It’s pretty simple: if you write a bad job posting, you’ll get the wrong candidates. Or desperate candidates, or candidates who are applying for everything they see.

All online job postings attract some bad candidates, but poorly written postings attract more.   What’s a bad job posting? The ones that look like this:

”XYZ company, located in Washington DC, is the foremost widget maker in the region.  We are seeking a Controller.  Responsibilities include… blah blah blah.”

That posting is dull and gives you the minimal, most dry information about the company and the job. If you want to attract good candidates, you have to… well, attract them!

How?

When you write your job posting, here are the things you’ll want to include:

1. Context.  Imagine you’re trying to answer the key context questions that a good candidate will ask about a new opportunity.  For example, if you are hiring a controller, answer questions in the posting, before they can be asked, such as:

• what position do I report to?
• how many people report to me?
• what are the annual revenues?
• are you profitable?

Candidates for different positions would ask different key context questions. What you’re trying to do here is begin a conversation by engaging the other person.

2. Expectations.  Your posting should describe what success looks like, or what tangible business accomplishments are expected. For example, instead of saying, “this job will help raise funds,” say “this person will be challenged to help generate $1 million dollars that will be used for specific programs.” The reason you’re hiring someone is to get business results.  So why not list the results you want, right in the post? It never hurts to let people know what you expect.

3. Communication.  Paint a clear mental picture of the possibilities you’re offering, such as what it’s like to work at your company. Or talk about a day in the life of this position. The reader should get a clear idea of whatever value you’re highlighting, whether it’s the great staff, a tangible chance for success, recognition or a fun work environment. So, instead of “we offer a flexible work environment,” describe the 40-hour work week that can start at 6 a.m. or finish at 10 p.m. — whatever works best for the applicant.

4. Meaningful words.  In other words, don’t use hackneyed, stale, old meaningless phrases thrown into virtually every posting. These words are so overused, they’ve lost their meaning:

• dynamic
• hands on
• motivated
• fast paced
• exciting
• team player
• self-starter

The words you use and the information you share in your job postings make a huge difference in the quality of the candidates you attract. Like to know more? Contact Josephine’s Professional Staffing today!

First, let’s define what constitutes a high potential employee.  Generally, they are regarded as the top 3 to 5% of a company, who demonstrate high levels of contribution. And while every organization may have its own addendums to that definition, there is consensus that this group is always in hot demand.

Competitors may be trying to recruit your best managers right now. And research shows that top performing managers are leaving their jobs, even in today’s unstable employment environment.

So why do many companies invest a lot of effort into recruiting these employees, but then do very little by way of talent management and talent development to retain them?

At a time when retaining good talent is so crucial, organizations must make sure they have employee retention and development strategies in place to avoid turnover. Below are 6 different ideas to try.

1. Mentoring.  Corporate environments have started implementing more structured mentoring programs. These can be very powerful for acclimating employees to the corporate culture and values. Mentoring can also be enormously valuable for those high potential employees who thrive on interaction with influential colleagues.

2. High visibility assignments. It’s important that these employees be given challenging opportunities that are outside their comfort zones and keep them highly engaged. You may also want to explore other options such as rotation to a supplier or partner, swapping positions, coaching/mentoring, or other creative talent development solutions that expand a high potential employee’s visibility and depth of experience.

3. Open communication. This may be stating the obvious, but if a high potential employee has a concern or an idea, it’s in your organization’s best interest to listen. You may also want to let them know that you believe they’re high potential, and therefore valuable to the organization. Just don’t make it public about who’s a rising star or you’ll create a culture of winners and losers.

4. Learning and development. Think about other types of learning and employee development opportunities that you could offer, beyond certifications or employee training programs.  Many organizations are coming up with talent management structures that allow one employee to experience many facets of the organization, from sales to marketing to customer service.

5. Measure progress quarterly. Companies measure themselves on a quarterly basis, so do the same with your employees. Especially if you’re exposing high potential employees to mentors, new and high visibility projects, position swapping, etc., and putting them in unfamiliar territory, a proactive quarterly review provides them with more immediate feedback.

6. Alignment.  Align your top performers’ development plans with your company’s strategy so what they do supports the organization’s needs as well as their own.  Determine the best pace for their career development. Give them the time needed to plan their projects, implement them and stay to see the results so they (and you) can evaluate their performance.

Too many managers are ignoring the importance of getting good reference checks on candidates, either not doing them at all or not doing a thorough job. The most common excuses?

