to prep up in advance, plan the meeting, and make other necessary arrangements.4) Satisfy Employees’ InquisitivenessevalUnlike formal training, informal learning doesn’t have any fixed approach. In the workplace, it allows employees to gratify their inquisitiveness along with helping them in expanding their knowledge base, learning a new skill, or refining an existing talent.Informal learning is extemporaneous and can occur at any instant the employee observes anything that piques his inquisitiveness or will help improve his work quality. Providing ample opportunities to learn on the job helps to keep employees satiated, productive and engaged.eval5) Promote Employee CollaborationFrom a company’s perspective, informal learning tools help in forming the foundation for a “learning business”. They provide opportunities for cooperation between workers and promote teamwork.This collaboration among employees facilitates the company in the long run by streamlining the work process and simplifying tasks for everyone.?For example, in an informal setting, employees can share any best practices that assisted them in cutting down costs or the time needed to produce an outcome.eval?Similarly, senior employees can demonstrate a new employee on how to use internal software.In an informal setup, employees can share their experiences, successes, and failures in a much effective way which will eventually help others in not committing the same mistakes.Promoting Informal Learning in the Workplace According to Andrea D. Ellinger, employees often do not indulge in informal learning because they think they do not have the approval to learn during office hours.?Therefore, managers can promote informal learning among their employees by providing official consent to acquiring on-the-job training, particularly when there is no other way of solving a problem.?Similarly, managers should also encourage informal training by demonstrating the conduct and openly communicating their appreciation for doing so.Companies can foster an informal learning environment through various approaches.Some of them include:? Providing semi-structured environments for information sharing.? Integrating informal learning with formal training plans. For example, by arranging pre/post discussions that offer informal ways for workers to exchange thoughts, opinions, and advice.? Curating knowledge by identifying, filtering, organizing and sharing the most pertinent information on particular subjects and offering it to all employees online or by means of a dedicated software or platform.While the responsibility of providing adequate informal learning opportunities in the workplace lies with the company, it is important to note that effective utilization of informal learning tools depends on the employees. ?The employee who spends his time in acquiring informal knowledge is normally viewed as a person who is objective-oriented and is always in search of prospects to discover, experiment, and absorb new information.?Such an employee gradually becomes a valuable asset to the company.

Finding Patience During a Long Job Search

Finding Patience During a Long Job Search Patience is one of hardest traits to maintain during a job search. Recently, one of my clients acquired a position at a company she loves in the industry she wanted to work in. She is ecstatic, however, the search tested her patience. She spent 18 months waiting, searching, applying and interviewing for a position like this. At the beginning of her search, she had no idea it would take her 18 months to find this position. She knew it would be a challenge because the industry she wanted did not have a large presence in her desired geography. Her patience and persistence paid off in the end. Many of our clients only begin meeting with one of our career coaches once they start feeling miserable in their job or career. These clients cannot wait to make a change to improve their lives. Unfortunately, a new job or new career does not happen quickly. So how can people prepare for a long job search? Identify what you control and what you dont Many elements of a job search are out of a client’s control: The availability of jobs in their interest area The hiring strategy and budgets available at the companies they are targeting When positions they are interested in are posted Patience with a job search means understanding and moving on quickly when things you cant control dont go your way. Your focus should be the things you can control work on those to give you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment and keep your momentum going. Here are the primary elements of a job search that are in a clients control: How well-suited you are for your targeted positions or targeted companies How you brand yourself for the positions you want Targeting your networking toward the positions and companies are you interested in The effort you want to put forth in your job search Push through the tough times Even if you are doing everything in your control to get a position, it might take longer than you had anticipated. This is where patience and persistence come in. When you don’t see progress as quickly as you had hoped, you may begin to feel frustrated and for some it might be enough to stop their search. This is where you need to push through if the end result is important to you. Determine the ROI We coach our clients to evaluate the return on investment. Is the potential result worth the consistent work that is needed on the job search? Only you can answer that question. The answer may change from time to time. For my client above, the effort was absolutely worth the result, but that is not true for everyone. Your career coach can help you through the frustrating times, help you strategically plan your approach and help set the proper expectations for you. The persistence, patience and execution of the strategy is what you will bring to the table. Bringing these elements together will give you a solid plan that should get you through the tough times.

Writing a Resume For Preparation

Writing a Resume For PreparationWriting a resume for preparation is more than just a way to get your foot in the door. It can be an effective tool for landing a job you dream of.Every resume needs to have a lot of information, and no one wants to read a document that has nothing to say. With a resume, you want to include as much information as possible, and make it easy for an employer to assess your skills and experience. You also want it to be brief and easy to read, so be sure you read it over several times before you turn it in.Many resumes use search engines to look for potential employers. Using these is a good idea, but you don't want to be tempted to include irrelevant information, and make it look like you are trying to 'game' the system. You should always try to stay away from any 'silly' resume writing, such as exaggerating or saying something that's not true.In addition to job titles, your resume should provide information about what you have accomplished in the past, inc luding education, certifications, work experience, and so on. These items will help your employer decide whether you are the right person for the particular position.The last thing you want to do when writing a resume for preparation is to make it too long. You want it to be short, to the point, and to be easily read. There are plenty of websites and software tools available that can help you shorten and reformat your resume.There are many professional job seekers who specialize in writing resumes for preparation. Writing one yourself is easy, as long as you follow some simple tips. For example, do not skip paragraphs or even sentences, and keep your resume to only a few pages.Once you have your resume written, make sure it looks professional and on point. If you put a lot of effort into making your resume for preparation an appealing one, you should find an employer who is willing to hire you.