How to Link Employer Brand with Company Performance

How to Link Employer Brand with Company Performance Employer brand is a powerful tool in shaping corporate culture and helping employees to internalize corporate values; and is invaluable in engaging employees and aligning talent management with business strategy. A number of academic studies have recognized the positive correlation between employer brand and employee engagement. For example, Heger conducted an empirical study in 2007 which identified a relationship between a strong Employment Value Proposition (EVP), the core component of employer brand, and respondents’ level of engagement. The study showed that employee engagement is largely influenced by an organization’s EVP, in that EVP attributes (elements appealing to employees) serve to motivate a firm’s workforce. Furthermore, a 2011 study of 113 companies by Kucherov and Zavyalova found that in companies with developed employer brands, employees are more actively engaged in decision-making and management process   To continue this, in a 2012 study of the same 113 companies, they found the average turnover rate of the organizations with employer brands is 10%, while the overall turnover average is as high as 16%! Tailor your current strategy All investors know that an enterprise’s value depends on the quality of its workforce, but it is also understandable that different elements of employer brand have varied impact on overall organizational performance. Hence it is crucial to articulate the desired outcomes to tailor the employer brand strategy for effectiveness and efficiency. Key to success in influencing productivity outcomes is effective communication of the employer branding message. Organisations invest in employer branding to attract high-quality applicants, retain high performing employees and build an image as a great employer. In the UK employer expectations of their brand strategy include improved recruitment and retention rates and benefits to the service delivered to commercial customers; the metrics used to calibrate success are those such as cost-per-hire, time-to-fill, and turnover rates. It is in the area of engagement that benefits are most apparent. Employer branding affords a strategic framework incorporating both marketing and human resource management that enables an organization to attract, retain, and motivate high-performing employees. Robust employer branding enhances employee engagement and satisfaction, and as a result, improves production efficiency because the employer brand creates an excellent employee experience value for talented people. Act with purpose and pride In essence effective employer branding ensures that employees are brand ambassadors. It is becoming more and more important that employees identify with the brand and that positive attitude towards the organization can result in greater creativity and innovation. A 2013 study by the Temkin Group found that engaged employees are very valuable. When compared with disengaged employees, highly engaged employees are more than three times as likely to do something good for their employer even if it’s not expected of them: Almost three times as likely to make a recommendation about an improvement at work More than 2.5 times as likely to stay late at work if something needs to be done More than two times as likely to help someone else at work. So how do we quantify all of this? It can be difficult to quantify the return on investment and just filling vacancies is no guarantee of success. The objective is to ensure employees’ ability to deliver on organizational strategy, offering superior service, or other performance targets. Employer branding activities must focus on more than attraction and retention if they are to deliver sustained and enhanced performance expectations. A well-defined brand unites employees and creates a feeling of shared purpose and pride in the organization that is a commanding advantage in a competitive marketplace.

5 Things to Avoid When Posting Job Ads

5 Things to Avoid When Posting Job Ads Are you a recruiter or hiring manager who believes that job boards are a thing of the past? If so, you’re not alone. However, not being alone doesn’t necessarily make you right. According to Statistic Brain, 35.5% of all jobs are filled from job boards or corporate career sites, second only to employee referrals. Despite the fact that job boards may have their problems, they’re still being used with effective results. For those in the recruiting industry, or employers looking to grow their workforce, chances are your hiring efforts will involve posting an open position on a job board at some point. In the course of doing so, there are a number of bad habits many job posters are guilty of that, while they may think will improve their response rate, will actually hinder it. Let’s look at a few worst practices involving job board advertising, and why they tend to yield negative results. 1. Too Lengthy When posting open positions online, some don’t understand the difference between a legal job description and an optimized job ad, mistakenly believing that the more info they provide potential candidates, the better. While legal job descriptions are usually written by HR departments and list every possible job duty the new hire will be responsible for, they are far too long and boring to capture a job seeker’s interest. Writing a concise job ad between a half and one page and incorporating four or five bullet points highlighting the position’s main responsibilities and required qualifications will be far more effective in drawing in candidates who will only spend a few seconds on each ad before moving on to the next. 2. Nondescript Titles A few years ago, it became popular to advertise for Ninjas, Gurus, Rocks Stars, Ambassadors, Super Heroes and a variety of other titles meant to convey expertise, as well as demonstrate a fun, supportive work environment. However, most job posters eventually realized that these ads didn’t yield the results they hoped for because job seekers don’t search for Ninja or Guru jobs, but rather their traditional job titles or skills. Now that we’re all a little older and wiser, remember to think like a job seeker when posting an open position. While it’s fine to add some humor and personality to the job description, make sure the title is searchable. 3. Too Edgy It doesn’t happen often, but every now and then, an employer will try to think a little too far outside the box by including sarcasm, off-color humor, or even a cuss word or two in their job ads. They may relish the thought of driving away the timid or easily offended, in hopes of hiring a thick-skinned employee with a sense of humor. While most job boards will pull any ad they deem offensive, what offends one may not offend all, and while it may take days or weeks for the job board to identify the offending ad, by then the poster may have already sent the wrong message to their candidate pool. A better option is to protect your investment (your advertising budget and your company reputation), play it safe and save the edgy content for another time. 4. Keyword Stuffing Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and job boards were considered cutting-edge recruiting tools, a few sly individuals discovered that if they include a lengthy list of keywords in white font below the job ad text, the ad will show up in more keyword searches. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make the position more relevant to job seekers’ searches than if the keywords didn’t exist. In addition, if a few of the “invisible” keywords do match a search, they appear highlighted, revealing the deceitful tactic and annoying job seekers who waste their time reading a position description with little to do with their original search. A better solution â€" include relevant keywords in the body of the job description. This will cause the ad to appear higher in search results for the right reasons. After all, it’s better to reach 50 qualified and interested candidates than 500 unqualified ones who won’t want to work with you. 5. Too Selfish Some employers feel that since they’re offering the job and paying the salary, they only need to list what they expect from an ideal candidate in a job ad, and the burden then falls on job seekers to show how they’re qualified. While this may work for a few high-profile employers filling in-demand roles, the rest will find this strategy highly ineffective in a candidate’s market. Top talent have choices, and they will want to know how the company and role will benefit them: How will their work make an impact? How will they fit into the company culture? Are there opportunities for advancement? What kind of salary and benefits are being offered? Employers that fail to appeal to candidates’ interests in job ads will see a response rate that pales in comparison to those that do. While job boards and career sites may soon be replaced by more effective alternatives such as targeted social media advertising and applicant tracking systems, as of right now, they’re still producing hires. Because the recruiting landscape is constantly shifting, it’s important that hiring managers and recruiters remain flexible in their methods of attracting candidates. As with any recruiting tool, bugs and kinks are worked out over time, and users see premium results until a more effective method is introduced. For those advertisers who learn to optimize their job postings, as well as what techniques traditionally fail to produce results, they should enjoy a few more years of hires from job boards before they go extinct.

