Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Tag: hiring

Fake Flex: The Underlying Risks of Misleading Job Postings and Recruiting

Flexible work arrangements remain very important to job candidates, so it is no surprise many job posts emphasize remote or hybrid work arrangements. Almost a third of hybrid employees, and almost two thirds of remote employees, expressed they would be extremely likely to look for another job if their employer decided not to offer remote work opportunities, as measured by Gallup in May 2023.

READ: Managing a Remote Work Team with Communication and Ease

However, not every role advertising flexible work arrangements lives up to that promise. In a continually competitive labor market, some organizations are selling themselves to candidates for their flex schedules, only for new hires to discover the job is not as flexible as advertised.

Flexible schedules and remote work options give employees greater autonomy over when and where they work. Many organizations have reasonable guidelines about when and how often employees need to work in the office. That being said, some rules are more restrictive than others, and not all recruiters are upfront about these rules in job interviews.

Even if recruiters do not see themselves as deceptive for withholding specifics on flexible work policies, candidates may feel differently. It is critical to be honest in job descriptions and throughout the recruitment process in order to find the best fit. Employers should be transparent, focus on culture and consider their policies carefully.

READ: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Workplace — Struggles, Solutions and the Return to Office Culture

Be transparent

Candidates want flexible work opportunities, but most understand there may be limits on how flexible they can be. A McKinsey survey in June 2022 found 58 percent of Americans work remotely at least one day a week and 35 percent can work remotely five days a week. With policies that vary widely, savvy job candidates know their next employer may allow more, or fewer, remote workdays than their current employer.

Employers may have concerns that being too explicit about their remote or hybrid work policy could drive away candidates if they offer less flexibility than competitors. However, that ultimately wastes time and resources because candidates who highly value flexibility are unlikely to accept an offer and could even feel misled by recruiters.

The best choice is to clearly state attendance policies in a job description, reiterate them during the interview and allow candidates to ask questions. While excessive detail is not needed, job posts can simply state the number of days employees are required to be in office. Exceptions or addendums to the policy can be shared during a phone or face-to-face interview. If there is a waiting period for remote work benefits, candidates should be informed before they sign their offer so they can make appropriate arrangements for travel, childcare or other personal obligations.

READ: Overcoming Hiring Challenges — 4 Strategies for Companies to Attract Legal Talent in Colorado

Focus on culture

Candidates can possess the skills and experience necessary for a role but may struggle without a good culture fit. When businesses are not transparent with candidates about the nature of their flexible work policies, they undermine the trust needed to build a strong culture. Businesses also misrepresent their culture, which is shaped in part by how and when employees work.

It is true that being open about flexible work policies may lead some candidates to self-select out of an applicant pool, out of the desire for more flexibility. However, the converse is also true that some candidates will prefer to spend more time with colleagues in the office and may not apply to a job that seems too focused on remote work.

If businesses do not clearly state their policies during recruitment, they risk driving away candidates who might have thrived with more face-to-face workdays. Recruiters should communicate not only flexible work policies, but also how these policies shape organizational culture, to find candidates with a strong culture fit.

READ: How to Craft an Ideal Employee Experience Strategy — 6 Easy Steps

Evaluate flexible work policies

Businesses are unlikely to withhold information about their flexible work policies for no reason. In many cases, recruiters may feel as though their employer’s policies make it more difficult to attract high quality candidates, especially if highly flexible work policies are an industry standard. However, misrepresenting flexible work rules is not an answer. Rather, employers may need to reevaluate their standards.

Every business has differing needs, some of which may require more in-office time than others. For instance, teams which collaborate frequently may benefit from face-to-face brainstorming more than teams working more independently. However, if research reveals competing organizations do offer greater flexibility, organizations need to ensure they can explain why.

The most important part of reevaluating a flexible work policy is understanding why the policies are in place and communicating those reasons with new hires and existing employees. Candidates are much more likely to accept limitations on flexible work when they feel their potential employer has a sound explanation.

Misleading job candidates is never acceptable. By being upfront, prioritizing culture and assessing their existing policies, organizations can manage expectations around flexible work arrangements and find the top talent for their needs.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a Managing Director of Client Implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.

Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace: 5 Benefits of Hiring Neurodiverse Talent

Employment and the labor market are weird right now, right? Statistics demonstrate that only 62% of the labor force is participating. In Colorado, there are two jobs for every person looking for a job. Yet, companies everywhere are reporting a labor shortage and a lack of qualified applicants. In the skilled trades, only two individuals are replacing the five that retire, leaving an ever-increasing gap. Five generations are working together for the first time in history. Managers and teams are clearly struggling. But, here’s the question: Are these businesses considering actively seeking neurodiversity in the workplace?

READ: How Business Leaders Can Embrace a Multigenerational Workforce 

Some companies are getting creative working with non-profits and workforce development centers to develop paths for individuals moving into our great country and state, while others are working to give second chances to those seeking them. But what continues to surprise me, is that no one is looking at the neurodiverse community and embracing those that are neurodivergent. 20 percent of our population falls into this category! What’s going on? 

Colorado just become the first state to launch a Chamber of Commerce for this disenfranchised and underrepresented group in 2022 (The Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce). That comes 34 years after the launch of the Women’s Chamber in 1988, and 59 years after the Black Chamber in 1963.  But in just a few months over 60 big companies have already taken notice and jumped on board. Companies like Charles Schwab, Keiwet, UC Health, Trimble, the Denver Airport, The Dumb Friends League, and more. 

They’re recognizing the possibility and trying to embrace it. Here’s the thing, Neurodiversity in the workplace already exists, and neurodivergent adults are struggling because companies don’t know what it is and how to support their employees that deserve the support enablers to be successful. 

READ: Veteran Unemployment — Untapped Workplace Resources

So let’s start — first, what is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in human brain function and the ways in which people process information and interact with the world around them. It recognizes that there is a wide range of neurological differences that are normal variations of the human experience and that these differences should be accepted and valued as part of the diversity of the human population. The concept of neurodiversity includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, and other neurological differences. It emphasizes that these conditions are not necessarily disorders or deficits but are variations in how people’s brains are wired.

Society should be more inclusive of people with neurological differences and find innovative ways to support their strengths and abilities. Also, we need to reject the idea that these conditions should be “cured” or eliminated, and instead promote acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity as a natural part of human diversity.

And as a business — why hire Neurodiverse talent?

Implementing neurodiversity in the workplace can bring a variety of strengths and benefits to your company. Here are a few examples:

Unique perspectives

Neurodiverse individuals often have different ways of thinking and processing information, which can lead to innovative problem-solving and creativity. Their unique perspectives can also help to identify new opportunities and strategies that may have been overlooked by a more homogeneous team.

Attention to detail

Many neurodiverse individuals have a high level of attention to detail and can excel in tasks that require precision and accuracy. This can be especially beneficial in fields such as engineering, data analysis, and quality control.

Loyalty and commitment

Neurodiverse individuals often have a strong sense of loyalty and commitment to their work, and can be highly dedicated and motivated employees.

READ: 5 Tips for Building a Strong Company Culture in a Hybrid Work Environment

Ability to focus

Some neurodiverse individuals have the ability to hyper-focus on tasks that interest them, which can lead to high productivity and efficiency in those areas.

Diverse skill sets

Implementing neurodiversity in the workplace can bring a wide range of skills and strengths to your business, including strong memory, spatial reasoning, pattern recognition and more.

The Harvard Business Journal did a study and found that neurodistinct individuals can be up to 140% more productive than their neurotypical peers and that’s good business.

There’s so much more to add but It’s time to start the conversation and become aware of this incredible group. They’re already in your organization. And if not, they should be. Hire them not as a DEI intuitive because your company, employees, and teammates deserve a culture of inclusivity and talent. 

Questions? Good! Let’s start the conversation and move forward together. 

 

Danny CombsDanny is the Founder of TACT – Teaching the Autism Community Trades. The states leading supported employment program. Additionally, he’s the Co-Founder of the Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce, serves on the Employment Taskforce the for Autism Society of America, is an Air Force Reservist recognized in the Pentagon for his leadership and serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council on Buckley Space Force Base. Danny has a Master’s Degree in Education, is a Board-Certified Cognitive Specialist, a Certified Autism Specialist, also a Grammy Award Winner and a classic car junkie.

Prepare for an Interview — 5 Easy Ways to Impress your Future Boss

It’s a question that haunts us all: how should I prepare for an interview? Most recruiters believe the most important thing a candidate can do is get comfortable talking about themselves. What’s your background? What strengths and weaknesses? What makes you unique? The more comfortable you speak about yourself and your experiences, the more likely the interviewer will see the real you, not just what they want to see.

