Ok, on the one hand social media is creating havoc in the workplace.  On the other hand, it is the latest job recruiting tool for professional recruiters.  An article in the Wall Street Journal talks about recruiters and the sites they turn to when “trolling” for candidates. 

In recent history Monster.com was a major player.  There was a fee for employers to post their jobs online.  Then things started changing.  Craig’s List was one place where jobs started appearing.  Then companies developed their own accounts on LinkedIn, touted  as a professional site for networking.  There they posted jobs and participated in discussion groups related to their businesses.  LinkedIn developed a hiring solutions segment with tools to help recruiters in their search.   The site has a reputation for having a comprehensive resume database, and is a go-to site for executive talent.

Now..we have Facebook entering the market.  Companies have also developed accounts on these sites, and post jobs and videos of current employees on the site.  There is much discussion among the various website companies as well as recruiting professionals about using this tool.  On the one hand, LinkedIn execs said that users regarded LinkedIn as their professional life, and Facebook as personal.  In their focus groups, job candidates were sharply averse to being contacted through Facebook for jobs.  On the other hand, Monster.com execs acknowledged that the Facebook recruiting platform is growing rapidly.  Their company has launched their own Facebook append it has grown to 800,000 users in a couple of months.

Right now all the players are seeing an increase in activity and revenues.  The future, however, seems to be in the social networking arena, with more and more companies adding those skills to their recruiting departments.  As individuals spend more time on the social networks, the recruiting power of these sites can only grow.  One reason Facebook is a target for the recruiters is that individuals spend a lot more time on the site, and one company found that candidates are 50% more likely to apply for positions found through Facebook than other means.

The result of all this discussion seems to be that both companies and job seekers are going to have to spend some time developing their skills in using the social network sites.  Just what we all need – more lessons to learn!  Good hunting, all of you.

Tags: applications, Facebook, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, job application, job seeker, recruiters, social network

Employers know that verifying a job applicant’s educational credentials is an important part of any background check.  Usually that confirmation consists of a letter or phone call to the educational institution requesting the applicant’s dates of attendance and any degrees or certificates awarded.  That isn’t enough in the current diploma market! 

The economic climate and lack of enough qualified applicants for certain occupations has resulted in a rash of diploma mills in this country and abroad. In addition, the popularity of distance learning programs has made it easier to provide phony educational credentials.  In the last year, the number of such institutions was up 48%, according to an article on the Society for Human Resource Management website.  Many of these institutions offer educational degrees and certificates to foreign workers eager to enter the US market.   As of this month, the report states that 1008 such institutions have been identified in the United States. 

In addition to the fake documents, the employer may also have difficulty in verifying that an educational diploma abroad is equivalent to one issued in the US.  Hiring employees who don’t have legitimate credentials, or who don’t have equivalent training from abroad, exposes employers to significant risk.  There should be as much of an emphasis on checking educational backgrounds as in checking any other factors in the process.

Many HR professionals are unaware of the magnitude of the $1 billion international diploma mill industry, and are not validating the issuing institution.  Suggestions by one background check service suggestion that U.S. schools can be validated through the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.  Verifying the legitimacy of foreign institutions requires more effort, but any professional background check should be able to provide information.  (wikipedia has a fairly thorough list, though they caution that it is by no means the last word).

