The Future Challenges of Recruitment and Hiring

Companies need to prepare themselves to attract and retain the workers they will need for the growth of their organization. However, they also need to navigate the choppy waters of growing globalization and the emergence of social media to attract the right talent pool through best practices.

Firms are facing several challenges due to the ever-changing nature of the workforce as well work itself.  Therefore, Human Resource managers need to stay on top things to ensure that they are able to retain as well as hire the right candidates.

Human Resource outsourcing firms need to keep a check on the changing nature of candidates along with their skill set, because of lack of standardization of education and globalization. Human Resource outsourcing firms also need to understand major future demographic, technological and societal shifts. For example, online job boards provide companies with a varied candidate pool, however it proves quite a task for the HR staff, as they have to sift through a large number resumes for limited positions.

Here are a few challenges that HR companies face.

Retaining Talented Candidates

Retaining and rewarding critical talent is one of the biggest challenges faced by Human resource firms. In this age of globalization, it is very difficult to retain and engage strong performers, as they are not afraid to jump companies for better opportunities. It is important for companies to devise innovative practices, which would reward their star performers according to their achievements and in turn retain them.  In this globalized economy, the human capital creates the base of the future of an organization.

Social Media

Websites like LinkedIn, Facebook and other social websites are easy avenues for job seekers to go job hunting and post their resumes. However, easy access to these websites makes it a difficult task for recruitment process outsourcing firms to sift through the candidate pool.  HR mangers need to understand the importance of such websites and gain knowledge about them to make the most of the talent pool.  Having in depth knowledge of social media tools can help mangers grab the candidate before the competitor does, because candidates usually have privacy settings of their social media sites and knowledge is needed to navigate them.

Technical Talent

Lack of technical talent has made it increasing difficult for companies to hire candidates for specialised positions.  Even during periods of high employment, technical knowledge based companies find it difficult to find people with the right education background and experience to fill the positions in niche jobs.  Companies are laying emphasis on a stronger education background and specialized training in niche sectors.

Globalization

Adhering to policies of inclusion is very important for organisations. Due to, globalisation candidates from different demographics, race, ethnicity, gender and religion all work under one roof.  It is also important to create a conducive work environment, which will improve employee morale and improve productivity. It is essential for the HR staff to create an environment of inclusion and keep up with the changing needs of the employees.

The business world is moving at lightning speed but the recruitment processes are lagging behind.  In future, candidates will have multiple offers from different avenues and won’t wait around for hiring managers to make their decision. Therefore, recruitment processes need to change and adapt to the new ways to have access to the best talent pool.

Boosting Work Culture through Festivities

Work and fun are two words that are rarely spoken of in the same sentence. However, organizations are looking at bringing the fun element back into work.  They want to explore the link between fun, creativity and productivity.

Companies today are depending on celebrating festivals within the confines of the office to encourage camaraderie among employees along with bring employees from across all the hierarchies together in a fun way.

Modern–day organizations take their festivals rather seriously – from Holi to Christmas and even Women’s Day, no occasion is sent packing. The cheer around the festivities makes a mundane workday fun, taking away from the monotonous routine we follow every day. Organizations see it as way to bring the fun element into work, as employees can share a good laugh and bond together. 

Traditionally, organizations have stuck to celebrating only pujas and other religious ceremonies. However, the festive cheer is moving beyond pujas and the traditional and conventional ways of doing things. It is giving way to more fun and enjoyable celebrations.  Companies are finding innovative and entertaining ways to get their employees together to celebrate various occasions, using it as a means to promote positive work culture and boost productivity. 

Organizations are using festivals as a means to boost employees to go ahead and meet new people across the board. This helps employees meet new people and also move out of their cliques and comfort zones.  Through these get-togethers companies hope to foster a very inclusive and cohesive bond amongst their employees, hence promoting positive work culture and productivity within the company.

Holding events like Secret Santa during Christmas, helps employees to get to one another better, without being in the limelight. Also, certain companies that have their own traditions during any festivals, this helps the management seem more approachable as they too, take part in the festivities. It allows the employees to be more relaxed, as it makes them feel great about working in the company that is open-minded and welcoming.

