Archive for the ‘Recruiting’ Category
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Retail's Role in Job Creation
During January’s State of the Union, Obama called on the retail industry to create jobs and aid in the continuation of the nation’s economic recovery. As an industry that supports one out of every five U.S. workers, much of the retail industry met Obama with open arms. So, how does the retail industry plan on tackling this challenge? Aside from benefiting from the tax breaks the Obama administration is offering, retail recruiters will need to keep recruiting costs low and retention rates high in order to afford this major growth.
Where to begin: Tips for Recruiting in Retail
- Invest in screening qualified candidates now; better hiring practices will save money (by increasing retention) later. This means a standard assessment, an application, a brief interview and perhaps drug screening or criminal background checks.
- Advertise the value. Employees that want to stay on board site career growth, learning, being a part of team, management recognition and others as contributing factors. Advertising these points to candidates will help them see the value in a retail career path.
- Utilize HR technology to organize the high-volume of applicants. The retail industry comes with unique challenges when it comes to supporting both hourly and salaried employees, attracting candidates, and taking in applications. Tailor career portals around specific needs, segmenting corporate hiring from store hiring from internship hiring and beyond. Some HR technology providers can even set up in-store kiosks for walk-in traffic and applications.
Next Steps: Learn from other Retail Professionals
Want to learn more about recruiting in Retail? In the NYC area? Register for iCIMS’ HR Recruiter Event, March 9th in NYC! This event will provide HR professionals with the opportunity to discuss their unique ways of overcoming the many challenges that are linked with today’s talent management programs. Recruiters will have the chance to share their experiences and gain feedback from other retail industry professionals, as well as discuss best practices, network, and offer suggestions for the future. This evening event will feature a presentation from iCIMS’ client Tory Burch and is complimentary to attend. [If you’ve missed this event, please look out for a recap of talking points in an upcoming blog at www.icims.com/blog/.
2011 List of Background Screening Trends
Applicant Tracking System Eliminates Paper Applications, Streamlines Processes
Implementing an applicant tracking system at its company-owned restaurants has helped Burger King Corporation (BKC) address a variety of challenges it had faced with its previous hiring process.
Challenges to Tackle
The national fast-food chain used to accept paper job applications from walk-ins, but that process was proving to be too cumbersome. The overwhelming majority of applicants were walk-ins, and most stopped into a restaurant during the midday rush—between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., says Jose Tomas, executive vice president and chief human resources and communications officer, Burger King Corporation (www.bk.com). At that time, managers are “busy making WHOPPER® sandwiches and taking care of guests.”
Sometimes, managers could interview an applicant on the spot. But if they were too busy Continue Reading…
Secrets Of Successful Hiring
Successful hiring practices will get the right people through the door and on your staff. The trick is in identifying those people who will best fit your company culture. Studies have shown that employees who are a good fit for a company are happier, stay longer, and are more productive than employees who are simply there to do their job. It’s a fine line but the difference is in attitude. That distinction makes all the difference for company morale and productivity.
A good way to find candidates who will be a good fit for your company or group is to look within the company first. It stands to reason that an employee with a good track record and favorable reviews will be someone you’ll want to advance within your company or group. When you promote from within, you also send a clear message that employees who want a future with career growth in your company have a chance at that future without having to go elsewhere.
Another excellent way to identify candidates who will be a good fit for your company or group is to ask your current employees for referrals. If they are good fits for the company culture, chances are good they’ll know others who will be. This isn’t the same thing as hiring your employee’s friends. It needs to be clear that you’re looking for people with a similar work ethic and approach to company goals. Then create an incentive that rewards employees who suggest people who go on to become successful hires.
A final step to take in your hiring process is to have the candidate interviewed by several people within the company. Have your people ask about the things they consider important for a good fit with the company. The key here is to hire someone who is not only competent, but able to mesh with others in the company. Again, this is not about popularity but about an attitude and approach to work that is synchronic with what is already working and in place.
Retaining Outstanding Performers
In any organization, there are employees who distinguish themselves as highly capable, outstanding performers. Clearly, you want to retain these employees. They not only perform their jobs in exemplary fashion but inspire other workers to do the same. They are as much an asset to your business as your client list or your patented processes. Retaining them should be a priority.
The first step to retaining outstanding employees is attracting them in the first place. If your business is small, this may not seem likely, but The Wall Street Journal’s How-To Guide suggests several ways to attract top notch candidates. The Guide advises pointing out the reduced amount of bureaucracy, the greater breadth in each job, and the flexibility to tailor a position to the needs of the employee. It also suggests attracting new employees through an employee referral program.
Once on board, The Inc. Motivating Workers page identifies 10 tasks that can be delegated to your most capable workers. Why delegate? Quite frankly, it gives your staff greater latitude in the day-to-day operation of your business and greater challenges in the scope of their responsibilities. What to delegate? Inc. suggests that payroll, human resources, IT issues, and time tracking are tasks that can be left to experts who can deal with the issues efficiently, reporting the results back to you while leaving you out of the details along the way. What to delegate as a way of keeping your best workers challenged? How about social media campaigns, customer care, task-oriented meetings, brainstorming and purchase decisions?
In short, the more you can give your highly capable employees to keep them challenged within the bounds of a reasonable workload, the happier they will be with their level of responsibility and position within the company. All of which results in a win-win for you because your time is freed for the tasks only you can perform, while the rest is done properly by people who appreciate the trust that you put in their abilities and who take pride in their accomplishments.
