Archive for November 29, 2009

Back to the Land Down Under

November 29, 2009 / Justin Hillier / 5 comments

I am writing this not out of pleasure but what I see as necessity. You see when I started this blog it was to discuss all things within recruitment related to Social Media. The tables have turned a little and I am going to practice what I preach and show all the nay-sayers or doubters that Social Media is a powerful recruitment tool. I want to use Social Media from a candidate perspective to find a new job back in Melbourne, Australia.

That’s right, for those of you who know me I am currently based in Europe and due to Visa problems I need to return to my mother land. So my family will be happy to hear, via me directly not my blog, that I will be home for Xmas.

So why am I telling you all of this?

Well I have built up a nice little network of contacts within the recruitment market, via sites like LI and Twitter, and I want to leverage this to find a job that suits not only what I am looking for but obviously what my next Employer is looking for as well.

So how can you help?

Well there’s a few things you might wish to do. Maybe you might like to Tweet the link to this blog to spread the word. You might wish to add a comment to this blog giving your recommendation of your dealings with me to my future employer, or you might simply have someone that you think I should talk to.

The main purpose of all of this is that as someone who is entrenched in Social Media, just like yourself, I think it is important to use the methods that I say are important to include in your recruitment strategy in my own life as well. Practice what we preach.

So I turn it over to you, can you help me find a job in Australia in the social media recruitment space. If not then just simply wish me good luck.

My Resume

I will of course keep everyone up to date as to my progress, thoughts, and if indeed social media helped me find me my new job.

Thanks

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , ,

Yesterday's cover letters can't help you today

November 25, 2009 / Justin Hillier / 10 comments

Recently on Twitter the debate has raged on over the perceived added value that a cover letter can add to a candidates prospects when attempting to secure a new job. This all started when @ExpertResumeMan suggested “cover Letters ensure resume gets read”. No doubt that the old school cover letter has the best intentions, but is it really relevant to the current internet Web 2.0 world that we live in today?

Probably not. With IM, video chat, google wave and every other new communication tool jumping into the market, is writing a traditional cover letter really going to make you stand out from the crowd. Is it the most appropriate use of what is available?

Cover letters are a disappearing art, we rarely see anymore. However, when they are well written they can provide an concisely crafted snapshot of you and tell a story that can’t possibly be told in your resume.

Through a cover letter you can explain why you are applying to a job from out of state, why you are interested in a position that doesn’t align with your past work experience, gaps in employment and additional accomplishments that would make you a top candidate. You can also give examples of your strong work ethic, write why you would like to work for the company and provide many other pieces of critical information about you that will entice the Recruiter to put your resume on top of the stack and not in the circular file.

Read the Full article here

The above text are all reasons that Karla Porter says are reasons to write a traditional cover letter. Whilst I can’t argue with any of her points, she knows her stuff, what I will say is that time and methods have moved on. Ok, so I might be a touch biased (yes I’ve said this before and I’m not shy about it) but I honestly do believe that candidates have a far better option in video available to them.

Karla pointed out that:

Cover letters are a disappearing art - Does this not tell us that candidates see little value, Employers see little value and that there are better tools that need to be explored?
They can provide an concisely crafted snapshot of you and tell a story that can’t possibly be told in your resume - Can you not do this easier with a video and actually show your personality at the same time, we are hiring people after all aren’t we?

There are many other reasons I can outline from Karla’s post that show that video is a better, more current and appropriate tool to use. But to me it comes down to 2 key points.

1. Use a tool that is current and in line with today’s technology. This show’s your ability to adapt to the changing technology landscape and that you are adept with their usage.
2. Tools such as video “show” who you are and are far more “personal” then the traditional cover letter format. What can be more personal then a video of someone then meeting them face to face, why not speed up the process.

The key to the traditional cover letters is personalisation, what could be better then an introduction via video?

P.S This wasn’t an attack on Karla, she just posted her article on this topic during the debate.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Gen Y – Don't get caught in the trap

November 25, 2009 / Justin Hillier / No comments

Gen Y, it seems like everyone is focused on the age group of 18-30 more then ever before. The age group that are our next thought leaders and will be running our major companies and countries in the next 15 years. So why worry about them so much now, are we really in a position to fast track any of that much needed development and learning that we put a “wet behind the ears” candidate into a role that they have no experience in, and yes it does happen.

You see, I hear and read every day, that HR and recruitment folk and doing their best to understand how to attract Gen Y’ers. They are a fickle generation, the digital generation, and demand things that in all logical terms is outlandish. What makes them so wonderful that we should bow down and give them what they want. And why is it that the older, more experienced are getting pushed to the side, are all recruiters out there, middle aged men having a mid life crises and looking for the 21yo blonde?