• The candidate only provides referees who will give them a glowing report.
• The referee has a grudge against the candidate and slants their reference in an unfairly negative manner.
• The referee gives you a positive report, because they are afraid of the legal ramifications of saying anything bad.
• The referee is restricted by a company policy that limits what they can say about previous employees.

Is it any wonder that checking references has attained a reputation of being a waste of time?

Avoiding the Problems

Problem 1: The candidate only provides referees who will give them a glowing report.

Solution: Ask for extra references beyond those supplied on the resume and see if anyone else from the company can verify the information you collected during the interview. These extra people may still give a positively slanted opinion, but it’s harder for them to slant true facts. And, when referee statements are cross-referenced (see below), any holes that exist will show up.

Problem 2: The referee has a grudge against the candidate and slants their reference in an unfairly negative manner.

Solution: Once again, do at least two reference checks per employer. If one of the two is not so good, do a third one as a cross-reference against the other two. If two out of three are good, the bad one can probably be put into the category of a “suspect reference”.

Problem 3: The referee gives you a positive report because they are afraid of the legal ramifications of saying anything bad.

Solution: It’s vital that you get accurate information. If the referee you are talking to is one of those people who is afraid of saying the wrong thing, you’ll find they are far more comfortable simply confirming facts and figures. They will only become hesitant when asked something that invites their opinion.

Problem 4: The referee is restricted by their company policy that limits what they can say about previous employees.

Solution: This situation will be at least partly resolved when the emphasis is placed on the previous employee’s actual results on the job.

Companies that have such restrictive policies generally don’t mind verifying production statistics, or confirming what positions the employee held and what functions they performed. You can generally get more information, however, by digging deeper on the functional aspects. For example, “So, he was involved with collecting outstanding debts. Did the amount of outstanding debts decrease while he held the job?”

The reference check is, by no means, the main deciding factor. But if it’s done right, it can contribute powerful data to the decision process.

In the pre-recession days, the prevailing wisdom was to avoid hiring overqualified applicants. Hiring managers assumed they would easily become bored, lose motivation and would either underperform or leave.

But recent research shows that people who were thought to be overqualified actually performed better at their jobs. It has also shown that people rarely leave a job because they feel they’re too talented for it. People stay or leave because of working conditions, such as interpersonal conflict.

Hiring managers are soon going to be faced with an influx of highly qualified employees, as the job market inches toward recovery. Instead of disqualifying “overqualified” candidates immediately, you might be better off reconsidering your old attitude. Next time you’re looking at a stack of impressive resumes, here are a few things to consider:

Look to the Future

When making hiring decisions, don’t just focus on your current needs, but on your future needs. You never know when you might need someone to move up in the organization, and if you have qualified talent already on your payroll, it will save you a lot of time and money.

Consider Flexibility

If a person has skills that are applicable to other areas of your company, you can give them opportunities to use those skills not only for the job they were hired to do, but also in the company at large. Allowing an “overqualified” employee to use their broader skill set doesn’t just benefit the company, it also engages that person and sends the message that you value them and their experience.

Extra Motivation

“Overqualified” candidates often inject a new energy into a group by inspiring your existing team to “up their game.” They can also bridge the gap between junior and senior-level staff, allowing expertise to come from the team, not management.

More Value

When it comes to overqualified candidates, you often get more than you pay for. There’s no need to overpay, but you may have to pay at the high end of the range—knowing you’re likely to get more bang for your buck.

Bring Them On Carefully

One caveat about hiring the overqualified: Effective interviewing and onboarding are essential. Put all the cards on the table during the interview: ask the candidates directly about how they’ll handle their overqualification for the job. Ask them to convince you why they want the job and try to gauge whether they want the position for the right reasons. If you decide to hire them, set clear expectations as to where and how this person will fit into the organization—set specific job parameters.

The next time a resume from an overqualified candidate comes across your desk, don’t discard it automatically. By adjusting your perspective, you just might find that hiring an overqualified candidate is the best decision you could have made.

How can you keep your organization competitive in the drive for top employees? It can be hard for organizations to really stand out from their competitors. But with company culture becoming an important factor in career decisions, it’s time to look at your organization and see how yours compares.

Why do companies as disparate as Google, Southwest Airlines and Zappo’s get such great reviews from their employees? Why do they attract so many candidates, and so many good ones? Easy. They’ve developed company cultures that epitomize strong values, a modern work ethic that includes fun and service to both their customers and their communities.

