Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Industries and Jobs That Are Hiring…

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

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… it’s true. They are out there. Believe it or not. Even though most of the news that we hear on a daily basis seems to indicate overwhelming job losses and negative news - there are industries and certain jobs that continue to hire and add jobs. According to Manpower, a leader in the candidate assessment and employment services industry, employers are still finding it difficult to find candidates in the skilled trades and specific niches.

Point and case - engineers, nurses and machinists. Although it’s definitely an employers market, there is a deep gap in the backlog of qualified and educated workers to fill certain positions. Experts agree that these trend will continue, in part because of the enormous stimulus money that will be spent on infrastructure projects, requiring engineers and trades people. While many candidates go through a rigorous hiring selection process, qualified engineers, nurses and trades people have a fairly straight path given the current needs.

In addition, nursing continues to experience a shortage of qualified and willing workers. As the baby boomer generation continues to blossom into “late adulthood,” more and more people will unfortunately require medical attention - testing the system and resources of the industry.

So what if you’re not an engineer, nurse - or abandoned your dreams of becoming a plumber? Here are some tips finding a job during a recession:

1. Analyze The Data
The above is a perfect example of how you can take advantage of a seemingly negative situation. If you’ve never thought about going into engineering or nursing, perhaps now is a good time. You should be aware of industry data, trends and overall employment information. Find an industry or employment area that is in need of people. Do what you have to do to get in the door by improving your skills, attending school or using your existing knowledge and experience to leverage potential opportunities. Every plumbing company and hospital also needs an accountant, so think outside the box and how you can compliment what you’re good at into an employment opportunity.

2. Refresh/Reset Your Career (Or at least be open to the idea…)
Again, nobody expects you to go from your financial accounting job to becoming a registered nurse. But - be willing to freshen up on your skills by taking upgrade courses to make your qualifications more recent and relevant. Consider contacting local universities, colleges and schools to get the latest and greatest information. You’d be surprised at the amount of courses and subjects that are now being offered. Don’t give employers a chance to look over your resume and reject it because you’re lacking a certain skill. If you’re not familiar with MS Word, Excel or have a tough time navigating the Internet - make the call. Take an employee personality test to see what careers you’d be a good fit for.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice
When was the last time you had a job interview? If it’s any significant amount of time, chances are you’ll want to role play and get back into the swing of things. There is nothing wrong with asking a friend or partner to go through a mock interview with you and to provide you with some feedback. Remember that an interview can make, or break your job prospects. Therefore, don’t underestimate the power that a good interview can have and make sure that you’re prepared. Confidence is key, so eliminate any doubts or chances of freezing up.

4. Clean Up That Resume and Yourself
Make sure that the interview you’re sending out has today’s date on it and isn’t the one you used to get your last job. Ensure that it’s addressed to the right people and that it reflects your most recent work experience. Think in action oriented terms and showcase results that you’ve achieved. If you’ve taken an employment test, make sure to include your findings. This may also be a good time to shave, get a haircut and put on some cologne. Just saying… Place yourself in the shoes of the person reading it - why would they want to see and eventually hire you?

5. Be Flexible In The Work You’re Willing/Have To Do
If the concepts of freelance or part-time work seems foreign to you - visit Freelancia or Part-timland and check out the sites. Chances are, that you’ll have to be a little more accommodating to the realities that currently exist. If jobs aren’t easy to come by currently, consider working a freelance or even part-time job to make ends meet in the meantime. The flexibility and potentially loose scheduling that comes with these positions could be a blessing in disguise and allow you to continue to seek full-time work opportunities.

6. Step On The Social Network Gas Pedal
Remember all those times when you were on Facebook, LinkedIn and the other social network sites… yeah, back to square one again, ironically. Make sure that you let people know you’re looking for work and are willing to meet, shake hands and kiss babies if you need to. Networking has never been made easier for us, so let’s take full advantage of it by broadcasting to the world that “I am looking for work.”

If you’re looking for work, need some career advice or interested in finding more information on increasing your chances of finding work - take the first step in the right direction by completing the ClearFit JobFit tool.

