There is much talk about the need for more skilled applicants to meet future needs of companies, especially in the technology industry.  Some refer to lack of math and science education, and others mention lack of manual skills for manufacturing jobs.

The American Management Association 2010 Critical Skills Survey found that managers are focused less on the basic 3R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic) and more on a general ability to respond to their environment.  These skills, the 4 C’s, communication, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and finally creativity, are seen as important to today’s ever-changing business environment. 

According to an article in Staffing Management (July-September 2010), the majority of executives assess both job applicants and employees on these skills.  The respondents indicated that these skills help the companies respond to the pace of change in their business and the factor of global competitiveness. 

As to how the current workforce measures up, over half the employers felt their employees were only average in communication skills and creativity and innovation.  They did rate them slightly higher in critical thinking and collaboration and team building.  They have addressed these issues in the workplace by using one-on-one coaching and mentoring, followed by professional development and training.  The report did say that managers felt it was much easier to develop these skills in students early on, rather than teaching the experienced worker.

A few years ago I attended a meeting between employers and community college educators, held to get input from the business community on what they wanted future employees to learn.  I was amazed that the issues were personal responsibility, clear communications, reliability (showing up on time and staying at work for their entire shift), and problem solving.  Sounds like not much has changed.  The real question is, why are students not learning these skills as part of their K-12 education?  That opens an entire new topic for a later time.

In the meantime, as a job seeker, be aware of these needs and tune up your skills before you apply.  Godd luck.

Tags: applications, effective learning, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, job seeker attitudes, performance management

There is a major focus on jobs in the current economy – who is adding, why some are still laying off folks, and what is coming in the future.  There is a large pool of job seekers, some who have been looking for jobs for quite awhile.

The old standby methods are still used;  ads, job fairs, and listings on job sites.  There are some new twists, however.  Many companies, because of a flood of applicants, have set up online screening processes to find the candidates that most closely meet their needs.  This method does add time to the equation, as these systems can take awhile to sort through the information.  Companies may also set up their own private job fairs, looking for specific talent to meet a current need.  Some companies also participate in job fairs for the exposure and to “test the waters” to see who is looking for jobs and if they might meet a future need.  Many, when they are trying to find a specific person to fit an important position, use recruiters, or network through professional groups.

All this means that job seekers need to be more flexible and agile in their searching.  There are a few important things to be aware of, some of which I’ve mentioned before but bear repeating!

Showing up takes energy and effort you don’t always have, but it can pay off.  A recent job fair in Albuquerque paid off in some immediate job offers, and in other cases scheduling of follow up interviews at the company.  Note:  don’t show up in sweats or shorts!  You still need to appear professional, no matter what your occupation.  Business casual is most appropriate for these events.  Also it is good to have a polished resume with you – and have an email address they can access for followup.  Some applicants have put online resumes on Linked In or Facebook.  Do make sure these sites are done carefully and look professional.

For companies that require an online application, be patient – it may take awhile for them to get to your resume.  It never hurts to have a name to follow up with, just an email which lets them know you’ve applied and would appreciate their attention.  This may require some networking on your part. 

Finally, don’t apply unless you fit the requirements!  This just wastes everyone’s time, including  yours.  In the case where you are trying to make a career change, as I once did, you somehow need to present the resume as having experience and skills appropriate to the new field even though  they were learned in a different industry.  Your cover letter should explain why you are making the change and how you have prepared yourself for the new career.  

Good luck to both companies and job seekers.  Patience is the key.

Tags: applications, For Employers, hiring process, hiring talent, job fair, job seeker, job seeker attitudes

