Time Management for Business

Time management is one of the most important skills that a business professional must possess. In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive business world, time is a precious commodity that must be used wisely. Effective time management is the key to success, both professionally and personally. Business professionals who are able to manage their time efficiently are more productive, less stressed, and ultimately more successful than those who struggle to manage their time effectively.

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The first step in effective time management is to set goals. Business professionals must have a clear understanding of their priorities and objectives in order to use their time efficiently. This requires a deep understanding of the business and what is required to achieve success. Once goals are set, it is important to break them down into smaller, manageable tasks. This allows business professionals to focus their time and energy on the most important tasks and avoid wasting time on less important ones.

Another important aspect of time management is to establish a routine. By setting a regular schedule, business professionals can ensure that they are using their time wisely and are able to accomplish their goals. This includes scheduling time for important tasks, such as meetings, project work, and other work-related activities. It also includes scheduling time for personal activities, such as exercise, family time, and relaxation. Explore the world of LeXman

One of the biggest challenges of time management is dealing with distractions. In today’s world, there are many distractions that can pull business professionals away from their work, such as social media, email, and phone calls. It is important to establish boundaries and limit the amount of time spent on these distractions. This can include turning off notifications during work hours, setting specific times for checking email and social media, and prioritizing important phone calls.

In addition to setting boundaries, it is important to delegate tasks when possible. Business professionals who try to do everything themselves will quickly become overwhelmed and may end up wasting time on tasks that could be completed by others. Delegating tasks allows business professionals to focus on their core responsibilities and ensures that all tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.

Finally, business professionals must be willing to adapt and adjust their time management strategies as needed. The business world is constantly changing, and what works today may not work tomorrow. By remaining flexible and open to new ideas, business professionals can continue to improve their time management skills and stay ahead of the competition.

In conclusion, effective time management is essential for success in the business world. Business professionals who are able to manage their time efficiently are more productive, less stressed, and ultimately more successful than those who struggle with time management. By setting goals, establishing routines, managing distractions, delegating tasks, and remaining flexible, business professionals can maximize their productivity and achieve their goals.

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What are 10 Benefits of Executive Coaching

Coaching is a process of supporting individuals or teams in achieving their personal or professional goals. It involves a skilled coach who helps the client identify their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth and development, and then provides guidance and feedback to help them improve.

Executing coaching is important for several reasons. First, coaching can help individuals or teams overcome challenges and obstacles that may be hindering their progress. By providing feedback and guidance, a coach can help clients identify areas where they need to improve and develop strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.

Second, coaching can help individuals or teams develop new skills and competencies that are necessary for success. A coach can help clients identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan to build on their strengths while addressing areas of weakness.

Third, coaching can help individuals or teams stay focused and motivated. A coach can help clients set clear goals and develop a plan to achieve them, and then provide ongoing support and encouragement to help them stay on track. Enable-HR International is one of good institute to provide professional executive coaching.

Finally, coaching can help individuals or teams build self-awareness and confidence. By providing feedback and guidance, a coach can help clients see their strengths and potential, and develop the confidence to take on new challenges and pursue their goals.

In summary, executing coaching is important because it helps individuals and teams overcome obstacles, develop new skills, stay focused and motivated, and build self-awareness and confidence. By working with a skilled coach, clients can achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

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Executive coaching is a process of providing personalized and one-on-one support to executives and leaders to help them develop their skills, overcome challenges, and achieve their professional goals. The benefits of executive coaching are numerous, and here are 10 of them:

  1. Improved leadership skills: Executive coaching helps leaders improve their leadership skills, including communication, delegation, and decision-making, leading to better performance and results.
  2. Increased self-awareness: Through coaching, executives gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots, which enables them to develop strategies to improve their performance.
  3. Better decision-making: Coaching helps executives develop better decision-making skills by identifying biases, improving problem-solving abilities, and increasing strategic thinking.
  4. Improved communication: Coaching helps executives improve their communication skills, including listening, empathy, and assertiveness, leading to better collaboration and relationships.
  5. Enhanced emotional intelligence: Coaching helps executives develop emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, leading to better relationships and leadership.
  6. Increased resilience: Coaching helps executives develop resilience, including the ability to cope with stress, adapt to change, and bounce back from setbacks, leading to better mental and emotional well-being.
  7. Improved work-life balance: Coaching helps executives develop a better work-life balance by identifying priorities, managing time, and setting boundaries, leading to better overall health and well-being.
  8. Increased creativity and innovation: Coaching helps executives develop creativity and innovation skills by encouraging them to think outside the box, explore new ideas, and take calculated risks.
  9. Increased accountability: Coaching helps executives become more accountable for their actions and outcomes, leading to better results and greater trust among their colleagues and stakeholders.
  10. Improved career satisfaction: Coaching helps executives align their career goals with their personal values, leading to greater job satisfaction and fulfillment.