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Top 5 Job Posting Mistakes - How Job Jargon Can Affect Your Hiring Selection

Monday, June 15th, 2009

So what’s the deal with all the different ways employers post jobs these days? Seems like you’ve got 15 ways of saying the same thing and calling an “Executive Assistant” something that it’s not. Also, why is it that you’re asking for simple qualifications but trying to make them sound complex and intense by adding ubiquitous and word-intensive phrases to state the obvious when the obvious would have just done the trick to accurately and descriptively describe the actual position for which you’re hiring for?… See what I did there… tough crowd. Try the veal.

Really though. If you’ve taken a look recently at any of the major job boards, chances are you could find the same position, described twelve different times although they are really just the same. Why is that? More importantly, what are you trying to convey? Let’s not kid ourselves, at the end of the day, we all know what we’re talking about. Using elaborate “Job Jargon” can seriously affect your pre-employment screening process and therefore, here are some tips on posting an accurate and representative description of your job:

1. Be Honest About Your Expectations
Don’t try to make a construction job sound like you’re looking for a laid off plastic surgeon. Stick to the key points and responsibilities of the job, because chances are if you inflate the description of what you’re actually looking for you’ll:

A) Get a strange and completely over-qualified pool of applicants who in turn will want an equally inflated compensation package.
B) A completely useless talent pool since all the applicants will not have the necessary hard skills that are actually required to fulfill the requirements of the job. Again, if you’re hiring for construction workers but make it sound like you’re in need of a CA - chances are most CA’s won’t want to do manual labour - at least not on the construction site and for a living.

2. Elaborate On Nothing
Rather then creating a wonderfully written and detailed job posting, leave something to the imagination. The danger of saying too much as that you’ll potentially discount many qualified and capable applicants on the basis of what you may have said. If an applicant is truly interest in the position, you’ll know because chances are you’ll receive a resume or email from them. Therefore, stick to the facts and be prepared to go into more details once you’ve met your candidates in the flesh.

3. Lay Off The Labels
In a day and age where you can get a PhD or MBA by answering your spam email - refrain from making your job sound like something they’re not. Directors, VP’s and Account Executives come a dime a dozen these days, so don’t try to impress anyone with the title. If you’re looking for a manager, don’t advertise the position as anything above that level. Otherwise be prepared to dole out above-managerial salary that comes with. You may also just end up with individuals looking to score a sweet title and nothing else. Although one can make the argument that the line of titles is blurred, use your best judgment and advertise the position as something slightly lower then what it actually is.

4. Use An Appropriate Job Board/Posting Tool
Did you know there are literally thousands of niche job boards out there. Take a look at the Beyond.com network for example. You can find anything from geographical to industry and trade sites at Beyond and many other websites that offer job posting services. Make sure that you post your position on the appropriate niche job posting site, chances are they exist. Doing so will increase the possibility of you receiving quality applicants that at least have the right qualifications that you’re looking for.

5. Use Hiring Assessments
I can’t stress enough the importance of using hiring assessments BEFORE you engage any applicants. Don’t waste your time, money and energy on anyone before they’ve taken the time and shown you that they’re actually interested in the position. Companies like ClearFit provide employers with the opportunity to receive FREE personal hiring and employee development reports. The science and monotony of hiring has been automated and made extremely efficient. It would be foolish for you not to take advantage of these tools to find employees that “fit” your company.

For more information and tips on how to hire effectively and uncover people’s true work potential, contact the experts at ClearFit today! Call us today at 1(877) 789-8767 or visit our site to set up your FREE employer profile and start using our reports immediately.

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New Job Loss Numbers - It Ain’t Pretty…

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

So just as things were looking up with gains on the markets and overall positive momentum, the economy put a big kaibosh on it all. Job numbers just came out and it ain’t pretty. It seems like we’re breaking all the wrong kinds of records these days, with the Canadian jobless rate at an 11-year high. With major automotive and manufacturing sector companies closing their doors at record rates, the news couldn’t have been positive despite positive sentiments on “main street.”

