Talent Acquisition 08.2017Vol.5 Issue 08

PRESENTED BY

Hacking tHe Job Market3 ways to attract passive job seekers

Moritz Kothe

1914

2622

3 Considerations For Using Big Data In Hiring DecisionsLearn how to do it right

2017 EEO-1 Reporting: Overcoming The Changes And ChallengesWhat you need to know

Why Aren’t Businesses Hiring Veterans?Understanding the challenges

Top 7 Tips To Hire The Best Sales RepresentativesUsing the most objective, scientific methods available to you

Features

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CONNECTINGHR EXPERTSGLOBALLY

PRESENTED BY

Talent Acquisition 08.2017Vol.5 Issue 08

PRESENTED BY

Index

ON THE COVER

Hacking The Job Market

3 ways to attract passive job seekers

Workplace culture is rapidly shifting, and how companies attract the right candidates needs to evolve to keep up with job seekers’expectations.

Moritz Kothe - PG.05

IndexArticles

QUALITY OF HIRE

06 3 Ways To Engage Candidates With Content Marketing Can content be used as a way of establishing employer brand? Sat Sindhar

07 How To Modernize Your Talent Acquisition Strategy For Success Succeeding amidst time and resource constraints Julie Zisman

10 Your Business Is Expanding: Does HR Have A Role? Where to begin Matthew korn

11 Optimizing Onboarding Easy tips that make an impact Jeff gelinas and tom brennan

15 6 Tips For Onboarding First Time Sales Representatives Where do you start? Mike Hyatt

17 Personalization In Candidate Experience - Part 1 Myth-busting chris brablc

ONLINE STAFFING AND SOURCING

20 Why Corporate Narrative Is Your Best Onboarding And Retention Tool Seeing the bigger picture Michael roche

25 An HR Playbook For A New Era Top 3 tips Laura Mather

27 3 Ways To Recruit Marquee Employees – All The Time It pays to look for top talent long before you leap William S. green

1914

2622

3 Considerations For Using Big Data In Hiring DecisionsLearn how to do it right

2017 EEO-1 Reporting: Overcoming The Changes And ChallengesWhat you need to know

Why Aren’t Businesses Hiring Veterans?Understanding the challenges

Top 7 Tips To Hire The Best Sales RepresentativesUsing the most objective, scientific methods available to you

Features

Editorial Purpose:Our mission is to promote personal andprofessional development based on con-structive values, sound ethics, and timelessprinciples.

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Vol.5 Issue. 08

Debbie McgrathPublisher, HR.com

Deepa DamodaranEditor, Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials

Editor’s NotE

More than half (51%) of your employ-ees might be looking for a new job! Not just that. Eighty four percent of your employees are ready to consider leaving their current position if a company with an outstanding reputation tried to snag them (as per a recent survey by Hirewell).

These are “passive job seekers” - those if faced with the right offer, might take it. This expands the pool of candidates that companies must have messaging around in order to convey why it’s worth taking a leap of faith.

Check out this edition’s cover article, Hacking The Job Market by Moritz Kothe, to understand how workplace culture is rapidly shifting, and how companies attract the right candidates needs to evolve to keep up with job seekers’ expectations.

With job candidates posting extensive infor-mation on social media and other information available on the Internet, technologists are de-veloping ways to mine and use that data in the hiring process too.

Data/people analytics technology comes with the possibility of identifying unrealized poten-tial, increasing diversity, reducing turnover, improving employee satisfaction, and improv-ing the company and individual performance, notes Gillian McKean Bidgood in her article 3 Considerations For Using Big Data In Hiring Decisions.

This article talks about several employment law-related issues that needs to be considered when you start embracing this technology.

There is a disconnect between veterans and civilian hiring managers that goes both ways. Veterans leave military service typically unpre-pared and unarmed with the tools to position themselves as viable candidates to civilian com-panies, and hiring managers are unskilled and untrained in how to recruit military veterans for jobs outside of service.

“But the value veterans can bring to an or-ganization should not be overlooked. Veterans are loyal and trainable. They thrive in leadership positions and are excellent problem solvers.”

Lida Citroën, in her article Why Aren’t Busi-nesses Hiring Veterans?, talks about the chal-lenges hiring managers may face while hiring veterans and how to solve them so as to help companies recruit better.

Moving on, we have Michael Mercer’s article where he lists down the Top 7 Tips To Hire The Best Sales Representatives.

Also read 2017 EEO-1 Reporting: Overcom-ing The Changes And Challenges by Arthur Tac-chino and How To Modernize Your Talent Ac-quisition Strategy For Success by Julie Zisman, among other handpicked features in this edition of Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials.

We hope, this edition will give you practical suggestions, as always, for improving company practices around interviewing, sourcing, on-boarding etc. and help you find best candidates.

Enjoy reading and do not forget to mail us your feedback.

Have a say ?Write to the Editor.

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Workplace culture is rapidly shifting, and how companies attract the right candidates needs to evolve to keep up with job seekers’ expectations. According to Hirewell, 51% of employees are looking for a new job, but, more interestingly, 84% of employees would con-sider leaving their current position if a company with an outstanding reputation tried to snag them.

These are known as “passive job seekers.” They recognize that the “one job for life” career is long gone, so they’re not actively seeking new opportunities. However, if faced with the right offer, they might take it. This expands the pool of candidates that companies must have messaging around in order to convey why it’s worth taking a leap of faith.

You might be asking yourself, why you should care, you have many candidates’ emails in your inbox. However, the passive job seeker can be the most successful candidate. Because they aren’t desperate, they won’t embellish their past experience in initial conversations. Most passive job seekers will consider a new position if they think the job will be good for them, but they won’t necessarily take the first thing that comes their way.

They have the option to be picky about the moves they make. More likely than not, they will also be looking at factors such as support from management and diversity. The more boxes a company checks the better the chance of finding the perfect culture fit.

The defining point on passive job seekers is their relative position of power, because rather than falling behind, they’re in the position to actually get ahead of the game. In their eyes, they’re not nearly as desperate as other candidates who are unemployed or looking for their first break. They have a job, it might even be a good one, but like many people running away from monogamy, they keep playing the field, trying to “trade up” in compensation, career advancement, or self-actualization. Hell, some of them might just want an office with a ping pong table.

So how can you actively get the passive job seekers on your side? It all starts with these three tactics:1. showcase Your team and Your Alumni: You have to understand that in the mind of the passive job seeker, you have to be a “step up.” They already have a job, and won’t see the value in making the transition unless there is something in it for them. The executive team has to be willing to show candidates “a day in the life,” so they can get a feel for how it would work into their current lifestyle. It’s also important to have candidates meet who they’ll be working with and be open to showing pathways alumni have taken to give a good idea of where some have chosen to move on. The career paths of your former employees will show the power of the experience gained from being a part of your business. You can also utilize social media to showcase the office and humanize your team by sharing who they are and what they like, both personally and professionally. Creating a fun and open culture where employees can be proud of what their office accomplishes can speak volumes about the long term effect of working for a company. 2. don’t Be too reserved to talk About Money: Recently, a viral photo has been going around of a woman who, after a successful first

interview, asked what the compensation would be should they offer her the job. The response she got was along the lines of “We believe in hard work and perseverance in pursuit of company goals as opposed to focusing on compensation[...] questions about compensation and benefits at such an early stage is a concern related to organizational fit.” Typically, the passive job seeker (and many highly qualified job candidates in general) seeks a job that will provide self-actualization. They’re looking for something they’ll believe in and that will bring them joy. However, they also care about how they’re going to support themselves. So instead of waiting for a candidate to pop the financial question, make the topic a normal part of the hiring process. It’s beneficial for both parties to understand if the salary range expected aligns with what the company is able to provide. While the overall decision should be made on more than money (culture fit and lifestyle are very important), it can be a deal-breaker if there isn’t transparency about this topic up front. At the end of the day, every company is a business, run by money. Make sure the passive job seeker knows that the job you are offering will come with compensation that meets their expectations, and be open to having that conversation with them.3. don’t Throw the Baby out With the Bathwater: Passive job seekers usually do have better qualities and might bring more experience than some of their other job seeking counterparts, but that doesn’t mean you have to bend over backwards to satisfy their every whim. You want motivated individuals to come work for you and sometimes the passive job seeker might not be motivated enough. While their unique position puts them at an advantage in negotiations, that doesn’t mean you should ignore critical flaws that indicate they’re not a good fit. In other words, even if a candidate is perfect on paper and arrives right on time, never forget that your company has to come first. Don’t over pay, over offer, or over promise anything that might jeopardize your business. If the fit is right, the passive job seeker will make the rounds and come right back.

