Can Recruitment Ever Be Unbiased

Can Recruitment Ever Be Unbiased Nobody will ever openly admit to discriminating against a candidate based on their age, ethnicity or sexual orientation but countless studies have uncovered unconscious bias during the recruitment process. A recent investigation by the BBC  found that  a job seeker with an English-sounding name was offered three times the number of interviews than an applicant with a muslim name. The fake candidates applied for 100 jobs as business managers in advertising sales across London and after two and a half months, Adam was offered three times more interviews than Mohamed. The two CVs were also uploaded to four job sites. Adam was contacted by four recruiters, but Mohamed only two. Removing names from application forms, introducing recruitment technology and even setting diversity targets are just some of the ways companies have tried to eliminate giving jobs to people who look or sound the part. Last year, the consumer goods manufacturer Unilever introduced gaming technology to try and eliminate unconscious bias from its recruitment process.  The technology mixed gaming elements with video interviews to identify the best candidates among its 250,000 annual graduate applicants. Placid Jover, VP Human Resources at Unilever UK and Ireland said: At Unilever, we believe that a diverse range of talent is essential for the success and creativity of our business. Our new digital recruitment process for our popular graduate programme takes us to a new level of encouraging social inclusion and diversity amongst our applicants. We hope the interactive experience will enable candidates to have the confidence to demonstrate their true leadership potential. But no matter how advanced or clever technology is and regardless of how fun or engaging it is, sadly it wont and cant solve the entire problem of bias. While these tools help can companies look beyond the CV, managers still need to be aware of their internal own biases when deciding who they will hire. So can unconscious bias ever be exterminated or will it always exist? Dr Sondra Thiederman is an author and expert on unconscious bias. She says: In my view, a better question is, “Why are humans fundamentally biased and what can we do about it? Humans are genetically prone to both categorizing human beings into groups and to making inflexible generalities about those groups. This is an evolutionary trait that evolved from the need to do so when living in more primitive conditions. Having said that, there are ways to minimize and even defeat many of our biases. Dr Thiederman has written a book called  â€œ3 Keys to Defeating Unconscious Bias: Watch, Think, Act”, which she believes can help anyone get rid of unconscious bias. Key 1 Watch WATCH your thoughts, your past experiences, and your actions for signs of unconscious bias. WATCH will move your bias from your unconscious to your conscious awareness. Key 2 Think THINK about the people you know, about how you would feel were a bias directed at you, about your values, and about pausing long enough to get your bias out of the way. Key 3 Act ACT as if your bias doesn’t exist, and to identify common ground. THINK and ACT will give you control of the bias and, very possibly, eliminate it altogether. Whilst hiring managers can use a number of tools and techniques to try and get rid of unconscious bias,  it’s much easier for them to connect with the person in the actual interview  than the one represented by a CV. But the initial battle is for the person, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity or academic background, to be able to get through the front door and then be able to prove that they are the best candidate for the job and if they are then nothing else matters.

How to Get a To the Point Resume Written For You

How to Get a 'To the Point' Resume Written For YouIf you have been doing your resume for a while and you still haven't found the exact wording for that perfect 'to the point' resume, you are about to learn what to avoid. Use this simple tip and you will have your very own 'to the point' resume that will be noticed and remembered.First of all, avoid any lines that contain the word 'please'thank you' in them. These sentences do not communicate the kind of positive messages you want to have on your resume. Make sure that you stick to the 'to the point' resume format. Plus, writing a 'to the point' resume is easy when you use the proper headings.After you have eliminated the phrases that are not positive enough, you can try again with a few 'to the point' resume writing services. Check out the examples they give you and see if the format they provide is clear and well organized. Your job is to have your resume look good. If the resume service does not provide you with a well organized re sume format, they are probably not worth the money you pay them.The next step is to write the information in the resume. Use your first name only as the company name should be first and the personal name should be listed after the company name. You will also want to list the position that you are applying for before the job title. Make sure that you have used your entire experience and education. The first part of the resume is the most important so try to avoid it as much as possible.Don't include any questions in your resume that has to do with past performance. If there is any information that says 'valuable contributors' or similar then don't include this in your resume. This is considered the wrong kind of information and you are simply asking for the interviewer to think that you have had some experience. That is not necessary and could even show them that you are not a good candidate.You may have noticed that most hiring managers ask for samples of your work before they decid e whether to hire you or not. This is why having a 'to the point' resume writing service is such a good idea.They can provide you with examples of all the things they have written on your resume. They can also write the entire resume for you, if you would like. You will be surprised at how quickly your resume will be picked up by the hiring manager.As you can see, it is very easy to get a 'to the point' resume that looks great. So, take advantage of these tips and get your 'to the point' resume ready for submission.

