Ta-dah! Behold the Talent Funnel

Ta-dah! Behold the Talent Funnel In the world of recruitment today, many organisations are looking much deeper into their recruitment strategy and asking is this fit for the future? Many of the partner functions like marketing, sales and customer success, have learned that their  clients go through a complex set of decisions in the lead up to buying a product or service. Customer success has realised that throughout the life cycle of them being a customer, there are more complex decisions on whether to continue using the same or moving to another provider. Is it time for recruitment functions to realise  the same? Thanks to Google, information is much more readily available today than ever before. Customers have become empowered by this information and can make informed decisions. Along with this, competitors are becoming smarter and smarter in acquiring your customers through marketing and sales. The same is happening to talent attraction. Organisations have realised that changing career is often a complex decision. By looking at talent attraction as a funnel, you can ensure a potential employee receives all the information they need to make a complex decision. To be able to deliver the correct information, or content to people at the right time we need  consider the funnel and what content people need at each stage of the funnel. The funnel A talent attraction funnel has four key stages: Awareness Becoming aware of your brand and the jobs available Education Learning about your business and the mutual value that can be added Consideration Considering the facts of the job and whether their desires are met by the opportunity Decision Apply / Accept offer…or not! Content for each stage Now we know the different stages of the funnel we need to deliver content to people to help the progress to the decision stage. Providing the right content will help them learn much more about your company and will help them answer some of the below questions: What is the company culture? Will I add value to the company? What value will the company add to my career or personal life? Do I believe in the value of the services offered by the company? Do they look after their people? Will I fit in with the team? Awareness stage During the awareness stage, you can take a total addressable market view. Hence, your plan should be to present your brand and opportunities to everyone of interest. For example, if you were a local accountancy firm,  you would want everyone working in the accountancy sector to  see your brand and to be offered the opportunity to engage with it. This is the top of the funnel and you can approach the market in various ways: Social media Direct email Blog Newsletter Digital or offline Sector specific events And the list goes on Education The education phase is where you have the opportunity to educate your audience in the different facets of your organisation and how you would add value to their career. Two of the most effective and engaging ways of doing this are storytelling and person to person engagement: Day in the life of stories Employee success stories Career progress stories Graduate stories Apprenticeship stories Stories about social responsibility Opportunities to engage with your employees at events, by phone or on social media Consideration As a person is considering employment with your company, they will be asking themselves lots of questions like the ones at the start of this section. Our job as recruitment marketers is to answer these questions truthfully through engaging content. As a result, we attract the right decision from the right people and, if the answers we provide through content are  not what the candidate wants to hear, then they are not likely to be right for your business. Decision The is the easiest part, you have influenced the right decisions from the right people by engaging them with honest content. Now you need to continue the engagement as they progress through your recruitment and onboarding processes so that you retain the integrity of the stories you have told. Funnel  Intelligence For the funnel to be truly successful, you want to understand where each person is in the funnel so that you can deliver relevant content. You can do some of this manually through link tracking with services like Mail Chimp and Bit.ly. And, if you would like to know the methods I use, then connect with me on LinkedIn.