Organizations are all for diversity, whether, its gender or cultural, they are becoming more inclusive. All organizations have employees who belong to different faiths and by celebrating different festivals and occasions, the employees feel more part of the organization.  Women in the corporate setting, try to blend in rather, than wearing their gender on the sleeve.  It is heartening for all women employees to be given special treatment on Women’s day as they feel that company acknowledges their identity and their contribution.

Reveling in the festive cheer and celebrating special occasion and dates is a great way to get the employees together and move away from the mundane tasks. After all, most organizations want to appear friendly and not stuck up.

HR outsourcing companies, people outsourcing companies and other organizations are pleased when their recruits give them good feedback about the companies that have hired them. It is a satisfying feeling for them to know that companies they have on record have good work ethics and culture.

Ten Questions to Ask When Choosing a Business Advisor

It is important to know what you want and what you need from a business advisor. Do you need him/her to help you with Manpower outsourcing, HR Outsourcing or Temporary Staffing, Payroll service or another service to help you achieve your company’s philosophy? You need to take into consideration these questions before hiring a consultant. You need to look for someone who has proficiency and experience, specific to the needs of your organization and the type of project you are offering.

Here are few questions that can help you choose the right business advisor/ HR consultant.

• What are your credentials and what references can you offer?

This question will help you identify if the consultant has the right expertise as well as the right credentials to help achieve the goals of the project. Having knowledge of past clients will help you understand whether the consultant will be a fit for your company.  It is good to ask past clients to discuss the consultant’s productivity, approach ability, communication style, attention to detail, expertise, timeliness and any other questions to determine whether they will be a good fit.

•Do your consultants have background knowledge of our industry?

It is important to hire consultant that understands your industry and can help you find the right candidates for the job.  The consultants need to have their own pool of candidates if they have been hired as part of a Recruitment Outsourcing Process or People Outsourcing Process.  Consultants need to be able to judge the situation accurately to give the right advice.

• How much time can they devote towards the company?

The answer to this question will determine how much attention the consultant will be able to give your project. It helps you determine whether the consultant will be able to give you a same day response or not. Even if they can’t, at least you will be assured there someone looking for a solution.  The best way for a consultant to understand the needs of a company is spend time at your workplace.

• What systems do you use when scouting for talent?

A good Recruitment outsourcing company or a Temporary Staffing company needs to have good insights in order to find the right candidates for the job. They need to conduct a variety of methods to find potential talent, which include using social media, direct advertising and both formal and informal approaches. This is a good way of attracting enough candidates to sift through and then find the right candidate.

• Will you sign a letter of confidentiality?

It is a safe option to have consultants sign confidentially documents, as they could be privy to sensitive information, which could hamper the company reputation, if leaked.

•How are their clients better off after they leave?

A good consultant will be able to tell you the benefits they deliver at the end of the project. The company after the parting with a consultant should be able to determine their strengths and weaknesses and use it to their advantage.

• How will I pay for your services and documentation?

Make sure you have read the documentation carefully and you are fully aware of what you are getting into. Also, find out how you will be charged and the terms and conditions of it.  Furthermore, make sure that you have all the documentation to carry out the HR processes put into place by the consultant.

These questions will help you choose the right consultant for the job and will help you determine whether this relationship will be beneficial to company or not.

10 Reasons to Outsource Recruiting

The global economy is fast changing and newer technologies are taking over thus making hiring and recruiting the right candidates is a difficult task. The newer economic conditions include fast changing business condition, high unemployment, skills shortage and global competition. Finding and hiring from the right talent pool requires Human Resource managers to keep up with new recruiting technology and social media, also helps in developing a good rapport with the candidates and asking the right questions. Hiring managers are able to cover all these areas with the help of HR recruiting outsourcing companies.

With the need to focus on core business operations rather than jobs that can be outsourced to improve efficiency, outsourcing tasks such as payroll, hiring, customer service, creative design and other recruiting tasks will put the reins in the hands of experts that will sift through the best talent pool, to acquire the right candidates within the criteria set by the company. These are just a few reasons why companies outsource. Other reasons that companies outsource include the smooth running of the recruiting process, increase retainment of employees and reducing the high turnover rate and coordinating recruiting and on boarding.

What is outsourcing?

Outsourcing is a process wherein, one company shifts or delegates certain process within the company to external service providers, done with the intention of lowering costs, getting better quality and increasing their competitive edge. When a company shifts or delegates business processes to firms in foreign countries, it is referred to as offshore outsourcing.

