10 Simple Ways to Welcome a New Recruit in Week 1

10 Simple Ways to Welcome a New Recruit in Week 1 Youve got a new person  joining the company hooray! Securing new talent to any business is no mean feat; good candidates are often spoilt with choice and snapped up quickly. When your new hire  walks through that  door on day one,  its no time to become complacent or rest on your laurels. Just because they have resigned and showed up to work, does not mean theyll stick around for the long haul like youd hoped. If the role, company and environment fails to live up to what was promised to them, theyre at high risk of backing out.  Its the stuff of third party recruiters nightmares, and should be a huge fear for HR / internal talent functions too.  To avoid a situation where the new person feels compelled to leave their brand new role, here are 10 things you must do in their first week: 1. Take them for coffee Its so simple, but so effective. As the new recruits direct line manager, you should definitely take them for a coffee on their first day. Let them be overwhelmed by glaring eyes, new names and login details for the first few hours of the day, then whisk them away to a comfortable coffee shop nearby and give them a proper welcome / introduction. 2. Organise a  team social Help your new recruit slip seamlessly into the team by organising a social event with the team, to help them bond early on in the piece. Making sure existing staff members feel comfortable with the new hire is  important soeveryone feels encouraged to help one another moving forward. 3. Send an introductory email Especially if you work in a large company, its important to alert people to the fact there is a new person, and help put a face to their name. If you send an email welcoming to the company, often it will act as a conversation starter for other people in the business as they bump into the new recruit. 4.  Make physical introductions Identifying key people in the business your new recruit should know of and organising a time for a quick catch up is extremely important. It will make the new person feel more comfortable early on and wont have to waste time trying to figure out who does exactly what. 5.  Give a proper tour of the building Its amazing how some of this general administrative stuff gets postponed to the point of never happening. Make sure you take the time to walk your new recruit around the office and building so they know where the bathrooms are, showers (if you have one), lunch and tea rooms, and social spaces. Dont just assume theyll pick it up. 6.  Give them stationery really Handing them a brand new notepad, packet of pens, calendar, diary and other supplies is a simple way of saying, were ready for you! 7.  Have the team present a market update Get the team to prepare an overview of the current state of things in the market. Having individual team members present on their current focus, pipeline  and goals will help the new recruit have a holistic view of the department they sit / work in. 8. Outline hours of work / immediate expectations Be straight up with your new recruit to let them know whats expected of them in the near future. Outlining and reiterating simple things like work hours, lunch allowances etc (if not stipulated clearly in the contract)will help them feel at ease knowing theyre doing the right thing. Also explaining work-wise what you hope to see form them early on will help them have an idea of what they should be striving for in the early days, and know that they have been given time to settle in before having their performance measured. 9.  Create a target roadmap Further  to explaining more immediate details of the expectations upon them, outlining what the next few months to a year should look like for them will also help them  feel like they have a proper place in the business and will help them visualise their own success in the role, driving them to aim high. 10.  Hold a recap meeting Get together with your new recruit at the end of their first week and have a review.  Letting them know its a safe environment to reveal any initial concerns will allow you to appease them before they head home for the weekend, and end on a good note. Likewise, celebrating small wins and exciting moments of their first week will have them leave the office feeling on top of things and comfortable with their first week in their new job. Dont let the first week overwhelm your new recruit in a negative way.  Doing the above things instead of letting them simply fend for themselves will  give them a stress-free introduction to their new career with your company and hopefully its a long one!

Resume Cover Letter Tips - How Important Are They?

Resume Cover Letter Tips - How Important Are They?When you have just graduated from college and you need to find a job you are not the only one who needs to follow up with your resume cover letter tips. No matter if you are still searching for employment or if you have already found a job you need to ensure that you are making the most of every opportunity that you get. It is also very important that you read and understand every letter that you write.The first thing that you want to do when you want to apply for a job is to create a resume cover letter. This will give you a chance to show the hiring manager that you are qualified for the position. As time goes on you should also consider the type of job that you are applying for. If you don't already know the exact type of work that you are looking for then it may be wise to hire an employment agency or personal assistant to help you develop a resume cover letter.You want to include your resume cover letter tips on each letter that you create. You need to think about what your specific skills are as well as your qualifications for the position. Be sure to focus on why you are the best person for the job. Remember that this is all about your personal appeal and this is what will put you in a position to get the job.Before you begin writing your letter, it is a good idea to have a pen and paper nearby. This will allow you to take notes on what you are writing and you will not forget any of the information. When you begin to write, you want to focus on how you will use your strengths and find the best way to explain what you are capable of doing.Do not forget to include your resume cover letter tips. Many people do not understand the importance of including them. It is not too late to add them to your resume cover letters. If you do not incorporate them then you will never know what they are talking about when you are trying to market yourself.In addition to writing a resume cover letter you need to make sure tha t you give a job interview a proper chance. You do not want to create a negative impression in anyone's mind about your candidacy. Be sure to take a few moments to meet the interview staff, ask questions that you may have overlooked and remember to answer all of their questions with confidence.Finally, when you find yourself stuck on how to create a resume cover letter you can take a look at books on how to get a job or even online job listings. With so many job openings out there these days you may be surprised to find a job that fits your skill set. The key is to get out there and network as much as possible. This is your chance to shine and show employers that you can get the job done on time and that you are reliable.When you are looking for a job it is important to make sure that you follow up with your resume cover letter tips. Every time you apply and get hired you will be able to build your confidence. If you are serious about working in the office world then you need to go ahead and take advantage of every opportunity that you get.