Artificial and Natural Personal Branding for Total Exposure - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Artificial and Natural Personal Branding for Total Exposure - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career So youve run into the problem that your blog doesnt have enough traffic and you have a lack of visibility. You have also decided that your theory of if I build it they will come is just a myth. You consider shouting, but no one hears you. Believe it or not, the majority of people trying to develop their eBrand face this same situation and few understand how to self-promote online. I recently read a combined 5 blog posts on the topic of promoting your blog via ProBlogger.net. He lists: guest posting, networking, advertising, social media and viral content. Does promoting your blog mean promoting your personal brand? Your eBrand is the virtual representation of your brand, therefore wherever your brand is listed online is what people are seeing. If you only have a blog, then they can only judge you by your blog, etc. Once you expand into social networks, then they have more of your brand at their finger tips. The main purpose of promotion is to show THE RIGHT people you exist. First, its about creating awareness for your brand , especially if its brand new (no pun intended). The customer purchase process is: awareness, research, evaluation and purchase. This can be applied to the individual. First, people have to know you exist (awareness), then they have to research your profile page to see if you are worthy of evaluation (does he or she have the credibility) and finally they will purchase your brand if it matches their need. When I say purchase, I mean either hire you for a job or at least display some type of attention, such as subscribe to your blog feed or contact you for consulting. There are two main routes to gaining maximum exposure for your eBrand. An artificial brand promotion is paid advertising in magazines, search engines, blogs, newspapers, radio, television and other untraditional mediums like subways. When people say the word artificial they tend to mean something that is produced rather than natural. What I mean here is that its forced on a given audience by a company or individual that wants to purchase their attention. By using artificial brand promotion you can control the advertisement, but not the commentary following the advertisement. You may be able to get your brand on the front page of Google, but people know that the most trusted websites fall under the natural brand category. We all know by now that search engines are how people find information online and because of this, if you arent in the top 10 on natural search, you really should consider the AdWords program, regardless if youre a company or individual. Just like AdWords, using a ta rgeted approach is essential to spreading the word to the right audience, who may in fact purchase your brand. Note: If you dont have a good personal product, it wont spread virally, regardless of how much you invest in paid advertising. Nail the product first and then promote it. Natural brand promotion can be paid for sometimes, but it tends to be a 3rd parties point of view on you or your product. Most of natural brand promotion flocks under public relations. Sometimes people pay PR firms to get publicity, which almost turns into an advertising attempt, but its not. The main difference here is that you may be quoted or interviewed by the media or your byline article may be accepted for publication, which positions you as the expert and as someone who is a trusted resource. This usually occurs when the brand deserves recognition and the media picks up on it. Natural brand promotion requires a lot more energy and luck. There is no guarantee that a journalist will write about you or that you will be on the front cover of Forbes Magazine. What counts more, you promoting yourself or someone else promoting you? This is a really hard question. Lets examine this for a second. You are the best marketer for the brand called YOU, which means the best person to sell yourself and your abilities is you yourself. On the other hand, people know this, therefore they are always looking for someone else to agree with your promotion. When you go in for an interview, the employer will ask for a list of references of people who can back up your resume/interview. When youre in sales and are trying to get referrals, you rely on others to spread positive word-of-mouth about your personal brand. Even when youre on LinkedIn.com, there is a place for endorsements from supervisors and co-workers. Think about it this way; if you write that you are the greatest person alive on your blog, how reliable of a source are you if you cant live up to it, BUT what if all 100 million other blogs write a post confirming this? Yes, when others promote you, it comes off better than shameless self-promotion. Therefore, your goal is to be the chief word-of-mouth marketer for the brand called you. Successful people and companies allocate their budgets and time to both artificial and natural brand promotions.