How do these outsourcing processes help companies? Here are the benefits:

•        Rapid Growth: helps to combat seasonal spikes and reduces pressure on in house staff.

•        Simplify your operations: too much energy is spent in dealing with personnel and employment management issues. Instead, the same time can be spent on increasing business.

•        Increasing productivity: if attention is divided doing non–core business activities it affects business and reduces productivity.

•        Accuracy and speed: increases the speed and accuracy in disbursing payrolls and finding the right candidate.

•        Identifying and recruiting candidates: as per you criteria and requirement and the job profile also finding candidates for casual or seasonal employment.

•        Help maintain employee volume: helps the business to cope up with spikes/sudden increasing hiring volume as well as helping them reduce team sizes during lean periods.

•        Increased savings: outsourcing helps with reducing hiring and recruiting costs.

•        Decision making: helps you acquire better reports and results to aid in better decision making.

•        Best practices: helping you get the best knowledge and understanding for benchmarking your operations and making laws and guidelines for best practices.

•        Mitigate risks: helps you adhere to compliance, liabilities and risks pertaining to employees and the business.

An HR outsourcing company and Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) aids in recruitment by screening potential employees, navigating regulations and law pertaining to the government and other activities as directed by the company. Thus, with the help of HR outsourcing and RPO’s, companies have access to the best candidates and other business services.

HR Outsourcing – Opportunity Or Risk?

Outsourcing Human Resources or HR is gradually becoming a habit these days. Companies, nowadays, either hires another company for their HR management activities or outsources its HR services. Small and medium businesses consider the job of managing payrolls, compensations, HR remuneration and other human resource settlements as tedious and time consuming and hence the option to outsource sounds better. However, despite the benefits and services offered by the outsourced HR services, there are some risks too which need must be considered.
Outsourcing of HR services coversa gamut of services vital to the employer as well as employees such as payroll, settlement, indemnity, medical, etc. HR outsourcing could also be a boon to companies dealing with a diverse workforce like contractors, temporary staff, remote workers,consultants or full time employees across countries. With an HR outsourcing team supporting back-end activities of the HR department of such companies, the output and effectiveness can be amplified multi fold.
In small and medium businesses, when the stress to provide better services or products is massive, focusing completely on the cost centers, like HR, can prove to be a bad assessment. HR outsourcing allows you to highlight on the more important tasks of your business i.e. on your profit areas. Outsourcing your non-core business functions saves up your time, allowing you to pay more attention to your core-functions, which is said to be the most imperative benefit enjoyed by small and medium businesses who are already outsourcing their HR management activities.
However, HR outsourcing may also put your company in jeopardy if you don’t select your outsourcing associate sensibly or read the fine print closely. It could be established as a wrong decision if your company is too big or too small, and you can’t obtain proper profit out of it.
Control and cost can be looked upon as the two main risk factors of HR outsourcing. When approaching a service provider for your HR outsourcing services, you need to explain your specific needs well in advance. There are many different stages of commitment that can be worked out according to your business needs. If you already have an in-house HR team that needs some back-end support due to the inconsistent work schedules, speak to your provider to help you along those lines. You do not need to spend on HR outsourcing throughout the year if you need the service only for few months during year-end.
Control is the other factor. When you give personal employee data to an outsider, many security coercions take place. HR outsourcing needs you to fetch all kinds of information about your employees, including their medical details and personal details. If you don’t hire a dependable company, you are exposing yourself to potential risks. Not all human resources outsourcing companies are the same; therefore it is essential to read the requisites carefully before signing the deal. Maybe talking to one of their clients could be of great help.
HR outsourcing might seem like a big jump, but it could be beneficial to your company in many ways. The additional support your HR team gets can help them function more efficiently. As HR is considered to be the stamina of any organization, this could perk up the overall communication and productivity of your organization. Also, dedicated service providers have more proficiency and can handle specific processes more efficiently.

Does The Way You Dress Affect Your Performance?

Since light travels faster than sound, you are seen before you are heard. This is why, before even uttering a word, your physical image says lot about you as an individual –your acumen, ability, warmth, self-esteem, confidence, power, beliefs and success. Would you believe that something as simple as how you dress could affect your image, your attitude and self-confidence? Dressing with confidence is not just about being in tune with the latest trends and wearing fashionable clothes, it is about feeling good and comfortable about what you are wearing. It is about looking dignified and feeling confident in all situations.

