by Scott Fiore, TriStarr Staffing
I'm starting my week frustrated! My company decided to offer a free seminar for job seekers and we have advertised it in various places, social media, job boards etc.
I received some responses over the weekend - the problem is - I don't know what to do with them!!! The candidates simply sent me a resume. I don't know if they are interested in the seminar or were just sending a resume. They didn't take the time to write a message, they didn't take the time to tell me something about themselves. Unfortunately for these candidates, they may not be chosen to attend the seminar (we have limited space). And - this is no different than what may happen when they are applying for a position.
My favorite of these candidates was the one who had spam blocking turned on so that when I took the time to respond to her - I HAD TO DO EXTRA WORK AND COMPLETE A FORM SO MY EMAIL COULD GO THROUGH. Believe me folks - this would be a turn off, and really - do you want to risk a recruiter or hiring manager simply saying to themselves - "forget this candidate" and move to the next?
PLEASE THINK when you are applying for a position, whether it be via the web, email, a job board, whatever - please take the time to write short note. Make it easy for people who want to contact you. Turn the spam filter on after you've gotten a job. You never know who's email you'll miss.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Communication in 2009 and Beyond
Communication in 2009 & Beyond
by Jeannine Hohman, HR Strategist, TriStarr Staffing
With all of the technology available today, there seems to be less need for face-to-face communication. We have more high tech tools to communicate with each other in our professional and personal lives than ever before.
With access to e-mail, voice mail, text messages, etc. it’s possible to avoid having to talk to a real live person during the course of our work day. Take the Blackberry for instance. You can call, e-mail, text, and check the web - all from the palm of your hand. Even better, with a GPS, you don’t even have to stop and ask someone for directions!
Welcome to the age of Advanced Technology.
Without a doubt, technology has made our lives more efficient, but in talking with a few colleagues, we wondered if the act of verbal communication is a dying art? Will recent graduates really know how to communicate in a face-to-face situation? Will they possess the communication skills needed to present themselves well in a job interview or convey their goals and ideas clearly?
This probably won’t be a major problem. After all, anyone who can master and be totally comfortable with all of the technology available today should be able to effectively communicate verbally. It will just take a little practice to gain confidence and a comfort level with public speaking. This is nothing new and hinges on the adage “Practice makes perfect”.
How can we keep verbal communication skills alive? Try this….. instead of sending a co-worker an e-mail or text message to ask a question, just take a walk to their office and ask in person.
By the way, I typed this article on my lap top with a wireless connection, e-mailed it to my manager who is one office over, and received feedback via e-mail which I read on my Blackberry while out of the office and then I texted back “THX” and put a reminder on my Outlook calendar to finish and print the final copy ☺
JMH
by Jeannine Hohman, HR Strategist, TriStarr Staffing
With all of the technology available today, there seems to be less need for face-to-face communication. We have more high tech tools to communicate with each other in our professional and personal lives than ever before.
With access to e-mail, voice mail, text messages, etc. it’s possible to avoid having to talk to a real live person during the course of our work day. Take the Blackberry for instance. You can call, e-mail, text, and check the web - all from the palm of your hand. Even better, with a GPS, you don’t even have to stop and ask someone for directions!
Welcome to the age of Advanced Technology.
Without a doubt, technology has made our lives more efficient, but in talking with a few colleagues, we wondered if the act of verbal communication is a dying art? Will recent graduates really know how to communicate in a face-to-face situation? Will they possess the communication skills needed to present themselves well in a job interview or convey their goals and ideas clearly?
This probably won’t be a major problem. After all, anyone who can master and be totally comfortable with all of the technology available today should be able to effectively communicate verbally. It will just take a little practice to gain confidence and a comfort level with public speaking. This is nothing new and hinges on the adage “Practice makes perfect”.
How can we keep verbal communication skills alive? Try this….. instead of sending a co-worker an e-mail or text message to ask a question, just take a walk to their office and ask in person.
By the way, I typed this article on my lap top with a wireless connection, e-mailed it to my manager who is one office over, and received feedback via e-mail which I read on my Blackberry while out of the office and then I texted back “THX” and put a reminder on my Outlook calendar to finish and print the final copy ☺
JMH
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Recruiting & Social Networking
A member of my staff forwarded me the link below. Recruiting talented candidates has changed, is changing now, and will continue to change rapidly.
Here's a quote from the post (emphasis added):
"...I spent the first half of the day researching the agency, their client list, their process and services. I appreciated the work and the thinking behind it. It got really interesting when I discovered and perused their Facebook page. I applied for a job via e-mail shortly thereafter."
If you recruit and don't use these tools - the bus has left. At my company we have shifted recruiting resources from traditional print media and other sources to social media. Yup - we have a Facebook page -( http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Lancaster-PA/TriStarr-Staffing/44211390059?sid=e1d24f81767fddce12486e8894138f2a&ref=search ). It 's amazing how inexpensive setting one up can be. We have Facebook and LinkedIn Groups, and I encourage my staff to actively recruit on Social Networking sites - they do and it works! Our mission is to help our clients find, hire, and maximize talent and social networking will be key in making this happen. That is of course until the next big thing comes around - if only I had the time to dream that up!!!
Here's the link to the full post: http://adage.com/gennext/post?article_id=135957
Scott
Here's a quote from the post (emphasis added):
"...I spent the first half of the day researching the agency, their client list, their process and services. I appreciated the work and the thinking behind it. It got really interesting when I discovered and perused their Facebook page. I applied for a job via e-mail shortly thereafter."