What Should You Really Be - Employee or Entrepreneur - Classy Career Girl

What Should You Really Be - Employee or Entrepreneur What Should You Really Be? Employee or Entrepreneur? Choosing the right career can be one of the most critical choices that you need to do in your life. A career that you don’t only enjoy doing but also makes you successful affects the facets of your life in a positive way. But do you explore all of your options before making a decision? For the majority of people, whether as an employee or entrepreneur, career inflicts a chain-link effect on their personal lives as it relates to family, friends, relationships, social interaction, etc. Selecting the right path for you is a not a run-of-the-mill matter but rather a serious factor that dictates your pursuit of happiness, personal fulfillment, and overall satisfaction. Whether you want to be part of 1.6 million currently employed individuals in the US or to the 8.6 million self-employed people who wrestle in the entrepreneurship arena, this article is for you. Below is a checklist that you can use as a guide to help you determine whether you should be an employee or an entrepreneur. What Should You Really Be? Employee or Entrepreneur? Employment is For You if… 1. You Have Multiple Responsibilities and No Safety Net If you are still paying your loans and debts, have a family to care for, and your emergency fund is insufficient, then employment would be a better option. Entrepreneurship is too risky especially if youre still starting and it’s something that you can’t afford when you have full responsibilities on your plate. 2. You Prefer Flexible Working Opportunities Some companies who allow you to work from home and even pay for the equipment in your home office. If this setup is feasible for you, then this kind of employment will provide you the self-employment environment with the stability of a full-time job. 3. You Prefer to Work at a Set Time Rather Than Being on Call 24/7 If you’re the kind who cease thinking about work the moment you close down your laptop, then a 9-to-5 working lifestyle suit you. It allows you to focus on your passions and hobbies after working hours. 4. The Profit From Your Sideline is Lesser Than Your Salary Do not quit your job if your business is not bringing substantial income than your full-time job unless you have a large safety net. When you calculate for this, take into consideration how much you’ll pay for taxes and insurance costs which your employer does for you in your full-time job. [RELATED: How to Go From Employee to Entrepreneur] Entrepreneurship is For You if… 1. You Love Taking Risks From acquiring potential clients to increase your profits, entrepreneurship is quite a different environment in comparison to full-time employment where you do the same routine every month. If you live in the ‘high risk, high-reward’ setup, then entrepreneurship suits you. 2. You Blossom Under Pressure In business, you earn according to the output or work that your produce, disparate from a full-time job where you earn based on the number of hours that you log in. If youre the type who thrives under pressure and always looks for ways to grow and improve, entrepreneurship could be your calling. 3. You Know How to Pitch a Sale Keeping your business alive means selling and marketing your business to potential clients. If a room with strangers thrills you, then you have the blood of an entrepreneur who can get customers and clients and give out affordable business cards through your networking savvy. 4. You’re Not a Specialist but Rather a Jack of All Trades You’re the marketer when you’re the entrepreneur, the HR officer, the finance officer, the sales person who gives out cheap business cards, and the business development expert, all in one. If you love self-development and continuous learning, youre cut for entrepreneurship. 5. You Have a Loyal Client Base and Your Revenue Continues to Grow If you’re basking under this situation, it’s about time for you to quit your day job and jump in. Before you become an entrepreneur and jump ship, make sure your business is stable enough and continues to grow. It’s your bread and butter, and you’ll need your business to live and make ends meet. Always remember that choosing your path, whether corporate or entrepreneurial, is not a contest of popularity but a life-long decision with a significant effect, both on your professional and personal lives. Both options have their pros and cons. And both options can bring you joy and success. So, choose your path wisely.