Passive job seekers are a rare and special breed in the candidate landscape and as the so called “war for talent” ensues among today’s top employers, you’re going to want to have passive job seekers on your side. The fact that these candidates are currently employed bodes well for their ability to provide real value to your company, but just keep in mind that there’s a chance they will be more demanding than your run of the mill, hungry for work candidate. QoH

By Moritz Kothe

Hacking The Job Market3 ways to attract passive job seekers

Moritz Kothe is Chief Executive Officer of kununu, and Senior Vice President International for XING AG. Prior to leading kununu’s U.S. expansion, Moritz helped to grow the XING AG business from a 200 million dollar market cap to the 1 billion dollar business it is today. In that role, he led B2C subscriptions and XING’s advertising businesses. Connect Moritz Kothe

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5Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

COVER ARtiClE

At People®, we do a lot of content marketing. For those of you who don’t know what this is, content marketing is a marketing approach which involves creating useful, original content that an audience actually wants to consume. Unlike traditional marketing, which involves paying for a platform from which to tout your wares, content marketing allows you to build your own platform that people will want to visit, and use this as a springboard to connect with prospects.

Most companies use some form of content marketing. The content part comes in the form of blog posts, videos, guides and white papers. The marketing side of it works in that the content is generally branded, bringing visibility to the products or services of the company behind the content.

Content marketing is a good, non-intrusive way of promoting almost any brand, product or service. So how does this apply to the human resources industry?

Well, according to a recent post on eremedia.com, employers are starting to see the benefits of Content Marketing from a recruitment point of view, by using good, useful content as a way of establishing their employer brand.Engage Candidates with Useful Content

The article on eremedia.com goes into great detail about how you might want to apply a content marketing strategy to your recruitment process, and we highly recommend you read it. For the time being, we just want to look at the three suggestions eremedia.com provides

on the kinds of content you could be producing, and offer some examples to help inspire you on what to create to attract more high-quality candidates to your business:1. infographics

Infographics are one of the most widely-shared forms of content. This is because they often provide a lot of useful information, in a very easy-to-understand way. We have produced several infographics aimed at helping HR professionals build their knowledge of human resources best practice, such as our “What is the Bradford Factor” infographic, which explains the formula behind the most popular way of identifying problem - absences.

Why not build an infographic that tells a story about your company as an employer? For example, you could share some information about your workforce demographics. 2. Quizzes

Quizzes are great because they are interactive. People enjoy filling out quizzes, especially if they offer a nice little summary or conclusion at the end. Why not develop a quiz that assesses how well a candidate might fit in with your organization? Remember to ask questions that point out some of the benefits of working for you – for example, you could ask visitors to rate how much they’d enjoy free lunch every Friday!3. Videos

Just like infographics, videos are a great way to deliver good content in an easy-to-digest format. It’s one thing reading about a potential new employer, but wouldn’t you get a better feel for a company by checking out a video tour of their offices? Or even better, a video which documents “a day in the life of an Acme Employee”! Shopify did a great job of advertising their employer brand with this video in 2012 – take a look if you need a bit more inspiration.Are you using Content Marketing as Part of your recruitment strategy?

We’d love to hear a few examples of people out there who are using content marketing as part of their recruitment or overall HR strategy. Does this sound like you? QoH

This article originally appeared here.

By Sat Sindhar

Can content be used as a way of establishing employer brand?

3 Ways To Engage Candidates With Content Marketing

sat sindhar is currently serving People HR as a Managing Director. His expertise honed over the last 25 years has been firmly grounded in the fields of Business Operations and Human Resources.Visit www.peoplehr.comConnect sat sindhar

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6 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

People are the engine of a business. And like a car without a good, dependable engine, your business isn’t going anywhere without the right people. You already know that you need to hire talent to grow, but that is easier said than done—especially for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

For SMBs, where time and resources are limited, talent acquisi-tion can seem like a daunting task. Growing businesses are often

equipped with an HR “department” of just one or two individuals, who are responsible for managing employee relations, payroll and benefits—in addition to finding, interviewing, hiring and onboard-ing new talent. Wearing so many different hats leaves little time to focus on recruitment.

Additionally, growing businesses must compete for talent alongside large corporations who have the benefit of bigger budgets, employee

By Julie Zisman

How To Modernize Your Talent Acquisition Strategy For SuccessSucceeding amidst time and resource constraints

7Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

How To Modernize Your Talent Acquisition Strategy For Success

perks and brand name recognition. These factors add additional challenges to SMBs’ recruiting efforts.

However, with a modern talent acquisition strategy and the right human capital management (HCM) software, SMBs can now compete for talent on the same playing field as larger organizations. A Marriage of digital strategy and technology

To find talent, you have to go where the talent is. Today’s candidates are no longer looking for employment opportunities in the Classifieds of the newspaper; they’re hunting for jobs online—and they’re using their mobile devices to do it. We request ride-share services, order food and watch TV on our cell phones. It only makes sense that we would use mobile devices to search for jobs too.

According to a recent Glassdoor survey, 9 in 10 job seekers say they will use their mobile device during the job search process in the next 12 months, while nearly 50% said they are already currently using their mobile device to search for jobs at least once a day(1).

So, does your company’s website have a Careers page optimized for mobile devices? Do you offer the ability to apply for a job online? If you answered “no” to either of these questions, it’s time to modernize your recruitment efforts.

Social media should also be a key component of your talent acquisi-tion strategy. Nearly 80% of job seekers will use social media in their job search, but 75% of businesses claim to have difficulty promoting employment opportunities on social platforms(2). Sound familiar?

It’s easy to see that digital is now the primary vehicle for job search, and that modernizing your talent acquisition strategy will allow your business to get in front of today’s job seekers. But again, this is easier said than done for HR professionals who already have a full plate.

Thankfully, HCM cloud-based software makes it simple to employ a digital recruitment strategy—without adding to HR professionals’ workloads. A cloud solution enables businesses to:• Automate the recruitment and onboarding processes, so you

can easily identify and onboard candidates. When manual tasks are automated, you save on manpower and time, so HR can shift their focus elsewhere• Easily design and roll out targeted recruitment campaigns via

social media to get in front of today’s job seekers• Create mobile job applications that offer a simple, user-friendly

experience• Recruit, screen and hire applicants efficiently and collaboratively

with up-to-the-minute statuses at each stage• Analyze data and run reports to gain insight on sourcing ef-

fectiveness and hiring activitiesYou’ve Hired top talent, Now What?

Once you’ve hired the right people, you need to keep them. This is vital, especially for growing businesses who may not have the resources to survive too many hiring missteps or employee turnover.

For instance, when an employee salaried at $60,000 leaves, it can cost a company an additional $30,000-45,000 to find, hire and train a replacement(3). In addition to these costs, turnover can also reduce tribal knowledge within the company, thereby hindering productivity and efficiency. According to a recent study, it can take a new employee up to two years to reach the same level of productivity as an existing staff member(4).