How to write a good resume

Your resume must clearly, concisely and strategically present your qualifications to get a recruiter interested in meeting you. It should convey your skills, work experience and assets. The resume is used to describe what you can accomplish professionally in a manner that also illustrates what you can do for an employer. Job opportunities can arise unexpectedly. An updated modern resume is the key to a successful job search. Here are some do’s and don’ts of how to write a good resume and what to include.

This guide will show you: 

  • How to write a resume that recruiters will love, with plenty of examples. 
  • How to write a resume summary, work experience, and other sections, step-by-step. 
  • Ways to highlight your skills and achievements on your professional resume. 
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Resume Writing Do’s

Keep your resume clear and concise

An employer takes an average of 30 seconds to skim a resume. You want them to see right away that you are qualified for the position. Proofread your resume numerous times

Be sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. Have someone else read it over as well. A simple spelling mistake on a resume can give a negative impression to the employer. It can even prevent you from getting the job.Limit your resume to two pages

Place the emphasis of your resume on your most recent experience. Older jobs and experience that are more than 15 years old should either be cut out or minimized. This way, the employer can focus on more relevant information.Tailor your resume to suit the position you are applying for

Specify work experience or achievements that are related to the position you are applying to. This can be done by reviewing the job description or the employer website.Highlight what you have accomplished

You want to be able to identify the best examples of where you demonstrated your skills. These examples should speak to what you achieved in your role, and should demonstrate what kind of employee you are. It is best to include this information in the “Work experience” section of the resume.Be honest

Lying on your resume is never a good idea. You don’t want to overstate your skills or results as it will mislead the employer. Have confidence in what you have to offer. Quantify your achievements 

Use firm numbers that the employer will understand and be impressed by. For example, how many people you supervised, how many products you sold, by what percentage you increased sales, etc.Use simple words and action verbs

The person reading your resume might not always be the employer. Resumes can be reviewed by recruiters or Human Resources specialists who may not be familiar with your specific field. Use simple and plain language, but also persuasive verbs such as handled, managed, led, developed, increased, accomplished, leveraged, etc.Include unpaid work that show off your skills

If you have volunteered with a well-known organization or worked for an important cause, put it in your resume. You should include these experiences under the “Work experience” or the “Volunteer work” section, especially if they are related to the position you are applying for. Double check and include your contact information

Your resume should list your name, address, email and phone number. This information should be placed at the top of the first page. Also, make sure this information is accurate. Otherwise, the employer won’t be able to contact you. For more sample, you can see Seattle Resume.

1. Start with Proper Resume Formatting

Would you believe that the looks of your resume are just as important as its contents? 

It’s true—

It all starts with the right presentation. Your resume could be filled with mind-blowing achievements, but no one will see them if the layout is off-putting or difficult to read. 

2. Write an Eye-Catching Resume Summary or Objective

Recruiters spend just a few seconds scanning a resume and deciding whether to actually read it properly. A strong, compelling resume introduction can be your golden ticket to the “read” pile. 

If you have some relevant work experience, combine your biggest professional achievements into a resume summary. It’ll show off your biggest selling points straight away! 

3. Show Off Your Achievements in Your Resume Work History

Here it is—

The most important part of your resume. 

If the recruiter decides to give your job application a chance based on your formatting and profile, this is the section they’ll focus on the most. 

4. Use Your Education to Your Advantage

The importance of your education section depends on your level of experience—

If you’ve worked in relevant positions for several years, you can stick to the basics. Provide your highest level of schooling, including the name of the institution and the years of attendance. Add your CGPA if it was >90%. 

5. List the Most Relevant Professional Skills on Your Resume

There are hundreds of soft and hard skills you could list on your resume—

6. Include Additional Sections on Your Resume

You have a good resume on your hands—

Time to make it great. 