The Cult of Agency Recruitment Bashing on LinkedIn

The Cult of Agency Recruitment Bashing on LinkedIn For  most recruiters, regardless of which industry they work in, LinkedIn is an excellent source of both candidates, and client leads. It’s also, it would seem, an excellent barometer for finding out how bloody awful we all are. Here are a couple of scathing comments Ive witnessed recently myself Unqualified unregulated telesales folk are masquerading as specialists, and lying cheating and scamming to earn a living. What is the point in gaining qualifications and experience only to be pimped out by folk who have neither? You see, we are all parasites living off the warm bodies of honest candidates innocently looking for a new challenge or so some people will have us believe. The Cult of the Recruitment Basher is rearing its ugly head and it’s headed in your direction. Don’t try and reason with the cult. It  cannot be reasoned with, even if you agree with some of their more pertinent points on rogue recruiters. NO! We are all the same. All on the same rip-them-off gravy train. Now, as you can probably see, I sometimes bite and try to take on the cult, and frustration is usually the end result. I have tried every angle I could think of to get them to see things from our side (or the ‘Dark Side’ as they would say) but it is like trying to convince a candidate that a five grand drop in salary is a good move in the long run a lesson in futility. Presumably members of the cult have had a bad experience with a recruiter in their dim and distant past, but lets face it, in all walks of life we have bad experiences daily yet most sane people don’t follow the every move of the kid from McDonalds who served us the cold fries and post comments on how rubbish they were on every social media site there after. However, us  recruiters are different see, we are the lowest of the low, building people up only to dash their hopes and dreams after they fail to get the job they craved. “I don’t care if I only have a GCSE in woodwork I’ve always wanted to fly an airplane and now you have ruined it all”. Okay that might be slightly far-fetched but you can see where I am coming from. Members of the cult seem to come from the contracting side of things. One of the main gripes seems to be: “you get me £15.00hr then charge £18.00 to the client. I should get all £18.00”. This type of comment always comes regardless of the fact you called them and asked them what hourly rate they charge, which was in fact  â€œ £15.00 mate”. See, you are still, in their eyes, ripping them off, even though without your call or coaching,  would never have known  X company was after a “sprocket noodler”*, let alone got the role! Yes,  you are still a damn parasite; damn you for finding me work at the price I asked for recruitment demon! It’s time to hit back people. Time to let the world know recruiters  are not all bad, and that we have feelings too. Recruitment is a damn hard job and I for one am quite sick and tired of hearing how we are the spawn of Satan. Try speaking to the candidate last week who was nearly in tears as I told him the job we had been working on together is now his. Ask his opinion on the guy who got him his dream move and you can bet your last quid he didn’t have a bad word to say about me. If anyone gives you grief,  stand up and tell them that you will not be beaten because we are recruiters and bloody good ones too. *Sprocket Noodler is a made up job (I know right) About the author: Paul Murphy has been working for SER Limited in Engineering Recruitment for over 11 years specialising in the intelligent buildings sector especially BMS (Building Management Systems). He is also it seems a part time keyboard warrior on behalf of recruiters everywhere.

Tips For Resume Writing Facebook

Tips For Resume Writing FacebookIf you want to be successful with your resume writing Facebook, it is essential that you do a lot of research. The information that you supply for your resume must be specific and professional. This means that you should know how to craft a good resume, for this, you must be very specific. Some tips to take when designing a Facebook resume include:o Include the key aspects of your work experience on your resume. o Choose the best career area from the list provided by your HR department. o Make sure that you include skills and training that are unique to your resume. o Read through the requirements carefully and select the most appropriate format for your job. o You should include details about your accomplishments in every category.In Your Facebook resume should be easily read by an online search engine. Your headline and body text must be neat and clear. o The title of your Facebook resume must reflect your position in the company. o Do not include de tails that will make your resume less appealing.o As a matter of fact, social media is a great resource that you can use to strengthen your resume writing. The reason for this is that people tend to trust those who they know and identify with. A good strategy is to make your personal profile more active. You should include updates and pictures to reflect the kind of person you are.o Ensure that you use the keywords that are related to your position. o You should create a LinkedIn page if you are not familiar with the social network. o It is good to have a Facebook page in addition to a LinkedIn page. By doing this, it is easier for people to see your profile.o Since you are not using your real name for your online presence, it is important that you make it official. o In Facebook, it is a good idea to use professionally designed icons and photos. o Your cover letter and other letters must clearly state what your position is in the company.o When you write your resume, take note of t he audience that you are writing for. o Make sure that you choose the most appropriate format for your position. o Always allow enough time for completing the resume. o Keep it to no more than two pages. o The majority of employers prefer to read resumes that are three pages or less.Resume writing Facebook is a great way to learn how to write a resume. Doing so will provide you with the skills that you need to be successful in your current or future job search. If you are interested in developing your resume writing skills, make sure that you check out resume writing Facebook today.