It’s clear that losing even a single employee can have a huge impact

on your company, but you can significantly improve retention by focusing on a couple of key areas: • Compensation: It’s difficult to retain the talent you need if you

don’t offer the appropriate salary. In the world of talent management, the adage “you get what you pay for” is true. With HCM cloud soft-ware, you can effectively manage your overall compensation spend while recognizing top performers. An HCM solution makes it simple to roll out differentiated compensation programs that align rewards with employee performance. • Engagement: Eighty-five percent of executives rated employee

engagement as an “important” or “very important” priority for their companies(5). Yet, only 4% believe they are good at engaging employ-ees(6). Why is this? Well, for one, employers often have a misconcep-tion of what will effectively improve engagement.

While your employees may appreciate free snacks or a catered lunch, employee engagement isn’t quite that simple. The real drivers of engagement focus on training and professional development op-portunities, a clear understanding of what “good” performance looks like, succession plans, and appropriate awards and compensation.

With HCM cloud software, HR staff has the ability to conve-niently and effectively manage the entire talent lifecycle from a single dashboard:• Performance: Help individuals and organizations establish and

pursue shared goals and objectives• Career Development: Engage employees with a self-service

employee profile that can assist with matching them to future op-portunities• Compensation: Support merit, bonus, stock or base pay adjust-

ments, as well as non-salary adjustments for spot rewards, perks and benefits

For more HCM tips, download our eBook, 5 Ways Human Capital Management Can Help Your Business Grow: How to Best Manage Your Talent. QoH

sources1. Glassdoor, 9 in 10 Job Seekers to Search for Jobs via Mobile; Glassdoor State of Mobile Job Search Survey, April 20142. Glassdoor Survey, March 20133. Huffington Post, High Turnover Costs Way More Than You Think, February 20174. Huffington Post, High Turnover Costs Way More Than You Think, February 20175. Deloitte, Global Human Capital Trends 2016, February 20166. Gallup, How Millennials Want to Work and Live, November 2016

Julie Zisman is the Head of North America SMB and CX Marketing at Oracle. She joined Oracle in August 2016 after serving in marketing leadership roles at Little Bird, Showpad and Tealeaf.Email julie.zisman@oracle.comConnect Julie Zisman Follow @juliezisman

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8 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

https://go.oracle.com/LP=48804?src1=:ex:bad:::RC_NAMK170421P00050C0006:HRBannerAdAugust&SC=:ex:bad:::RC_NAMK170421P00050C0006:HRBannerAdAugust&pcode=NAMK170421P00050C0006

For foreign jewelry companies, North America is one of the hardest markets to break into. Any newcomer to the U.S. jewelry scene must compete with the pedigree and status of brands like Tiffany and Swarovski. Not to mention the smaller, family-owned boutiques that are understandably treasured by their communities. When our company UNOde50, headquartered in Madrid, decided to open up our first American brick-and-mortar store, we knew it was going to be an uphill battle to attract customers to our little-known brand.

We recognized early on that a lot of our success in being able to effectively ramp up and expand in the market would come down to our people – how we hire, train and keep the right teams. So that’s what we did – we engineered our HR practices and found the right technologies that have enabled us to find and keep the right employees who can enchant our clientele with our identity and our craftsmanship.

And it worked. We have grown a lot since we opened the doors to our store in Miami eight years ago. Now we have 30 locations, 200 employees and more than 1,200 points of sale across the country. And we have set an ambitious target for the end of the year: quadrupling our sales by the end of 2017.

Organizations looking to expand their business – everything from retailers like us to a cable company and beyond – can benefit from taking a hard look at what role their HR practices and technologies can play in driving that growth. Based on UNOde50’s experience, here are three key areas that all HR professionals should keep in mind, and how they can successfully support the business. A Bigger Footprint to Cover

As more people sought our artisanal jewelry, we knew that we needed to grow quickly. Otherwise, we wouldn’t take advantage of our blossoming popularity. Growth meant our recruiting teams had to conquer a larger physical footprint in North America than we had ever experienced before. They also had to keep up with the rapid pace of new-hires in an efficient manner.

Faced with this challenge, HR teams need to streamline and automate hiring and onboarding processes. We first identified an Application Tracking System (ATS); a piece of software that digitally expanded our recruitment footprint and gave us instant access to a deeper well of viable hires. However, we needed to find a way to connect the system with the HCM solutions that the organization had already been using.

While we at first relied on social media and word of mouth to source our staff, the ATS created a more thorough, more complete process: one that has helped us to add many new excellent team members to our ranks, and to better compete with our larger rivals. Thanks to the integration of our hiring and onboarding processes, we could also fluidly implement an employee’s information across systems, reducing the cost and time investments in onboarding. Higher turnover rates

About 40 percent of HR and compensation professionals at U.S. retail organizations reported an increase in employee turnover in 2016 – the highest retail turnover rates since before the Great Reces-

sion(1). HR professionals need to be ready to address turnover. It’s an expensive and demoralizing problem to see an employee, taught and trained by the company, leave. Particularly when it’s to a competitor.

HR solutions can help companies adapt to this challenge. For UNOde50, connecting our hiring and onboarding processes meant lessening our employees’ overall administrative workload and freeing them to focus on creating a great experience for all employees. More broadly, more sophisticated HR solutions have us allowed us to monitor and engage with our staff – particularly our wider network of remote salespeople who rarely interact with one of our physical locations. The Changing in-store Experience

As more retail revenue shifts from the storefront to the screen, the physical store will become less of a medium for sale, and more of an exhibition of authenticity, identity and artistry. In other words, stores won’t be places where day-to-day consumers choose what they buy, but rather whether they buy. Recognizing this, retailers are putting more emphasis on magnifying the in-store experience.

Employees have a huge part to play in this reimagining. And this puts more pressure on HR to find the right employees and keep them engaged in a way that they can deliver the brand’s ethos. Having an HCM solution that allowed us to access the largest pool of candidates as possible created great value for us, because it ensured that we could find staff who could faithfully embrace and communicate our brand. Technology solutions will continue to play an even more vital role for retailers in the coming years, to help HR departments meet the expectations of the company and the industry. Business strategy didn’t always incorporate HR. Our story proves why it’s not an option to leave HR out of the picture, and how to incorporate technology to make your vision for employee recruitment and engagement a reality. QoH source:1. https://www.worldatwork.org/adimLink?id=80994

By Matthew Korn

Your Business Is Expanding: Does HR Have A Role? Where to begin

Matthew Korn is HR Manager at UNOde50.Visit www.unode50.com Connect Matthew Korn

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10 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

in today’s talent market, making a hire is cause for celebration. You’ve invested a significant amount of time and resources in finding this top talent, and your new employee starts in a couple of weeks. Your sigh of relief can be heard throughout the office.

But don’t let up on the gas pedal just yet—research shows that new hires are still vulnerable in the pre-boarding and onboarding periods. Between 30 and 50 percent of new hires don’t stay through the first month, depending on who you ask. With extremely low unemploy-ment rates, candidates have many choices.

A recent survey of 1,500 job seekers, summarized in the 2017 Engage2Excel Trendicators Report, offers valuable insight here. Ac-cording to Part One of the report, 71 percent of employees state that onboarding experiences would influence their decision to stay with a company.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to keep candidates engaged during this phase. In addition, positive engagement now sets the stage for a long, rewarding relationship between your company and the new talent. The following tips are from the eBook 10 Onboarding Ideas, which draws on the Trendicators data as well as my 15 years of experience in HR.1. touch Base Before day one

Even after accepting an offer, more than half (58 percent) of job seekers indicate they will consider offers from other employers. To keep your company front-of-mind, reach out with a phone call between

offer acceptance and a new employee’s first day. Let them know you’re glad they’re going to be part of your team. This helps validate the candidate’s decision to choose your company.2. sweeten the offer

Once you make the offer, you and the candidate enter the pre-boarding stage. Make that transition a memorable one by accompa-nying the offer with a personalized gift. In the study, 82 percent of individuals between the ages of 25 and 34 say that a gift at the time of offer would influence their decision to accept.

