grads | TalentEgg Trends

Tag: grads (page 6 of 9)

Mindful Recruiting: 5 Ways To Reduce Stress & Increase Productivity

With applications to sort, interviews to book, and campus visits to coordinate, recruiters have to balance a lot of competing priorities. Multitasking is often seen as the key to tackling a loaded to-do list, but this approach has its downsides. While dividing your attention might help you complete tasks faster, the quality of your work could suffer.

This is where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness is the practice of being focused in the present moment and it can have real advantages for recruiters looking to reduce stress and increase productivity. In fact, a 2011 study found that individuals who had completed an eight-week mindfulness course showed improved memory and concentration.

Ready to become a mindful recruiter? Here are 5 simple ways to get started!

Recruiters – Here’s How To Make Sure All Your Campus Candidates Leave With A Positive Impression

October 14, 2015 / Jasmine Williams / 0 Comments

Campus recruiters understand the importance of a good impression.

As the face of your organization, you are typically the first interaction most students or grads have with your company. It can be challenging to ensure that every potential candidate leaves with a positive impression of your organization, as every individual you meet will have different expectations and ideas about what they want their career with your company to look like.

Luckily, there is a simple solution for these situations. Authentically engaging with all candidates – not just the ones you hire – will help you build a strong and genuine employer brand that students and grads not only love, but trust.

Interviewing Students? Here’s How To Get Past Their “Perfect” Answers

August 19, 2015 / Veronica Yao / 1 Comment

In an ideal world, the hiring process would be viewed as a meeting between two professionals who are looking to create a partnership.

It would be an engagement where both individuals viewed each other as an equal. It would be a chance to assess each other to see if this long-term agreement would be beneficial for both parties.

However, to a student or grad looking to start gaining experience in their field, the playing field is anything but level. An over-saturated job market combined with a lack of experience can shift an aspiring professional’s view to survival mode… a desire to increase their chances by whatever means possible.

At first, this may seem like a plus for the recruiter. After all, you have the upper hand – there are tons of qualified students and grads vying for your attention and eager to please. However, all this can backfire when you realize that you’ve hired the wrong person.

The problem: Inauthentic engagements

Many students and grads are under the impression that they have to fit into a specific mould when presenting themselves to an employer. Why? Because everyone has told them to.

When’s the last time you wrote a job posting that asked for introverted qualities versus extroverted? And every employer seems to be asking for the same thing: top communication skills, assertiveness, and fast-paced people who thrive under pressure.

It makes sense that students feel that they need to fulfill these requirements, even if it’s not who they are. They need a foot-in-the-door, and they believe the best way to do that is to tell an employer they can ride a horse, and then learn how to do it later.

What does this mean for recruiters? It means they will be going through applications that are not a reflection of who the candidate is, but rather, what they think the employer wants them to be. It means spending many hours meeting people who play up qualities that they think you want. And in the end, you end up hiring an individual who is nothing like the person you met during the interview. And a mismatched hire is a waste of time for everyone.

The solution: Refocus your approach

More specifically, show candidates that you want to hire them – not an adjusted version of them. Focus your interactions on getting to know them, without making them feel like there is a cookie-cutter persona you are looking for that they have to fill. Of course, you may have a general idea of what you want your hire to look like, and that’s okay. But you may find that the best individual for the role does not 100% fit what you initially expected.

Job postings

Job postings set the tone for a job-seeker. It conveys the expectations and requirements of the role, and dictates the form the successful candidate must take in order to have a chance to prove themselves in the face-to-face interview. A good job posting also reflects the company culture through the copy and layout.

Be careful not to specify what you require of the candidates outside of the technical skills you need. For example, you can tell them you’re looking for individuals who will thrive in a fast-paced environment. But refrain from telling them that you require people who are outgoing and assertive. This will encourage applicants to assess themselves before applying.

Interviews

Interviews are an employer’s opportunity to meet face-to-face with candidates and see if the personality matches the application. Like the job posting, it’s important to focus on the technical skills rather than the personality traits you want the candidate to have. But you can take your assessment a step further by asking the right questions.

Turn the questions around on a candidate by asking them what they are looking for. For example, instead of asking “What can you do for our company to deliver results?” consider reframing your question to “If you could create any work environment, and control all the elements involved, what scenario would get the best results out of you?” Asking the second question will force your candidate to assess themselves once again, and they are less likely to come up with answers they think you’re looking for.

The benefits

Students will feel valued.