Dont Let Gotcha! Job Interview Questions Getcha! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Dont Let Gotcha! Job Interview Questions Getcha! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A  hiring manager for a Fortune 500 company has just posted a mid-level position she needs to fill. Soon, she can expect the job applications to start rolling in with a vengeance. Hundreds, and perhaps even  thousands  of them, depending upon the position! Her challenge at that point? To reduce, as quickly and as efficiently as possible, the number of viable applicants to a much more manageable size. A daunting task, to be sure. Let the potential candidate  elimination  phase begin! And one of the tactics many hiring managers employ today to accomplish that task includes the use of what I refer to as Gotcha! questions! Here are some examples of Gotcha! questions: “Why are you considering leaving your current position?” “How would you feel about relocating to take this position, if you are the candidate I choose for the job?” “How well do you get along with your current boss?” Now, on the surface, most of these types of questions certainly can seem to be very relevant to the position under consideration. Plus, most also seem to be relatively “innocent,” run-of-the-mill type interview questions that most job candidates would feel they could easily answer. Don’t you be fooled. An ill-thought-out answer to such questions can, and quite often does, cause a candidate to be eliminated on the spot! Let me give you an exampleâ€"from our own job candidate files, no less!â€"of what I’m talking about here by referring to just one of the example Gotcha! questions above. A TRUE Story (Although I wish it weren’t!) A candidate our recruiting firm,  The HTW Group (Hire to Win), presented on a position we were filling for one of our hiring company clients was nearing the end of a face-to-face job interview with a hiring manager. She was feeling very relaxed, comfortable and quite confident at that point because she felt she had been able to establish a great deal of rapport with the hiring manager. Then the hiring manager asked her this question: “Tell me, why would you consider leaving your current position, where you seem to be doing quite well, and travel halfway across the country to take this position, if I select you for this position?” Fair question, she thought, and one she said she believed she could easily answer with complete  honesty. Here is how she answered the question: “Well, you strike me as being someone who genuinely values honesty, so I am going to be totally honest with you here. Woman to woman. I just recently learned that my husband has been cheating on me and the farther away I can get from him the better. This position, which I feel I am fully qualified for, as well as one I know I would absolutely love, would allow me to do just that.” The candidate’s “fate”? You guessed it, she was eliminated from further consideration. Not, however, because she had the audacity to tell the truth. The hiring manager told me over the phone after the interview that the candidate’s answer raised all kinds of “red flags” for her and that she would have to pass on an otherwise excellent candidate. She said simply couldn’t take the risk of hiring someone who apparently was so weighed down with marital problems. But wait, you might be saying at this point, isn’t honestyâ€"total honestyâ€"always the best policy? In most endeavors, yes, honesty  is  the best policy. But when it comes to a job interview, another admonition takes precedence: “Discretion is the better part of valor.” That is, just as is the case in  any  interpersonal encounter, at least during the early stages, you always want to lead off with your best foot, leaving “total honesty” for the latter stages of any personal relationship that may develop. Gotcha! Questions can Come at Any Time During Interview Gotcha! questions canâ€"and do!â€"come at any stage during a job interview, too, at the beginning, the middle, or even as the interview is winding up. So, you must be on your toes throughout the entire interview to be able to effectively field such questions and thereby stay in the game. How can you adequately prepare to field Gotcha! questions during a job interview? Easy answer here: The same way you should prepare for  any  job interview: Make a list of all questions you can reasonably anticipate being asked during any job interview.  (I cover virtually all questions you can anticipate being asked during a job interview in both  â€œHeadhunter” Hiring Secrets: The Rules of the Hiring Game Have Changed . . . Forever!  and in  Career Stalled? How to Get  Your  Career Back in HIGH Gear and Land the Job You  Deserveâ€"Your DREAM Job!) Prepare answers to these questions that will include a  benefit  statement for the hiring company, not for yourself. Practice, practice, practice your answers to these questions. Then practice some more!  That way, you can absolutely guarantee that you will be fully prepared to appropriately answer  any  interview questions, including the Gotcha! ones. Let me close the loop on this post by providing you just one example of how our candidate should have answered the hiring manager’s question about moving halfway across the country to take a new job: “Well, I won’t deny that such a move is a little bit scary.  (Followed here by a little, nervous laugh?)  But I believe this is a great career opportunity and the next logical step for me. This is a great company with great products, and I can promise that, with my qualifications and experience, I can make a significant contribution from day one, if I become your candidate of choice.” Would an answer like this have compromised her integrity, or demonstrated a lack of honesty on her part? Of course not! She should have chosen to keep her personal life personal. Certainly it had no place in the job interview. Indeed, this answer would have branded her as a true professional, as someone who always takes the high ground  and  has something of significant value to offer to a potential employer. It definitely would have allowed her to stay in the game at that point. It definitely would have guaranteed that she wouldn’t have been among the  many  other candidates vying for the same position who also allowed themselves to be “gotten” by Gotcha! questions! _______________________________ Be sure to check out  Career Stalled?,  Skips latest book in the Headhunter Hiring Secrets Series of Career Development Management Publications. You can order your copy TODAY by clicking on this link:  Career Stalled? How to Get Your Career Back in HIGH Gear and Land the Job You DeserveYour DREAM Job! Available NOW in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon.com, at special introductory prices!