READ — How to Successfully Recruit Talent Today

How to Prepare for an Interview: The Keys to Success

The first thing you should do is prepare for an interview. This means getting ready for questions related to your education, experience, and qualifications. You’ll want to answer these questions clearly and concisely so they stand out as something other than weaknesses in your application.

The next thing you should do is research the company itself. You can learn much about a company by looking at its website or social media accounts. Still, it helps to talk with people who have worked there before or even someone who works at another company with similar goals or values (which is also an excellent place for you). This will give you an idea of their culture and insight into what makes them unique.

Building Self-Confidence Through Practice and Preparation

What if we told you that there’s one thing that can help you get ahead of the game? And it doesn’t involve more work or preparation than you already do? It’s called self-confidence.

Self-confidence is something that most people think they have naturally—but what many don’t realize is that it’s a skill that can be learned through practice and preparation. When we’re talking about self-confidence for an interview, what we mean is having an attitude of confidence in yourself and your abilities that will show up in every aspect of your performance: from how you dress to how you answer questions, from how well you shake hands with someone new to how confidently you respond when asked a question that makes you uncomfortable.

Understanding Common Interview Questions and Planning Answers

Prepare for in interview like you’re preparing for a test. You want to know exactly what to expect and be ready with the answers that will impress your interviewer and get you the job. For example:

What’s Your Greatest Strength?

This is one of the most common interview questions, so it’s essential to have an answer ready. You can talk about how you’re great at multitasking, working under pressure, or keeping calm in an emergency. You could also talk about something more intangible: how you’re good at building relationships or communicating with people from all walks of life.

READ — How Business Leaders Can Embrace a Multigenerational Workforce

How Would Your Coworkers Describe You?

This question is tricky because it’s often asked as part of an interview’s “strengths” section. If you give them some examples of people who would say positive things about you, they’ll trust that those are true about you! So if someone says that they think your work ethic is top-notch, that might not convince them—but if three different coworkers mention how hardworking you are, it will give you a chance to impress your employer.

Making a Good Impression With Professional Attire and Grooming

You may be surprised to learn how your dress for an interview can influence your hiring. Research shows that employers often make their decision within the first few seconds of meeting someone—and your appearance is one of the deciding factors!

So what should you wear? It depends on where you’re interviewing and what job is available. A suit might be appropriate if it’s a formal office environment. But if it’s more casual, like at a restaurant or retail store, something casual would work well, too. Just remember: try not to look too flashy or casual—you want to find the right balance between the two extremes so that people will see you as professional but also approachable and friendly.

Follow Up After the Interview to Demonstrate Your Interest

It’s not just about showing your interest in the position; it’s also about showing your interest in the company. And if you want to do both of those things well, here are some tips for following up after an interview:

  • Send a quick email within 24 hours of your interview to thank the recruiter or hiring manager for taking the time to meet with you. This would be especially important if they were kind enough to invite you in for an interview at their office because they don’t get many applicants who will do this!
  • If something during your conversation made sense as a follow-up question or topic of further discussion, include it in your email. For example: “I loved hearing about how your company uses [insert solution]. Is there any chance we could talk more about how [solution] has helped other businesses?”

 

Lindsay KarnyLindsay Karny is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and Interview Coach at https://resume2023.com/.

Veteran Unemployment: Untapped Workplace Resources

As we celebrate our military service members this time of year, it’s time to acknowledge the veteran unemployment issues and think about how employers can take full advantage of veteran skill sets and fill critical roles on their teams.

With veteran unemployment reaching 18.5 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the veteran unemployment rate at 2.7% is lower than the national average of 3.4%. These stats do not consider the underemployment gap between veterans and nonveterans. A ZipRecruiter and the Call of Duty Endowment report shows nearly one-third of veterans are underemployed, 15.6% higher than nonveterans. Veteran candidates have the skills to succeed in higher-earning jobs with greater responsibility, yet employers fail to consider veterans for these roles. Many times, civilian employers may not understand how veterans’ military skills and experience transfer to the job position at hand.

The veteran hiring pool can bring the skills that make for a successful business, even if their resume may not tick the typical boxes.

Commitment

Military veterans are committed. Most have entered the service due to a commitment to their country, which translates into a commitment to their unit. This commitment boils down to the success of a team, and teamwork is an essential skill for them to master. For a company or organization, it translates into impeccable follow-through. In their military career, the consequences were dire, but the same commitment to their work tends to carry through to help meet business goals and objectives.

