The Growing Need For Legal Recruitment in the Middle East

With the Credit Crisis looming in the UK, legal recruitment agencies are striving to find ways to escape its grips. Meanwhile, a five hour flight away is the United Arab Emirates; where the fast rate of economic growth means that legal jobs are arising quicker than a blink of the eye. So is it time for the UK legal recruitment industry to tap into the Middle East legal job market?

The Recruiter recently reported that last year there was a 7.9% increase in the total number of employees in the UAE and this figure represents growth in a variety of sectors. While many legal recruitment agencies have already opened up offices in the Middle East to take advantage of these opportunities, there still seems to be a gap in the market for niche, sector specific agencies - legal recruitment being one of them.

There are a number of factors that suggest legal recruitment in the Middle East would be a highly profitable venture. Perhaps the most obvious is that the increasing demand for common law, qualified solicitors in the labour market with numerous job vacancies for banking, corporate and constructions solicitors.

Also there is the fact the fact that the UAE are an oil rich country combined with the current cost of oil - many more doors have been opened up within the legal market; a higher demand for Private Equity Lawyers, an arising need for energy, fuel and gas solicitors and commercial solicitors - to name but a few.

With law firms, and indeed, companies trying to cope with the fast pace of expansion, legal recruitment agencies will be a valuable tool throughout the process.

However, in order to be successful in the legal recruitment market, legal recruiters must be able to source the personnel. The large presence of international legal practices in the United Arab Emirates make it fairly easy for legal staff in the UK to relocate - and together with tax-free salaries, large bonuses and most importantly, the prospects of sunshine; this may seem like an enticing proposition! Also bearing in mind the growing number of redundancies in the UK within sectors such as property law, there is no shortage of UK legal staff on the look out for stable legal jobs offering good future prospects. However, while the pros of relocating to the Gulf seem endless, one must not forget to look at the downsides - whilst salaries are tax free, the cost of living in the Gulf is notoriously high. The Economist noted a 30% rise in house prices in 2006 and a further 17% increase in 2007 but the government is attempting to regulate the cost of living by capping rental increases at 5%.

In addition to finding legal staff to fill Middle East vacancies, legal recruitment agencies must also be able to employ valuable recruitment consultants. Nevertheless, this does not seem to present a huge problem as it has been suggested that up to 75% of recruitment consultants in Gulf have actually relocated from the UK. Since legal consultant's salaries are generally commission based, the Gulf presents the perfect opportunity to earn some hefty bonuses with a big deal never far out of sight.
In conclusion, the Middle East seems like the perfect solution to benefiting from the tough legal recruitment climate in the UK. With the small amount of competition, and the market still set to grow significantly over the next few years - there couldn't be a better time for the UK Legal Recruitment industry to take advantage of the Middle East's buoyant legal job market.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI cert to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Building a "Recruitment Culture" in Your Organization

An important step in any recruiting strategy is to go beyond the typical employee referral program and build an internal Recruitment Culture. A Recruitment Culture is a mindset where every employee in an organization is responsible for helping to uncover talent every day. Referral bonuses or rewards are a primary tool but the mindset must be that it is in an employee's best interest to work with the best talent available - and understand the role they can play in securing that talent. A Recruitment Culture dramatically increases the amount of people and hours involved in recruiting without hiring additional recruiting staff.

To be successful employees in an organization need to understand that because of their professional and social networks they can play a significant role identifying talent brought into the organization. Because these employees are not Recruiters and are doing the actual work in the area being recruited there is automatically more credibility than if the candidate were speaking with a Recruiter or HR Representative. Because the employee is doing the job the prospective candidate will be doing the employee can explain the work much more accurately and give an expectation of what it is like to work for the organization.

Employees should be encouraged to network within online resources such as LinedIn and Facebook as well as with former co-workers and college alum. Viral marketing techniques should be incorporated - encourage employees to write about the organization on professional blogs and forums. Employees should be encouraged to post positive stories about the organization, news releases and stories about what it's like to work in the organization. Additionally employees e-mail auto-signatures should include a blurb about the organization and a link to the organization's employment web page.

Employees who make referrals should be involved in the interview process and rewarded for their efforts. An employee making a referral will be excited about the referral's candidacy and should be given the opportunity to interview the candidate. The employee will feel engaged, empowered and have positive things to say about the organization and position.

Rewards should be given both at the time of the referral and the time the referred candidate is hired. When an employee makes a referral give them a small cash reward, gift card or some other reward for their efforts. A cash bonus should be given when/if the referral is hired.

A Recruitment Culture will lead to a positive employment brand built by an organization's employees and will attract passive candidates who have not previously looked at the organization or are not even currently looking for work. The key is to implement a Recruitment Culture as part of an organization's overall recruitment strategy and train employees on what it means, their responsibilities to the success of the program and organization and their rewards.

If you are seeking for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI certification to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Career Objective in A Resume - Important Or Not?

The purpose of a career resume is simple. It is designed to get a meeting, whether that be an interview with a potential employer,with a recruitment consultant or very occasionally for a meeting with a referral contact where that person has expressed an interest in a possible position with his or her organisation.

It is often a useful exercise to include a career objective in the resume when you wish to indicate to the reader:-
• That you specifically match the needs of the organisation for a specific role.

• That you are very clear idea about where your career is going and you are demonstrating determination and purpose.

• That you are going for a more senior role to the one you are currently in or have just left and therefore your salary expectations are higher.

Some people may be skeptical about the last point, because the job market is competitive at present.

But remember that employers will often favor the " bolder " candidate, because they have challenging issues that they need a strong individual to help them deal with.
As far as putting a career objective on a resume is concerned, it can be placed at the end of the three to four line profile or as a separate paragraph just below the profile on the first page.

The use of a career objective is also useful as it functions as a keyword or phrase when your resume is selected as part of a Google search by a recruiter. And lastly for the students of psychology, it acts as goal as far as your subconscious is concerned. So repeat it several times a day and you may surprise yourself by getting a more senior role than you had before.
This is just one suggestion for helping in a job search which is why you should sign up for my free 5 day mini course at http://www.careers-advisor.com

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic with efma to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Role of Recruitment Consultants in Corporate Training

Corporate training is a special form of guidance and education which is aimed at improving the skills of employees and increases their performance by putting focus on professional development. Employers and companies use this guidance procedure to train new employees, to promote employees into jobs which require different set of skills and to provide the current personnel with new skills for their existing job. The corporate training can be company specific or it can be general. As for a recruitment consultant, he/she is a person who is responsible for assimilating candidates and then matching them with permanent or temporary position jobs with their clients. The jobs can vary from starting roles to key jobs like executives and directors.

Many organizations have whole departments whose sole aim is to train and develop their employees. These departments include technical writers, training specialists and in house instructors who design instruction and training manuals which are specific to a job or that particular company. Almost every corporation considers that it is important to provide their employees with adequate training so that they can compete with the challenges of the ever evolving businesses and changing markets. Lately, recruitment consultants are also becoming a major part of the corporate training procedure.

A recruitment consultant has a lot of experience working with his/her client corporations and building relationships so that he/she can better understand their recruitment requirements. Most consultants monitor various candidates, do background search, interview them and then match them with the suitable corporations. Another part of their job involves giving advice to corporations and candidates regarding career opportunities, training requirements and salary levels. As a consultant is almost as aware regarding the skills and experience of a candidate (even more considering the fact that consultant knows which company can best utilize those specific skills and experience), he/she can help the candidate in achieving special corporate training that can help the job seeker to develop his/her existing skills or learn new techniques and expertise.
There are different forms of corporate training which include computer training, leadership training, interpersonal skills, diversity, customer service, communication, organization, time management and sales. A recruitment consultant helps the candidate to decide or can advice him/her in deciding as to which form of training can be suitable for the candidate. They also help corporations in deciding as to which training type should be provided to the current or new employees to enhance their corporate skills.
It is seen many times that corporations misjudge (over estimate or under estimate) the capabilities of their new employees. Corporate training can help the employees to gain the skills and expertise required for that job. A recruitment agency provides the corporation with their knowledge regarding the candidates (that they had gained from interviews and tests) and which form of training would be best for them. The consultant knows as to whether a company requires a new leader or a software expert and he/she also knows the personnel with the required skill (or who has the ability to learn that skill). This two way facilitation helps the corporation as well as the candidate to solidify their relationship which can lead to long term success for both the entities.