You Dont Have to Be a Computer Genius to Take Online Classes

You Don’t Have to Be a Computer Genius to Take Online Classes Online classes are one of the best ways for normal people to take on additional learning without spending a ton of money. With so many different courses available, there is no end to the possibilities of what you could learn. Some people take these classes to get a degree. Others take classes to learn things they want to know, whether or not the completed course will add to their aptitudes or career options. Online courses can be a really great to learn anything at all, but some people get worried that they might not know enough about computers to take advantage of this next generation of educational technology. Maybe you feel the same way. The thing is, you shouldn’t worry about it. There are a bunch of reasons why. Just like any other educational system, online learning resources are diverse in their character and demands. For every engineering course that’s way over your head, there will be ten courses on subjects you can totally handle. The international education systems are simply moving more towards consumer technology. It takes a lot less money to create courses for online consumption than to create physical infrastructure to educate people in rooms. It’s just a matter of time before this mode of teaching becomes the regular thing. But this doesn’t address all the concerns of most people. Some people aren’t worried that the subject matter of an online course will be too difficult. They’re worried that it’s the computer skills themselves that will be too much that they won’t be able to navigate the digital platform on the education site they’re using. While there are some computer skills necessary to take classes like these, most people will find that it’s not too difficult at all. This is because online classes are designed to be as simple to use as possible. This is especially true for systems that are meant to be used by people at the high school level, undergraduate level, or those returning to school for the first time after a long absence. In most cases, using the course’s digital tools is no more difficult than signing up for a new email or Facebook account. Even better, the simple behaviors you have to accomplish with your mouse and keyboard will repeat themselves frequently throughout the coursework the farther you go in the class, the easier it will be from a computer-skills perspective. There are many online classes which can enhance people’s lives and careers. If you are interested in business courses that you can complete at home, for example, you can learn more at Upskilled. We hope that your takeaway from this post will be that you have what it takes to complete online courses. The systems are designed to be as simple to use as possible. This is because the stuff you’re learning should be where the challenge lies. Don’t scare yourself out of affordable and valuable learning opportunities. You’ll increase your computer skills just by doing the classes, whatever the subject. And you’ll learn a lot of helpful knowledge besides. Image Source; Image Source

Resume Writing Company in Boston - Are They Better Than Your Self-Wrote Resume?

Resume Writing Company in Boston - Are They Better Than Your Self-Wrote Resume?Looking for a resume writing company in Boston? There are a lot of companies that you can find in the city, but you should really consider the pros and cons before you decide to hire one.A reliable resume writing company in Boston will help you look your best. While you may want to create your own resume, it is not practical and can cost a lot more than hiring someone else to do it for you. Also, many people spend thousands of dollars on designer pens, paper, and a desk to do this work.Additionally, many people hire a third party to handle their salary negotiation process because they can't do it themselves. This means you should take the time to do it yourself and save money. Keep in mind that these companies are usually looking for individuals who are only able to spend $100 or less per hour.Also, if you get a personal attention, you might not be able to put as much into it. For example, when a resume is formatted for a small company, there are more design elements included than if it were larger. So, this could cost you more in terms of the information in the cover letter.If you are serious about getting the right resume, this might not be the right company for you. But, if you are just looking for something to give you some quick advice, you might want to give them a shot. They should be able to help you get the information you need to create the best resume.If you do end up finding a company in Boston, ask for a copy of their client list. This will allow you to see what they have done for other people before you hire them. This should be a great opportunity to get recommendations or feedback. As a conclusion, look for a resume writing company in Boston to get your resume to the top of the pile. If you know which company to use, then it is easy. If you are not sure which to choose, then it is harder to find the right one.Remember, you need your resume to be attention grabbing to get your potential employer to notice you. While they will look at everything, the content of your resume is usually where they start.