Powering your Part-time Hiring Strategy
Looking to add some part-time employees for the holiday season/new year?
Before your organization can count the money saved with adding part-time workers vs. full-time, it’s important to educate yourself on the logistics and legality behind it.
Whether your retail business is looking to add seasonal hires or your mid-sized organization is growing, part-timers may be the key to keeping costs down and productivity high. Before you start recruiting, take a moment to review the basics:
Recruiting for Part-Timers:
Despite the down economy, students may still be your best bet for part-time help, especially for summer, evening, or weekend hours. Allbusiness.com suggests:
To tap into this applicant pool, try advertising in local and student newspapers/websites, as well as on bulletin boards at nearby high schools and colleges. You can also call nearby schools to see if they have employment offices that match students with potential employers. Other resources include temporary agencies and websites targeted at seasonal or part-time employment. In addition, retirees are good candidates for part-time help; consider advertising at local supermarkets or calling nearby retirement associations.
Leveraging an applicant tracking system can be a big part in keeping your part-time and full-time talent pools separate during the recruitment process. Use an ATS that constructs a dynamic workflow within the Applicant Flow to mimic the client’s hourly/part-time recruitment strategy. This includes additional Bins and Status Levels designed to match the hiring process for part-time candidates. Additional process includes screening questions focused on availability and experience to limit and manage large applicant volumes.
Hiring Part-Time Workers:
A recent article in the LA Times offered some “Did you Know” tips for organizations looking to add part-timers to their workforce:
Did you know…
- Part-timers qualify for overtime, and meal and rest break rules might apply to them too. In California, which has a daily overtime rule, even an employee who comes in one day a week could be due overtime if he or she works more than eight hours in one day.
- Some benefits, including certain retirement plans or leave laws such as the Federal Family Medical Leave Act, can be triggered if a worker exceeds a certain number of hours in a year, regardless of the employee’s part-time status.
- Even a single part-time employee must be covered by workers’ compensation insurance, and minimum-wage laws must be followed.
- Bringing a part-time worker aboard might bump up a business’ status with regard to employment laws. For example, if adding a part-time worker boosts the workforce from four to five, the business might have to comply with a state’s workplace disability rules.
- If a small business expects to add part-time workers, it’s important for the owner to learn the rules that apply ahead of time and put the proper procedures in place.
Again, the benefits of utilizing a Talent Management system greatly facilitate the headaches of paper-work (automate it!) and compliance laws (track it!). So before you amp up your work force with part-timers for the holiday season, make sure you have a plan in place! Familiarize yourself with state laws for part timers, and make your life easier by having an applicant tracking/talent management system in place.
Additional Resources:
Part Time and Temporary Employees – Employee Rights Center (findlaw.com)
Part Time Employment Overview (United States Department of Labor)
Understanding the Federal HIRE Act (White Paper)
Simplifying Hourly Hiring: Questions to Ask Yourself
According to a recent SHRM Report March 2010 shows a net total of 21.3 percent of HR Managers who reported an increase in hourly hiring for the month. While the job market still has quite a way to go, an increase is always good news. As the economy prepares for more and more hourly positions, it is a good time for Recruiters and Hiring Managers to evaluate their hourly hiring process.
Hourly employment often sports a notoriously high turnover rate, and thus, it may seem difficult to ease the hiring process. Think again! Start by evaluating how well you find quality candidates. Finding top talent is important not only for worker productivity, but for worker retention. Sourcing workers willing to dedicate themselves to the job will bring you one step closer to an optimal hiring process and a lower turnover rate. As obvious as the following may be, here are three questions to ask yourself:
1. Are you utilizing the data taken from your Workforce Planning Analysis?
Regardless of if your business has pressing seasonal hiring demands, planning is quite important. Analyze your past hiring trends either through a computer program or more advanced talent management systems, as past data may be the key to preparing for future hiring surges. Highlighting which months see a rise in turnover and which months see a lull in candidate engagement. By doing so, you will be more prepared to proactively source top talent. You will be one step ahead of the rest and your company will be able to hire top talent before your competitor does.
2. Where are you posting your open positions?
Post positions where your target candidates will see them. Hourly candidates usually apply to jobs that are located within a five mile radius of their home. Therefore, post appropriately. Utilize local print publications, post on local web-boards, use social media sites and of course, have plenty of applications available for walk-ins.
3. How easy-to-complete is your application process?
Simple is better. By having a straight-forward, concise application process, candidate engagement is likely to improve. Higher candidate engagement=Larger talent pool=Easier to source top talent. Go one step further and make your application an automated paperless process. Nowadays, many hourly hiring businesses are utilizing applicant tracking systems to create an entirely web-based application process, while also installing online application kiosks in-house for walk-in applicants. This comes with two major benefits. Firstly, candidates are more likely to fill out an easy-to-complete application. Secondly, less administrative work for the HR professional: candidate information is stored on a web-based location so you no longer need physical space for employee data storage. Efficient and effective hourly hiring processes means fewer headaches for the recruiter and hiring manager.
Your company could be next in the SHRM hiring analyses; therefore, start evaluating your hiring process today. Be proactive and begin building your quality workforce!
What are some other good ways to ease hourly-hiring processes? Does anyone else have any suggestions?
By iCIMS Blogger Karen Bucks
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