I was listening to Lucian Tarnowski debate with Alan Whitford recently at #trulondon, and he said that Gen Y looked for stability and security in their careers – but don’t we all? That Gen Y were facing trouble’s that no other generation has experienced, but how is this different to the world wars of yesteryear or The Depression? Are these not all unique challenges? And the thinking that Gen Y are more adept at using the internet and other technologies, well i doubt that very much, the oldest person on Twitter is over 100yo and she gets by just fine.

Think back firstly when you were a child, or your own children were toddlers. Think of how many times they asked for McDonald’s or an ice-cream and how many times you said no, maybe later. Clean your room, tidy up your toys or eat your vegetables and I will think about it. That reward had to be earned. So why is everyone chasing the Gen Y candidate with such gusto? What have they done to deserve such high adulation and desire within the recruitment market.

Yes it’s true, there is an aging global population, and in 10 years time the baby boomers will be out of the market and the second “true” candidate short market will represent itself (the first being after WW2). Experience and knowledge counts for a lot in business, and hiring a 37 or 47 year old compared to a 27 year old can bring a wealth of knowledge into your business that is invaluable.

At the end of the day you need to be very careful how much of your recruitment strategy is geared towards attracting Gen Y or any particular age bracket, even a slightly age skewed message or strategy could land you in discrimination hot water. They say the mind and body is only as young as it feels, and I personally know people that have a better outlook on life and more energy and experience then people half their age.

Why we stereotype people/candidates based on their age is beyond me, should we just not be looking for the best candidate in the market regardless?

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , ,

Hats off to Bill Boorman

November 24, 2009 / Justin Hillier / No comments
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4cMIlNnMic&hl=en_US&fs=1&]
Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , ,

Video Recruitment – Are you a video hypocrite?

November 23, 2009 / Justin Hillier / One comment

Are companies who use video to attract candidates hypocrites, if they don’t accept video CV’s/Profiles from candidates? Is there a difference? To be honest I don’t really think so and here is why.

Employers are using video to engage, communicate in more detail and “show” candidates what it is they are offering. They are advertising their employer brand/offering, in the hope of attracting the right candidates and building a stronger image. You can see, hear and feel what a company is like and learn more about an Employer from watching a 2 minute video then by a quick chat over the phone. You can watch and hear from current Employees “pitching” you the Company message. In the end it’s all about selling themselves to you and gaining awareness.

Candidates use video to engage, sell themselves in the initial stages more effectively and “show” employers what it is they can bring to the table. Having the ability to “show” their personality and have a “virtual face to face” introduction, they are powering their profiles with a visual tool that speaks to their abilities far more efficiently and effectively then some words on a piece of paper. They to are trying to attract the right Employer and by using video they are giving an Employer a better feel for who it is they are.

So I put it to YOU, for all the companies that utilise video as a vehicle to attract, engage and advertise their Employer Brand to candidates, are they being hypocritical by also not allowing a candidate to do the same?

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , ,

Is your social media strategy, 120, 240 or 360 degrees

November 22, 2009 / Justin Hillier / One comment

So chances are you have heard of social media and you have a strategy in place to reap the benefits of the new wave of interaction that is now available to us all. You are using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Xing, Delicious, Digg, ah the list goes on and on.

Your strategy is sourcing you a great deal of traffic and to date you have somewhat figured out there is a benefit in doing all of this and you are starting to see some return for your efforts. Well done, this will and should occur with a defined plan in place. Whilst it is still very much early days and the approach may very well change in 5 years time, we must get the most out of it’s current structure while we can, why not, it’s an opportunity missed otherwise and what is the business value in that?

So for now you have solved what is the puzzle of social media and recruiting. But is that really it? It can really be that “relatively” easy can it?

What if I was to suggest that your strategy is only 33% complete? And there should be in fact 3, yes 3, parts of your social media strategy.

1. Attraction + Engagement + onboarding

This one is a bit of a no-brainer for the first 2 uses, but who is using social media for onboarding? Attraction and engagement is great when talking about utilsing all of the above mentioned sites to spread the word about your company, the fantastic opportunities you have, and what a great business you have become.

But what about on-boarding. Do you encourage new employees to connect with current employees prior to starting and entice them to start getting involved in the business in any way they can. Either just by following a conversation or getting up to date with current projects that they will be working on.