If you are sourcing for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic course to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Looking For Jobs in Manufacturing? How to Select the Best ExecutiveRecruitment Partner For You

For those with little experience of today's recruitment market within the manufacturing and engineering industry, it can often be a daunting task to understand the best way of securing an appropriate technical engineering job, senior management position or an executive appointment. Within this article we hope to give you some more information on how to select the best Executive Recruitment partner for you.

Often, new job seekers become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of manufacturing jobs advertised on online recruitment sites such as Monster, Total, Jobs, Hotonline, Planet Recruit, Jimfinder, Just Engineers, Executives on the Web and Jobsite. Furthermore, individuals seeking manufacturing jobs, often become disheartened when they receive very few responses to a high volume of applications made. For those that are new onto the market, there are a few things that should be considered, probably the main one being "which is the best executive recruitment company to partner with?"

In order to supplement your own job applications, it is advisable to partner with one or a select few Executive Recruitment Companies who genuinely specialise in Manufacturing and Engineering vacancies as opposed to working with a generalist. Often the most valuable process undertaken by the executive recruitment consultant will be to spend time understanding your individual needs, your key skill sets and your career aspirations, and then work alongside you to generate a profile of clients which they can then make direct contact with. The consultants understanding of the manufacturing and engineering industry is a vital factor in this process as this knowledge can save a lot of time in securing your next job. A good understanding of the cultures that exist in certain types of manufacturing environments, a knowledge of which skills would be of interest to certain businesses, an understanding of the key drivers that exist within specific sectors can only add value to the candidates job hunt, as this will ensure that well matched manufacturing vacancies are presented to the candidate in a timely manner.

Further considerations when looking for a job in manufacturing

As mentioned above, it is recommendable that you choose a recruitment consultant who focuses purely on working with people in industry to fill manufacturing and engineering jobs. It is also advisable to consider and question further what area of expertise your ideal consultant would have. Would they specialise in aerospace jobs, automotive jobs, jobs in defence, jobs in the process industry, jobs in design, capital equipment jobs; obviously the list is endless. Once you have considered this, it is worthwhile considering what level of job you are focussing on i.e. is would your ideal consultant specialise in technical engineering vacancies, management jobs, senior management jobs, director level appointments or executive appointments.

Obviously what we are doing here is coming up with the "best fit" for you, the ideal company for you to partner with. At this stage it is worthwhile investing some time in speaking with few people in your own network, looking through recruitment websites to get a feel of what certain companies can offer before picking up the telephone and speaking with the recruitment consultants direct. At this stage it is worthwhile asking the consultant you speak with the questions that will help determine how close the recruitment consultancy is to your "ideal recruitment partner." Once you have shortlisted 3 or 4 specialist manufacturing and engineering recruitment companies, it would be advisable for you to meet with the company's consultants face to face to understand them more and to ensure that you have fully demonstrated your key achievements, your aspirations and the key factors you are looking for in your new job. This information will ensure that they work with all the facts required for them to do their job effectively.

With one or two quality recruitment companies working on your behalf, at the right level, in the correct areas of the market, this should ensure that your exposure is maximised and that you get the correct volume and quality of manufacturing and engineering vacancies to consider. If this thorough process is followed thoroughly, then when combined with other means of flagging up opportunities such as direct applications through the newspapers and internet, then it should ensure that no stone is left unturned and the process is as seamless as possible.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic with efma to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Role of Recruitment Consultants in Corporate Training

Corporate training is a special form of guidance and education which is aimed at improving the skills of employees and increases their performance by putting focus on professional development. Employers and companies use this guidance procedure to train new employees, to promote employees into jobs which require different set of skills and to provide the current personnel with new skills for their existing job. The corporate training can be company specific or it can be general. As for a recruitment consultant, he/she is a person who is responsible for assimilating candidates and then matching them with permanent or temporary position jobs with their clients. The jobs can vary from starting roles to key jobs like executives and directors.

Many organizations have whole departments whose sole aim is to train and develop their employees. These departments include technical writers, training specialists and in house instructors who design instruction and training manuals which are specific to a job or that particular company. Almost every corporation considers that it is important to provide their employees with adequate training so that they can compete with the challenges of the ever evolving businesses and changing markets. Lately, recruitment consultants are also becoming a major part of the corporate training procedure.

A recruitment consultant has a lot of experience working with his/her client corporations and building relationships so that he/she can better understand their recruitment requirements. Most consultants monitor various candidates, do background search, interview them and then match them with the suitable corporations. Another part of their job involves giving advice to corporations and candidates regarding career opportunities, training requirements and salary levels. As a consultant is almost as aware regarding the skills and experience of a candidate (even more considering the fact that consultant knows which company can best utilize those specific skills and experience), he/she can help the candidate in achieving special corporate training that can help the job seeker to develop his/her existing skills or learn new techniques and expertise.

There are different forms of corporate training which include computer training, leadership training, interpersonal skills, diversity, customer service, communication, organization, time management and sales. A recruitment consultant helps the candidate to decide or can advice him/her in deciding as to which form of training can be suitable for the candidate. They also help corporations in deciding as to which training type should be provided to the current or new employees to enhance their corporate skills.

It is seen many times that corporations misjudge (over estimate or under estimate) the capabilities of their new employees. Corporate training can help the employees to gain the skills and expertise required for that job. A recruitment agency provides the corporation with their knowledge regarding the candidates (that they had gained from interviews and tests) and which form of training would be best for them. The consultant knows as to whether a company requires a new leader or a software expert and he/she also knows the personnel with the required skill (or who has the ability to learn that skill). This two way facilitation helps the corporation as well as the candidate to solidify their relationship which can lead to long term success for both the entities.

If you are sourcing for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI cert to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Management Training For Recruitment Companies - 4 Must Have Skills YourRecruitment Managers Need

As a recruitment manager there are certain key skills you must have if you want your recruitment consultants to perform. Here are my top four skills

1. Motivating
Motivation is an interesting subject. Some people believe that the only person you can motivate is yourself. There might be some element of truth in that. However as a recruitment manager who needs to get her team back on track this is not particularly helpful. So how do we handle this one? How about reframing this to look at inspiring high performance. You see once people start acting and they get results something happens. Suddenly they are willing to make that extra call, come in half an hour early. Magic starts to happen. So thinking this through motivating your recruitment consultants is all about inspiring them, and that starts with giving them time and attention. So often recruitment managers assume that their recruitment consultants know what they are doing and don't need a pat on the back. A first step might be to ask them what is important to them and this will give you a clue as to what the next step might be. Joan might want to get a shed load of cash for the next holiday where John might be motivated to perform well and be considered for the next job.

The only way you will find this out is by asking someone not what motivates them. Instead ask what is important to them? You might be surprised at the answer.

2. Developing Your Team
Any recruitment manager needs the help of her or his team to succeed. The truth is that some of the consultants you are managing will have more skills than others. Because you are taking the helicopter view you will be more aware than they are about the areas they need to focus on to improve their results. First of all think through is there are any glaring issues? Are they confident with candidates and clients? Do they know how to sell? I don't mean just tell sell either. Do they understand how to identify the needs of both their clients and candidates? As a recruitment manager create a training needs analysis for each person and then focus on how to make this happen. Some elements will be easy to address. If you take time to do this you will be in the select few. As a consequence don't be surprised to see how fast you will be able to help your team develop.

3. Performance Management
So you have found out what motivates your recruitment consultants, and you are also a great recruitment manager that helps develop them as well. It's working with most of the team with the odd exception. First of all let me tell you that you are not alone, it happens to all recruitment managers no matter how successful they are.

I am sure you have heard of paretos principle often called the 80/20 rule. To sum it up eighty percent of results are delivered by around twenty percent of activities or in this case twenty percent of your team. So first of all expect it. Then you will need to do something about it. Depending on the size of your recruitment company you will have some human resources support that will give you a guide on first steps. This will need to be aligned with the job description and your own standards of performance document. This makes performance management much easier to manage. If you don't have anything like this in place this is an action for you. With any performance issue you need to give the consultant time to put it right and with your help. Then monitor this closely.