Take your job application from merely correct to outstanding by including some of these extra sections: 

  • Certifications: list any additional certs and diplomas you obtained in your field. As always, make sure they’re actually relevant to the job you’re applying for! 
  • Memberships: are you a member of a professional association? Perhaps you’ve organized a workshop, mentored a junior colleague, or given a lecture as part of your membership? All of these will make your resume stand out! 
  • Volunteering: helping out at non-profits shows you’re an empathetic team player and adds personality to your resume. 
  • Languages: the ability to speak a foreign language is always a plus. You don’t have to be fluent in a language to mention it on your resume, either: just specify your level of proficiency, e.g. French (intermediate); German (minimum working proficiency)
  • Hobbies and interests: believe it or not, these can go on your resume. Just make sure to list hobbies that show your skills or personality in a positive light. 

Depending on your experience and profession, you can also include other categories, such as publicationsprojects, or awards

7. Attach a Cover Letter to Your Resume

Congrats! 

Looks like your resume is all done and ready to win you a job. 

But a resume alone is not enough: 

Send it out with a cover letter to boost its effectiveness and maximize your chances of landing the job. 

8. Add your contact information and personal details

This is one of the most important sections of your resume. If hiring managers can’t contact you, it doesn’t matter how great the rest of your resume is. So you need to make sure that your contact info is accurate and up-to-date.

The following information should appear at the top of your resume:

  • Name
  • Phone number
  • Location (City, State, Zip Code)
  • Email Address
  • LinkedIn profile URL

What are benefits of using Resume Templates

When it comes to writing and submitting resumes and cover letters to potential employers, most of us have two options. We can throw ourselves fully and exclusively into each individual open position we find, spending hours or days drafting a resume and cover letter that targets those specific employers. The second option is that we can create a basic resume and cover letter template that tells the world at large who we are, what we can do, and what we want. Cover letter and resume templates can then be altered in a minimal way for each individual submission. Between the two, the template option is usually a wiser move. If you’re wondering if you should use a resume template, here are a few reasons you might benefit from one. You can check out Google doc templates for your Resume at https://www.careerreload.com

If you’re creating a resume, you probably have a lot of ideas about the information you’d like to display. Even if you have great educational and field credentials, listing them in the appropriate manner is very important. Though some people may be well-versed in their field, designing a good-looking resume from scratch can be hard. Resume templates are a great solution to this problem. These resumes are pre-set with a theme and spaces for common information employers look for. You can take a lot of stress out of the creation process by starting with a solid template. You may also be able to speed things up significantly.

A Resume Template is Great for Professionals

If you’re like most professionals, you spend a lot of time looking over your resume to think about ways you can improve it. As you’re looking it over, you may notice small things that you don’t like. Uneven spacing, slight differences in font styles, and improper use of page space are all things that can be an eyesore for you – or the person looking the resume over. Templates come preloaded with styles and sections already in place. This means all you need to do is plug in your information. You may choose to edit templates slightly if you feel comfortable enough doing so, or you may call on the help of resume professionals. In either case, making slight tweaks to existing templates is a lot quicker than starting from a blank page.

Accelerate and Improve Your Career Search

A resume template makes it easier for you to get your resume fully prepared and sent out to hiring managers. It also makes it easier when you want to update or modify your resume. Some people have plenty of skills and a solid education, but find their resume issues are slowing down their career search. If you’ve experienced this problem, a resume template can be a great way to speed things along and take the stress out of the process. People who put a lot of time into their resumes do so because they’re passionate professionals who want to excel in their field of choice. A resume template can take a lot of stress out of the equation, making it easier to pursue a new career with confidence. Regardless of your field or the depth of your credentials, there are plenty of popular templates you can use to find success in the job search.

There are lots of benefits and advantages of using a resume template to build your resume. Read on for some of the most interesting benefits you should consider when deciding whether or not to use a resume template.

1. Organize Your Resume

It is very important that your resume is organized and filled out appropriately. A well-organized resume looks more professional than one that is not organized. Using a resume template helps you organize your thoughts and ensures that everything is filled in its appropriate place.[1] It helps you remember important details that should be on your resume, making sure that nothing important is left out.

2. No Experience Needed

You don’t need any experience to create your resume using a resume template. Templates are always very easy to fill out and if you are not satisfied with the arrangement, you can modify it to best suit your individual needs as the job-seeker. 