It doesn’t have to be extravagant, but it should convey your com-mitment to integrating this person into your organization. This is also a great way to promote your employment brand, as the candidate is likely to share this unique gesture with family and friends.3. set-up success from the start

Plan ahead to ensure that the new hire’s equipment and devices are ready on day one. If the employee is remote, make sure everything is shipped to arrive before the first day on the job. This may seem basic -- and it is -- but if the computer isn’t configured or the smartphone hasn’t arrived, it sends the wrong message. Remember, chances are good that your new hire is still evaluating the company. At this vulnerable time, the right messages can make all the difference.4. Think outside the Paperwork Box

If a new hire spends the entire first day filling out forms, you’re missing an opportunity to start immersing them in your culture.

By Jeff Gelinas and Tom Brennan

Easy tips that make an impact

Optimizing Onboarding

11Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

Optimizing Onboarding

Consider: 69 percent of job seekers say that their first-day experience will impact their decision to stay for more than a month.

Some paperwork is to be expected, but the day also should include plenty of interaction (see number 6, below) with other people. Take the new employee and a couple of key co-workers to lunch. If the employee works virtually, send a restaurant gift card. Who says food can’t be the way to an employee’s heart?5. stick to the Plan

An onboarding plan takes advantage of another basic but powerful concept: clarify expectations and hold people accountable. Your plan should provide detail for the first one to two weeks and set measur-able goals/outcomes for 30, 60 and 90 days. If possible, send the plan to the new hire before the first day. It offers some structure to a situation that can have a lot of unknowns and helps the new hire focus on what is most important. It also lays the groundwork for early recognition (see number 8) -- be sure to celebrate achievement of the goals and outcomes. Conversely, if the outcomes aren’t met, it gives you a framework for feedback and coaching. 6. Make socializing a priority

Be sure the onboarding plan includes scheduled time for the new employee to socialize with colleagues. This can pay big dividends, especially with millennials, the largest cohort in the workforce today. As stated in Part Two of the Trendicators Report, 83 percent of mil-lennials rate socializing or collaborating with other employees as ‘very important’ or ‘important’ during the onboarding process. That’s higher than other generations, but all cohorts consider it valuable -- for Generation Z it’s 78 percent, for Gen X it’s 72 percent, and for Boomers 66 percent.

Socializing might include connecting the new hire with a mentor or buddy, hosting (alcohol-free) mixers in the break room or invit-ing the new hire to come out Saturday and cheer on the company softball team. Socializing also happens online, of course, so encourage existing employees to connect with the new hire on LinkedIn. Better yet, consider implementing a social platform to support employee engagement for your entire company.7. Provide an internal Lingo Cheat sheet

New employees can feel like outsiders when the current team uses internal lingo like acronyms or unique terms. Provide a cheat sheet to help the new people keep up. One company I know of uses terms like “chunky monkey,” “pods,” and “cockroach committees.” Acronyms are commonplace in our culture so most of us are comfortable with them -- as long as we know what they stand for. Your new hire won’t be ROFL or LOL when you speak in terms they can’t understand. TTYL! 8. don’t Wait to share recognition

Recognition is a powerful motivator. In the study, 81 percent of active job seekers indicate that it is important to find out about a potential employer’s recognition and rewards programs. Further, more than half of all respondents indicated that praise and recognition are important during the period between offer and start date (54 percent) and during onboarding (56 percent).

Fortunately, recognizing someone’s successes is easy. A sincere com-pliment to a candidate can make a big impact. You might praise how they handled themselves during interviews, or point out an impressive accomplishment on their résumé.9. Create a Feedback Loop

“Selling” the job and your company to new employees doesn’t stop

now. Employee engagement is akin to consumer engagement/loyalty. Keep in mind that, during this period, your new hire is susceptible to second thoughts and counter-offers.

Just as consumer loyalty programs regularly gather feedback, you should check in with the new hire several times. Ask about what’s going well and what’s not. Don’t assume things are going okay from observation alone. New employee surveys are also effective, provided you follow up. This approach offers a double bonus. First, once you know of bumps in the road, you can course-correct. Second, it lets your new hire know that you care about their experience and want to see them succeed.10. respect is a Game-changer

Treating new hires with dignity and respect is critical. Sorry folks, this is where technology won’t help you. Being treated with dignity and respect is the number one reason why candidates accept job offers. A lack of recognition, appreciation, or respect is the number two reason why they reject job offers. It’s also the number one reason employees leave their current employer. Today it’s no longer enough to post “Employees are our most important asset” on your website. We need to renew our commitment to that belief and truly treat employees as the valuable contributors they are. QoH

references10 Onboarding Ideas & Survey Results that Support Implementing Them Nowhttp://www.engage2excel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/E2E_EB_Onboarding_Ideas_EB6.V1.0_Web-v4a.pdf2017 Trendicators Report, Part One: The Role of Recognition in Recruiting, Onboarding & Retaining Employees http://www.dtoolbox.com/blog/resource/todays-job-seekers-really-want-role-recognition-recruiting-onboarding-retaining-employees2017 Trendicators Report, Part Two: What You Need to Know about Today’s Job Seekershttp://info.engage2excel.com/2017-trendicators-report-what-you-need-to-know-about-todays-job-seekers

tom Brennan is Manager, Creative Services at leading nationwide recruiting firm Decision Toolbox. For more than a decade, he has played an integral role in developing strategic marketing materials designed to attract top candidates for Decision Toolbox clients. Connect tom Brennan

Jeff Gelinas is Vice President of People and Product of Engage2Excel. With an extensive background in HR and staffing, Jeff drives Engage2Excel’s product strategy and roadmap. Prior to joining Engage2Excel, Jeff was the Talent Acquisi-tion Product Management Leader at IBM and was responsible for the product development of IBM/Kenexa’s talent acquisition solutions. He holds an MBA from Boston University, School of Management and a B.A. from Tufts University. Connect Jeff Gelinas

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12 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

PURCHASE YOUR TICKET TODAY!Visit us at: www.LEAD2018.com/Attend

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Salt Lake City, Utah at The Grand America Hotel, February 7th and 8th

By Gillian McKean Bidgood

Learn how to do it right

3 Considerations For Using Big Data In Hiring Decisions

With job candidates posting extensive information on social media and other information available on the Internet, technologists are developing ways to mine and use that data in the hiring process.

This field (sometimes referred to as “people analytics”) is marketed as full of promise, including the possibility of identifying unrealized potential, increasing diversity, reducing turnover, improving employee satisfaction, and improving the company and individual performance.

However, for employers inclined to embrace people analytics, there are a number of employment law-related issues to consider.