START FROM THE BOTTOM NO THANKS

START FROM THE BOTTOM NO THANKS When I was 19 years old, I got my first new car.  My best friend and I were cruising along when she said “You have to drive it really hard and fast when you first get it, so that it will be able to go fast. Otherwise, it will get stuck and be a slow car.” I was very confused, because I didn’t understand why it would be necessary to drive my brand new car hard and fast at the beginning for it to be capable of such performance in the future. But since bestie said it, I did it. We revved up that baby and put the pedal to the metal. Vroom vroom. I guess she was right, because for years to come that car was fast and powerful, and dare I say, it even out-performed others. How many times have well-meaning persons given you their two-cents, stating “You have to start from the bottom and work your way up”? Too many I’m sure. If forced to choose, I prefer the more generic version, “Well you have to start somewhere”. Although this too smells of “bottom-starting” resignation. Yes, it’s true, you have to start somewhere. But where? That my friend, is up to you. I finally understand what my friend meant. Your beginnings set the tone. Whether we’re talking cars or careers. Outdated Mantra When I first started applying for my first real law job, I felt as if I sent out millions of applications. As the rejections piled up so did my frustrations. The most baffling times were when I would be rejected after an interview. I couldn’t believe they didn’t want me! After many months of rejections, the two-cents started pouring in. Undeniably, the worst hit to my ego and sensibilities was when someone suggested that I stop applying to the big name firms and companies, and start small. Little did they know I was not their intended audience for such gibberish, because although I am fully in favor of taking a lesser-than job before starving, this was not what they meant. What they actually meant was that, as a general rule, you should start from the bottom. They spouted it like a philosophy, a trophy even. As if there were actually honor in aiming to start from the bottom to make the long hike upwards. Wrong. Listen carefully. The bottom is just that. The lowest point. The place where you start as a last resort when something better has not yet worked out for you. This is honorable when you have to do it to survive. Otherwise, just as driving my new car hard and fast trained it to go hard, so too does aiming high in your career at the very beginning and at every stage. Apply for that big name company even if you didn’t go to an Ivy league school or graduate at the top of your class. Submit yourself for consideration for that position that may be just a little more advanced than you are. The truth is, you are probably underestimating yourself anyway, so your new general rule should be that if you think you can do the job, then you can do the darn job. Take a chance! Show up for yourself I once had a law professor who told our class that when he applied for his first law job at a big firm, they required courtroom experience. He checked it off, like “Yep, I got that”. He told us that he had been to a courtroom once as an intern, sat in the corner and didn’t say a word. Ha! I’m sorry, but that is hilarious. I’m not advocating dishonesty. I am advocating you. Show up for yourself. Take yourself seriously when it comes to your career and aim high from the start. Paint your experience in the best light, and talk it up, as long as you can sincerely justify it. Never talk it down, don’t let humility or fear keep you at the bottom. Make no mistake, when it comes to your career, you can get stuck on a certain level for a long time. That is often why people have to change companies in order to rise to the next level. This is why you must go hard and fast at the beginning. Set the pace early and consistently push for bigger and better. Because just like my little car so many years ago, with your career, at first, you have to drive it hard and fast to put it on the right track. That is what will make you successful. By the way, I did end up getting my big name company to start my career. Me, start at the bottom? No way. Vroom vroom.