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A lot of people don’t have a clue about how to start typing or building a resume from scratch. If you’re anything like me and you are one of those people, you can keep things simple by using a resume template and be assured that you have correctly filled in every critical detail you require for the job application.

3. Make a Great First Impression

Your resume is the first understanding and impression that an employer gets of you.[2] It sets out your skills, talent level(s), experience, and all the other information an employer would need to know in order to understand your potential as a candidate for the job in question. If your resume is not properly written or constructed, you might not even be considered or given a chance to prove yourself. Using a creative resume template would help you adequately showcase your skills and talents to an employer.

4. Save Time

Designing and building your own resume from scratch can be time-consuming and after spending lots of time and energy on it, you might not end up with a good final result, especially if you are not familiar with great resume building. Using creative resume templates would be a good way to save your time and show your potential employers that you have the necessary skills for the job. 

Using resume templates is also a time-saving advantage if you are applying for more than one job. Creating different types of resumes for the jobs you are applying for could take a lot of time because not every job requires the same resume format because you might need different skills for different jobs and clients.

With a resume template, you can easily modify the template and create several versions of your resume that suit other job industry standards if you are applying for several jobs at the same time. That way you would have the appropriate resume format for each desired position or job that you are applying for.

What Is a Staffing Agency?

Looking for work can be a full-time job, from networking and researching job postings to writing resumes and cover letters to interviewing and following up with hiring managers. But, what is a staffing agency, and exactly what does one do for job seekers?

Temporary staffing provides you the human resources you need for a specified period. However, the employees continue to be on our payroll, and they work for you. We will take care of the rest like identifying the kind of employees you need and going through the hiring formalities and documentation. All you need to do is let them work for you. Once their job or requirement is over, you inform us, and we will take care of their exit. It is as simple as that.

A staffing agency — also known as a search, recruiting or staffing firm or service — is an organization that matches companies and job candidates. By registering with a staffing agency, you have the potential to make connections with multiple hiring managers looking to find the right people for their job openings. You can save time and find opportunities you may not be able to find on your own.

So how do staffing agencies work, and how can they help you achieve your employment goals? Here are eight tips for job seekers on what you need to do, what you can expect and how you can get the most out of a relationship with a staffing agency.

1. Choose the right specialized staffing agency

Not every staffing agency is the same. Before investing in the relationship, spend some time learning about them. Make sure it’s equipped to help someone with your career profile and professional goals. Also find out if it is a general staffing firm or one that targets specific industries. At Robert Half, the world’s largest specialized staffing firm, we offer you many opportunities in several fields.

Will you have fees to pay if you get placed in a position? That depends on the staffing agency. Robert Half, for instance, never charges fees to represent you as a job candidate.

2. Get registered with the agency

At most staffing agencies, you’ll begin by submitting your resume and a cover letter. Once the agency reviews and accepts these documents, you may be asked to take part in skills testing and an interview with one of their recruitment experts so they can learn more about you. Then they can help you improve your resume, prep you for interviews and share local hiring trends.

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3. Treat the interview seriously

Approach the interview with a staffing manager just as you would any job interview with an employer. The goal of the staffing agency is not to grill you, but to get a good sense of the opportunities that best suit you.

Even if you’re connecting remotely, make sure you’re well-dressed, well-groomed and well-prepared. You should be ready to talk about your employment experience, work habits, career objectives and workplace culture preferences. If the staffing agency is considering you for a position at a specific company, do some research on the business so you can ask relevant questions.

4. Decide if you want temporary or full-time work

Employers often turn to staffing agencies to find candidates for temporary or project-based work. Others are looking to hire full-time employees. In addition, there is a growing trend toward temporary-to-full-time positions. For many people, this can be the best of both worlds, giving both the employer and candidate a chance to get to know each other before making a longer-term commitment.

Clarify whether you want short-term, long-term, or temporary-to-permanent employment. This will help all parties — you, the recruiter and the hiring company.

5. Let the job search begin

After your interview, the recruiters will be equipped to represent you with more than your resume. They’ll have a full picture of your hard skills, soft skills (especially communication skills), short-term employment objectives and long-term career goals.

So far, the process sounds a lot like applying for a job — and it is. But once the agency has determined you’re a viable candidate for placement, it will leverage its contacts at companies in your industry and search for open positions that correspond with your qualifications and preferences. Well-connected recruiters often have deep industry contacts and knowledge of unadvertised job openings.