These are interesting times for job seekers and employers.  Because of the economic environment, the same old tools aren’t as effective as they used to be.  For one thing, there are many more job seekers than jobs, and that has been the case for awhile. 
Even so, groups are hosting job fairs on a regular basis.  Their reasons vary, but for the one thing it is a visible way to try to help the community and the candidates looking for opportunity.  Also, for the educational institutions it is a way to highlight a new group of graduates and bring alums back to the alma mater.  Events like these provide networking opportunities for both companies and candidates, and can give a good overview of the economic activity in the community. The question is, then, how does someone looking for work get the most out of an event where there may be 1000 people in line with them? 
A recent article in the Albuquerque Journal talked about the frustration some job seekers felt after attending a job fair at Expo New Mexico where there were approximately 5000 attendees and few opportunities.  Many companies were sending people to their online websites to apply, and there were few onsite interview opportunities.  Many employers participated as a show of support, but because of internal hiring policies weren’t able to actively interview at the booths.  Their online applications may include a prescreening process to determine if the candidate fits their needs. Also some employers may be anticipating a new contract and are collecting resumes in advance to test the waters.
So for the job seekers:  the best policy is to plan ahead.  Find out what companies are in attendance and check out their websites before you go.  Target the booths that have jobs to meet your talents.  Also it’s a pretty good bet that if there are no jobs listed on the company site that they are collecting, or just being a good citizen! 
Here’s a news flash – papering the booths with your resume without checking to see if you have the skills they need doesn’t get you points or even an interview.  It is also not a good practice to say “I’ll take anything you have” whether you are qualified or not.  There are still jobs available, and more coming.  Keep looking and do your research.  In the meantime, these fairs are a good way to learn about what is happening in your area, and maybe learn new techniques for your search.
Good luck!

Tags: applications, hiring process, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job fair

An article in the Society for Human Resource Management’s staffing publication  (Staffing Management) reviews the results of the Leading Indicators of National Employment Survey released May 7.  According to the article by Theresa Minton-Eversole  the unemployed might have a better chance of finding a job in the next few months . 
Overall the survey shows that the percentage of manufacturing companies that are hiring is the highest since fall of 2007 and in services the highest since summer of 2007.  Also the survey indicates that good workers are getting harder to find.
The LINE Employment Report surveys four key areas:  employer hiring expectation, new-hire compensation, recruiting difficulty for top level talent and job vacancies.  The survey covers HR departments at more than 500 manufacturing and 500 service sector companies, which employ more than 90% of the nation’s private sector workers.
Results include employment expectation increases of 48.7% in manufacturing and 37% in service sector.  This is the seventh straight month of predicted increases.  In recruiting difficulty, manufacturing indicated an 18.9% increase and services a 14.2% increase.  New hire compensation increased in April by 7.2% in manufacturing and 10.9% in services.
LINE survey results for job vacancies cover both exempt and non-exempt positions.  This indicator can be one of the early indicators of a shift in supply and demand in the labor market.  In the manufacturing sector 18.7% of respondents reported an increase in vacancies in April. 
The survey noted that most companies had held their salary levels through the period of high unemployment and are now increasing some compensation for the harder-to-fill positions.  Job seekers are still accepting lower wages and benefits than in the past overall.   Employers may have to change tactics as the pool of candidates for positions of strategic importance gets tighter. 

Tags: applications, candidates, Executive jobs, For Employers, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job seeker

As companies recruit and job seekers hunt there are more and more steps to the process of hiring/getting hired successfully. Many of us have been on both sides of that desk, and have the scars to show for it.  There are more tools and systems available, but are they just busy work and hurdles, or do they add to the process?

As an employer, you are trying to find the best candidate without having to spend months in the process. In this job environment, the applicants are just looking for a chance to join a company and contribute (and, let’s not forget, get a paycheck!).  Making the connection is important, but more difficult all the time.

The process starts with the job posting and job application.  This may be on a company site, public job site, ..or just word of mouth.  As an applicant, what if you are one of many resumes that company receives?  How do you get to the top of the pile?  As an employer how do you sort through the pile and find the best?  That is the art form.

Networking is one of the best ways to find good jobs or talent.  It is also a good way to get over some of the early hurdles to the goal.  Ideally both sides have had some information that highlights the candidate and the opportunity.  Companies look to employees and colleagues.  The applicant’s challenge then is to meet the right person to help them get noticed.  (See the blog on “Job Hunting in New Mexico”.)

Large companies with busy recruiters have started using pre-screening aptitude and attitude testing to sort through the pile.  I believe the jury is still out on the value of that versus the roadblocks that the company presents to the good applicant.    In addition, not just anyone can interpret the results of these tests, so now you have to employ or contract with a good test administrator to get your answers.  Finally, if you don’t ask the right questions to identify your target candidate, you’ve wasted everyone’s time.Another issue: if there is a star out there, putting them through a lot of hassle just to apply for the position may cause them to look elsewhere, in a company with a friendlier system.

Recruiting right is so important for both parties in the exchange.  Planning and preparation for the hiring process is the best way to reach the right decision for the applicant and the hiring entity.
Good Luck!

Tags: applications, candidates, For Employers, hiring process, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, job seeker