2. Retention + Engagement + Collaboration

Here is where your social media strategy provides you your greatest ROI. You have attracted talent, hired them, they have under-gone a great on-boarding process and they are starting to hit their straps. You’re employees are all over social media as we know, however how can you harness social media internally to improve outcomes and enhance engagement and more collaboration. We do after all enjoy the people we work with, more then the job itself most of the time.

Supplying your staff with the ability to create chat groups, pose questions to the rest of the business and move projects along with more communication is every companies dream. Imagine allowing managers the ability to have a better understanding and the “pulse” of their staff by simply getting more involved in what they want to talk about, business or otherwise.

With meetings always cancelled or shifted to a time when not everyone can attend due to sickness or holiday, the meeting itself never resolving or covering every discussion point required, and follow up more and more difficult as some people just cannot be tracked down, why not have your staff continue moving things along with the power of a community platform.

Not only is this great for speeding up discussion and greater collaboration, but if you ever have a question why not pose it to the rest of the company in a non-intrusive manner. Who knows what answers you will get and what other business enhancements may be raised from one conversation alone.

3. Exiting + Alumni

It is suffice to say that people move on at some stage, but does that mean your communication should cease entirely. Understanding why people leave is never easy or straight forward, and answering surveys, being involved in discussions and simply making them feel like their voice is still being heard is crucial.

You may not want to stay in touch as a business with every ex employees but it would be remiss not to have some connection with former employees for either future job opportunities or business deals. You never know who might be your client or vice versa moving forward.

This is just a snapshot of course, but how many of us can say, we are indeed utilizing social media and its power to its full potential. My mum always told me if I’m going to do something do it properly, I wonder if this relates to social media and its use in recruitment as well?

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Humble Resume – Has is lost that personal feeling?

November 16, 2009 / Justin Hillier / 8 comments

Recruitment is an interesting beast. We are all after the same thing initially, exposure. Exposure in order to attract the best talent, exposure in order to promote our company, and exposure to portray the right perception of our company as an Employer. We are all in the business of attracting and hiring PEOPLE.

There are multitudes of methods used, and we try to be as personal as we can. We are after talent, people, the greatest asset to our business and the personal touch counts for most of this relationship. We want to talk to them, schmooze them, and convince them that we are right for them and vice versa.

Why then, is it the most simplest piece of this puzzle and process, the least personal of it all. What am I talking about? The humble Resume. Sure we get a name and phone number, but why is that the only thing we get to learn about someone initially? We are to afraid (and more so the candidate) of displaying a DOB, and god forbid a photo should be attached. What benefit could there be in seeing how a person presents themselves? We just want to know that they are degree educated, have done the same job for the last 5 years, and will work for the money that is being offered.

It was pointed out to me this morning, by someone that has never put any thought into this before, that the humble resume is the least personal part of the recruitment cycle, a candidate, an every day person, someone who wants to feel that he is a little more then skills and degrees.

Has the resume got to a point where all we want is skills and education, and the a candidates personality, goals and desires and what makes them tick is left to chance? I may be biased (wait I am a little) but adding a video profile (with the right expectations – read my previous article for more on this) to the mix would at least, from the candidates viewpoint, let them feel as if they are offering more then the skills, responsibilities and academic qualifications that we all put so much weight behind.

Lateral thinking and flexibility seems to have gone out the door. The resume has become black and white (another type of black and white) and the personal touch and feeling has been totally removed. We are hiring people, people with personalities, opinions and style, why don’t we “let them speak for themselves”.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , ,

20,000 video applications, isn't this proof that video is the future?

November 14, 2009 / Justin Hillier / No comments

beachI wrote this blog earlier this year and even though it’s only 6 months on I actually can’t believe nothing has changed in terms of video usage within recruitment. Six months is not a long time I know, but the power that utilising video showed through-out the campaign highlighted below is outstanding. Have a read and let me know what you think.

I recently posted a blog regarding a very successful job hunting campaign by Tourism Queensland for “The best job in the world” . This campaign went viral, no job (other then Obama’s) has created so much press all over the world. The result has been 20,000 video applications since the start of the campaign, from all around the world. That’s right, 20,000, it may be The Best job in the World, but it’s a staggering number!!!!

I was recently told that the only reason that the video application is so high, is because this is what the client asked for…… A rather naive viewpoint if you ask me.

Yes the client wants to see video….but why????

Video provides a more dynamic and diverse application method that can offer more about a person then what words on paper possibly can. You can learn more about someone in 30 seconds via video, then you can in 2 minutes reading their resume (and yes I know it only takes about 30 seconds to read a resume you will tell me but you get my point).

Whilst video will never replace a traditional CV, and nor it should , it does add a greater dimension to the persons personality and potential cultural fit then a resume can. We are after all hiring a person, not the words on the piece of paper. So why wouldn’t I want to see that person in the flesh, however you can, at the earliest possible stage?

