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Posts Tagged ‘employers’

Handling the Legal Issues – LinkedIn or Frozen Out?

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

You may have read recent news stories about the case of an executive allegedly forced out of his position because he had ticked the career opportunities box on LinkedIn.  The employee, now without a job, is believed to be the first person in the UK to bring a case for constructive dismissal regarding LinkedIn.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of the case in due course. However, the story turned our thoughts to social media policies, and how they are implemented. Employees across the country, and particularly within the recruitment sector, are increasingly using social media as an integral part of their jobs – to source both clients and candidates. So employers now face the challenge of protecting their business while at the same time ensuring they make the most of the opportunities social media has to offer.

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Was the employer in question right to discipline the employee, and do you have a social media policy in place at your organisation – or perhaps you are now considering one? Let us know by commenting below.

 

 

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Posted in Recruitment, Social Media | No Comments »

What information would a prospective employer find about you on social media?

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Whilst browsing Twitter recently, we came across a great infographic detailing how recruiters are using social media in their candidate search. The illustration, courtesy of Reppler, can be found here.  But for those who want a short summary, the survey of more than 300 hiring professionals found that:

  1. 91% of respondents claim to screen candidates via social media.
  2. Facebook comes out on top with 76% of those surveyed citing this as the main source to look up job seekers.
  3. 47% look at social media profiles as soon as they receive an application.
  4. 69% admitted to rejecting an individual based on what they found on a social media profile.
  5. 68% claimed that details of a candidate sourced on the web resulted in a candidate being hired. (more…)

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Posted in Job search, Recruitment, Social Media | 4 Comments »

Using social media to find your dream job!

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

Originally posted on SimplyHired

Recruiters and organisations are increasingly using social media to find candidates who are different and stand out from their peers.  Forget the traditional job board approach; they are now using the likes of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and blogs to connect with talent.  With a multitude of platforms at your disposal, how do you ensure you are using the correct ones, and getting in front of the right people?

  1. First and foremost, remember that any social media profile you have can be found through a simple Google search. It is becoming more frequent for potential employers to look up a candidate prior to interview. Don’t forget though that employers are human too, and more often than not they are simply curious about who they are meeting and what you do. However, ask yourself if you would be happy with what they might find. You wouldn’t want a comment made by a friend, or a picture of you from years ago spoiling you chances. Be careful about what is in the public domain, and if you are using Facebook ensure your privacy settings are tight.
  2. If you are using Twitter, make sure you spend some time building up your followers. If you are interested in working in the music industry for example, make sure you are following experts in this field, and start commenting on what they are discussing. This will not only encourage people to follow you back, but it will also help portray yourself as knowledgeable in your sector. If a potential employer looks at your Twitter profile, you will be seen in a good light if they can see clear examples of your interest in their industry. (more…)

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Posted in Job search, Job searching, Social Media | No Comments »

What does your email address say about you?

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

With stiff competition for jobs, candidates that use an unprofessional email address on their CV face jeopardising their chances. That’s according to a snapshot poll that we carried out.

We asked HR professionals and recruitment consultants whether or not an unprofessional email address would deter them from shortlisting a candidate. 89% of respondents stated that it would be a factor affecting their decision.

Some claimed that it would definitely stop them putting a candidate forward with responses including: “With it being so easy to go out and get free email addresses these days I would say yes. It shows poor judgement and a lack of professionalism” and “to me it is like showing up for an interview in shorts and a T-Shirt”. Others believed that the email address wouldn’t be the only factor affecting the shortlisting process, but may contribute: “For me an unprofessional email-address is not a killer but it won’t help the applicant climb up the list”.

We see handfuls of CV’s every day, and our job is to send only the very best to our clients. Competition, particularly for entry level roles in the media and entertainment industry, is fierce at the moment and the CV is the one document you have to convince an employer that you’re worth an interview. Most people wouldn’t reject a job seeker purely based on an email address, but faced with two CVs, an employer will choose the person they deem to be most skilled and professional, so don’t let something as small as an email address damage your chances.

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Posted in CV tips, Job searching | No Comments »

Resolving to stand out

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

 

So it’s the New Year and after some time to reflect at Christmas, you’ve decided that you want a new job, and are launching yourself into the market with passion and determination?  But don’t forget lots of other people will be doing the same thing. So how are you going to stand out from your competition?

A bit of pre-planning is what you need. So for now, put that CV upload on hold and concentrate on the basics before you get going…

Detective work

You need to know as much as possible about your industry.  As well as being able to do the job itself you will be expected to have a good knowledge of your sector.  Use social media to listen and engage in what is being said (see our previous post for tips).  This will allow you to learn as much as you can about current themes and also potential employers.   Why not subscribe to blogs that are relevant/opinion based and keep abreast of current developments within the field. This will show you as a well-rounded professional. (more…)

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Posted in CV tips, Interview tips, Job search, Job searching, Recruitment, Social Media | No Comments »

Fancy having your boss over for dinner?

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

We’ve all had job interviews, some good, and some bad.  But what happens when you have to have your interview at home having cooked a meal for your potential new boss? Well this is the latest Reality program to hit our screens courtesy of Channel Five. The Boss is Coming to Dinner features candidates battling it out amongst each other  in various different tasks,  the first of which is an interview over dinner.

I’ve  only watched it a few times but found myself reading an article in The Times recently on this very program and it got me thinking about different recruitment techniques.  As a recruiter I have seen many different types of processes used by clients, and as the author of the article points out some you see are very odd!  B &Q once required candidates to do a dance to ‘Blame it on the Boogie’  by the Jackson 5– maybe this was some sort of exercise to loosen candidates up and make them feel at ease? Who knows?  What is clear is that there are some pretty eccentric techniques being used and this new series is no exception!

So is the programme aimed at finding  great fits for the employers it features, or is it simply a bit of PR for the company, a spot in the limelight for the candidate –  and entertainment for the audience? The proof of the pudding as they say will be in the eating ( no pun intended!)

What interesting recruitment techniques have you heard of?

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Posted in Recruitment | No Comments »