These top companies know what good employees are looking for, and they make sure to publicize what sets them apart from the competition.

If you want to appeal to the top-drawer candidates that apply to these popular companies in droves, it’s time to think about what your company can offer. Has your company defined its core values? Created a distinct corporate culture? Have you expressed these values on your web site or in your job listings, where candidates can see them?

For example, Google promotes its “all for one and one for all” corporate mentality on its website, by mentioning how “at lunchtime, almost everyone eats in the office café, sitting at whatever table has an opening and enjoying conversations with Googlers from different teams.” This includes the founders and other upper-level executives. They also create an open work environment, with very few solo offices and a generous supply of laptops to allow for mobile coding, anytime email and note taking. They offer plenty of opportunities for exercise and comfort: providing bicycles or scooters to help staffers travel between meetings, massage chairs, large inflatable balls, game rooms and gyms. They even encourage socializing by sponsoring employee groups for different interests, such as meditation, movies, wine tasting and salsa dancing.

Southwest Airlines has long understood how employee satisfaction and environmental awareness go hand in hand. They also know that their employees like to feel like contributing members of society, especially in their home community. That’s why they promote their Charitable Giving and Community Outreach programs. They started Community Giving Boards that have been trained to evaluate charitable giving requests from their local community. The Boards are made up of local employees from various work groups who evaluate the donation requests and donate complimentary, round trip tickets to approved organizations for fundraising or transportation purposes. They also sustain a relationship with Ronald McDonald House Charities so they can aid in the transportation needs of families facing serious illnesses and administers their own Medical Transportation Grant Program in conjunction with hospitals and organizations that assist individuals who must travel to receive medical care.

Last but far from least is Zappo’s, a company that makes sure you know they’re about much more than shoes.  They have an entire page on their site devoted to their Family Core values. These include:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
4. Pursue Growth and Learning
5. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
6. Do More With Less
7. Be Passionate and Determined

They make it very clear that they expect employees to be innovative, to go above and beyond, to embrace teamwork and to have fun while doing so. They are proud of their unique corporate culture and openly share it through their web site, blogging, videos and more.

If you want to attract great candidates, you have to be a great company to work for. Not every company can be just like Google, Southwest or Zappo’s, but you can certainly take tips from them on how to create a corporate environment that excellent people will want to work in.

One of the most daunting prospects in this marketplace is trying to determine which candidates really want to work for your organization and which candidates are just looking for any job they can find until this recession blows over. Most applicants are savvy enough to give you all the right answers during an interview, to make you think you’ve found the right fit for your company. Employers and recruiters have to be diligent when it comes to ensuring the candidates actions will match their words.

So, what’s the definition of a job hopper?

It’s kind of like that famous saying about art, “you know it when you see it.”  If a candidate is 30 and has had 6 jobs since college, he’s probably a job hopper. Job hoppers don’t have staying power.  They’re in it more for themselves and their immediate needs, rather than for a career or for your company.  Quitting 1-2 jobs early when you’re young is acceptable.  At that age, people are exploring life and work options.  But 6 times is a pattern. Job hoppers might perform well while they’re there, but in the end they’re just not likely to stick around.

Consider implementing the following tips during the interview process to help filter out potential job hoppers.

1. Ask Them to Talk About Future Goals One of the best interviewing tactics to identify candidates that might be “settling” for a position is to ask for details about their future goals. By learning more about what a candidate hopes to accomplish one, three or even five years down the line, you’ll be able to get a grasp on whether their desires are realistic at your company or in the role they’ve applied for.
2. Ask Them For Letters Of Recommendation By asking for multiple letters of recommendation and by requesting that those letters address “why this is a good potential job for the candidate,” you might gather some more data. If the letters aren’t consistent with the candidate’s own statements, you might have spotted someone who is “settling.”
3. Consider Running Credit/Financial Checks While there is some debate in the HR community about whether credit checks are helpful or an invasion of privacy, you can see whether the candidate is under significant financial stress and may be taking your job just for the money, or has a spotty history of paying bills. Someone with a strong, stable work history shouldn’t have a poor credit record.

The recession has caused a lot of great employees to lose their jobs, so there are a lot of highly qualified people who will be thrilled to be a productive employee at your company. By taking the necessary steps to separate these high quality candidates from the ones that are looking for “any offer,” you can ensure that your company avoids future job hoppers and comes out of this recovery stronger than before.

The subject of drug testing in the workplace is certainly controversial. The debate has been raging for years, and many arguments exist in support of both sides.