10 Brand-Diluting Phrases That Can Ruin Your Executive Resume - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

10 Brand-Diluting Phrases That Can Ruin Your Executive Resume When reviewing potential clients’ executive resumes and career biographies, I notice a lot of the same over-used, boring phrases that were outdated 10 years ago. These c-level and senior-level executives often tell me they wrote their own resumes, and looked at resume samples online or those of their colleagues to help them. They fell into the trap of boilerplating their documents to be the same as everyone else’s. And they took shortcuts when writing them. Keep in mind that real people (recruiters, employers, and other hiring professionals) will be reading your documents, or the online profiles you create using them â€" people who probably review many of them on any given day. Which ones are more likely to capture and hold their attention? Those that look and read the same, or those that vibrantly showcase the candidate’s unique combination of good-fit characteristics? Use words and phrases that differentiate you and precisely distinguish your unique promise of value from others competing for the same jobs. What differentiates you is what makes you valuable. Defining your executive brand will give you the ammunition you need and facilitate the writing process. Start with my 10 Steps to an Authentic, Magnetic Personal Brand. Workplace and job search networking expert Liz Ryan listed what she considers to be the 10 worst offenders: Results-oriented professional Cross-functional teams More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience Superior (or excellent) communication skills Strong work ethic Met or exceeded expectations Proven track record of success Works well with all levels of staff Team player Bottom-line orientation After all, with years of experience and hard work improving business operations, building productive teams, and driving profitability, what senior-level executive isnt all of those things in Liz’s list? They’re pretty much a given, to have gotten where you are today. Space is limited in career marketing documents and online profiles. Why waste precious real estate with ineffectual fillers? Once you define what best describes you, consult a thesaurus to nail the exact words to use in your resume, biography, online profiles, and other career marketing communications. Then back them up with monetized, brand-reinforcing examples. Related posts: How to Write An Irresistible C-level Executive Brand Resume in 10 Steps How to Write a C-level Executive Career Brand Biography VisualCV: The Social Media Executive Resume 00 0

Top 7 Ways Companies Fill Jobs in 2017

Top 7 Ways Companies Fill Jobs in 2017 When you understand the different ways companies fill jobs, you can reverse engineer your job search and  land a new job fasterreally! This is the 6th year SilkRoad has analyzed company data to compile this source of hire report. Technically, it is written for HR leaders and recruiters to help them source and hire new employees better, however, it is equally valuable for the active careerist (and job seeker) too! Take a gander at the chart below from the report. And pay attention to the green bars in the figure below, those represent hires! When the blue bars (interviews) are higher than the green bars (hires), that represents more competition. Invest more time where there is less competition! Image via SilkRoads 2017 Report Now, lets develop a new strategy for your job search- employed or unemployed. Use the information to develop your new action plan for finding a new job! #1: Employee Referrals To tap into the power of employee referrals, you need to do two things. Know where people in your network work and identify companies you would like to work for. Do your research now, before you begin randomly applying for jobs. Identify companies you would like to work for.  Armed with that list, begin strategically networking with people and let them know what companies and types of jobs you are interested in. Step 1: Identify companies you would like to work for.  Armed with that list, begin strategically networking with people and let them know what companies and types of jobs you are interested in. Step 2: Armed with that list, identify everyone you know who work for those companies (using LinkedIn, Facebook, any other social network and by asking people you know). Step 3: Begin strategically networking with people youve identified. #2: Indeed Maximize the time you invest looking at job postings. Use Indeed as your primary source of job postings. Be smart and set alerts. And always use the 2-Step method outlined here. #3: Current Employee Employed and looking? Dont overlook jobs within your current company. In order to learn about jobs outside of your area, youll need to network inside your company. #4: Recruiter Sourced This means a recruiter found you. Make sure your LinkedIn profile has the right skills/keywords for the jobs you are interested in. This helps recruiters find you. Search for recruiters who specialize in the types of job (or companies) you are interested in and ask people what recruiters they have had success working with. Build relationships with reputable recruiters.  Remember, recruiters dont work for you. They are hired by companies to fill jobs. Make sure you understand how recruiters operate. #5: Career Site/Website Go directly to the source. Companies post jobs on their own website, often on a career page. Use your list of target companies and visit each companys career page. See if you can set alerts. Make time each week to check each companys page for new jobs. #6: CareerBuilder CareerBuilder is another job board to invest your time using.  As with Indeed, set up alerts so you dont waste your time searching all new job postings. #7: LinkedIn LinkedIn has a job board. Use it. This is the lowest of the top sources of hires, so allocate your time appropriately. YOUR JOB SEARCH STRATEGY Be strategic.  Be pro-active. For more help structuring your job search, follow the process mapped out here: 6 Steps To Managing Your Job Search