6. Keep making yourself marketable

The best staffing firms offer a plethora of professional development and training opportunities, so take advantage of them while you’re waiting to hear back. It’s a great way to improve your employment prospects and distinguish yourself to potential employers. Robert Half, for example, has more than 8,000 courses and online reference materials, as well as access to free continuing professional education and program credits.

7. Respond as quickly as possible

If your agency contacts you about an open position, don’t wait to reply. Many jobs need to be staffed ASAP, and you don’t want to miss out on a good opportunity. Once your recruiter finds a potential match, they will typically arrange an interview for you with their client to determine whether it’s a good fit.

Some staffing agencies will help negotiate pay and other terms of the engagement on your behalf. They may even take care of all the associated paperwork for you, so all you have to do is show up at your new gig.

8. Stay engaged with your recruiter

If you aren’t getting any interviews, ask your agency representative what you can do to improve your chances. On the other hand, if you’ve been successful in garnering interviews on your own, keep your recruiter informed. The staffing agency may have contacts at the company who could help you land the role.

It’s important for you to stay on top of the job search process and keep in regular contact with your recruiters. While the agency will notify you when a potential job becomes available, it’s acceptable to check in with your recruiter once every week or two.

A temporary staff can lead to cost savings and enhanced productivity for your organization. One of the leading temporary agencies, Staffing Agency Monroe LA combines innovative technology with the human touch to save costs, enhance quality, and maximize efficiency for your business. Embrace flexibility and business freedom with our excellent contract staffing services.

We cover temporary staffing, permanent placements and specialties (dedicated units focusing on specific market segments). Our staffing services are offered through our well-known network of branches. We deploy a unique unit structure in many countries, where each unit consists of two consultants who are responsible for both client service and candidate selection. 

Our consultants are experts in the local labor market, and work with you to understand your business and your needs. They use the latest technologies to source talent and put their people skills to good use to ensure the right talent comes to you. This is how we support you in taking your business forward. 

Retail, Hospitality, and Telecom were some of the leading sectors that employed temporary staff. Now, this bug has bitten the juiciest apple, the IT sector. Temporary staffing is not limited to junior level but has touched senior level employees too.

  • Looking for a way to reduce your administrative costs and liabilities associated with permanent employees?
  • Looking to migrate employees from existing company rolls?
  • Do you need human resources on a flexible period basis that can add to your margins, profits, and bottom line?
  • Do you need human resources for particular positions or in groups?
  • Talks to us and let TalentPro surprise you as to how temporary staffing can impact your business and finances directly.

Finding qualified talent remains challenging for many small companies. Reviewing applications, interviewing candidates and negotiating salaries all take precious time away from a business owner’s existing obligations, which may end up hurting the business in the long run. That’s why some employers partner with staffing agencies, which take a lot of the time and effort out of the search for candidates by providing their own workers for open roles.

How much does a staffing agency charge?

Staffing agencies typically charge 25% to 100% of the hired employee’s wages. So, for example, if you and the staffing agency have agreed on a markup of 50%, and the new employee earns an hourly wage of $10, you will pay the agency $15 per hour for their work.

In addition to the markup you will pay, you may be expected to cover additional fees for filling the position or a contract buyout fees, if you hire a temporary worker permanently.

Top Recruiting Softwares to Use

Recruiting software is a category of human resources management (HRM) that handles the process of posting jobs and attracting top talent for vacant positions within a company. From posting jobs to reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates, recruiting software streamlines the entire candidate search and hiring process, automating when possible to lessen workloads. By eliminating paperwork and offering powerful resume and candidate search functions, the software makes it easier for organizations to find and hire employees.

Recruiting software are equipped with the tools to attract, engage, hire, and retain the talent that drives success. Looking for a complete recruiting solution? Read this full article to learn more.

Top Recruiting Softwares to Use

What Is Recruiting Software?

Recruiting software is software that helps organizations optimize the hiring process, from finding and attracting candidates to screening resumes and sending out offer letters. Recruiting software is often called an applicant tracking system or ATS, though these two are not exactly the same. Recruiting software is a broader category that encompasses applicant tracking systems as well as other tools that focus on individual phases of the hiring process.

What Is CRM Recruiting?

CRM (candidate relationship management) recruiting uses another type of recruiting software similar to an ATS. However, while an ATS manages applications for any given job, a CRM is a tool for nurturing relationships with potential job candidates. In other words, an ATS is more focused on active job applicants, while a CRM is used to build a pool of talent eligible for future job openings.