1. statistics Are Not inherently objectivePeople analytics may help reduce the subjective assessments that are

inherent in the interview process. However, to create a tool to predict success on the job or identify “desirable” traits for job applicants, an employer must first define what makes an employee successful or the traits that are desirable. Typically, the logical starting point is an employer’s current workforce. The current workforce may not include “successful” employees as the employer would now define the job or

the “desirable” traits for the job going forward. As such, tools based on the current workforce may perpetuate the issues found in the current work environment. Employers may wish to consider whether the data used or the tool itself should be adjusted to counter those tendencies. In addition, employers should consider whether augmenting their own data with data from outside of the company could improve the objectivity of the data.2. Correlation is Not the same as Causation

Analysis of data about existing employees or workers in the industry will likely reveal many interesting connections. It is easy at first to erroneously assume that a connection is causal. For example, even if there is a correlation between playing team sports in school and ultimately succeeding on the job, participating in team sports may not be the reason that the employees are ultimately successful. If the technologist or employer focuses more on the measurable indicator (team sports) than what the measurable indicator reflects (e.g., time management), the predictive value of the tool may suffer and the tool may have unintended effects. Accordingly, technologists and employers should not limit their thinking to finding correlations and should consider what the correlations mean about the applicant or employee’s skills and abilities. 3. technologists, Hr and Legal teams should Partner on People Analytics

An employer might save time and reduce legal risk by having tech-nologists develop or implement a people analytics tool alongside the employer’s HR and legal teams. The HR and legal teams can help the technologists avoid creating or implementing a tool that results in discrimination or violates other laws, such as privacy laws and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. QoH

Gillian McKean Bidgood is a shareholder at Polsinelli. She treats clients’ problems like her own. She looks beyond the law and works with clients to understand the financial, practical, and personal motivations and implications of the employment issues and employment litigation she handles. Gillian has successfully honed her skills as a trial attorney and legal counselor.Visit www.polsinelli.comFollow @Polsinelli

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14 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

First time sales representatives are excited, motivated, and fresh. They’re ready to jump start a successful career in sales, and it’s your job to help mold them into all-stars.Where do you start?

Onboarding first time sales representatives takes extra care, and substantially more effort. Follow our tips below to make sure your new representatives not only make it through your onboarding program, but graduate with flying colors.1. don’t Make Assumptions

First time sales representatives are starting at the beginning. Don’t assume they know anything. While seasoned representatives may just need to get up to speed on your company, first time sales representatives require additional resources and information. As you prepare your onboarding plan, be sure to include:• Sales skill basics• Sales methodology• Sales technology solutions• Demo and pitch guidelines• Customer management• Communication standards• Company behavior expectations• Metrics and analytics overview• Messaging and brand guidelines

2. Boost their ConfidenceStarting off as a new sales representative can be intimidating.

Help your beginners get off to the right track by setting them up for success and giving them a confidence boost. Get them involved in client interactions during your onboarding program where you know the customer well and have a good handle on the relationship, or bring them along to a meeting where there is a high likelihood of closing a deal. Show them how good it feels to win, and give them the impression that they brought value to the table.3. Promote teamwork and Collaboration

Encouraging your first time sales representatives to interact with your veterans will help them become a part of the team, and pick up some new skills. Create peer mentoring opportunities within your onboarding program by using video recording technology. Have your new sales representatives record practice pitches and submit to the rest of the team for feedback and suggestions for improvements.

You can also pair up new sales representatives with your all-stars so they can learn from their communication style, demo skills, client interactions, time management and prioritization, and

their follow up strategy. Schedule specific dates and times for them to work together so your new

representatives aren’t overlooked or forgotten.Bonus tip!

Add in a competition component by giving a prize to the veteran

who helps their new sales representatives close their first sale in the shortest amount of time.4. Encourage Questions and Keep Communication Lines open

With so much to learn, it’s critical to set a tone that encourages questions and open dialogue.

Your first time sales representatives are bound to have lots of questions, and you don’t want them to feel nervous or embarrassed to ask. Explain why questions are valuable, and that you prefer to see representatives taking initiative to learn versus waiting and making mistakes. Use a couple of example scenarios of representatives who didn’t ask, and then learned lessons the hard way with clients.5. Hold representatives Accountable

Your first time sales representatives are taking in a lot of brand new information during the onboarding process. Seeing their head nod in agreement with what you’re saying isn’t enough verification that they’ve “got it.” Using an online learning technology partner will allow you to build in custom quizzes, challenges, and activities after each training module so that you can actually test and assess their understanding. Keep track of their scores to identify where they may need extra help or coaching reinforcement.6. stay Connected at All times

Your new representatives will need some serious hand holding, and you need to make sure you can prioritize their learning experience. Having them complete an impactful training exercise, like a video recorded pitch practice, and then forgetting to give them feedback for an entire week, will lessen the effectiveness of your program. Use mobile coaching tools to stay connected to your representatives and give them continuous feedback and coaching on the go.

Onboarding first time sales representatives isn’t impossible, but it does require extra consideration. Incorporate the suggestions above to help mold quality sales representatives that will excel within your organization. QoH

By Mike Hyatt

6 Tips For Onboarding First Time Sales RepresentativesWhere do you start?

Mike Hyatt is the Director of Sales at LearnCore. Visit www.learncore.com Connect Mike HyattFollow @Mike_Hyatt

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15Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

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Personalization is a prevalent buzzword in the talent acquisition space. Starting in the consumer experience with retailers like Amazon, Netflix and more, it’s now become a top priority for organizations’ candidate experience.

The trend toward personalization in talent acquisition is spot on. No matter our experience online, we all expect personalization in some form. We want to determine our own journeys and appreciate relevant, targeted content that speaks to our interests and needs.

However, as I hear and read more about personalization in talent acquisition, I can’t help but get a little irked. The common narrative is that personalization is about delivering targeted jobs on the career site to candidates based on their personal information.

This narrative is shortsighted, so I’m going to myth bust some of the claims about personalization

Myth 1: Personalization is about Jobs The basic premise around this point of view is that jobs, and thus

job recommendations, are the most important content you can provide to candidates. This is not the case. While job recommendations are useful, they only impact a portion of your candidate audience.

A lot of talent acquisition leaders believe that jobs are what they sell to prospective candidates. I’m here to tell you they aren’t; brand and culture is what talent acquisition sells. Sixty-nine percent of candidates are likely to apply for a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand. That means talent acquisition leaders, and more broadly, organizations, need to sell value as an employer of choice first to recruit quality talent. Not just jobs, but the people and culture that make or break the job.

If personalization isn’t just about job recommendations, how else can talent acquisition teams personalize the candidate experience? It’s about delivering valuable content that candidates truly care about when making the decision to apply. Content such as:1. Employee stories: First and foremost, talent acquisition teams need to find authentic employee stories and deliver those stories to each prospective candidate based on their skills, interests, actions and channel. If I’m an engineer, I should receive videos about the projects

that engineers at the organization are working on and why they are happily growing in the organization. 2. Marketing Content: I guarantee your marketing team has content that your candidate audiences would find valuable based on their skills and interests. This might be industry news or key trends skilled workers need to know. The more knowledge you can provide to them, the more they will associate you as a leader in the industry and consider you as an employer of choice when the time comes in their career.3. Career development resources: Personalization is valuable because it is helpful. A simple way to personalize a candidate’s career search is to guide them through it. This is personalization by what stage a candidate is at in his or her journey. Use email nurture to give advice on the recruiting and application process once a candidate applies. Send talent network leads tips on resume building, social media networking and how to ask the right questions in an interview. You might also offer content that helps candidates develop industry skills or point them to resources that help them in their current roles.4. open Jobs: Personalization through job recommendations can be valuable, but you need to understand who you’re personalizing for. When you build personalization through the candidate experience, job recommendations can help conversion with active job seekers who have already been sold on you as an employer of choice. A job itself is not differentiating; a sales manager job description from company to company is probably quite similar and not terribly enticing. But a job recommendation can ensure quicker conversion if you’ve properly personalized your brand, culture or employee value content to convince the candidate to search for a job.

These are the types of content that can help personalize an experience for candidates. Remember that no person wants to feel like they are being sold – and that’s precisely what job recommendations are meant to do. Talent acquisition leaders need to personalize content to help candidates to choose the right employer first and then help them find the right job for their skillset. QoH

In Part 2, I’ll discuss the role of different channels in a personalized, high-touch approach.