If you recruit and don't use these tools - the bus has left. At my company we have shifted recruiting resources from traditional print media and other sources to social media. Yup - we have a Facebook page -( http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Lancaster-PA/TriStarr-Staffing/44211390059?sid=e1d24f81767fddce12486e8894138f2a&ref=search ). It 's amazing how inexpensive setting one up can be. We have Facebook and LinkedIn Groups, and I encourage my staff to actively recruit on Social Networking sites - they do and it works! Our mission is to help our clients find, hire, and maximize talent and social networking will be key in making this happen. That is of course until the next big thing comes around - if only I had the time to dream that up!!!
Here's the link to the full post: http://adage.com/gennext/post?article_id=135957
Scott
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Progressive Discipline - Warning!
Progressive Discipline – Warning!
by Jeannine Hohmann, Human Resources Strategist - TriStarr Staffing
Progressive discipline is intended to provide a tool for dealing with job-related behaviors that don’t meet the organization’s expected and communicated performance standards. The main purpose is to assist the affected employee in understanding that a performance problem exists and allow an opportunity for improvement. Progressive discipline that is well documented can lay a strong paper trail that may mitigate exposure to such legal problems as discrimination suits. We’ve been told over and over that documentation is critical and without it, a suspension or termination can be reversed, lead to a wrongful termination or a discrimination claim.
So the thought of not having documentation, especially in a progressive discipline situation, seems absurd! But believe it or not, there are some legal risks. According to an article in HR Magazine, “Progressive discipline may, in part, be challenged as unlawful retaliation.” In 2007, this particular charge rose to the second most common claim – it even outnumbered gender discrimination claims. The risk of unlawful retaliation doesn’t lie in the progressive discipline process itself, but instead as an outcome or consequence to how the process is handled and communicated. Take the following as an example:
You have an employee whose performance has been deteriorating over time and the supervisor wants to terminate the individual; however, no previous warnings have been issued. To avoid problems, you advise the supervisor to give this employee a written warning and allow them a chance to succeed. The supervisor does as you ask and puts a copy of the written warning in the employee’s file – two weeks later you receive notice that your organization is being sued for gender discrimination. Great! After researching the situation, the discrimination claim is unfounded. Yet, suddenly you receive another notice, but this time it is for unlawful retaliation because the employee is being excluded from regular meetings and training sessions since the discrimination claim.
The consequence of the discrimination claim caused the supervisor to ignore the employee in an attempt to avoid the problem. But in doing so caused what the U.S. Supreme Court has labeled as a type of retaliation through adverse actions. Adverse actions that can lead to an unlawful retaliation claim can be such things as: singling out the employee for more dangerous assignments; taking away a teacher’s resources or refusing to authorize funds for repairs; or excluding the individual from a training lunch that contributes to the advancement of the employee.
Though an employer can’t avoid retaliation claims, below are a few tips to help prevent such claims:
Have an Equal Employment Opportunity policy that is visible and communicated to the entire workforce
Include a separate retaliation provision in your EEO policy – this will help employees and supervisors understand what exactly constitutes retaliation.
Train all of your employees on the EEO policy making non-retaliation a critical part.
by Jeannine Hohmann, Human Resources Strategist - TriStarr Staffing
Progressive discipline is intended to provide a tool for dealing with job-related behaviors that don’t meet the organization’s expected and communicated performance standards. The main purpose is to assist the affected employee in understanding that a performance problem exists and allow an opportunity for improvement. Progressive discipline that is well documented can lay a strong paper trail that may mitigate exposure to such legal problems as discrimination suits. We’ve been told over and over that documentation is critical and without it, a suspension or termination can be reversed, lead to a wrongful termination or a discrimination claim.
So the thought of not having documentation, especially in a progressive discipline situation, seems absurd! But believe it or not, there are some legal risks. According to an article in HR Magazine, “Progressive discipline may, in part, be challenged as unlawful retaliation.” In 2007, this particular charge rose to the second most common claim – it even outnumbered gender discrimination claims. The risk of unlawful retaliation doesn’t lie in the progressive discipline process itself, but instead as an outcome or consequence to how the process is handled and communicated. Take the following as an example:
You have an employee whose performance has been deteriorating over time and the supervisor wants to terminate the individual; however, no previous warnings have been issued. To avoid problems, you advise the supervisor to give this employee a written warning and allow them a chance to succeed. The supervisor does as you ask and puts a copy of the written warning in the employee’s file – two weeks later you receive notice that your organization is being sued for gender discrimination. Great! After researching the situation, the discrimination claim is unfounded. Yet, suddenly you receive another notice, but this time it is for unlawful retaliation because the employee is being excluded from regular meetings and training sessions since the discrimination claim.
The consequence of the discrimination claim caused the supervisor to ignore the employee in an attempt to avoid the problem. But in doing so caused what the U.S. Supreme Court has labeled as a type of retaliation through adverse actions. Adverse actions that can lead to an unlawful retaliation claim can be such things as: singling out the employee for more dangerous assignments; taking away a teacher’s resources or refusing to authorize funds for repairs; or excluding the individual from a training lunch that contributes to the advancement of the employee.
Though an employer can’t avoid retaliation claims, below are a few tips to help prevent such claims:
Have an Equal Employment Opportunity policy that is visible and communicated to the entire workforce
Include a separate retaliation provision in your EEO policy – this will help employees and supervisors understand what exactly constitutes retaliation.
Train all of your employees on the EEO policy making non-retaliation a critical part.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