4. Managing Discipline
This is often missed off many training courses and is important. The challenge with recruitment managers and this recruitment management skill is where the line is drawn between feedback and discipline. Often this is because it does not relate to the consultants work. Classic examples are lateness, attitude to others, personal grooming, alcohol or substance abuse. The key thing is to have a plan. Do some research and decide what you are going to do and then, take action. It is rare that disciplinary issue resolve of their own accord.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic with efma to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Secretes of Dealing with Recruitment Agencies

There are lots and lots of specialty sites out there on the Net and I'm talking about job sites. You can find sites for part-time workers, office workers, team workers, temporary and contract workers. You can also go into recruitment sites and enlist their support and help.

Dealing with the recruitment site. Firstly you need to no that they usually charge fees for their service. However, it can reduce your headaches and time by using a recruitment service. There are a number of recruitment services out there. Everything for multi-national companies to some local recruitment services, look in your local newspaper, community papers. Check-out local advertising, maybe your Chamber of Commerce or industry body has a list of recruitment agencies in the area or just do a search on Google or Yahoo and see what you can come up with.

Generally a recruitment agency is there to assist you, possible act as your HR department, trying to find the right employee. The agency will do all of the leg work. However you still have to now what the employee is to look like, I don't mean physically. The skills they have, what will they be doing in your company etc. Some question you need to answer and you need to consider could be; what type of employee do you want? What's the job? What skills are required? What do you want them to do? What are the working hours? What are the conditions? And, of course, what is their pay? You need to be very clear about who you are looking for. In fact clearer than if you are recruiting yourself. My recommendation is prepare a job description for the job, (a detailed job description). This helps a recruiter to select the right person for you.

Most recruitment agencies will have a series of questions to ask of you. These are about your business, what you specialize in, number of existing employees, the new employee's duties etc....
The majority of recruitment agencies operate in a couple ways. And many variations in-between. You need to choose what's best for you. Most are very flexible with what services you require. The main method they contract to are; One, - you can employ the recruiter to not only run the advertisements and supply you with a short list of applicants, between three to five for interview. From here you can interview the applicants yourself and employ them directly. Or the recruitment agency can take on the entire process. And you end up with a person or the final selection from the interviews report.
Another way is to leave the candidate with the agency. The candidate becomes the employee of the agency. They pay wages and all insurances, present you with an invoice either weekly, monthly or whatever their conditions of payment are, which you in-turn pay on that. If you didn't wish to have the employee, it becomes the agencies problem to find other employment for them. However make sure that you understand the terms of your contract with the agency your are dealing with. Because this differs from company to company. Read and understand what you are signing, before you enter into an agreement.

If you are looking at recruiting someone, then it's a good way to go. It can cut down your time on recruitment, letting you get on with business. If you want to find out a little bit more about what's out there and how to go about advertising on the Net for employees and using which job sites, there's a great book out called "Everything You Need to Know about Job Advertising".

If you are sourcing for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI certification to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Overcoming The Experience Gap In Recruitment Consultant Jobs

There is an age old problem of hungry (not literally, but possibly!) graduates looking to prove a point or a chance in the recruitment industry. A quick search online and you can find hundreds of recruitment vacancies, which you are sure you can do a good job. However when you look at the adverts for recruitment jobs, the agencies always specify that they will only consider applications from candidates who have experience.

As a freshly graduated candidate, it's important to understand what experience means to your potential new employer and why it is so important. A recruitment consultant (or somebody wanting to be one) is either going to ask these questions in an interview, or should be aware of them.

1: What has this candidate done before?
2: Is their past work relevant to what they are applying for?
3: If it is relevant, how closely related is it?
4: Is there evidence that they did well?

There is logic behind the four above questions. The logical one is that history tends to repeat itself. For example, if a candidate for a recruitment consultancy position dropped out of university when the pressure mounted, they are likely to do so again. On the other hand, if a candidate had previously been a prefect or head pupil, a hall chairman at university or could boast of awards, there is a strong chance that the candidate is a "winner". A "winner" of sorts is likely to have leadership qualities and will be able to produce results, they may even be management material in the long run.
To go back onto the subject of overcoming the experience gap, or lack of experience, how do you do it? Well if you don't have direct experience, you need to be aware of what transferable skills that you posses. These skills should be the component parts of the role that you are applying for, ideally which you can demonstrate from a previous situation or a different context.

An example to give could be that you were one a committee when there was a need for a new member. You could have sat down and wrote a specification for the type of person you were looking for and then scoured around for people to fit the criteria. Once you'd made a shortlist, you could have had a chat with them to asses who was the most suitable.

This would be an ideal fit for a recruitment position, the process that you would have followed in the above example is very similar to the recruitment process.

The above example could seem a bit contrived, but when you break down the component parts of recruitment vacancies and the tasks involved, you will be able to find examples where you have achieved things such as these in other contexts.

For some added encouragement, many recruiters are always a little wary of when a supposedly successful recruitment consultant tries to move sideways into an identical role. Perhaps they have baggage, or aren't as eager or hungry to prove a point as a fresh graduate. Don't be afraid of displaying your eagerness to get an opportunity in an interview.

To summarise
1: List what you believe that your potential employer is looking for
2: Find examples of the components of the role that you are applying for
3: Make the interviewee aware that you are eager and don't carry any baggage.

If you have an interview and your not successful, don't let this put you off. A good interview technique takes practise, very few graduates land the first job they apply for.

Good Luck

If you are sourcing for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI certification to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Recruitment Trends in India

The employment industry in India is influenced by a number of external factors, like multinational companies and large conglomerates which are entering the market, so people take these changes into account when shaping the landscape of recruitment in a way which suits them best. According to a survey by LinkedIn, India has been adopting proactive recruitment methods and in this aspect the country ranks above the global average. According to another survey called 'Antal Global Snapshot' performed by Antal International, a multi-national recruitment firm, where 10,000 firms worldwide were surveyed, the Indian job market is improving with an increase of 19% since the beginning of this year, with 59% of companies hiring at the moment.

As a consequence of India's changing economic environment and its highest ranked priority, 'improving the quality of hire', some trends in recruiting have emerged:

Employer Branding
A good employer brand has a significant role in the ability to hire high-quality talent. 84% of people surveyed in India believe that their employer's brand is of great significance in hiring talent.
Upgrading employer branding is the number two trend in India with 35% of people surveyed investing in it. The best way to market your Employer Brand is through online social professional networks like LinkedIn since this is the fastest growing method for promotion of employer brands. This type of marketing has an increase in popularity by 11% since last year, and holds the first place.

Use of Data
Statistics show that companies that analyze recruiting are performing significantly better over their competitors who don't. By measuring your employer brand qualitatively and quantitatively, you can find out from where the best candidates come from and which advertising or sourcing channels are most efficient. These measurements will give you the opportunity to better understand your employment brand so you can go in the right direction and improve it.
52% of surveyed people in India think that organizations use data in the right way to make employment decisions, 55% survey their new employees regularly to gather knowledge about employment brand and 48% measure their employer brand.
Hiring Internally

The best companies are very supportive of Internal Hiring. This method for hiring is very valued by Indian employers. It is the second most popular trend for sourcing high-quality talent with a rise of 12% in the last 3 years according to the survey performed by LinkedIn. 94% of India's companies take internal hiring very seriously and invest in it more or the same as before. 56% of people are investing more than they did last year and 38% are investing the same.

The search for talent is replaced by development of talent. 84% of business leaders in India think that new leaders must be developed because the traditional model of leadership isn't performing well in today's working environment. So the trend of training employees is rising as opposed to the trend of hiring new employees.

Mobile Recruiting
Mobile recruiting is a good way to expand talent pools and enhance visibility for passive candidates who aren't actively looking for work. 59% of candidates use mobile to look for opportunities and 52% use mobile to apply. Nevertheless people still do not invest in it adequately with only 13% of people in India who do.

Social Media
Social media networks help companies get to know candidates in terms of areas of interest, professional network, educational qualifications and look into their career graph so to find the best people who fit their company. Social networks also provide the opportunity to reach out to passive candidates, people who have posted their resumes on social networks but aren't actively looking for work, save costs, and have access to a great talent pool.