By Chris Brablc

Personalization In Candidate Experience - Part 1Myth-busting

Chris Brablc is Director Product Marketing at SmashFly, where he leads efforts from product messaging to thought leadership. With expertise in the areas of digital marketing, social media and content marketing campaigns, he excels at cultivating influencer relationships and enhancing online brands with a focus on storytelling and messaging through channels such as social media, SEO and content creation. He is passionate about the recruiting space and was recognized as one of HRExaminer’s 2012 Top 25 Online Influencers in Recruiting. Visit www.smashfly.com Connect Chris Brablc

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17Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

STAY INFORMED.STAY ON TOP OF YOUR HR GAME.

For more information on themed research, contact sales@hr.com | 1.877.472.6648

The latest industry best practices and trends with HR.com themed research

Employee Culture: A Closer Look

Driving Employee Engagement Throught Effective Communication

Read and download this report at hr.com/employeeculture

Read and download this report at hr.com/employeecommunication

A great culture tells a lot about an organization. Employees should feel valued and appreciated, because behind every amazing culture is a group of engaged and motivated employees. With this framework in mind, CultureIQ and HR.com conducted a survey of 500+ HR profes-sionals to see what steps organizations have in place to promote a positive employee culture.

Human Capital Management Practices

Insights on Video Interviewing

Read and download this report at hr.com/hcmanalytics

Read and download this report at hr.com/videointerviewing

Today’s HR professionals are facing some serious challenges. One is lead-ership. This study found that only 37% of survey participants said that their leaders effectively manage human capital. What’s more, only about a third said leadership actions are correlated to engagement, retention and performance.

There’s no doubt that video interviewing is fascinating, but is it a technology for the future or something ready to be deployed today? Does video interviewing really pay off? We can now answer these questions thanks to a survey conducted by HR.com of nearly 2,000 HR professionals.

Communication is the make or break of every organization.It impacts everyone at every level of their lives. Are you free to express your concerns and opinions? An HR.com sponsored survey of over 500 HR professionals helped shed light on how well managers are communicating.

To see additional themed research whitepapers go to hr.com/themedresearch

there is a disconnect between veterans and civilian hiring managers that goes both ways. Veterans leave military service typically unprepared and unarmed with the tools to position themselves as viable candidates to civilian companies, and hiring managers are unskilled and untrained in how to recruit military veterans for jobs outside of service.

But the value veterans can bring to an organization should not be overlooked. Veterans are loyal and trainable. They thrive in leadership positions and are excellent problem solvers.

Understanding some of the challenges that hiring managers face in hiring veterans can help companies better recruit from this wonderfully skilled talent pool. The challenges include:

reading the resume: Hiring managers often lack training to read and understand a military resume. What does being an E-6 mean? Did a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force hold more management responsibility than a Major in the Army? What does it mean that you did Command and Control Battle Management Operations in the Air Force, and how is it relevant for the position I’m recruiting for? As long as the military resume doesn’t match the civilian employer’s job req., the disconnect produces a roadblock.

inability to sell Themselves: In the military, the focus is on mission, unit, and the person next to you, not on you. The culture of “Service Before Self,” means that each service member passes credit and recognition down to those who serve alongside them, but accept

responsibility and accountability. Self-promotion and self-focus are unacceptable and discouraged. Therefore, when veterans leave service, they struggle when answering questions such as, “Tell me about a success you had that you are most proud of.” To the veteran, this would mean being disloyal. To the hiring manager, not getting an answer is frustrating and suspicious.

Ptsd: Civilian media has not done an adequate job of educating the public about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the numerous other challenges some former military service members live with. We intuitively believe that someone who has “seen the unthinkable” and lived in conditions of violence, hostility, and stress for a long period of time will undoubtedly have emotional effects long after the situations change. But what does that mean for a hiring manager looking to add a new team member to their company? When enlightened with information about PTSD, many employers find their biases and misperceptions rectified.

skills not transferrable: Without a clear outline of which military skills translate to which civilian job responsibilities, it may be unreasonable to expect that hiring managers with no military experience can understand how someone who worked front lines in the infantry can lead their IT staff through a new project. Or, how a combat medic is qualified to hold a sales position in their pharmaceutical company. Skills – hard and soft – can be easily translated to civilian work, if the right questions are asked.

Fit in the organization: Hiring managers seek skills, experience, and talent in recruiting new employees, and they look for cultural fit as well. Each candidate is evaluated for the value they bring and can offer to new and existing teams, how well they will assimilate into the organization, and where they will lead. The perception that a military veteran is used to barking orders, meeting high-stress timelines, and putting feelings aside for execution on mission can deter recruiters from evaluating a veteran candidate.

Businesses investing in human capital are wise to learn how to recruit, onboard, and retain veterans. The small investment in training a hiring and recruiting team on how to read military resumes, interview veterans, and recruit veterans online is returned in an workforce that contributes at levels that exceed expectations. oss

By Lida Citroën

Understanding the challenges

Why Aren’t Businesses Hiring Veterans?

Lida Citroën is author of the new book, Engaging with Veteran Talent, and is an international reputation management and branding specialist who designs the identities of companies and professionals globally. As CEO of LIDA360, Citroën is an accomplished keynote speaker, trainer and writer, often featured on MSNBC, Forbes.com, CBS MoneyWatch, and in Entrepreneur, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, and Inc. Visit www.lida360.com Connect Lida Citroën

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19Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

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Ensuring long-term retention is a challenge that all companies face during the hiring and onboarding process. According to statistics provided by relocation management software developer, UrbanBound, companies lose an average of 25 percent of all new hires in the first year.

Twenty percent of those losses happen within the first 45 days of employment. In fact, polls generated by Ben Peterson for BambooHR have determined that companies waste over $10,000 a year on inef-fective onboarding practices. So, the question is how can onboarding practices be made more efficient? What can companies do to retain new hires? Should they consider perks like free food or onsite incentives?

Well, yes and no. The trick to retaining new hires is for companies to do more than give them clear-cut expectations, sufficient employee onboarding, and a well-balanced work environment. This does not mean that new hires need small tokens and trinkets like free food. They need additional attention and recognition, they need to feel their contribution to the company is of some worth from day one. They need to see the bigger picture. After all, a company like Coca Cola is much more than a soft drink manufacturer, and their employees need to understand what that means. That is the corporate narrative.

An Example of Actively Using a Corporate Narrative in onboardingOne of the best ways to give new hires this needed sense of purpose

and accomplishment is by incorporating them early on into this narrative. This is not the open-ended and ongoing day to day story, but one Harvard Business Review defines as “…a context of human connection, collaborating around a shared purpose, and connect-ing with the company’s DNA, you too can create a narrative that energizes your executives, inspires employees, excites partners, and attracts customers.”

This corporate narrative should be important to every individual who either works for, or works with a company. After all, it is its company’s DNA, and helping new hires see this vision early on is crucial. A great example of this is the Walt Disney Company. Disney has one of the richest and deepest-seated narratives in the world, and they utilize their high standard of business conduct to promote it globally. A task that is accomplished due to the fact every employee they hire is made to understand their roll from day one. That is that they are the face of the company.

So, as employees become equipped with and excited by the narrative it shows in all their interactions and not just those directly related to their job. They take in the narrative and pass it on, and then keep passing it on. And, while it is much more than a public relations cam-paign, it is a bonus on top of retention as this is how word of mouth also gets utilized. This bonus phenomenon is what Henrik Werdlin of Fast Company describes as turning a corporate narrative into a social object, or the process by which a good story gets passed on.