In the States, the jobless rate reached a 25-year high at 9.7 in May - a stark reminder of how difficult it is to find employment these days. According to the US Federal Reserve, unemployment rates are said to remain “elevated” until 2011.

A more staggering statistic is that job openings fell from 2.6 million to 2.5 million last month, which means that with close to 14 million unemployed in the US, (theoretically) every applicant is competing with at least five others for that same position. According to Heidi Shierholz with Economic Policy Institute in Washington, ”Unemployed workers are facing an increasingly uphill battle in the search for work.”

So despite market gains on the major indexes in North America and Europe, job losses continue to tell the true story of how the economies are going. Analysts and pundits alike agree that even if we continue to see positive short term gain, we are not out of the woods yet. Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, told the Toronto Star that the Canadian labour market came “back to reality” in May.

“It’s hardly shocking that Canadian employment has retreated again–the job shakeout likely still has a way to go, even if the broader economy bottoms out in the coming months,” Porter says.

So where do you fit in all of this? Start by taking a free personal career assessment from the experts at ClearFit to find out what career you are a “clear fit” for. Once you’ve taken the assessment you’ll be able to view the results and use them to further your applications by providing proof of your strengths.

In addition, continue to see what’s out there and explore new opportunities by keep updated on industry trends, talking to friends and family and maintaining a positive attitude.

For more information stay tuned to this blog and feel free to email us directly at info[at]clearfit.com with any question or to set up your personal profile.

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Hiring - Why Do I Have To Do it?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Why is it that many people dread hiring?

Well, the answer is actually quite simple (especially if you’ve done it before) - nightmare hiring stories, horrible candidates showing up at your office, way too time intensive and the uncertainty of whether you’ve made the right decision or not… only to find out potentially when it’s too late.

Guess you should have used a hiring assessment… or perhaps some sort of employee performance software… but at the end of the day, hiring can be a very painful task that would be most likely pawned off to someone else. But there are good reasons why you - not your assistant, intern or someone else should do it.

1. Managing Expectations:

Only you - and you alone (isn’t that part of a song?) know what it is you are looking for. That is why you should be the one who is doing the hiring. The best thing you could do is to prepare, list and plan ahead before embarking. Certainly make use of resources and tools that will make the actual hiring process easier, and there are a number of tools available that do just that - but having someone else do the work for you because of convenience is a recipe for problems.

2. Knowing The Role/Company

As we always emphasize, fit of a candidate is almost more important then hard skills these days. Meeting someone yourself and seeing how you get along, rather then the letters that proceed their last name is extremely important. Having someone walk into your office that was hired off-site and that you have never met can again spell disaster and quick firing.

3. Establishing The Mood

Hiring yourself is a great base-builder for future conversations and building team dynamic. It’s important to have a direct and transparent (where and when appropriate) relationship. By doing the hiring yourself, you’ll have the opportunity to talk openly and ensure that you can communicate expectations openly from the start.

4. If You Want It Done Right - Do It Yourself

Every have to rely on someone else to do it? Then you’ll know how frustrating that can be. Now imagine having to rely on someone to do your hiring… you get the idea. Just remember, you get out of it what you put in - so if you want something done right and to your standards - do it yourself!

For more information on hiring done right, getting answers from our experts and the tools available to you, visit ClearFit.

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Hiring Successfully In A Downturn

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

It's true...

"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog!"

Have you ever hired an employee who didn’t turn out like you expected? The only good news is that you’re not alone. The bad news is that, if it’s happened before, there’s even greater reason for it to happen again now, given market circumstances.

It seems that in these troubled economic times, posting even the most junior position receives a flood of qualified, unqualified and over-qualified responses from job seekers looking for work.

A sad reflection of the economic crisis unfolding on “Main Street,” more and more people find themselves unemployed and looking for work – applying to any job posting for all the wrong reasons.

As a business owner or manager, naturally, the question comes up – how do I take advantage of this situation and find the best candidates while avoiding the wrong ones?