Social media recruiting is the most popular recruiting trend in India with a rise of 20% in its popularity in the last 3 years according to the survey performed by LinkedIn. 40% of people surveyed use this method to source candidates. It seems that this trend is here to stay since it has been suggested that those companies and recruiting organizations which will not be using this platform in the next 5 years will be out of business.

Summary
The pioneer of these social media solutions is LinkedIn. It sells the LinkedIn Recruiter Tool to recruitment agencies that offers a whole landscape of tools created to help organizations source candidates. Everyone expected that recruitment agencies and outside recruiters will cease to exist with the growth of LinkedIn. However, this isn't the case since the emergence of these new tools made it more necessary to look for professionals to help find the right people.
The recruitment industry is not immune to changes that occur in the external environment and these trends change accordingly.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic exam to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Tips for Top Language Jobs

Language jobs are becoming immensely widespread as the world is speedily turning into a global village. Worldwide competitiveness has forced companies to find ways of gaining consumers without sinking. Reaching cross-culturally is a crucial way to gain popularity, gain international consumers as well as increase number of consumers. Jobs in languages other than English are a necessity since the majority of the global citizens speak foreign languages. Here are some useful tips for finding the best language jobs today.

Extending Your Career Opportunities

Almost any job can require languages; some of the top language jobs include market researcher, recruitment consultant, credit controller, technical help desk, commentator, translator, content writer and personal assistant. There are no limits to jobs in languages. Professionals including those planned above are distinct of the conventional jobs where languages are frequently used. Language fluency may not be as essential in such positions, but when merged with particular expertise or qualification, you can really advance your career opportunities.
Diverse Jobs in Languages

As a multilingual, you have countless options for finding international jobs. Fluency in two or more languages ushers you into a world of job opportunities. Multilingual employment is available in MNCs, telecommunications, accounting, law firms, healthcare, marketing, call centres, administration and many more. Jobs in languages have never been so diverse. Taking classes to enhance or brush up on your language skills other than your native tongue will further increase your chances of obtaining a multilingual career. With the internet being one of the best multilingual sources, you can literally learn a new language enrolling in classes online.
Consulting Multilingual Job Recruiters

There are extensive recruitment agencies that specialise in jobs in languages. Contacting these will assist your search for top language jobs that suit your skills. Here is what you can do:
• Submit a request with complete lingual skills and work experience, listing the jobs, positions and companies you have worked for.

• This is also your chance to develop your multilingual skills. State your level of fluency in the particular languages and whether you can handle a job in those languages.

• The agency will record your relevant information required for jobs in languages, including your outstanding skills that set you apart from other employment seekers.

• You will receive directions on performing your best for your job interview.

• Upon verifying your information in the catalogue, you will get in touch with jobs in languages as per your proficiency.

• Payrolls, incentives and appropriate facilities are arranged according to your skills, qualifications and field of interest. Language job recruiters will provide you with the ideal employment as per your competence and capability to manage the job, based on your information of previous jobs. For this reason, enter honest information.

Multilingual jobs can be great fun as well as challenging. It also develops your lingual skills as well as broadens your knowledge about other countries and the world in general.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic with efma to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Career Change - What is the Fastest Growing Job Market?

If you are just starting out in the labour market or planning to change career, you will want to know which jobs are experiencing the most growth, at a time when many companies are folding.
Although it is by no means the only factor to take into account, the careers tipped to grow most in the next 10-20 years are worth thinking about when it comes to making your decision. On the other hand, spending your entire working life in a job you hate is probably not what you had in mind, even if there is more security and more money to be had.

This is why it is essential to look at the bigger picture. If you are aware of the trends and use a little creative thinking, you can find a job which benefits from economic growth but also fits in with your interests and preferences. Let's illustrate this with an example: as a result of the fact that population in most Western countries are becoming older, it's no surprise that healthcare comes high on the list of industries which are experiencing expansion.

But what can you do if you don't like the idea of working in healthcare?

The key here is to consider exactly what this trend involves and look at how other careers, not directly linked to healthcare will fit in. When you hear the term "aging population", a vision of an old people's home is probably what springs to mind. But think a little more and you'll realize that new centres for the elderly will require architects, builders, painters and decorators, plumbers,
administrators and accountants. Another important point, especially in today's health conscious society, is that health is not just about caring for people once they fall ill - it's also about educating them to prevent illness and about helping them changing their lifestyles if they do become ill, so that they can cure or reduce symptoms.

This has opened up many new possibilities in a wide variety of career areas such as cooking, nutrition, complementary medicine, occupational therapy, fitness and sport. And if you look at the situation even more closely, you will see that the development of a predominantly older population will change life dramatically for the younger generation as well. This could result in the creation of jobs we've probably not even dreamt of now. Before you dismiss this as science fiction, consider that 50 years ago many jobs we now take for granted simply did not exist.

When it comes to trends, jobs related to computing are also expected to see massive growth, but this doesn't necessarily mean you need to consider a high-tech career. More technology means more jobs in sales and if you enjoy teaching, there is plenty of scope for educating people in how to use the latest inventions. Whilst these jobs do require a certain amount of technical knowledge, their main focus is on other skills. And if you hate technology, you could look at ways to help people deal with the stress of using it so much in their jobs.

The changing job market itself is resulting in an increase of around 30% in posts such as recruitment consultant. And with more people choosing to become self-employed, any job which aims at solving the problems faced by would-be entrepreneurs would give you plenty of scope.

Another growth area is hospitality, tourism and leisure which offer a huge variety of jobs as well as the chance to go abroad. Again, you don't need to be a chef, hotel manager or personal trainer - look at all the support structures which have to be in place to ensure the smooth running of any undertaking in this industry and you'll find there are possibilities for people with a whole range of talents and skills.

Don't be put off if trends in the employment market don't suit your interests. Do a little thinking outside the box and you'll find a new career to suit your personality and skills.

If you are sourcing for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI cert to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Four Fundamental Flaws of Recruiting New Consultants ThroughRecruitment Consultancy Agencies

Over the last few years it has become increasingly popular for companies to use recruiting consultants for finding and hiring new workers. And while the method is a bit of a disaster in terms of finding quality people, most companies continue in blissful ignorance to keep using it.

The sad reality is that this practice has also become the way for consulting firms to hire new associates.
When manual workers are hired this way, it may be a reasonable approach, but it's a huge mistake, even a cardinal sin of biblical proportions for consulting firms to acquire talents this way.

Sadly, when Friedrich Winslow Taylor, the world's first self-appointed management consultant, was peddling his "Scientific Management" concept, and basically said that in the past people came first, but in the future systems come first and people become tightly-controlled, fungible expenses.

He also said that with the help of tight systems and processes, people with the intelligence of oxen can be employed because even they can understand the simple tasks they have to repeatedly perform to serve the system.

And with this action, Taylor and his notorious stopwatch took pride and fulfilment out of work, and turned it into monotonous drudgery.
And this "Anyone can do any kind of work" has paved the path to...
The Rise Of Recruitment Agencies And Recruiting Consultants...
HR generalists quickly realised that if anyone can do any kind of work, then HR generalists, most of them without any industry-specific content knowledge, can hire any person for any position in any industry.

And then they started the new industry.

First it became a norm for industrial companies to outsource their recruitment to recruitment agencies, and industrial companies enjoyed the expert help.
So the recruitment industry quickly cobbled together a so-called body of knowledge, mainly consisting of various pseudo-psychological testing, and an increasing number of recruitment consultancy agencies started promoting their services to time-strapped managers.

And by now we also know that traditional, industrial-age HR has miserably flopped in the knowledge age.

In his book Conversations on Customer Service and Sales, Ken Edmundson tells us that...

"Mathematically we have a 52% chance of hiring the right person if we just flip a coin, and studies reveal that we only increase that a whopping 8% by using our wonderful interviewing skills."

So, with some serious prodding from Taylor's Scientific Management, we got into the industrial age pretty quickly, but his message, although 99.999% obsolete, is so entrenched in managers, that they can't think in any other way of hiring people.