This equates to the company’s story being carried on the lips of employees and their families—that’s good publicity on top of better retention rates. It is a win-win situation for all involved. A solution that accomplishes not just the company’s goals, but the individual goals of their employees on many different levels as well. A solution that only comes as everyone realizes they are responsible for passing on the company’s unique narrative.

So, the sooner employees can latch onto the narrative the better, and one of the best ways is by utilizing onboarding to engage new hires in it early on. QoH

By Michael Roche

Why Corporate Narrative Is Your Best Onboarding And Retention ToolSeeing the bigger picture

Michael roche is a director of learning solutions at Allen Communication Learning services. He has extensive instructional design experience. What Michael enjoys most is consulting with clients in creative ways to ensure their training is fresh, innovative, and of courses, achieves measurable business results.Follow @roches09Connect Michael roche

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20 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

Upcoming Virtual Events & HR.com Webcasts

Virtual Events

www.hr.com/virtualconferencesView our Upcoming Virtual Conference Schedule and Register Today!

Schedule

Employee Benefits and Wellness November 7, 2017

HRIS and Payroll February 21, 2018

HR Strategy and Planning November 14, 2017

Leadership September 26, 2017

Recognition and Engagement October 18, 2017

Talent Acquisition October 24, 2017

Talent Management January 23, 2018

Training and Development September 12, 2017

Workforce Management December 5, 2017

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A Selection of Webcasts Date Time

Accurate Interviewing: Using Structure to Remove Bias Aug 22, 2017 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET

Do I Have to Pay for That? Navigating the Common Pitfalls of Wage andHour Laws

Aug 24, 2017 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET

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Using Psychometric and other Psychological Tests and Assessments in theWorkplace

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sales is the most important job in any company. After all, until someone sells something, no one else has a job – and your company cannot exist.

As such, hiring productive sales representatives proves crucial to your company’s growth.

To hire the best sales representatives, start by making list of your “superstars.” By “superstars, I mean sales representatives who are both (a) highly productive + (b) low-turnover. You want to, in effect, “clone” them. That is, hire people who have similar job-related qualities.

List biographical data (bio-data) your “superstars” have in common in their work histories, training, education, and compensation. Applicants with similar bio-data might be worth giving pre-employment tests. step 1: review Application and resume

Pay special attention to resumes that show applicant had experiences similar to your company’s best sales representatives. For example, if your best representatives earned B.A. degree + worked during high school + held two sales jobs for three years or longer, then you easily can see if resume says applicant had similar experiences.

By Michael Mercer

Top 7 Tips To Hire The Best Sales RepresentativesUsing the most objective, scientific methods available to you

22 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

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To 7 Tips To Hire The Best Sales Representatives

step 2: 10-15 Minute over-Phone discussionDo brief 10-15 minute over-phone conversation with applicants.

Make applicants do 90% of talking, so you get sense of whether you want to consider the applicant. step 3: Pre-Employment tests: Personality and intelligence tests

Give work-related pre-employment tests to applicants who seem to be suitable in steps 1 and 2.

Use two types of tests: First, have applicants take behavior or per-sonality test – that predicts:• Interpersonal skills, • Personality traits, • Motivations, Second, also have applicants take work-related intelligence tests

– to see if applicant possesses adequate mental abilities to learn job and correctly think on-the-job. Such intelligence tests measure ap-plicant’s abilities in • Problem solving • Vocabulary• Arithmetic• Grammar, spelling, and word usage• Handling small details with speed and accuracyImportant: Before testing applicants, do fairly quick benchmarking

study to help you pinpoint benchmark test scores of your superstars. For instance, have your superstar sales representatives take the personality and intelligence tests. Then, use their typical scores as “benchmark test scores.” Find applicants who get the same or similar test scores as your superstar sales representatives.

For example, at one company where I conducted benchmarking study using work-related personality and intelligence tests, I statisti-cally pinpointed the benchmark test scores of its superstars.

The test’s benchmarks included the following: High scores on • Friendliness• Teamwork• Poised reaction to pressure• Optimistic• Fact-focused• Money motivation – to make sales• Power motivation – to follow-up with customers• Arithmetic ability

Above average scores on • Assertiveness• Enjoying moving a lot• Motivation to learn• Problem solving ability

Moderate scores on • Flexible in following rules and procedures• Helping people• Vocabulary ability• Grammar ability• Handling small details abilityLow scores on • Creativity motivation

When the company has applicants take the pre-employment tests, it quickly can determine which applicants have personality and intelligence

similar to the company’s superstar sales representatives. Of course, a terrific applicant gets the same or similar test scores as the company’s superstars.stEP 4: in-depth interview

If – and only if – an applicant does well in step 3, pre-employment test, should you conduct in-depth interview. Recommendation: Only spend your valuable time interviewing applicants who, scientifically, get the benchmark test scores that are same or very close to your company’s superstar sales representatives. stEP 5: role-Play and realistic Job observation

If an applicant does well in step 4, in-depth interview, you do active assessments using role-plays and realistic job observation. In sales role play, have applicant play role of a sales representative trying to sell you something, and you play the role of a prospective customer. Observe how well (or poorly!) the applicant uses sales techniques.

You also can do realistic job observation (RJO). To do this, have the applicant tag along with one of your sales representatives, observing the job being done. Some applicants will like what they see. But other applicants will decide they do not want to do that work or work at your company. stEP 6: reference Checks, Background Checks, drug tests

If you like applicant in step 5, then it is worth your time to do other checks, including references, background, and drug tests.

stEP 7: one Executive Approves Each Hire or Not-Hire decisionWhen steps 1-6 rate the applicant highly, then the hiring manager

probably will recommend hiring that person. Important: Have one executive examine all pre-employment test scores plus other informa-tion, and then decide if your company will make a job offer. Usually, the executive will approve the hiring manager’s choice. But, sometimes the executive will determine the hiring manager was too lenient in rating the applicant. In that case, the executive should (a) refuse to hire that applicant plus (b) tell hiring manager to assess applicants more carefully.recommendation to Hire the Best sales representatives

Hiring terrific sales representatives proves crucial for every com-pany’s business growth. You can use seven steps explained here to help you hire the best. Importantly, assess sales applicants using the most objective, scientific methods available to you. This includes you using bio-data plus custom-tailored personality and intelligence pre-employment tests. oss

Copyright 2017 Mercer Systems, Inc.

Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is creator and researcher of all three Forecaster(tm) Tests. He has created 3 pre-employment tests to assess job applicants. His 3 “Forecaster™ Tests” – pre-employment tests – help companies scientifically decide which job applicants they should or should not hire. Mercer also wrote 6 books, including “Hire the Best & amp; Avoid the Rest™.”Visit www.mercersystems.comConnect Michael Mercer

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23Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

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in his recent recommendations to the Uber board, Eric Holder went much farther than prescribing sensitivity trainings or suggesting a change in leadership. Instead, Eric described a series of systemic changes that would not only benefit Uber, but would be hugely beneficial to any company that wants to build a strong, effective, and creative workplace.

These recommendations are not a set of last minute emergency actions to save a company in crisis. Eric’s recommendations are a play-book of best practices for how to do business right in the 21st century.

The three most straightforward recommendations are the following:1) Make sure job descriptions are inclusive2) Make resume review process blind3) Conduct structured interviews where feedback is collected in

a consistent wayThe fact that Eric’s recommendations include these should not

be a surprise to anyone in the talent acquisition industry. They are well-known best practices that come from decades of research. Un-fortunately, they are not commonly in practice today.

Research from Duke and the University of Waterloo shows that certain terms in a job description will discourage qualified women from applying. By balancing exclusive terms with terms that are known to be inclusive, companies can be sure to get the broadest set of qualified applicants for any role.