Why You Need a Website for Your Job Search - CareerAlley

Why You Need a Website for Your Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. In job search, marketing is key and having a job search marketing toolkitshould be part of your job search plan. Lets face it, most employers will do an extensive web search of each candidate prior to (or certainly during) any interview process. An important part of your job search marketing plan is to have a personal website for several reasons (covered below), not least of which is competing with others to attract potential employers. Simply said, youmust have a website to stay competitive. There are a number of benefits a personal website can bring to a job search candidate. Individuals can maximize their exposure to help stay competitive. Getting a domain name (also known as a website name) can take mere minutes, cost very little, and is the first step that technically must be undertaken before a website can begin to be set up. How to Get Started: What is a domain name? A domain name is the address where anyone can find you online. It must be properly purchased and registered in the owners name. The domain will then be owned by that person, who can then do any number of bigger, more dynamic things with it. Or even nothing at all. There are no set rules for owning a domain name; no specific guidelines or timelines that must be adhered to. Some individuals simply establish a one or two-page website outlining their profile, experience, education, and skill. Getting a domain name When you set out tobuy a domain name, it would be in your best interest to try and get a name that matches (as close as possible) to your name. So, if you name is Joe Candidate, Joe-Candidate.com would be a great start. Chances are, your first choice will not be available. Pick something as close as possible to your name (and avoid a name that would draw unwanted attention). , superior-quality website services that cater to small business owners needs. A company like Register.com is a fine example of a company that can provide the essential tools that businesses need to establish, build, and maintain an online presence. Setting up your site If you are not technically inclined,you dont really need to know much to get your site hosted and started. Using a service such as Squarespace.com will make the process much easier. You should probably post an appropriate professional photo on your site as well. Benefits of a Personal Website: Define and Brand yourself A website can be a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and skills, especially if you are in the technology field. Your website should be a part of your overall job search package, help define your brand and serve as written version of your elevator speech. Background Searches What shows up when a Google search is done on your name? Hopefully good stuff, but if not, a personal website can certainly help to push the not so good stuff down the list. Much depends on how you leverage and market your site. Your living Resume Your website should be your living resume, updated as and when necessary. Social media info and contact information are obviously very important. Create/use an email address (with an appropriate name) that is dedicated to your job search. Include your outside activities (sports, charity work, etc.) as well as achievements (Eagle Scout, National Honor Society, Deans List, etc). If it sounds easy, it is. There is plenty of help available on the Internet, as well as friends and family. Create the ultimate branding site to help in your job search. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+

Career Advantages to Technical School Programs - CareerAlley

Career Advantages to Technical School Programs - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Many young people are looking for off-the-beaten-track careers and a technical school course provides the perfect opportunity of taking a quick route to your chosen career. More and more young people are realizing that a four-year college education is not a ticket to guaranteed employment in their chosen field- a McKinsey study revealed that almost half of employed U.S. college graduates are working in jobs that require less education than what a four-year degree provides. Why not join a technical school program of a shorter duration and jump start your career instead? Meredith Ross, 23, enjoys working as a dental assistant at a private clinic in New Haven, CT.Armed with a training certificate from a technical school and having passed the Certified Dental Assistant exam, she has been working at the clinic for the last two years. Meredith took up a 12-month dental assistant training course a year after graduating from high school after deciding thats what she wanted to do- I knew I didnt want to pursue a traditional four-year degree. At the same time, I wanted a job that would be rewarding and well-paid. Choosing to be a dental assistant was the best career decision. I love my job!Its no surprise then that the job of a dental assistant is the top pick in a list of the 15 best jobs for young people by Forbes. Advantage: Technical School Graduates Other than a dental assistants job, training for employment as a medical assistant, an electronics systems technician or a computer technology specialist is widely available at technical schools or career training institutes across the country. What makes a technical school program a smart choice in a plethora of education programs? Read on to find out. On-the-course training Exposure to real-job scenarios is one of the ways training at a career institute can help you prepare for future employment. Unlike courses which only focus on theory, accessibility to practical experience in their chosen field of training helps them sharpen their skills and be well-equipped to immediately move on to a job. Placement assistance Most technical schools provide placement assistant for their graduates which help lower unemployment rates of career institute trainees. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2010-20 job outlook for both dental assistants and medical assistants is 31%- much faster than the average! Keeping up with technology Many technical school programs integrate technological aspects to help students be one step ahead of their peers when they join work. One institute even provides iPads for its students. It helps in producing more confident graduates who are comfortable with the most up-to-date technology and this is important from employers point of view, says Jim Bologa, CEO of Porter and Chester Institute, a technical school based in New England, in a Yahoo report. Financial independence Dental assistant Meredith Ross is financially independent at an age when most of her friends are just completing university and are looking to enter the job market. Enrolling in a career training institute is a great way for Millennials looking to start off their job pursuit early. If youre fresh out of high school and considering alternatives to a university program or if youre in your 30s and 40slooking to reinvent your career, joining a technical school program can be an exciting option to consider.Training for my job helped me gain a different career perspective and also honed my skills to be great at my job, adds Meredith. Looking to start or switch careers right now? With the availability of several new jobs combined with the right technical training opportunities, youve picked the right time. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif