After starting this blog and my career coaching practice in 2012, I took on other projects along the way, including a long-term writing project with Simply Hired (www.simplyhired.com), a leading job search engine with innovative technology and content. During that time, I stepped away from my own blog, and now that I am ready to refresh this space, I thought I would kick it off with some highlights from my career-related writing elsewhere. The content is directed towards employers, though also provides a great frame of reference for job seekers. See a few interesting topics and articles below:
Be the First to Make the Shift | Attracting Top Talent in the Job Seeker’s Market
*This article, though written for an employer audience, emphasizes the changes in the marketplace, shifting in favor of the candidate seeking new opportunities. As a job seeker, this is a great reminder that you have the opportunity to assert great influence over your career transition!
“Over the last several years of the worst recession in recent history, employees were overwhelmingly hit with job loss and uncertainty in employment, which caused many employees to stay put, even in jobs that left them unsatisfied. As a result, employers were in a position to place best practices in talent recruitment on the back burner and offer fewer incentives to attract candidates. It was an employer’s job market.
Today, there is evidence that the economy is improving, and employees are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of survival-mode employment.”
Charm Candidates With an Irresistible Company Culture
*This article reminds employers that, especially in a candidate-driven market, they need to compete for top talent by focusing on their company culture and advertising the best points about their culture to potential new employees. Many of my clients today share that the #1 priority in their job search is company culture. Remember to research companies and create a targeted company list that highlights your findings when considering your next career move!
“A company’s reputation when it comes to human capital management, company values, and workplace culture is vital. Your employer brand may draw the best candidates to your job openings or create a huge deterrent, pushing them to look elsewhere.
This brand awareness doesn’t happen by accident. Organizations are continually working to influence job seekers’ and customers’ perceptions of their corporate identity and internal culture.”
Balancing Act: Ethical Interviewing That Works
*Remember that you do not owe a potential employer personal details about your life. The interview questions should remain relevant to the position at hand. Browse this article to better understand how a company should approach their interview with you. Always know that you have protected rights as an interviewee.
“How can you ensure an effective interview process that is also in compliance with ethics and regulations?
Do you remember the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, where one choice could lead you down a path of other choices, which in turn could lead you further from your intended destination? Disorganized interviewing can create the same effect for your team and your candidates.
The key to maximizing your interview techniques and staying out of legal trouble is to educate yourself and others on appropriate questions and design a cohesive approach. See tips below on how to train managers and staff to assess job fit in an ethical manner.”
Above all, remember that you are in the driver’s seat of your own career and work-life!