Study after study reveal that bias exists in resume review. We can conclude, then, that blind resume review yields better and more qualified candidates. Too often, reviewers are distracted by elements of a resume that aren’t relevant to a candidate’s abilities or experiences. Knowing where someone went to college, their name, or their fraternity won’t help recruiters or HR teams understand if that candidate has the right experience to do the job well.

Similarly, interviews are often derailed by unfocused or inconsis-tent interview questions that aren’t designed to fully assess whether a

candidate will thrive at the company. In fact, they are often haphazard and have no real intent. Instead, a structured approach to interviewing means that the whole team will be aligned around the questions and issues that matter most for the interview.

Not only will this strategy bring clarity to the entire HR team, it can also drastically improve candidate experience, ensuring that every interviewee is treated with professionalism, kindness, and respect.

What’s most important about his approach is that it offers a com-prehensive solution that structures the entire hiring process from start to finish. This kind of high-level approach is vital for companies. Too often, technologies focus on fixing one aspect of the hiring process – improving job descriptions or facilitating better sourcing techniques – but these well-intentioned efforts break down when companies don’t implement best practice across the entire hiring process.

In a time of rapid change, digital transformations, and unicorns, every company should take these recommendations to heart: no company can afford to let antiquated and ineffective hiring slow them down. oss

By Laura Mather

An HR Playbook For A New EraTop 3 tips

Laura Mather, PhD. Engineer, is an entrepreneur, and Founder & CEO of Unitive, Laura is an expert on the future of the workplace. Her writing can be found in Ozy, HR.com, ERE Media, Salon, Time Motto, Fast Company, Forbes, and the Huffington Post, where she is a regular blogger. Connect Laura MatherVisit www.unitive.works Follow @LauraMath3r

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25Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

the 2017 EEO-1 report should be applauded for its new potential to discover wage disparities between different sexes, ethnicities, and races. However, recent updates and expanded requirements make some HR professionals wary instead. The 2017 EEO-1 report is quadruple the length of its predecessor and comes with a set of changes and challenges that can be daunting for the unprepared.

Since the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) developed the EEO-1 form more than 50 years ago, the report has evolved from its original purpose—identifying diversity in the workplace—to what it is today: a robust compliance survey pinpointing areas of diversity in the workplace as well as potential areas of discrimination.

Unfortunately, the same robustness that makes EEO-1 invaluable to the EEOC, makes it difficult and confusing to HR professionals responsible for their organizations’ compliance. When EEO-1 misfiling can result in weighty fines or even jail time, it’s important that HR professionals understand the ins and outs of the 2017 EEO-1 report. The Changes

The new EEO-1 report includes two major changes: the deadline and the data. As with earlier versions of the report, public employers with 100 employees or more and federal contractors with 50 employees or more are required to comply. However, this year the deadline to submit is March 31, 2018, a full 18 months after the 2016 submis-sion. This major extension allows ample time to prepare for the other major change: the data collection.

All the data that was collected in the previous version of the report—employees’ job category, their gender and ethnicity or race, and basic company information continues to be required. However, the new report also requires employers to report on employees’ wages, which are based on W-2 earnings and then categorized into pay bands provided by the EEOC. Employers must also provide the aggregated number of hours worked.

These two new pieces of pay data will help employers and the EEOC detect and eliminate gender- and race-based wage disparities, something the EEO-1 report couldn’t do before. The Challenges

When completing the new EEO-1 report, HR professionals must consider the way the data needs to be reported and the sheer number of ways to classify an employee.

For the new report, both employers and employees are required to provide information. Employers must report the employees’ wage information, job category, and hours worked, and employees must self-report their gender and ethnicity.

Consulting two different sources of data ensures the accuracy of the information, but it also makes data collection harder to coordinate. For instance, to gather employee input, employers must survey its employees. But simply sending the survey isn’t enough. Employers must make sure their employees complete them as well, which could

require multiple reminders, responding to employee questions, track-ing responses, and, finally, submitting the information. This can be a labor intensive process.

The 2017 EEO-1 report is further complicated by the number of possible classifications for an employee. There are 1,680 possible combinations of gender, race or ethnicity, job category, and salary to match an employee to—more than 100x the potential combinations in the 2016 EEO-1 report. With so many potential combinations, manual data entry methods can be error-prone and time-consuming for an already stretched HR department. The solution

The best way to overcome these challenges and to ensure EEO-1 compliance is to understand the requirements and keep track of the necessary information.

This is where technology can help. An intelligent EEO-1 compliance solution can alleviate the burden

of reporting by automating and managing data collection. HR profes-sionals can program the solution to send out surveys to employees, track responses, and follow up when necessary, ensuring self-reported employee data is collected on time and in full—a time-consuming task for organizations with hundreds or thousands of employees.

In addition, by integrating with an organization’s existing payroll system, an intelligent EEO-1 compliance solution can automatically populate the required submission forms and eliminate the need for manual data entry and the chance of error that comes with it. Plus, it can create an audit trail so the organization can quickly respond if the EEOC comes knocking.

When HR professionals adopt technology to support data reporting, they can alleviate the burden associated with complex regulations and more easily prove compliance. The EEO-1 report is no exception. oss

By Arthur Tacchino

2017 EEO-1 Reporting: Overcoming The Changes And ChallengesWhat you need to know

Arthur tacchino, J.D., is the Chief Innovation Officer at SyncStream Solutions.Visit www.sync-stream.comConnect Arthur tacchinoFollow @syncstream

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26 Submit your Articles Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017

the U.S. unemployment rate continues to drop, and that’s gener-ally regarded as a good thing.

Unless, of course, you’re an employer competing to hire top talent for your company.

Job growth is making it more difficult for companies to find candi-dates with all the qualifications they require, much less desire.

The job market is a little like the housing market – a lot depends on inventory and the economy. Sometimes there are more buyers, and sometimes more sellers.

Right now, job seekers tend to have the edge. If your company’s latest collection of resumes is looking pretty slim,

it could be you’ve already made your first mistake.Why wait until you have an opening to start the recruiting process?

You’ve likely already met the best candidates out there.”A smart company keeps the pipeline open.  That way you won’t

have to scramble if someone leaves, or settle for less than you want. You’ll always have someone waiting in the wings.

Even if you think you already have a great team, find some way to keep meeting potential employees. I have employed thousands at the businesses either built from scratch or acquired and led to success. A few tips for finding top talent include:• Get Creative in the interview Process. Ask questions that are

not the typical interview questions that candidates are prepared for. “If you can get people speaking honestly and off the cuff, you’ll learn much more about them.

• raid other Companies for talent. If you find someone who can help your business and you know he or she is underappreciated at a competitor, “Release the hounds and get poaching.”• There are diamonds in the rough Everywhere. Don’t overlook

a current or potential employee just because his or her resume isn’t an exact match to your job opening. Today, there are computer programs that toss out applicants before a real person ever gets a chance to check out their qualifications or reasons for wanting the job. Don’t limit yourself to a checklist. Hire people who have a genuine passion for your mission and the skills – self-taught or not – to do the job.

My hiring mantra is: Always be interviewing.I’m not saying run ads and interview people every Friday. But you

need to keep the mindset that you are never finished recruiting. oss

By William S. Green

3 Ways To Recruit Marquee Employees – All The TimeIt pays to look for top talent long before you leap

William s. “Bill” Green, Founder and CEO of LendingOne and author of “All In: 101 Real-Life Business Lessons for Emerging Entrepreneurs”, is a serial entrepreneur who has built multiple businesses during his 40-year career. He is best known for “bootstrapping a start-up” before anyone even knew what the word start-up meant. He propelled his first company, Wilmar Industries, from a flea market table to one of the largest indus-trial distribution companies in the U.S., now known as Interline Brands. Visit www.bgreenauthor.com

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27Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 08.2017 Submit your Articles

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