And what have this entrenched mindset and antiquated HR practices created?

A recent Gallup Poll study indicates that 59% of the workforce is disengaged, that is goofing off. 14% actively pursues non-work-related activities. And only a mere 27% actually work.

According to a study by the Insurance Journal, over 50% of North American workers question the morality of their leaders and feel mistreated by their managers. Less than 15% of workers feel strongly energised by their work and 42% struggles with burnout.

And managers hold on to this obsolete "manual worker" type HR mindset, in spite of the loud and clear message from Peter Drucker, who, in his 1954 book, The Practice Of Management, introduced us to the concepts of knowledge age, knowledge work and knowledge worker by writing...

"Knowledge workers are volunteers who own the means of their performance, and whether or not they remain with any one company is totally volitional. Just like most investors, they will go where they can earn a fair economic return-measured in wages, fringe benefits, and other pecuniary rewards-as well as where they are well treated and respected, the psychological return. In the knowledge society, the most probable assumption for organizations - and certainly the assumption on which they have to conduct their affairs - is that they need knowledge workers far more than knowledge workers need them."

And after this short, but necessary detour, we arrive at the...

Problems Of Recruiting Consultants Through Recruitment Consultancy Agencies
While in most industrial companies people are regarded merely as controllable expenses that have to be minimised, since it's the system that does the work, in consulting firms people are supposed to be the firms' greatest assets. Actually people are the very "things" consulting firms sell. Their people and their relationships.

Before consulting firms can sell their services to their clients, clients have to buy the firms' people. That is, clients have to be sold on the firms' overall culture and character traits, based on its people's character.

So, when firms hire new associates, they have to consider two main factors: 1) The candidate's character and 2) the candidate's expertise.

So, when hiring consultants, where do recruitment agencies fall flat on their faces?
Let's start the discovery...

Agency Recruitment Flow #1: No Or Very Little Subject Matter Expertise
The first problem is that most recruitment agencies don't have subject matter expertise in your firm's area of expertise, so the candidate pre-screening is pretty haphazard.

Yes agencies can use various psychological testing methods, but most of these tests are merely pseudo-scientific, and can test only the candidate's character. And even for that they are not bulletproof.

But agencies can't determine candidates' expertise levels. That would require judgement and discernment, but in the absence of subject matter expertise, these agencies can't really judge or discern anything.

And when we don't have the knowledge to discern something, we resort to the usage of measuring sticks.

Imagine figure skating, for instance. Imagine that one of the judges doesn't understand figure skating, so, instead judging, he starts measuring how high skaters have jumped, how many degrees they've rotated their bodies and some other measurable nonsense.

No. Judges have to be able to make subjective decisions based on their expertise that is based both in skating and evaluating skating.

But in the absence of subject matter expertise, agencies often end up...

Agency Recruitment Flow #2: Looking For And Hiring Resume Superstars

These "resume superstars" look excellent on paper, because they've dedicated their lives to passing exams and looking good on paper. Every T is crossed and every I is "professionally" dotted from cradle to today.

Upon reading their resumes, recruiters pee themselves with delight because they think they've just found perfect candidates for their clients.

Or have they?

But one overlooked fact about superstars is that they became superstars in the very work environment and culture they worked before. And since you can't offer the same circumstances, the superstar may not become your superstar.

We know from Peter Drucker that manages are excellent at destroying people's innate motivation for doing great work...

"90% of what we call 'management' consists of making it difficult for people to get things done."

Here are a few reasons to avoid superstars
o Superstars can be expensive relative to what they can bring to the table - Superstars need to operate in a superstar environment. But superstar environments can happen only at the expense of teamwork. So, what do we need? Superstars or superstar teams. My vote is on the latter. And a group of superstars is not a superstar team. No way, baby!

o Superstars can undermine the motivation of your current people.

o Superstars are seeking the highest bidder. If your competitor tops even by just a bit what you pay your superstars, they're gone.

So, what's the alternative?

Grow your superstars in-house.

The good thing is that they grow within your culture and values, and they can become superstars without the typical superstar attitudes. Also, they become great team players. And now you have the recipe for a superstar team. And what else can a firm leader wish for? Well, not a sausage really. Well, maybe a sausage on a good day.

Agency Recruitment Flow #3: Focusing On Filling A Vacancy Not To Advance The Firm's Performance

Recruitment agencies are also called headhunters for a reason. They hunt down heads for their clients and fill their clients' vacancy slots.

In good consulting firms there aren't many vacancies. Since people enjoy both the work and the company of colleagues and clients, not to mention that they are paid well, talent attrition is pretty low.

In contrast look at a manufacturing company where people who work on the production lines may have an annual attrition of 20-30%.

Agencies are good at mass-hiring to fill vacancy slots, but hiring consultants is a bit more delicate.
It's like hiring staff to the White House. The public elects the president, and then the president personally handpicks his closest colleagues, including the Vice President, Secretary of State, Chief of Staff and a few other key people.

But the president is not personally involved in the selection of an apprentice potato peeler. These lower level slots can be filled through a recruitment agency.

I believe that in consulting firms, as in all tight-knit, firmly-integrated units, firm's leaders personally must recruit all new people simply because in a consulting firm there is no such thing as the proverbial potato peeler.

Due to its nature, consulting firms have only important people, and that includes the often undervalued receptionist who provides the firm's first "live" impression to acquiring prospects.
Leaders know their firms' cultures the best and, so they know who would best fit into those cultures.
Yes, agencies can compare resumes, cover letters and other factual pieces of information, but when it comes to such a highly personalised profession as consulting, we have to go way beyond explicit information, thus pieces of papers become pretty meaningless.

Is this the agencies' fault? No. I don't think so.

But agencies have many clients and many types of clients to recruit for. There is no time to give due attention to each hiring situation.

The largest part of the hiring process is to find a match between the candidate's and the firm's character and values. And no agency can do that because the agency is not part of the firm's culture.
And just because the agency fills the firm with people who look superstars on paper, it doesn't mean that the firm becomes a superstar firm. It means it becomes the collection of people who've dedicated their lives to looking excellent on paper.

But let's not confuse resume expertise and applicable expertise.

Agency Recruitment Flow #4: Conflict Of Interest Regarding Compensation
Once upon a time, companies - erroneously - realised that instead of paying agencies flat fees, they can create an incentive for agencies by paying them a percentage of the new recruit's salary for a certain number of years.

And this creates a conflict of interest.

Once an agency recruits a candidate, that candidate becomes the agency's client.
And we all know that it's many times cheaper and easier to work with existing clients than acquiring new ones. Agencies know this rule too.

So, let's say, the agency recruits Jill for a consulting position. The consulting firm agrees to pay the agency 15% of Jill's total compensation for three years.

So far so good. The consulting firm's problem starts when on 1st January of the fourth year, the agency calls Jill and offers her a new and better position with another consulting firm.
This way the agency can re-start the three year period during which it receives a percentage of Jill's compensation.

Yes, agencies can recruit good people for your firm. But as soon as the agency stops receiving payments on this person, the agency has a vested interest in poaching this person away from your firm, send her to another firm and get paid again for a few years.

So, what can consulting firms do?

If you need an agency's help, then pay for it a flat fee upfront, and that's it.
It costs the agency some serious money in the present to land a new person for you, and if all what the agency gets is a small percentage of future money, then the agency rightly tries to keep receiving that future money as long as possible.

So, To Use Or Not To Use Agencies?
I've always been surprised how keen many firm leaders are in personally selecting the wallpaper for their offices, the photocopier or the toilet seats for the staff loo, but then relegating the role of acquiring their profit-generating assets, their people, to a third-party agency.

It's the equivalent of asking your friend to knock your wife up, because you need a baby by Easter, but you have neither time nor inclination to do it yourself. The example is pretty wild, but demonstrates the point.
What is the message sent out through the recruiting agency?

Simple: Our people are NOT important enough for us to invest time and energy to select them personally.

And guess what? If people are not important enough before recruiting, they won't be important enough after recruitment either. This is why talent attrition is so high among consulting firms? And since most firms promote internal competition, when associates leave, they are highly likely to take their clients with them.