Accounting will be one of the highest paid graduate jobs in 2015

Accounting will be one of the highest paid graduate jobs in 2015 Research from ‘The Graduate Survey 2014’ reported that in 2015, accounting will be one of the sectors with the biggest growth in vacancies, and also one of the sectors offering the best paid graduate jobs. The report is great news for anyone graduating from university this year and hoping to get a position in accounting or finance. However, focusing on university graduates fails to inform anyone who is planning their career that going to university is not the only route into accounting and other high paying roles. Various Routes Into Accounting After leaving college aged 18, Emily Barber decided not to attend university, and instead decided to join Grant Thornton as an Audit Associate whilst completing a higher apprenticeship and studying for an AAT qualification in accounting. Emily Barber Emily says “I knew I didn’t want to go to University when I left college at 18 as I felt it wasn’t for me. I knew accountancy was what I wanted to do but I wanted to gain practical experience at a firm whilst studying for a good qualification. I was worried at first with trying to balance work, life, and study all in one go but my firm was very supportive and as they have a lot of trainees everyone is going through the same thing at the same time, and they understand. I‘m very happy with the route I took to begin my career in accounting and I would say it is the best way, as not only do you complete the exams but the on-the-job training is fantastic especially if, like me, you learn best by doing the work.” Jan Chowdhury had always known she wanted to get into accounting, but, like Emily, decided not to go to university. She got a training contract at a firm, where she worked while studying for an NVQ in accounting. She’s now a Senior Auditor at a chartered accountancy firm in London. Jan says “At the beginning of my A-Levels, I was looking at ways to get into accountancy; I went to conferences and researched websites and found that an AAT qualification was an effective way to get into accountancy with no prior knowledge required. Whilst all my peers decided to go to university, I really wanted to get into my career from a young age with hands on experience and with a qualification that uses real life situations instead of being based on theoretical principles. The training is not easy by all means, its hard work, and long hours, but extremely rewarding. I literally did meaningful client work within three days of starting. When I finally qualified  I had a much easier time compared to graduates as I was used to the work environment and professional studies, which is very different from academic qualifications. In addition to that, through my firm I developed basic skills that are not taught, from business writing to leading meetings with 20 or more people. As a result of the AAT qualification and my experience,  I led assignments within two years and I’ve managed to progress in my career quite quickly.” Options part from university to still earn high Students need to be made more aware of the options available apart from university, and that they can make it into high paying careers through other methods, as Emily and Jan did. Many may be reluctant to build up £9,000 pounds a year of tuition fees at university, and they should know that an apprenticeship or vocational qualification could help them get into the same careers, without building up as much debt. Careers advice in many secondary schools is not adequate, with research by AAT showing that 84% of students would like or would have liked more advice from their school or college about their future options. Students should be given all the information they need to make informed decisions about their future, including being told that university is not the only way. 0

Images of Resume Writing - How to Use Images of Resume Writing to Find a Job

Images of Resume Writing - How to Use Images of Resume Writing to Find a JobThe best way to create the best images of resume writing is to be authentic. An authentic resume will also have many attributes that will entice the employer to hire you. The image that you want to project is not as important as the writing itself. Instead, the focus should be on what you are doing to prepare yourself for a new career.You need to write your resume in such a way that it will attract the employer and will also help you get the best job you can get. Before you even start to fill in your resume, you must start by thinking about the qualifications that you have that would be important for the new position. Of course, your personal experience will also come into play here. You need to have relevant work experience, educational background, certifications earned and even hobbies and interests.You can get some really good images of resume writing from books and websites that are related to this topic. You can even try doing some research online and find websites that have the information that you need. But one thing that you need to remember here is that the information you gather should be honest and true. You should take your time to collect all the information and use it to write your resume. If you can, make sure that you use as much of this information as possible to build your resume in a good way.To start with, make sure that you start with the right information. Make sure that you start with your education and qualifications. This will show the reader that you are serious about getting a new job. It is the right image to portray when you are not feeling well. It also shows that you are determined to get the position that you are after.While using your education and qualifications, make sure that you do not just list them down. This will mean that you do not care about your resume at all. You need to look for opportunities to make your education stand out and add value to it.If you do this, you will give off a good image of resume writing. In addition, your writing will be more targeted towards the specific position that you are trying to get. This means that it will be more specific. It will also be more relevant towards the job that you are applying for.You will also want to make sure that you write in a way that the employer can relate to it. It would be easier for him or her to hire you if you are a real person and not just a paper-based job. Make sure that you try to make your resume unique and tell a good story. If you do this, you will have an easy time finding a job.If you follow these simple tips, you will be able to find many job openings that are relevant to your skills and qualifications and can be written in the right places. Do not underestimate the power of images of resume writing. When you have a good image of resume writing, you will be better off in finding the job that you are after.