The Pros

Those who argue in favor of drug testing point out that workers who abuse drugs pose a safety risk in the workplace. They also have a higher rate of absenteeism, which costs their employers money. Businesses can face a higher exposure to liability due to drug-related work accidents: According to the United States Department of Labor, 10 to 20 percent of U.S. workers involved in fatal on-the-job accidents tested positive for illicit drugs and alcohol. A drug-using employee is 3.6 times more likely to be involved in an accident, and five times more likely to make a worker’s compensation claim, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Impaired judgment can result in slow reaction times and misguided decisions, which may lead to accidents. Therefore, advocates feel that drug testing makes the workplace safer and increases employee confidence — that is, those employees who don’t use drugs don’t have to worry about their own safety being compromised by their possibly impaired coworkers.  Another potential benefit? If workplace drug testing leads an employee to seek treatment. Some employers may even assist employees in entering (and paying for) a drug treatment program so that employee has a chance to become productive again.

The Cons

Many feel that random workplace drug testing violates an employee’s right to privacy, especially when no probable cause exists. While random testing is legal in the workplace, some groups feel it violates an individual’s constitutional rights. Urine and hair tests only reveal certain aspects of past drug use, not current, illicit use that may have occurred on the job. Employees who are against drug testing often threaten to sue their employer for violations. Even if the plaintiff loses the case, the business still stands to lose money from downtime needed to fight the case and attorney fees. Also, implementing a random drug-testing program can cost thousands of dollars and may result in no one testing positive.

Whether or not to implement drug testing is a difficult decision, and employers should consider their individual circumstances before making it. In environments where employees are responsible for the well being and safety of other people, such as schools, hospitals and transportation, there is more of a reason to create carefully constructed policies that ensure the business will be run by unimpaired people.

In other job settings that aren’t safety related, employers do have a right to expect that employees are not utilizing drugs in the workplace, yet employees have a right to privacy and dignity. One solution is to make your drug testing policy clear to employees before they start working for you.

In the war for talent, you might find yourself feeling pressured to make a hiring decision, then come to regret it later. Given the total cost of a hiring error, keep an eye out for red flags like the following when interviewing candidates:

1. The candidate uses great adjectives but can’t back them up. For example, you ask, “What’s your greatest strength?” and the candidate says, “I’m dependable and hard-working.” Ask him to explain this. Ask him if he works harder than his peers. Listen to the way he forms his answer—you want to hear details of how he gets more done in a day than others do, not just that he stays late at the office night after night. Does he have concrete proof of results: early rollouts of software, fewer bug reports, or lower support call rates?
2. Your questions take the candidate by surprise. You ask the candidate what sets her apart from the other applicants, and she looks at you blankly. A well-prepared candidate should anticipate most of your questions and should know how to describe her unique strengths, with specific examples of how she uses those qualities to excel in her current job.
3. The candidate can’t answer the standard question about his strengths and weaknesses. Be wary of the candidate who says something like, “I’m a perfectionist. I keep all my skills at top level all the time” and the one who takes this opportunity as confession time and says, “You know, I’m really messy and disorganized. Every year I resolve to be better, but this year, I really mean it.” Look for candidates who are willing to admit “flaws”—but who are actively working to correct them.
4. The candidate says his present company “doesn’t offer enough room for growth.” This is often a euphemism for “I want to make more money, and they won’t give me a raise.” Ask the candidate to define precisely what kind of growth opportunities he’s looking for.
5. The candidate “really wants to work for your company” but can’t give you a good reason. It’s inexcusable for a candidate to show up without knowing anything about your company. She should be able to identify the major players in your industry and what sets you apart from them. And a good answer to, “Why do you want to work here?” will focus on those differences. If the candidate hasn’t bothered to research your company or is incapable of conveying that research, she doesn’t really want to work for you. She wants to work because she has bills to pay.

Hiring managers can’t catch every red flag, but if you’re about to make someone an offer, you want to make sure you have the right someone. If you learn to listen to what the candidate says—and doesn’t say—and how she says it, you’ll have a better chance of making hires that work out.

When you think of having interns in the office, do you think of young people whose main job is to fetch coffee and make copies? Then think again. If your company is going to invest the money into implementing an internship program, then you need to invest the time to make sure it’s worthwhile for both the interns and your company.