Firms keep shouting at the world they want to partner up with their clients, while often treating their own people like dirt. I believe, first they ought to partner up with their own people and create the kind of environment in which people are excited, energised and enthused to do their best and brightest day in day out.

And it all starts at the recruitment stage.

The basic difference is that while other industries hire people for jobs, consulting firms ought to recruit people for careers. Failing to distinguish between jobs and careers can cause high talent turnover. And that leads to increasing client attrition, and gradually eroding revenues.
I leave you with a thought from the renegade musical genius, Frank Zappa. He once noted...

"When people started taking MBA seriously, that was the beginning of the ruination the North American industrial society. When all decisions are based on an MBA concept of numerical reality, you are deep shit, because the only thing that can be judged as real is that which can be proved by columns of figures. And when all aesthetic decisions are turned over to these kinds of people, who use these criteria to make steering decisions for a company with no regard to people and no regard for what the product really is, and the only thing that matters is maximising your profit, you have a problem."

Agencies can compare the numerical stuff, but unless firms go deeper, they will always fail to engage their people at the heart level, where enthusiasm, passion and dedication lie.
But clients don't buy consulting services per se. They buy into relationships with people of specific character. And agencies can't hire this character, only the firms.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI certificate to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Employment Agencies and Online Recruitment

Employment agencies are there for both the employer and the potential candidate. If you have ever made use of the services of a recruiter you will realize how much work actually goes into finding the right job for the right candidate. More often than not the employment agencies can pull it off as they have the right contacts and the sheer drive and determination. Often times, the recruitment company will also serve dedicated clients, giving them a greater understanding of the company ethos and culture, making it easier to place the right kind of person in the right kind of job. For those people too busy to search for recruits and for those would be employees without the resources to search for jobs, employment agencies are the perfect solution.

In most cases, recruiters pay the agencies a percentage for every candidate they manage to acquire for the business. This can be levied on the candidates first year's salary and can be in the region of 10% up to 30%. This fee can seem extortionate, but for employers who are desperate to recruit, they will not even bat an eyelid. Obviously negotiations can always be made to bring the fee down a bit, and some employment agencies actually come to expect this. Other employment agencies request a flat rate for full services rendered on one job posting, this is known as fixed price recruitment. Further options are for employers who recruit on a regular basis to have a membership in place with employment agencies, allowing them constant and consistent access to a portfolio of potential employees. This kind of association is most beneficial to both the potential employer as well as the agencies in that it is easier to place a candidate when there is a significant understanding of what is required, and a relationship between the two parties will allow for this to happen.

Employers are not the only ones who benefit enormously from the services of online recruitment agencies. Candidates and job seekers also find excellent service and enormous assistance through this business relationship. The candidate will outline the job that he or she is looking for, and provide their skills, experience and educational background. Using the information provided, the agencies can find suitable openings for the candidate and will organise interviews where applicable. All negotiations will take place through the fixed price recruitment companies themselves until a contract has been signed and payment is guaranteed.

If you are seeking for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

What Is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application that helps an organization manage and automate their recruitment process. Importantly, since so much of the recruiting process has now become electronic, an ATS is important because it enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs such as submitting online job descriptions and capturing applications in and electronic format.
As such, Applicant Tracking Systems can be used by any organization that recruits permanent or temporary staff, including:

1. Independent recruiters


2. Staffing agencies


3. Executive search firms


4. Large enterprises


5. Small and mid-size businesses (SMB)

For large companies and SMB, an ATS is typically implemented and managed by the Human Resource (HR) group. However, in smaller companies that do not have a dedicated HR function the ATS system can be managed directly by hiring managers and without any technical knowledge.
The typical functions on an Applicant Tracking System include:

1. Creating job requisition


2. Job board posting


3. Online application


4. Applicant screening


5. Applicant scoring and knock-out


6. Workflow automation


7. Resume search


8. Self identification / EEO tracking and reporting


9. Standard and ad-hoc Reporting

One of the important characteristics of an ATS is the creation of one central location and database for a company's recruitment efforts. Having one centralized database enables companies to more effectively and efficiently organize resumes, rank candidates, and communicate with hiring managers internally as well as respond to applicants in an orderly and timely manner.
As example, a company can use online HR and recruiting software to create and then post jobs at online job boards such as Monster and Career Builder. In addition, the company can find resumes posted on resume boards, collect them in their database and determine if there is a potential match, or see if the candidate's information is already in the system. HR or hiring managers can conduct data-mining on the database and even set up workflow to automate some of the time-consuming tasks required to follow-up with all parties.

Trends are making Applicant Tracking Systems more attractive to businesses of all sizes. Historically, Applicant Tracking Systems have been expensive to purchase and implement, due to licensing, customization and management costs. As a result, they were mainly used by large recruiting firms and large enterprises. However, recent trends have made Applicant Tracking Systems more attractive to smaller recruiters and small and mid-size businesses.

Many systems are now offered using the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model with a low, recurring subscription fee rather than a large upfront license fee. This allows organizations to implement a system without making a major commitment to a product. Also, Applicant Tracking Systems have become more configurable, allowing users to self-implement their systems using internal resources, rather than incurring vendor customization charges.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic with efma to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Interview Expenses: Should You Be Reimbursed ForThem?

Should you get reimbursed for interview travel expenses?

I've helped a number of job searchers who had to travel a fair distance to get to an interview.

In most cases the hiring manager I was dealing with would cover reasonable interview expenses.

In some cases it was a fairly easy answer especially when it involved flying a person in. In this case, I have never had an experience where a company required someone to fly in for an interview and didn't pick up the costs ie. I have never had a job searcher have to pay out of their own pocket to be flown in an interview.

A reasonable company would cover the costs for flying someone in for an interview, I believe, if they were really interested in the person and were interested in gaining a reputation as a reasonable company.

It doesn't take long for companies to get a reputation for doing things the "wrong way" and this case, being cheap if they force potential employees to pay for their own airfare, hotel, etc!

But what if you need to incur interview travel expenses for out of town interviews that you drive to?

This is probably a case of dealing with this situation on a case by case basis.

Of course I'm not talking about requesting interview travel expenses for driving across town for an interview and expecting that the interviewing company will pay for your gas or parking. I wouldn't expect that although I have heard of some hiring managers who offer to take care of parking expenses.

I'm talking about a situation where you have to drive a longer distance, perhaps several hours or longer, and one that might require you to stay overnight.

I had one client who was a 4 hour drive away from where I worked and since most of the job candidates I was sending this client lived in my city, most of these people were taking an 8 hour trip (return) to attend the interview.

Some had to go back for a second interview.

This company generally only covered driving expenses for people who had to drive back for a second interview since they tried to interview people over one day to avoid having to ask the interviewee to come back again.

Would I recommend asking a potential hiring company if they would pick up your interview travel expenses if they don't offer to do so?

Unfortunately this question is not one that necessarily has a black or white answer because it really depends on specifics. The best thing you can do is look at things on a case by case basis and use common sense.

You don't want to lose out on a job for asking to be reimbursed for $20 in gas, do you?

If the travel costs are significant and you're working with a recruiter, you might ask them if their client picks up travel expenses and get their help. If you're dealing directly with the company without a recruiter, it will probably be a judgment call on your behalf.

Mind you if these travel costs are significant and the company doesn't offer to pay or refuses to pay for them, it might be a not-so-subtle indication of how this company treats people.

We don't live in a perfect world unfortunately.

Certainly if you need to be flown in for an interview I'd be surprised if the company did not pick up the expenses but if you're driving in, the company may treat things on a case by case basis or simple expect you to cover them.

If you are seeking for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI cert to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Profession of Human Resource Management and Development - Who Should Join and Who Should Not

Profession of Human Resource Management and Development (HRM & D), call it by any name - HR Operations, HR-Generalist, Recruitment, Talent Management, Training and Development, Employee Relations, Industrial Relations, Organization Development, Performance Management or Compensation and Benefits...they all come under the umbrella of HRM & D. So, let me start with one question for HR Professionals across the globe, why you joined HR Profession? Was it your first choice or you joined because you didn't had any other choice? I like to ask the HR aspirants, why they want to join this profession? What do they think is the skill required to enter into this profession and excel in this profession? Is it that anybody or everybody can join this profession and there are some qualities that one must posses before even thinking of joining this profession? Recently we had discussion that many people hate HR, so what you have in you...as a professional that people should love you and this profession.