Functions of Recruiting Software

Most recruiting software can do some or all of the following:

  • Sourcing: Sourcing helps recruiters find and attract candidates; it can be especially valuable for identifying passive candidates who may not otherwise see an organization’s job ads.
  • Engagement: Candidate engagement functions help streamline communication between recruiters and candidates to keep candidates engaged and informed throughout the hiring process, which in turn can improve an organization’s hiring rate.
  • Selection: Screening and selection capabilities can help speed up the process of choosing qualified candidates from among a pool of applicants. This kind of software may offer features such as artificial intelligence screening, assessments and evaluations, central collaboration for hiring managers, and more.
  • Hiring: Finally, some organizations may use recruiting software that manages the actual step of hiring and bridges the gap between candidate experience and employee experience. Some of these platforms may even dip into elements of onboarding to make the transition as smooth as possible for new employees exiting the hiring funnel.

How Does Recruitment Software Work?

Typical recruitment software tracks applicants throughout the screening and interview process. For example, hiring managers and recruiters will be able to create a job posting, send it out to the appropriate platforms, and view all relevant job applications through the recruitment software portal. Updates can be made in the portal once the candidates have been interviewed. The recruitment software can also be used to send out job offers, handle paperwork related to onboarding the new employee, and create reports relating to the hiring process. This makes the entire process more efficient and organized, giving everyone involved more time to handle other tasks.

Benefits of Using Recruiting Software

As we said, organizations use recruiting software to optimize the hiring process. This optimization can improve the hiring experience for both recruiters and candidates alike.

For hiring organizations, recruiting software can make the hiring process faster and more efficient. Not only does this save managers and recruiters time, but it also makes it easier for an organization to hire top candidates who may be weighing multiple offers.

For candidates, recruiting software can simplify the application process and open up communication channels, both of which contribute to a positive candidate experience. And when candidates have a positive experience with an organization’s hiring process, regardless of the outcome, they are more likely to endorse the company to  their friends and family or even apply again themselves.

Top Job Aggregators

Job boards and job aggregators are central to the recruiting ecosystem because direct applicants make up 48% of all hires.

  1. Indeed, with its database, is the biggest source of external hires by far. In 2020, it was credited with an incredible 75% of all job applications and 47% of all hires in the US
  2. LinkedIn, primarily known for its professional social networking platform, connecting professionals globally, also provides a Job Search Tool allowing users to find job opportunities. These opportunities are based on location, industry, and recommendations based on your employment profile on LinkedIn. 
  3. Google For Jobs, designed to be a direct competitor to Indeed, may prove to be a game-changer. It recently added four new features: accessing salary information, applying location filters, bookmarking saved jobs, and selecting which job board applicants job seekers want to use to apply.
  4. ZipRecruiter, with over 25 million job seekers a month visiting the site, became a popular choice for employers as well as job seekers because it posts job listings to multiple job boards, as opposed to just one

Top Recruitment CRMs

With the rise of recruitment marketing, candidate relationship management (CRM) software has become central for attracting, engaging, and nurturing candidates.

  1. Yello, with features that include, schedule automation, video interviewing, employee referrals, and integrations with ATSs and HRISs, has a talent acquisition platform that provides a variety of recruiting solutions. 
  2. Beamery,  the London-based startup, ranked 10th fastest growing company in the UK in the 2020 Deloitte Technology Fast 50. It offers self-styled recruitment marketing software targeted at fast-growing companies.
  3. Avature, founded by Dimitri Boylan, co-founder and former CEO of HotJobs.com, Avature is a highly flexible enterprise SaaS platform for Global Talent Acquisition. Avature has over 650 customers of which 110 are Fortune 500 organizations.

Top Testing & Assessment Tools

The use of pre-hire assessments to test the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other qualifications are on the rise. Surveys show that more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies are using pre-hire assessments.