But do you know that how people dress is in some way related to how they feel!! To understand this better think about the time when you feel sick. Do you really make any efforts to dress smart? Not likely. Perhaps you just put on whatever your hands could find and dress the way you felt, which was not too well.
If we change the way we dress, the way we feel will also change. When we are dressed well and look great, we naturally feel better and confident. When we feel great and are more inclined to feel good from within, we have more energy and treat others better.

These days, very few companies have a professional dress code like suit and tie for men and similar dress code for women. We all would prefer being judged on our merits and not according to the clothes we wear. However, how you present yourself does affect your professional ability. Even recruitment firms In India advise new employees to dress as per the role they are being interviewed for. This helps boost the confidence during the interview.

Here is how you dress impacts your performance/productivity:

•    When you feel confident about how you appear, you will always feel good about yourself. Being confident makes a lot of difference in how you present yourself in front of an audience.

•    When you are well groomed, you come across as organized. It shows that you know the stuff and you are detail oriented.

•    How you dress and appear affects your reputation. If you do not shave or groom your hair well, people might not take you seriously. To make an impression, you do not have to splurge on expensive clothes and accessories. Just be well groomed and dress up as per the requirements of your profession.

•    It is a known fact that people prefer to work or do business with people who look professionally well-groomed. It builds trust and boosts confidence in the person who will work with you. Will you ever work with a person who looks like he/she has just rolled out of the bed and is still wearing yesterday’s clothes? Think about it.

When you dress with confidence, you know that you have made the right choice for yourself and feel comfortable in any situation. Being well dressed makes you feel attractive and it completes you. So do not write off your professional appearance as casual; it matters.

Top 10 Ideas For Recruiting Great Candidates!!

In today’s day and time, the enormous number of applicants for every job, is making the task of recruiting harder as finding the outstanding performers from a group of hundreds is not easy. Recruitment during openings can’t get you the best because the pressure to hire someone right away causes you to be less discerning as an HR personnel. More often than not, it results in a bad hiring decision. However, a widespread and inventive recruiting campaign will help a company attract and retain skilled employees.
So, here are the top 10 ideas which will surely help you hunt down the right candidates.

Clarity on job profile - The very first step in this process of hiring the best, you should explore, understand, and fully be aware of the job opening or position necessities.

Search well - While re checking the outcome of your early searches to evaluate significance, scan the results for further and every other related titles, key words, phrases, and companies that you can slot in into your next search.

Don’t over-analyze resumes - These candidates are not professional curriculum vitae writers. Candidates may not find it important to write about every last bit of their experience. However if you are still looking for those exact details and it’s not there, it would be easy to comprehend that the person doesn’t have the required experience. Hence do not make assumptions about the candidates merely by looking at their resumes.

Background check - It is important to study the backgrounds of the candidates and listen to them. Why was there a change from one job to another? Queries about a gap in work or a switch in industry helps to build rapport and it gives you an understanding about what makes a person tick.

QnA - Keep offering them with opportunities and let their answer and response guide you in perceiving what they’re looking for. 

Self-portrayal - Being an employer of preference is a status you create in your industry which is an influential tool in attracting top talent.

Employee referral - This is one significant yet simple way in which you could shift a great deal of hiring work away from the recruiters to the employees. You can ask the top performers about contacts who can fit into the recruiting provisions.

Increase availability - Set up a 24-hour job hotline and comprise it in your job postings. With a 24/7 system, you’ll amplify high-quality applicants by 30-50% or even more.

Re-look - Consider re-looking at “finalists” from earlier hiring efforts for roles in a given job family to see what previous candidates may now be capable.  With better qualifications and work experience, they might fit the company’s needs perfectly.

Respect confidentiality – If a prospective candidate shares information with you on the pretext of confidentiality, make sure that you keep the information or samples shared under wraps. Irrespective of whether you hire a candidate or not, maintaining the trust factor is crucial.

To hire the best, you have to make it easy for the best people to apply. If you take phone calls, CV's and applications only during regular business hours, you put off the very people you should be trying to recruit especially for the ones who are still working. Therefore you have to amend or expand your hours for accepting applications and conducting interviews to synch with applicant availability.