During a long job hunt, many students may start to get discouraged: constantly trying to sell themselves, only to fall short of their ultimate goal. Employers have the opportunity to inject a fresh and engaging element to the hiring process by focusing on the individual candidate on a different level. Asking students and grads who they are and what their interests are will really make a difference, and help you stand out among other organizations.

You will get more honest answers.

This process really helps build rapport with students. The more they feel valued, the more willing they will be to open up. Putting a spin on questions in order to highlight their preferences will often encourage them to share more (as most people love talking about themselves). However, you’ll find that their answers will be much more revealing, so you can determine whether or not they’d be the right fit.

You may find a new persona that fits the role.

Almost every campus recruiter is guilty of going into an event or an interview with a specific persona in mind. It can be easy to sit down in an interview and immediately dismiss the person in front of you because they don’t fit your expectations. By keeping your options open, and encouraging students to show you why their qualities and skills make them a great fit, you may find someone who you never expected to fill the position.

Discussion: As a recruiter, how do you reposition classic interview questions to gain new information about students and grads?

The “Chatter Factor” Isn’t Everything: What Your Introverted Candidates Are Trying To Tell You

June 17, 2015 / Veronica Yao / 0 Comments

As a recruiter, you’re always looking for that “wow” factor in a candidate. The one who has that firm handshake, stylish yet professional outfit, and the ability to converse easily and confidently.

Depending on the position you’re looking to fill, the ability to be a smooth talker might not be necessary. If it isn’t, then why assess your candidate on those requirements?

It’s important to take time to listen to what your quieter candidates have to say. According to Susan Cain, authour of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” at least one-third of the population is introverted. That means at least one of every 3 candidates you assess are likely introverted.

Don’t leave this pool of talent untapped. While they might not be saying as many words, you should take some time to understand their message: “this is who I am, and this is what I can do for your company”.

“I have the primary skills you’re looking for”

While the gift of gab may be essential in a PR or consulting role, it is not so important when it comes to technical or independent positions. As long as your candidate is able to communicate effectively, and their personality meshes well with the team, that’s all that’s necessary.

However, it’s difficult to prove that you have technical or other hard skills in an interview. The most they can do is bring a portfolio showing their previous accomplishments. Consider creating a component of the recruitment process where your candidate has an opportunity to demonstrate their hard skills in a hands-on environment. It’s a lot more telling than having them describe their competencies.

“I can learn the skills I’m missing”

Most students and grads are looking for their first job to fill in the gaps in their skills. They’re highly aware that they may not be polished in a lot of areas. But they can pick it up easily if they’re exposed to the right work environment.

Of course, no student or grad will want to admit they are missing any skills right to a recruiter’s face. This is why it’s important to build rapport with your candidate before they sit in the interviewee’s chair. Converse with them over email, open the floor to any pre-interview questions they have, and humanize the relationship. Hopefully by the time they reach your office for a face-to-face chat, you can assess their true intentions and what they want to gain from working with your company.

“I’m a lot more relaxed under normal circumstances”

Even the most well-spoken candidates are not 100% themselves during an interview. As mentioned previously, most students and grads view interviews as a “show” they need to put on to impress a potential employer.

The best way to get to know your candidate is to help them relax. Aside from building a rapport prior to the face-to-face meeting, be sure to engage in more casual conversation. Find a topic you’re both interested in and chat a little about it – for example, if your candidate is into a certain type of music, and you get them talking, they’re likely to be a whole lot more authentic talking about that than “why they’re the best person for this job.” This will give you the chance to assess their personality and see how it will match the rest of the team.

“I will get the job done”

It’s not just about being able to do the job. You are looking for a person who will deliver (or even over-deliver) results. Someone who will take a task and make it a point to complete their share.

While an introverted candidate may not provide a whole backstory, they’ll show you through their actions. Did they show up in advance for the interview? Were they prepared with the proper documentation during the interview? Do they respond to emails promptly and send back requested information in a timely manner? These are all much more telling signs that you should take note of.

“I am willing to prove all this to you”

No matter who the candidate is, this is often a statement that remains unspoken. The only way a great candidate can show you their true potential is if they’re hired. It can be tempting to pick someone with more experience under their belt over a new graduate, but remember that skills can be taught – a great personality can’t.

Discussion: Do you believe that introverted candidates are less likely to be successful team members than extroverted candidates? Why or why not?

TalentEgg Trends

Today’s Talent, Tomorrow’s Leaders