  1. Criteria Corp, a pre-assessment tool that seamlessly integrates with current ATS and HRIS processes provides a variety of assessments to measure candidates across a variety of dimensions, such as cognitive aptitude, personality, emotional intelligence, etc. 
  2. Berke Assessment, founded in 2004, creates tests that help employers predict job behaviours such as teamwork, communication, customer service, and problem-solving. 
  3. HackerRank, creates coding and technical assessments to help recruiters assess the skills of developers and software engineers. It also offers an online interviewing tool.
  4. Traitify, with more than 200 current customers provides an image-based, mobile-first personality assessment. Traitify’s assessments are quick and effective taking an average of only 90 seconds to complete with a completion rate of 90% or higher.
  5. SHL, providing science-based assessments, along with expert training and consulting for the last 40 years, was awarded the 2020 HR Tech Award for Best Innovative Tech Solution for their Virtual Assessment and Development Center

What is Employment Screening and How to Do Employment Screening

Employment screening enables you to verify the skills, experience and qualifications of a candidate to assist you in making your hiring and recruitment decisions. This provides you with all of the available information about a candidate to make the most accurate decision and safeguard your hiring process. Employment screening also helps to protect your company’s reputation and ensure that your financial and people risk is minimised.

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Many employers will conduct pre-employment screenings before they send you a job offer. Potential employers will typically perform a screening sometime during the interview process to assist in their hiring decision. There are a variety of screenings potential employers can use to get a thorough understanding of your background. In this article, we will explain what pre-employment screening is and how you can prepare for it.

What is pre-employment screening?

Also sometimes called a “background check,” a pre-employment screening is a verification of your information and background. Employers can use screenings to determine if you can handle sensitive or confidential information and to assess skills that are relevant to the position.

Depending on the job, employers can conduct one or more of these common pre-employment screens:

  • Social security number (SSN) tracing is used to find all of the names, date of birth and addresses associated with that SSN. This trace makes it possible for employers to find areas to search for additional records.

  • Criminal history screenings check records in various local, state, national, federal and even international databases. Some criminal history screenings may require you to submit your fingerprints. Criminal record checks will often include a combination of records derived from multiple sources. They can be done at county, state, federal, or even international levels. Companies can commonly access this data from just online databases.
  • Using those databases to check criminal records is referred to as screen-scraping. This process can sometimes turn up charges against job applicants that are very old or have been dismissed.
  • The general consensus is that the most effective method of getting an accurate picture of a job candidate is to have real people looking through hard copies of records, in order to ensure that they are getting information about the correct person and the true outcome of all criminal cases.
  • Pre-employment screening services are offered by government agencies such as the FBI and the Department of Transportation to employers who want information about driving or criminal records.
  • It’s possible that checking criminal records will protect a company in any negligent hiring lawsuits. However, there are laws in many states which specify just how information from these criminal records can be used when evaluating job candidates.
  • Criminal background checks will often include the following:
  • FBI Fingerprint Database Search – Submitting fingerprints to the FBI database will not necessarily result in a comprehensive picture of a job candidate’s criminal history. That is because the database depends upon local jurisdictions to provide information regarding arrests and their final dispositions. A great deal of information may be missing. This search should comprise only one small part of any pre-employment screening.
  • National Criminal Record Search (NCRD) – This database is constructed from information in the repositories at the municipal, circuit, district, and superior court levels, plus the FBI, Department of Corrections, U.S. Customs, DEA, U.S. Marshal, Department of Justice and Secret Service. It identifies criminal offenses not only where the job candidate has worked or lived, but from all over the country. The national database allows instant access to hundreds of millions of records, including the National Sex Offender Registry.
  • Federal Criminal Records Search – Bank robbery, embezzlement, interstate drug trafficking are just some examples of the type of federal offenses that won’t show up on state and county level searches because they fall under federal jurisdiction. That is why a search of federal crime records is suggested for a thorough pre-employment screening.
  • Statewide Criminal Records Search – Records of felonies and misdemeanors are usually found in the central repositories of each state. The information is provided by courts, corrections, and law enforcement agencies all over the state. However, the quality of these searches can vary widely from state to state, since each one gets to decide how data is imported and who is allowed access to it. The information is not always accurate, or up to date. Depending on the state, the records may not even cover all levels of its court system.
  • County Criminal Record Search – Local county and municipal records will be available through this search.

  • Public records screenings can search motor vehicle records, driving history, credit history, bankruptcy records, workers’ compensation records, civil records and sometimes medical records.

  • Verifications and credentials screenings check the accuracy of your education or degree received, previous employment, professional certifications or licenses, professional references and military service records. Particularly for entry-level employees, employers like to verify a job applicant’s degree, academic performance or major. The Family Right to Privacy Act requires that schools obtain consent from the former student before they release any type of academic records.
  • These reports will verify the dates students attended the academic institution, which fields were studied, the degree earned, grade point averages, and the date of graduation. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) covers all of the background checks included in an education verification screening.

