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July 9, 2013

Essential Articles for Today's Progressive Recruiter.

Top Story

9 trends top recruiters are talking about
Building talent networks through online tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter, using assessment tools from companies such as Evolv and improving the candidate experience are among the hottest recruiting trends, Josh Bersin writes. "If you make it unpleasant to apply for a job at your company, word gets around," Bersin writes. Forbes (7/4)

Economic Trends

Economy added 195,000 jobs in June

Some 195,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy in June, according to the Department of Labor. The unemployment rate remained steady at 7.6%, but the size of the labor force grew by 177,000. The government also revised upward the gains for April and May. MarketWatch (7/5) , National Journal (7/5)

Cautious employers are hiring in spurts, ManpowerGroup CEO says
Economic uncertainty is making companies quick to react to market data while hiring, according to ManpowerGroup chief Jeffrey Joerres. "We're getting little spurts of decent labor market numbers, and then it slides back down," he said, noting that erratic hiring patterns will likely continue into next year. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (6/18)

Talent Acquisition/Recruiting

Which statement best sums up your take on the latest jobs report, which found that the economy added 195,000 jobs last month.

Another month of jobs growth means the economy is steadily growing stronger.

The number of jobs added was too few to be cause for optimism.

The jobs data was skewed by hidden factors, such as the rise of part-time work

Employers seek "soft skills" in new hires
More companies are looking beyond the transcript and interview to find the best college graduates to hire. Using assessments and role-playing, employers are looking for those with "soft skills" such as an ability to work well in teams, write and speak clearly and adapt quickly to business and technology changes. AOL Jobs/The Associated Press (6/26)

Google exec: Brainteasers are useless during interviews
Google has performed studies on hiring and found that the best interview questions delve into candidates' past experiences, says Laszlo Bock, senior vice president of people operations at Google. Brainteasers and hypothetical questions, on the other hand, are a "complete waste of time," he says. "They don't predict anything. They serve primarily to make the interviewer feel smart." The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (6/19)

Disabled workers add diversity, talent
Walgreen, Hershey and AMC Entertainment are among the employers that say they actively recruit disabled workers. "You end up being a healthier company from a lot of different perspectives: innovation, engagement, morale, productivity," says Keith Wiedenkeller, chief people officer at AMC. Bloomberg (7/2)

Employer Branding

How Reebok uses hiring software to assess cultural fit
Reebok ramped up its hiring in 2012 with the help of recruiting software that collects data about existing employees, and uses it to gauge the behavioral attributes of potential hires, write Bill Holmes of Reebok and Ira Grossman of PeopleAnswers. The turnover rate among workers who completed the assessment before being hired was 32% lower than the rest of Reebok's workforce, according to a study by the company. TalentMgt.com (7/2)

Internal Communications

How generational differences affect workplace communication
Different generations differ in their preferred method of communication, which means that in many workplaces, at least one age group must regularly interact using a mode of communication that they're uncomfortable with, writes Dana Brownlee, president of Professionalism Matters. Situations such as this can give rise to perceived slights and deep levels of mistrust, Brownlee writes. TrainingMag.com (6/28)

From the Shaker Blog

Study: Americans are spending more time on Facebook
Facebook users in the U.S. spent 31% more time on the social network this May than they did in the same month last year, according to data from comScore. Facebook accounts for nearly 16% of Internet minutes in the U.S., the study found. Shaker Recruitment Advertising & Communications Blog (6/28)

Survey: Career development programs offer recruiting advantage
About 40% of human resources professionals think that career development opportunities are the most important factor in recruiting and retention, indicates a study released by the Society for Human Resource Management. Cross-training opportunities and mentoring programs were among the options cited by survey respondents. Shaker Recruitment Advertising & Communications Blog (6/27)

SmartQuote

The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount."

--B.F. Skinner,
American psychologist and author

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