Tags: hiring process, hiring talent, industry news, recruiters

First let me state that I’m not a lawyer, just a law-abiding citizen.  I do pay attention when folks mention problems in the HR world and it seems complying with IRS rules for contractors is very important, and receives a lot of attention. So I’ve hunted around to get input from various groups on what to watch out for.  Here goes.
First, the guiding principles of a contractor vs. employee:
The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment Tax.
You are not an independent contractor if you perform services that can be controlled by an employer (what will be done and how it will be done). This applies even if you are given freedom of action. What matters is that the employer has the legal right to control the details of how the services are performed.
From another source, findlaw.com, I find a 20- factor checklist to determine whether you are an independent contractor.  Lawyers can always give more detail. I’ve highlighted most of the list. Here is the quicksummary of when you’re NOT independent.
1. You receive specific instructions on how to do the work from the employer.
2. Training to perform the task in a specific manner, by an experienced employee.
3. Integration of the “contractor’s” services into the business operations.
4. Services must be rendered personally.
5. If the hiring supervisor is responsible for hiring and paying assistants but not contractors, the inference might be made that it’s an employment situation.
6. Continuing relationship – contracts should have a clear ending
7. Set hours of work.
8. Full time required.
9. Doing work on employer’s premises required.
10. Order or sequence of how to do task is set.
11. Regular oral or written reports – implies control.
12. Payment by hour, week or month rather than by task performed or contract term.
13. Payment of business or travel expenses.
14. Furnishing tools or materials
15. If worker has significant investment in the workspace not reimbursed by employer it indicates independence.
16. Working for only one entity implies control and thus employment.
Isn’t life interesting?

Tags: candidates, For Employers, Independent contractor, industry news, recruiters

Don’t miss it – this is a unique event.  It’s easy and free to all.  Our site, www.nmvirtualjobfair.com, will host a winter virtual job fair January 24-28 for tech companies in New Mexico. 
This concept was developed to meet the needs of busy HR & recruiting personnel who spent a lot of time standing in booths at job fairs.  It also helps out the job seekers, saving them from having to stand in line to meet with recruiters.  The fair provides a way for companies to feature current jobs and draw attention to their opportunities, and for job seekers to get relevant feedback.    
Hiring in our state has seen small increases recently in the private sector, and our hope is that this year will see more growth in the tech sector.  People currently looking for new opportunities have their work cut out for them, though, as companies manage tight budgets and look for new ways to be more efficient.  Candidates with broad experience and multiple talents can add value in small organizations needing to grow. 
The 2011 Manpower Outlook Survey found mixed news for US job seekers according Jeffrey Joerres, CEO of Manpower Inc.  He says:
 “Seasonally adjusted data for the United States indicates the most optimistic first-quarter hiring sentiment in three years, yet 73 percent of employers indicate they will keep staff levels unchanged.  So while we’re seeing positive signals in the data, only time will tell if we’ve reached the inflection point in the U.S. labor market recovery.”

Everyone keep at it and let’s make 2011 a good year for the tech industry.

Tags: candidates, Hiring Trends, job fair, recruiters, recruiting, technical jobs

The movie “The Social Network” has stirred interest again in the many ways social networking can be used.  One market that is expanding rapidly is online recruiting and hiring for corporations and even small companies. 
An increasing number of recruiters and organizations are turning to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and more obscure niche social networking sites to speed up the recruitment process and reduce costs.  The process does, however, need to be managed appropriately. 
As I browsed LinkedIn I saw company (group) memberships that allowed current and past employees to join, and there were job listings on the site.  Some provided alternative links for non-employees to check out  jobs. I also noticed that companies join professional organizations in their industry and through that link attract more-qualified candidates for their needs.
There are a number of ways to use the social media to recruit.  Company blogs may include job opportunities with links to social media sites provided.  For a specific set of skills a company may post a technical question on their network and use the responses to identify a potential recruit.  The social networks also provide another way for a company to highlight their organization to attract a specific group of people.  Organizations may encourage employees to create a LinkedIn account to enhance its employee referral program. 
Cautions for companies diving in to the new social media – don’t stop using your other sources, but allocate efforts among the different recruiting tools.  Also, make sure that your application process is sophisticated enough for the new group of tech-savvy applicants.  Seamless processes help insure that the folks you are interested in will get through.  Otherwise they may  just get impatient and move on to another opportunity.
For job seekers, the trick is to get involved in these networks by searching for appropriate groups and individual links that further your career search.  As mentioned above, getting involved in discussions related to your experience could get you noticed by a recruiter.  Make sure that your own social network page is professional and targeted to the market you are interested in. 
As always, good luck!

Tags: applications, candidates, For Employers, hiring talent, Hiring Trends, industry news, job seeker, recruiters, social network