Creativity

In the military, creative problem-solving skills are taught so these men and women quickly tackle difficult circumstances with limited resources. Today’s business environment and tight labor market need creative problem solvers who can quickly look at a situation and adapt their approach to ensure success.

Veterans have had to master a number of jobs while in the military, filling their quiver with a variety of skills. Because this is a must in their military careers, veterans can quickly adopt and master new concepts. This is extremely valuable to any business facing staffing challenges.

Calm

The business environment has been especially frantic with changing legislation, new workplace rules and economic uncertainties. This forces businesses to quickly adapt. Many veterans thrive under pressure, keep the end goal in mind and focus under the most difficult situations. An employee who has the ability to remain calm and focus on the organization’s goals in the midst of change can be a person leadership relies upon and one who employees look to for guidance.

Control

Intrapersonal skills – discipline, motivation and innovation – are some of the first skills learned in basic training. These happen to be the same skills every entrepreneur and business owner values within themselves. Finding a pool of employees who share the same drive is a gold mine.

The self-control and tenacity veterans exhibit make them an employee that leadership will rely upon. These are employees who will naturally gravitate toward leadership opportunities and make it their mission to help meet and exceed business goals.

When business owners and leadership dream of their ideal candidate, they are looking for the skills that motivate a team and an organization, which many veterans possess. A few technical skills can easily be taught but hiring based on the core beliefs and unique skills held by veterans can transform organizations.

 

Niki JorgensenNiki Jorgensen is a director of service operations with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources offering the most comprehensive suite of scalable HR solutions available in the marketplace. For more information about Insperity, call 800-465-3800 or visit www.insperity.com.

How to make hourly hiring human again

For decades, we’ve tended to treat hourly workers, those at the lower-skill, lower-pay end of our businesses, as expendable and “less than” as candidates and employees.

These people, as important to our business as any other, represent about 58 percent of the U.S. labor force according to the BLS. Because of their often customer-facing roles, they are instrumental in driving customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profits across industries, from manufacturing and healthcare to retail and hospitality.

As we rebound from 2020’s enormous challenges this summer and fall, we’re expecting intense competition for these essential workers.

Like all employees, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect throughout the recruiting process.

Employers who show they value their hourly people by enhancing both their recruiting practices and working conditions will be the ones that win and retain these essential workers.

Hourly workers deserve a better candidate experience.

Many companies have established a comfort level in treating hourly job seekers with less consideration than salary-level candidates. Some of the indignities hourly candidates face in the application process are:

  • Lengthy applications more suitable to complex higher-level, higher-paying roles asking for details irrelevant to the position or needed skills.
  • Never hearing from employers after spending time and effort applying.
  • Promises of “We’ll get back to you,” with no follow-up.
  • Technologies like chatbots that don’t provide answers and create endless circles of frustration.

The experience you provide all candidates, both hourly and salaried, indicates to them how you’ll treat them as employees. When your process is respectful and personal, and communication frequent and thoughtful, candidates become excited about working for you over a competitor who hasn’t made a similar investment in recruiting hourly workers.

Keep the application process fast, flexible, and intuitive

Candidates for hourly jobs say that speed is one of their most important considerations in getting hired, even more important than pay for many of them. That means they won’t wait for you; they’ll move on to the next opportunity.

The challenge for employers is to dramatically speed up their recruiting process while maintaining a personal touch that attracts the best, right candidates. Here are ways you can do that:

  • Cut the docs. Collect only the information you need to make a good hiring decision. Eliminate duplications, unnecessary multiple interviews, and time-consuming skills- and games-based assessments at the beginning of the process. Is a detailed resume necessary for the position? Can you combine interviews and assessments in a single session for greater efficiency?
  • Use sources that refer only a few, but qualified candidates. What matters is candidates who show up, accept your offer, and start work. Are you measuring recruiting success by volume of candidates or quality of hires?
  • Offer a mobile application process. Make sure it offers opportunities for conversation and texting and eliminates cumbersome data-entry requirements. How does your mobile candidate experience compare with your app for customer purchases?
  • Offer interviews outside regular hours. A large percentage of talented hourly workers are already working or have obligations during the day. They are looking for better opportunities and need flexibility in how to apply to you. Do you offer after-hour and weekend interview options? How about anytime, anywhere online video interviews?
  • Assess for fit. Culture fit is important for any candidate you are thinking to hire and can serve as a critical factor in selecting high quality hourly candidates whose skills and experience are typically less relevant to the job. Use technology to tweak and deliver preemployment tests or assessments economically through mobile apps. Are you filling the role with right fit candidates, or just filling openings?
  • Equip hiring managers for success. Provide them with a process that makes sense, tools, and training. Strip away inefficiencies like requiring resumes for hourly jobs, duplications, and unnecessary multiple interviews. Have you asked managers for their input on what works for them?
  • Expand compensation and benefits. Consider offering hourly workers benefits like bonuses, paid sick leave, flexible work options, and career development and/or higher- than-minimum or average pay. Does your total compensation package for hourly workers match their value to your company? Would hourly workers feel that their compensation is fair compared with what’s offered to your other employees and by your competition?
  • Automate but don’t replace the human touch. Use technology to help narrow down and sort but remember that you are hiring humans and make sure your recruiters incorporate personal interest and empathy into the process. What’s the ratio of technology to human touch in your process?

An hourly-worker talent war is here. At any level in the worker hierarchy, there are only so many great people available. When every company is competing for them, you have to do something different to win and keep the best talent.

HR professionals in manufacturing and similar sectors tend to focus on the needs of salaried employees at the expense of hourly workers, using outdated recruiting tactics and management policies that no longer work.

If the candidates you want most aren’t choosing you, or if your turnover rates are higher than you want, you could be unwittingly setting up barriers that turn people off.

Look deep into your culture and recruiting practices and change anything that’s separating you from the talent you need to grow.

Recruiting during recovery: Tips for hiring top talent right now

Now that we’re in phase two of COVID-19 recovery and getting back to work, when it comes to talent, you may feel like you’ve shifted from looking for water in a desert to finding a needle in a haystack. Both are time consuming and require the right resources. Both also offer the opportunity to reevaluate how you operate and come up with better strategies to find and keep good people.

Even if hiring is at a full stop for you right now, your recruiting efforts should continue as always. Hiring and recruiting are not at all the same thing. Don’t let high unemployment fool you into thinking your perfect candidate will be easy to find. We still see skill gaps and talent scarcity in many industries and geographic areas. In addition, COVID-19 is likely shining a light on any gaps you have in talent, and perhaps in leadership, as we see how people behave and perform under stress.

Successful recovery from the diverse challenges this pandemic has created will be largely based on the people you have on your team. It is mission critical that you continuously recruit people for both skills and cultural fit so you can hire them immediately when the time is right.

Deloitte put it well in a recent article published in Harvard Business Review: “The biggest challenge organizations will likely face in recovery is the tension between getting back to work and rethinking work as they embrace a new reality.”

Phase one was about safety and responsibility, which may even have meant shutting down temporarily. In phase two, businesses face uncertainties in every direction: the economy, the markets and workplaces themselves. What you do or don’t do, and the people making decisions and carrying them out, will affect your productivity and profits long into the future. Top talent has always defined business success, and companies that continuously recruit are a step ahead of everyone else. Business continuity has always depended on people continuity, in good times and challenging ones.

Use both head and heart 

Because one size does not fit all, every business must figure out its unique way through phase two recovery, using both head and heart. Focusing on these three areas will give you a good start from a head perspective:

  • Stabilize. What’s your break-even number? What are your inputs and outputs? What are your financial resources and how much cash is available now?
  • Grow. How, when, where and why? Which employees and clients are your best resources? What will inspire them?
  • Reset. Reforecast to the present and consider both worst and best scenarios. Be brave enough to look at the good, bad and ugly of today’s reality. What is best for you, your employees and your clients?

Empathy, or being able to step into another’s shoes, is the essence of “heart.” It means listening for the unspoken, making certain everyone feels heard and being transparent. In making workplace changes, remember that every employee comes to work as a whole person who needs understanding and renewed hope now more than ever. Employees are counting on the wisdom and expertise of leadership to reestablish a sense of security and normalcy.

Vibhas Ratanjee, a lead consultant for Gallup, says healthcare workers need to know leaders have their back. They should cultivate holistic employee wellbeing to shield workers from burnout and promote exceptional performance during the COVID-19. This is good advice for all of us.

Phase two is a time for courage and change. The decisions you make can make it easier to attract and retain the top talent you need to fully recover.