Having been in the employee hiring and development industry for over ten years, this question has been a driving force in what I do, and has become more relevant recently.

Although there isn’t one easy answer, there are definite steps you can take to ensure that you’re going about it the right way, finding a candidate that “fits” your work environment and expectations.

First, know what you want out of any employee. Doing this may include writing down a list of preferred personality traits and specific work experience you’re looking for. Managing your expectations and laying these out at the beginning benefits both yourself as the hiring manager as well as your future employee.

It’s important to hire for both today’s need, and tomorrow’s vision. In other words, ensure that your candidate fits your immediate expectations, while at the same time bringing value to your business and objectives in the future. If you can’t envision the person sitting in front of you being with your company a year from now, it’s probably a good time to thank them for their time and move on.

When hiring, ensure that you are taking full advantage of the resources that are available to you. Whether they be employee assessment reports, or background checks – use the tools that will make your hiring experience easier and more accurate. Don’t try to be the owner, marketing manager, sales supervisor and HR manager at once, instead search out tools that will help you in your hiring process.

Don’t settle. In times like these, when you have the luxury of receiving a diverse range of applications, take full advantage. Ensure that the person you are interested in does meet the requirements that you’ve established, while at the same time bringing additional value to the table.

Keeping the theme of not settling in mind, don’t make any impulsive moves by hiring someone based on one meeting. Ensure that the person still excites you during a second interview after you’ve had time to sleep on it and digest what you discussed in your first interview.

Once you know what you’re looking for and have attracted those people, don’t be afraid to ask questions. In a world where people can obtain post-graduate degrees by answering their spam email – it’s important that you ensure that the information you’re given is accurate. This also means following up on references, as past employers can provide detailed information about an individual and the work they did.

Finally, set aside some time to conduct this process thoroughly. The worst mistake you can make is to speed through the hiring process. This is almost certainly a strategy for disaster, and ultimately will cost you more time and money then it should.

Always remember, hiring done right, can be a wonderful experience resulting in a more productive and ultimately profitable work environment. Take advantage of the resources and tools that are available to you, and keep in mind that what you put into it you’ll certainly get out.

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Employee Tests - Where do I start?

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

ClearFit's Candidate Hiring and Development Guides

Many people have expressed an interest in applicant testing when hiring a candidate for their business. Makes sense, why wouldn’t you? The problem is, where do you start, who do you test and what do you do with the information you get?

If you’re reading this and feel the same, don’t worry… we’re here to help.

Where do I get employee tests?
Start with the easiest and most obvious - online. In fact, when you type “employee test” in Google, you’ll get 18 million page results, in 0.26 seconds! Wow. Don’t get overwhelmed. Before you start sifting through the thousands of companies offering all kinds of tests, be sure that you’re looking at a reputable company with a proven track record and evidence of results. In fact, the most accurate and best tests out there are ones based on psychometric analysis such as ClearFit provides. In a day and age where you can get a PhD by answering your spam email (along with various other anatomy enhancement… sorry, can’t help you with that) - make sure you get a good and accurate idea of whether that great-sounding applicant is actually a fit for your company and the position you’re hiring for.

Who do you assess?
Everyone, silly! The assessment is designed to save you time, because an accurate and scientific assessment should give you a quick snapshot of who is interview worthy and more importantly whose not! Therefore, using a good employee assessment test will save you lot’s of time and effort at the front end. Since most tests, and those that you should use, are online - they provide a user-friendly experience which can only be a good thing when you’re looking to get an accurate idea of who fits and who doesn’t. It’s 2009 - paper assessments are a thing of the past!

I’ve got the info, now what?
Well hopefully, before you started this whole process, you had an idea of what you’re looking for. Now, that you have all the information at your disposal, its time to act. Using a service such as the one that ClearFit provides, you are able to see right away which of your candidates match, do not match and who lied! In fact, you’ll be able to do much more!

Fore more information on employee and candidate testing, visit ClearFit or call 1(877) 789-8767.


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