There have been 20,000 video applications to this job, an amazing number. The majority of applications have come from the US, with Italy, Germany and Britain making up the top four. But this was not the only method to apply.

What this ad shows us is that globally, candidates will apply via video if you ask them to, others will apply via a traditional CV, either way candidates will stay with what they are comfortable with, and is their anything wrong with that? What you will get from the video CV is a person,a person with personality and substance, what you get from a traditional resume is words, areas that will need clarification, and more then likely things that are missing. Video can fill in gaps and give you a greater understanding of WHO it is you are reading about.

Video applications/profiles/CV’s are happening, their is some education required about the right approach and use, but as the online recruitment strategy was a no go zone only 10 years ago, the video application world is, and should be a natural progression.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Video Resume's, Expectation not Discrimination

November 13, 2009 / Justin Hillier / 3 comments

video resume pic
Firstly, I want to shoot down the claim that video resumes, applications or anything similar can cause more discrimination by an employer/recruiter. If ever I have heard of a more outlandish comment, this is it. The harsh reality is, is that if someone is going to discriminate, they are going to do it regardless of what medium is used or how the candidate presents themselves. If this is in their genetic make-up, then they will, you can’t blame the video, it just highlights a bigger problem.

So for those of you who are still left (which I sincerely hope is 99.99% of you) how do you position video to not only avoid the unlikely chance of a candidate claiming discrimination, yes you can avoid any misunderstanding, but to ensure that you are getting the most out of the tool as well.

Firstly, you’ll be happy to know its quite simple and something that for every other act you do in your job works for video as well. It’s all about “expectation”. Video in recruitment circles is still a very new concept for everyone, from all levels. The fact is, the level of education and understanding from all involved is still quite low.

Candidates have no idea what they should say, and Employers have no idea what to expect. A candidate is going to claim you have discriminated against them due to their video, as it’s an easy target. With no guidelines or expectations, what do we expect?

And this is where we can change the game. Employers/recruiters it’s up to YOU.

Video Resumes/Profiles or whatever we call them, need a guideline. Many candidates struggle to know what to include in a word.doc let alone a 2 minute video, so we need to guide and educate them. Employers should provide a “What we want to see and hear” advice piece as to what is it they require from a video resume/profile. By doing this you are ensuring that all (ok most) video’s have the content that they require but also that people don’t sit there dumbfounded as to what to do.

Video Resumes/Profiles provide a great opportunity to look at person’s communication skills, and evaluate if they are not only the right person to take to the next stage of the interview process, but also allow you to see how each candidate would represent “your company”. Whether you are wanting a cultural match video, skill based overview, or something left of centre and creative, the screening and decision making process can be made a lot easy and with constant review.

Now not every candidate will feel comfortable creating a video resume/profile and we shouldn’t force them to, but for those who do, why not help them. Your candidate video expectations should form part of your social media strategy. If someone is going to discriminate, it doesn’t matter what tool or part of the process they do it, it’s all the same. Just don’t blame the video.

If all parties know what is expected of them, then discrimination is something that can never be argued. Video is a wonderful tool, you just have to plan on how you are going to use it.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

UNbelievable……UNconference

November 13, 2009 / Justin Hillier / One comment

So, next week is the UNconference and I must admit I am a little UNcertain as to what is going to happen. UNdoubtedly there will be a lot of people that have UNiversity degrees but I am sure they think it is all going to be quite UNpredictable to. I thought I would UNdo some mystery with an UNbiased view on this UNdertaking and our track leaders,

There are a few things that I do know for sure though. Bill will be UNdoubtedly be UNder the spotlight as the key host and UNique figure head for the day. Matt Alder will be UNabashedly telling us about his new venture, Alastair Cartwright and Alex Strang will be UNambigious in there assessment and views on recruiting technology and Jacqui Steadman will be UNdeniable to ignore with her years of experience in recruitment.

This brings me to the rest of the UNconference track leaders. Andy Headworth will be UNequaled in discussing blog writing, few are UNacquainted with is work. Katherine Robinson and Geoff Webb will help us UNderstand the world of sourcing and Keith Robinson will UNleash his wealth of experience on all us and Lucian Tarnowski cannot be UNderestimated at the age of 25, what he has achieved is UNbelievable.

Finally Mike Taylor & Lisa Scales will UNravel the mystery’s of video and its use in recruitment. As for me, I am probably Unknown.

That’s enough for now, I’m all Un’d out. Till the 19th.

Category: Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries  
SocialRecruiting360.com