The companies with the most successful internship programs treat interns as actual employees rather than gofers, giving them significant responsibilities related to their field of study. Companies like Deutsche Bank, Hallmark, IBM and National Instruments treat internships as extended training programs. If successful, the internship rewards both the intern and the employer. Many interns who are given proper training and support excel in their roles and are then offered full-time positions.

Start Them Off Right
The key to a successful internship program is training. Not only do interns need to know how to work with the equipment and software they’ll be using, but they also need to understand the ins and outs of their department and the overall mission of the company. They need to know about things like the company’s dress code and what to expect when working in a professional environment. Many college students need a crash course in business conduct, such as how to talk to management.

Orientation sessions should take place during the interns’ first 2-3 days on the job, then ongoing training and mentorship can happen throughout the semester. Ask various managers to hold short intern meetings to share the day-to-day experiences of their own jobs and discuss their career progressions. Set up shadowing programs, where interns can “shadow” a particular manager for a couple of days, to see first hand how different teams work together and how decisions are made.

Is Your Organization Ready?
Before you create an internship program, be sure it can really work for you. In addition to the time it will take, consider:

• Is there real, meaningful work for the intern? While some interns may be willing to do grunt work all day, most want more out of the experience – they want to learn real skills and feel that they’re making a genuine contribution your organization.
• Are the skills and responsibilities you’re looking for appropriate for an unpaid intern? If you are trying to fill a gap in your workforce that requires a lot of expertise or confidentiality, you’re better off hiring someone.

Where Can You Recruit and Hire Interns?
Contact your local college or university, most of whom are looking for student placements. But don’t take just anybody. Recruit and interview interns just as you would any other employee, which can make the difference between finding a great intern and ending up with a bad match for your organization.

Provide the college or university with complete internship descriptions. Think about each skill and/or position you need. Although you may want an intern to fill several roles (e.g., marketing and communications), prepare an internship posting for each separate skill or position. Your posting should include:

• what an intern will do with your organization
• what expectations you have of the intern (including skills they need to have)
• what experience and skills they will gain as a result of the internship

Interns can help your organization expand and grow without increasing your budget. But interns are more than free labor; they can also contribute their creativity and energy. If you provide the opportunity, they can provide your company with valuable assistance.

Maybe it’s because they seem to use the most paper, but human resources departments are the ones who tend to lead the charge in going green at the office. In truth, it’s also because HR takes responsibility for employee satisfaction and retention, and more companies are discovering that environmental awareness is important to their employees.

“Many employers now recognize that green programs in the workplace can promote social responsibility among workers and help retain top talent,” said Don Sanford, managing director of Buck Consultants, a human resources and benefits consulting firm.

Here are several areas where HR practitioners can easily incorporate a “green” mentality:

• Using the internet or teleconferencing to cut down on business travel
• Putting Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) or other company information online to reduce printing
• Promoting the reduction of paper usage
• Storing paperwork electronically?
• Providing recycling trash bins for paper around the office and for bottles and cans in the break area
• Implementing wellness programs around proper nutrition, fitness, and healthy living
• Offering opportunities for employees to telecommute or work from home
• Instituting Ride/Share programs

Research has shown that employee involvement in green programs dramatically increases when organizations appoint one employee to lead the efforts. Encourage this individual to start a companywide movement toward:

1) Purchasing Green Office Products? There is a large range of ‘green’ office products available that help lower waste, lower energy usage, and use a lesser amount of chemicals than traditional products.

• Recycle and Reuse Ink & Toner Cartridges Several retail stores offer consumers the ability to purchase remanufactured ink and toner cartridges, which cost up to 15% less than traditional cartridges. Remember to recycle your used cartridges, also.
• Purchase PCR Paper? PCR paper is made of Post-Consumer Recycled content and is the same quality as non-recycled paper.
• Look for Energy Star Electronics When buying office electronics, such as computers or printers, look for those with Energy Star labels. These products automatically shut down if they are not in use, so they use up to 75% less energy.?

2) Saving Energy The entire company can easily help conserve energy and energy costs with a few simple changes.

• Go Fluorescent You can save up to 75% of lighting energy by using Energy Star fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, which also helps reduce maintenance costs
• Use Power Strips ?An additional 75% of energy can be conserved when you plug your electronics into power strips. It’s easy to turn the power strip off at the end of the day, and on every morning, rather than letting electronics run 24/7.

3) Eating In If the company provides a comfortable, relaxing area for employees to spend lunch and snack times, many will pack a lunch instead of consuming fuel to go out to eat. Decorating with real plants, when possible, will also help clean the air.