These and many more similar questions just stormed into my mind and I thought of discussing these questions with you. Let's start with a set of skills which, I think a HR Professional should posses, first do be in this profession and secondly to excel in this profession.

Why should you join HR Profession? Who should join?

One should join HR profession, if they have any of the following qualities:

1) You are very good in legal aspects particularly Labour Laws. You have thorough knowledge about various provisions of Labour Laws, Various forms associated with those laws and implications.

2) You are excellent in Database Management and can Generate N number of reports in just fraction of seconds.

3) You are very good with Number- statistical tools, Mathematical Formulae, Income Tax Provisions (particularly those related to Salary), Costing (Cost Analysis).

4) You have a sharp eye for recognizing the talent, talent identification, talent management and talent development. (Just like Bhuvan did in movie Lagan - Oscar Nominated Movie)

5) You are great negotiator and can negotiate a best deal with management and employees (Read it as Trade Unions)

6) You are an excellent motivator and can motivate any person to get best out of him. You have a talent to motivate and inspire a non-performer in such a way that over a period of time that person gets counted in the high-performers of your organization and starts getting rewards for his performance.

7) You are a great strategist. You can think like "Chankaya"; you are clever "Birbal" (Both are characters from Indian History) and an Cajole people like Lord Krishna (A mythological Character)

8) You are much matured. You don't think from your heart but you are empathetic. You are not emotional but can understand the way people think. You can solve any work related or professional problem of any of your employee, without getting carried away.

9) You are great in crisis management. If there is any incident or accident in the organization; if there is any rumour in the organization or any crisis...you can ensure that a minimum possible damage is caused...keeping in mind the interests of the organization and its people.

10) You have deep knowledge about various industries. You are like a knowledge hub. You know all about who's who in the field; business models; success stories (case studies) and best practices being adopted by different companies in different industries.

11) You are not a great leader but an excellent leader, who can inspire their team and can get best out of them. No one wants you to be Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela but yes, you need to be like Ricky Pointing or Steve Waugh (Cricket Captain of Australia ) or like Hansie Cronje (Former Cricket Captain of South Africa) or like Saurav Ganguly (Former Cricket Captain of India).

12) They are life long learners. They never think that...it's enough. They keep on learning...new HR related Techniques, HR Strategist, about new-new businesses etc.

But, why people join this profession?

A. I spoke to few people, those who are freshers or who are just pursuing their MBA's with specialization in HR and they mentioned that they want to be in this profession because it is a "Tension Free Profession".

B. Most of the females join this profession for following reasons:

a) Of course they want to work and this is the only "decent job" in corporate world which, gives them respect and dignity.

b) They don't want to join "field jobs" (Marketing).

c) They hate mathematics so don't like finance and

d) This is the only profession where time suits them...as per the family needs and restrictions.

C. Some people say "we tried to get into many professions...my father wanted me to be a doctor; my mother wanted me to be an engineer; my brother wanted me to be a Chartered Accountant and I wanted a scientist; my brother asked me try in Hotel Management and my uncle who is a Air force wanted me to be a pilot...I tried all...but I failed. Now, I am living...so need to do some work to earn and grow hence at last I joined HR".

What others think about this profession?

1) "Oh, your job is not that difficult. What you people does, anybody can do and for that you don't even need MBA. Even a graduate can do this job.

2) "Oh, ok, so you job is that Na...which involves filling so many forms, maintaining files and settling the claims".

3) "Ok, so you give the salary"

4) These days HR is a Synonym of recruitment. Tell anybody that you are in HR and they will reply, "Oh, OK so you are a recruiter".

5) There was one CEO (my friend) looking for HR Manager for his company (He is a CEO of one IT company, where they have 150+ employees) and he asked me to help him in finding a right person. They one day he said, "Sanjeev, I have dropped the idea of hiring a HR-Manager, Admin guy is doing the "HR Work" and he is handling it in a better manner. Now the things are running smooth and I don't want to complicate the process by hiring a HR Manager. Earlier, I had one HR Manager and at that time my organization was in mess".

Conclusion

Image of HR Profession in the public or in the corporate world is not very good and we are not doing much to improve the same. I feel sad when people ask queries like:

1) What is the concept of CTC?

2) What is the difference between Offer-Letter and Appointment-Letter?

3) How many leaves we should give to our employees?

4) How to calculate attrition rate or rate per hire?

5) What components of salary are taxable?

And then when someone comes and says that we hate HR...such people just look at their face. It looks silly and sad. We need to raise our own standard, attitude and style of work. Nobody can help us. We need to help ourselves. Or else the day is not very far away, when the companies will be outsourcing the total HR-Functions and HR will only be there as "Consultancy Firms" or "Outsourced Company". Nobody wants to hire and keep problems. I think, that will be good. Companies will be having choice to choose BEST (Consulting firm or Outsourcing Partners) from the market.

________________________________________________________________________________

They also shared their views:

1. Mr. Atul Marwah: "I must congratulate you on being so candid and honest . I fully agree with every word of your article. I think that people like you who have guts to bring out the truth - rather stark nacked truth would be the one who would make a difference".

2. Ms Rose Balana: "Thanks Sanjeev. I learned a lot. You are right we should raise our standards".

3. Ms. Shirin Ladhani: "Thanks for this article.........nice reading material on HR....infact a good help to people like me who are strongly motivated to start their careers in HR".

4. Mr. Dip Ghosh: "The article really touched me. One cant hit the nail on the head more. After 12 years in this HR profession in cross section of industries, I have seen the ignomy and lackadaisical attitude of people towards HR as if it is a necessary evil. And as you said rightly, none but we r responsible for the mess we are in. Often I hear complaint from my colleagues that "Oh the CEO (Who is generally a marketing / Finance / Engineer guy) doesn't bother to consult the HR". But do HR contribute significantly in core company activity so that we can warrant attention from the CEO. Probably not. The chances of a Chartered Accountant compromising with his professional ethics is far less compared to a HR guy who easily succumbs to the whims and fancies of the top management because he hardly have a professional body to eport back".

5. Mr. Prasad SKR: "You have raised an interesting topic that needs to be discussed at length".

6. Mr. IVNS Raju : "I like the line of argument of Mr. Ghosh who is very clear in what he says. The HR profession probably becomes justifyable only when it can latch itself to a body of knowledge that is more reliable than the psychometric tests and various HR Models that are rooted in the ability to use the English Language with a unique knack. The Institutes rolling out batches after batches need to introspect about the knowledge and skill that they impart and the attitudes that they profess to have a positive impact on the delivery of HR services".

7. Geetha Murthy : "Thanks Sanjeev. It is great food for thought.Agree with the 'qualities which are a must' for HR professionals.I can take pleasure and pride in saying I am in HR by choice and not by chance. I have a passion for HRM & D. And personally, when HR Aspirants ask me, I tell them what it takes to be there apart from their MBA degree. Within my own individual capacity, trying to bring about change in those who think wrong about HR professionals and I am sure such pieces from you would do us all good if we can forward the link to those who have mis-conception about HR department".

________________________________________________________________________________

Looking forward to your comments and feedback

Regards

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic course to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Temporary Medical Staffing Agency: Telephone Recruiting

A little preparation before you begin your telemarketing campaign is essential, especially when dealing with competition and targeting multiple disciplines. Staying focused and consistent is important, and following a preset targeted script alleviates surprises. Lets get right into the telephone recruiting techniques you can use as an individual recruiter or as a manager running a large medical staffing agency wishing to train its recruiting staff.

Who are you calling?

Each discipline within the medical community has its own quarks and surprises. Knowing who you are calling fundamentally strips away the need to focus on the candidates you really don't need. Are you targeting nurses or are you targeting radiology technicians? Are you focusing on a type of license within a discipline or are you in need of just males or female within the license medical clinician? Do you have shifts already available? Are you looking for new grads or experienced clinicians?

Each call you make must be made with the goal of closing the deal. That is why knowing who you are calling is so important. I found many medical staffing recruiters use the "shot gun approach" to making phone calls. This technique is flawed in so many ways within the goal of finding candidates. Many medical staffing managers set minimum phone call goals to there employees They usually expect there recruiting staff to make a certain numbers of calls a day, make certain number appointments and hire so many candidates. The goal of knowing your audience is to focus on the principal of 20/80 or twenty percent of your efforts should produce 80 of your results. The "shot gun approach" uses the 80/20 or 80% of your efforts produces 20% of your results.

Your first step then in beginning your telephone marketing campaign is to "Know who you are calling". Once you establish this you can then begin to identify the next step in you telephone marketing campaign.

How to best target potential recruits?

The competition is fierce and finding qualified candidates in the sea of hungry fish (your competition) can be daunting and making you feel as if you are spinning your wheels getting knower fast. Perhaps you are new at this industry or you were recently hired as a recruiter for a medical staffing agency, or perhaps you are a new company wishing to find candidates to fill positions or perhaps you are a manager interested in growth and wishing to train your staff. Whatever your position is, finding and securing qualified candidates is second only to finding clients.

We already determined that the first step in the telephone recruiting process is to know who your target audience is. How to best target potential recruits is about learning what each potential candidate wants, needs and how there particular niche works and the language to best elicit a response.

Let me provide an example of an email question sent to me by a medical staffing agency interested in entering a segment within the medical industry.

Question:

": My company wishes to target respiratory therapist, we are already staffing radiology technicians. How should we begin targeting respiratory therapist?"

Answer:

"You definitely know your target audience; this is the fist step in the telephone recruiting techniques. Understand that respiratory therapist usually work on 12 hour shifts. This is quit typical for the industry. When calling respiratory therapist to work for a medical staffing agency two things you must be aware of before calling them. Since they work 12 hour shifts, your maximum usage of time will be done in the late afternoon or early mornings. Second, respiratory therapist know they are in demand and will want to know how much you will pay them, Usually the pay rate is given not in hours but in total day rate pay. The pay rate is based on 12 hour shifts and not 8"

The above question focused on how to best target a segment within the medical industry. Each industry within the medical field has it own needs analysis that must be understood and done in order to get more for your time and money. Doing this second part of the telephone recruiting process will bring value added results to your campaign.

What is my objective for calling?

This should be quit simple and seems to be straight to the point, or is it? Writing down your objective on paper prevents having to come up with a new script each and every time you dial a new number. You only have a few second to capture your audience so making an impact quick and to the point may be the difference between finding a candidate or not.

Is your objective to simply fill one shift? Is your objective to find a candidate for two weeks? Is your objective to fill a bi-weekly shift? Or is your objective to have a pool of qualified clinicians at your disposal? The reason knowing your objective is so important is because it focuses your energy only on candidates that meet those needs. Eliminates the noise associated with the screening process and improves the response rate from those you are calling that meet your objective.

Instead of calling 100 candidates on your list using the "shot-gun approach", you call only 20 potential candidates that have a higher chance to fill the shits. This process eliminates hours and hours of calls that will lead to wasted time and money. Finding the 20 potential candidates is determined by understanding who you are calling and what you objective are when you reach your potential candidates.

Example:

When I owned my own medical staffing agency I needed to fill a shift quickly. It was only one day shift that may lead to additional work. I needed to call a technician that was already working and would be willing to work a day shift, I decided to call a technician working a night shift. The best way to reach the technician was either early in the morning or late at night before he/she started the shift. I pulled out my database and isolated only the technicians I new were working night shifts. My objective was to secure a shift for one day only, yet I knew it would be faced with lots of NO's, unless I figured out how to respond to objections. I decided to offer a pay rate at 85% of my gross to secure the candidate, secure the shift, secure my reputation and hopefully secure more business in the future. It took one phone call a total of ten minutes and I had the shift secured"

I did what I had to do to secure a shift and begin building my reputation, up course I could not continue staffing the shift paying 85% of my gross, but it allowed me to secure the contract and potentially get more business, (I did get the contract afterward). The above example leads me to the next phase in the telephone recruiting technique planning phase.

How to deal with objections?

Mastering this technique will unlock the door to success and growth for your medical staffing agency. Learning to listen and hear what the individual is actually saying is fundamentally an art form. Accepting objections on face value and not pursuing further may drive you to spin your wheels even further.

Typical objections you will hear are?

- I don't work registry

- I am too tired

- I don't like going to new places

Many of these objections can be overcome if you simply prepare yourself for the objections by providing a solution to the objections before you script your call. That is why knowing your target market is so important in the entire telephone recruiting process.

In the above example, the response to objections typical when calling a technician working late shifts is "I am too tired" I overcame that objection by offering the technician more money than what he could possibly make working two days in his job.

Going to new places prevents many from taking on working for a medical staffing company, but you can simply have a well scripted response to this objection. Typical response may be "This facility will not expect you to do paper work, they simply want you to perform x-ray's and they have a helper who will do all the paperwork".

Focus your script on what the clinician is competent on and find an answer to the typical fears and concerns of the clinician within the particular niche they work in.

Each objection must have a viable solution in order to master the 80/20 principal. Spend time preparing to make your phone calls in order to secure your goal.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic exam to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.

Recruiting & Staffing - What Does it Take to Be Successful in the Recruiting & Staffing Industry?

Here are the Top Ten Tips.

I have been in the Recruiting and Staffing Business for 15 years. I started out of college with a large company. I received incredible training as a young adult with this Staffing Company. They prepared me for the business world and how to be a professional. From there, I started my own Staffing and Recruiting Business. I've had my own business for 8 years and I love working for myself. Having an Entrepreneurial spirit is a fantastic quality for success.

So, here are my Ten Tips on How to be a Successful Recruiter in the Staffing industry:

1) Persistence, persistence, persistence...

It's Imperative to formulate a System and stick with it every day. In recruiting, time is your enemy. There should not be a minute of your day where you are guessing what to do next. Recruiters must follow-up with their candidates via phone and email. Having a Tickler system is very helpful.

2) Repetition and Clarity

When speaking with candidates, Recruiters must talk slow and clear. Pronounce your words and take command of the conversation. This will reflect your Leadership over the phone. Talking to your candidates over the phone or in person will increase your numbers. Forget Email.

3) Locking Down

This step is probably the most Important. I'm sure you have experienced what we term a "Backout" or "No Show." You had a great conversation with a candidate and you felt 100% about him. Then, he doesn't show for the interview. Recruiters can't afford to eave any stone unturned. Good Recruiters "Lock" their candidates in every area.

4) Role Play

When I first started in the industry, I use to work on my Professional development every day after 5pm. I would Role Play situations I encountered during the day. I would work with a Sales Manager in my office for an hour every day. We would Role play negotiating rates, locking down, and everyday issues that I would encounter. Good Recruiters practice daily just like Professional athletes.

5) Relationships

It's very important to meet with your qualified candidates proactively. Setting up a lunch meeting will help you build and maintain a solid relationship. it's all about Relationships. This will build trust and separate you from your competitors.

6) Resources

With all the Technology at our fingertips Recruiters must stay knowledgeable. It's very important to sharpen your skills everyday on the Internet. When I started out, Monster.com was the biggest resource. Now, there are plenty of recruiting resources. It's important to stay ahead of the curve. Dig into Social Media and make your presence known on the Internet.

7) Be a Leader

Showing Leadership will get you up that corporate ladder most effectively. Be heard in your office and in meetings. Contribute in a positive way whenever you can. Always seek to help others and make an impact.

8) Set Goals

Outside of setting your goals professionally, set some personal goals. Make a top 5 list of attainable goals over the next 5-10 years. Review your goals weekly.

9) Latency

Set up some type of email auto responder ie) Birthday reminder for your candidates. You need to stay fresh in your candidates minds since they have their resumes out there and your competitors are contacting them everyday.

10) Image

Image says so much to your customers. Be very cautious how you present yourself and how you act around your customers. Stay humble and others will want you to succeed. Be aware of your clothing and the car you drive. Believe me, this makes a big difference.

These 10 tips will help you become a better recruiter.

If you are finding for a recruitment consultant Singapore job, you will need to obtain the CEI basic with efma to be qualified to operate as a license recruitment consultant in Singapore.