  • Controlled substance screenings are conducted by a health care provider to ensure your employment complies with company-wide policies on illicit substances.

  • Lie detector or polygraph tests can only be required by companies that provide security services or manufacture or distribute controlled substances. Most private companies are not allowed to use lie detector tests as a form of pre-employment screening. However, certain types of businesses are exempt from this prohibition, such as alarm, guard or armored car services, as well as those who dispense, distribute, or manufacture pharmaceuticals.

  • Pre-employment assessments are tests your potential employer may ask you to take to determine your abilities as they relate to the role.

Drug Testing

Drug testing is probably one of the most common screenings that employers use to ensure that job candidates will be productive employees and as a preventative measure against injuries in the workplace.

Drug tests identify illegal substances potential employees may have ingested or been exposed to. It must be done in strict compliance with laws of the state where the business is located.

Worker’s Compensation Claims History

Screening for worker’s compensation claims that a job applicant has filed in the past is not available in all states. Furthermore, in those states where it is available, it must be conducted in strict compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Credit History Screening

Pre-employment screening of the credit history of job candidates is regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Employers are not only required to obtain the consent of all applicants to perform such a search, they must also provide the applicant with access to the results.

Still, many employers consider such a screening to be helpful as an indicator of irresponsible behavior if the search turns up financial problems. On the other hand, it is also considered evidence of trustworthiness and reliability if the applicant has a positive report.

Sex Offender Registry Screening

Employers may conduct searches through registries at both the state and Federal level to find out if job applicants are on sex offender lists. This type of pre-employment screening allows them to avoid endangering their staff or tarnishing their reputation by removing sex offenders from their pool of prospective employees.

Motor Vehicle Records Screening

This information comes from a state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and is usually immediately available. Records of license suspensions, accidents, convictions, violation or any disciplinary actions are included in the results from DMV. Companies whose employees operate motor vehicles in the course of their work, such as trucking, delivery or sales, are most likely to require this type of pre-employment screening.

Employment Verification

Employers verify previous employment listed on resumes and job applications using this type of pre-employment screening. It is also used to check the accuracy of dates of employment, job title, and other related details. However, some of the employers which job candidates list on their resume or application may have policies which limit what type of information they will provide about a former employee.

Another important screening element is to verify that a job applicant is eligible to work in this country. All workers in the United States are required to complete an I-9 Employment Verification Form in order to prove their identity and eligibility.

Supervisor/Reference Interviews

Employers will sometimes want to interview references or former supervisors, in order to evaluate the ability of a candidate to perform the job in question. In these cases, the employers will usually be required to provide written permission from the applicant before anyone will speak with them.

This pre-employment screening will provide information regarding the possibility that a job applicant might prove to be a threat to the economy or national security foreign policy of the United Sates.

A county based search of civil records is commonly used by employers as a guide to a job candidate’s character. This pre-employment screening will reveal lawsuits which are based on the applicant’s failure to fulfill the terms of a contract, it will also reveal all civil lawsuits which have been filed against the potential employee.

A civil records search will also make it easy to see whether a job candidate makes a habit of filing lawsuits. It can be a useful tool for determining whether a potential employee is reliable or not.

Licensing and Professional Certification Verification

Companies will always want to verify that their employees have any licenses that are required for their work. This would include attorneys, medical personnel, engineers, accountants, real estate agents, and more.

The pre-employment screening will reveal whether a license is valid, the expiration date, and whether the applicant has been the subject of any type of disciplinary action.

Military Service Records

Records available on veterans will show the dates served, the type of discharge, and the rank held at time of discharge.

Bankruptcy Records

It’s easy to verify whether a job applicant has filed for bankruptcy. However, employers are prohibited from using that information against the applicant.

Medical Records Verification

Companies are not allowed to check a job candidate’s medical records under any circumstances. They are not even allowed to ask specific questions about a candidate’s medical history.

Applicants may be asked whether they can perform all of the responsibilities of a job. If the answer is yes, an employer has no choice but to accept it as the truth.

One exception is when companies make medical exams a requirement of that job, and all similar ones, so that everyone in those positions are required to undergo an exam. In other words, they can’t require a person who is limping to have a medical exam unless all other applicants are also required to undergo an exam as a requisite of employment.