Small Business Owner Jessi Walter of Taste Buds

Grown-Up Gigs Kids Cooking Class Teacher/Small Business Owner Jessi Walter of Taste Buds I met Jessi Walter at the CRAVE NYC launch party, and loved the concept around her business, Taste Buds (cooking classes for kids)! Once I went to the site and read about her transition from Bear Stearns Vice President (and Harvard!) to Taste Buds owner and teacher, I knew I had to corner her for this series. Such goodness ahead! 1. What did you wanna be when you grew up? An astronaut! After the movie Space Camp, it was all I could think about for a few years. That is until I actually went to Space Camp in Alabama and got nauseous on the simulators ?? 2. Youre a Harvard graduate and a Bearn Stearns alum. Was it difficult to leave that behind to give Cupcake Kids (the original name of Taste Buds) a go, career-wise? It was definitely a hard decision to leave behind a good-paying steading job where I was the employee and not the employer. But at the end of the day, it was the time to do it so I went for it! There wasnt an ah ha moment for me, I just decided that if I really wanted to make Taste Buds  a real business, I had to give it my 100% undivided attention. So my choice was to stay in a corporate job or really go for it and try out my idea. For me, I was 26, didnt own a home and didnt have a family so it was the perfect time for me to take a leap of faith and go for it. The worst that could happen was that it didnt work.but Im thankful that it did! 3. I talk a lot about what I like to call Vampires the voices in our own head/coming from other people that suck the good stuff right out of us. Did you meet any Vampires along your journey to being a full-time entrepreneur? Actually, no! Ive been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement Ive received from friends, family and even people I just meet. People are really drawn to Taste Buds mission and it resonates with them. Everyone loves a little girl power too! ?? 4. I work with a lot of clients who are concerned about whether or not they should pursue a certain interest/hobby as a career. How did you know that working with kids/baking/cooking/entrepreur-ing was it for you? Great question! Many hobbies should never be businesses. You have to have a lot of passion and a ton of energy. I love learning something new every day and figuring things out as I go. Its a constant adventure.  As far as making a hobby into a successful business, at the end of the day, I think you have to want to work on your business and not as much in you business in the long term to really make it work. Meaning, if I had just wanted to teach kids to cook all day, then I shouldnt have started Taste Buds. As a business owner, you are responsible for everything.some days Im the janitor, others tech support, marking, pr, accounting and the list goes on I still teach classes and events and I absolutely love it every time. But, I teach far less than I did at first. It was to o hard to try and do everything myself and I think a business owner needs to take a step back to really look at their business and find ways to grow it. If I were teaching all of the time, I wouldnt have time to do this. 5. If you can have your present self give your pre-Taste Buds self one piece of advice, what would it be? Keep moving forward! Things will break, go wrong and everything in between but just keep working on it and try again. Lifes too short to sweat the small stuff and to take too long to make decisions. ____________________________________________________ Please vote for my SXSW proposal (with Molly Mahar of Stratejoy Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl!), Screw the Job Market: Young + Passionate ? Broke. I swear its really quick will be super appreciated!