Professional and Personal Communication Across Generations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Professional and Personal Communication Across Generations - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I wanted to discuss how different generations communicate. The more you understand how to reach people properly, the more successful you will be with responses. Imagine yourself as the receiver before you send messages. This discussion will wrap around new and traditional methods of communication and serve as a resource for you, prior to engaging in conversation or sending a message to another person. The Facts There are 3 major age brackets: gen-y (also called millenials), gen-x the baby boomers. Gen-y members are between the ages of 15 and 27, while gen-x is between 28-42 and the baby boomers are older than 42. There are 74 million people in gen-y, 49 million in gen-x and 77 million baby boomers. 37% of US adult internet users use social networks (projected at 50% in 2011) eMarketer 70% of US teen internet users use social networks (projected at 84% in 2011) 50%+ Facebook users are not students The majority of new Facebook members are people over 35 69% of US female gen-yers use Facebook eMarketer 56% of US male gen-yers use Facebook 98% more people in gen-x visited Facebook in the past few months. MarketingCharts.com Gen-y Communication Protocol I think its obvious at this point that gen-y is the most tech savvy group that communicates through fast paced messaging, with little detail and more visuals. They express themselves in a way that commands attention and want to be judged on more than just age. Facebook: Those of us that registered before Facebook opened up to the masses are still uncomfortable with the transparency and visibility to our professional contacts or colleagues. Ive been Facebooked by 2 managers at my current company and a few at past ones. How can you not accept? Dont you feel obligated, but at the same time nervous? This social network is being used in various ways and deep inside there are a few communication devices that stand out. The first is the wall, which is a place where gen-yers post happy birthday messages, or videos/images.They may talk about what they did on a Friday or Saturday night on their wall as well. The next method of communication is private messages, which still pass through our email accounts, but they are used to keep secrecy. Aside from the many applications, the third (brand new) vehicle is Facebook Chat, which launched to the world this week. It will take between 2-4 years for it to succeed and for other instant messaging sources to lose popularity. Instant Messaging: Employers, please dont email gen-yers on our instant messaging devices, such as AIM. We use this specifically for communicating with friends and possibly people at work, depending on the company culture and the people we trust. Instant messaging works well for us because its fast paced communication and we can get our answers, ask our questions or show our personalities (emoticons) to everyone on our buddy lists. Its also great for speaking with members of the opposite sex if you arent someone who enjoys the phone. Email: Gen-yers have to use email because we need to speak with the older generations and that is their preference. Also, we receive notifications from all our social networks through email, such as LinkedIn invites, Facebook group invites and direct tweet messages. Im still a big fan of email and with the proper filters (Gmail is great), you can sort through your messages automatically and prioritize them with stars (Gmail option). Gen-y prefers and expects employers to contact them through email or phone for job offers, questions, consulting, etc. Blogging: If you are in gen-y and still dont have a blog, here is a toolkit I made a while ago for you, which I will update soon. Gen-y is fine with any generation commenting or responding to a blog post. It works well because written content forms talking points with your community and in order to get a full perspective on each post, you want people in different generations to chime in. Gen-x The Baby Boomers Strike Back They own the workplace right now, unless you are an entrepreneur. That being said, you need to be able to communicate with these groups and both of them have almost identical preferences. A lot of baby boomers dont know what blogs are, and certainly not Twitter or Kite or UStream or even Ning. Due to the incredible placement of Facebook and blogs in the media, these generations are well aware of them, but maybe not so much what they can accomplish in the corporate world. They rely on gen-y to figure it out and gen-x to manage them. Phone: If you want to have a conversation with someone in these generations, just pick up a phone and call them. A phone is perfect if the person is in another building, state or country. If you cant meet face-to-face, then setup a call, conference call (multiple people) or a live meeting using Webx or Microsoft Live Meeting software. Face time: If you want to succeed in the workplace as a gen-yer, then you better get in front of the people with the political power to make change or at least middle management. Remember what I say: if you arent visible, you dont exist. This works just as much with Google as it does in a work setting. Competitively, if others are being seen more than you, then they have a much better chance of getting promoted, even if they lack the experience or knowledge you have. Its a vicious world out there, so make sure you get mentors in the company and force yourself into situations where people can identify you as noteworthy. Email: Ive made the mistake of treating email like IM or Twitter in the workplace and Im sure you have to if youre in my generation. There is an expectation that management sets that you will send them an appropriate email fit to their preferences. If you are trying to be persuasive to get a point across, then include many details. You cant send people 2 words or a single sentence and have them take you seriously. To them, its an insult.

Personal Still Needs To Be Professional - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Still Needs To Be Professional - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career My favorite day of the week is Wednesday.   That’s the day we #brandchat.   That’s when I learn more from the BRANDidos (a term of endearment for those who participate in brandchat)   that I do any other resource. During one of our chats we discussed brandjacking. It can happen to a business brand and have a devastating effect on the conglomeration of personal brands that support that business. First, what is a brandjacking?  During the chat, we defined it in three ways: Every time someone unofficial represents themselves as speaking for a company or, To hijack a brand to deceive or divert attention; often used in abusive or fraudulent activities devised for gain at the expense of the goodwill, brand equity and customer trust of actual brand owners or, A  brandjacking  by a consumer refers to how the consumer perceives or uses your product or service. A smart company will learn rather than fight this positive reaction. What went wrong? Heres some excerpts from the chat recap: shotgunconcepts: Brands MUST plan for an online crisis response in the same way they’d plan for a traditional crisis. Q1 #brandchat karenswim: Q1: This underscores why its so important to have clear internal communication policy before going public #brandchat techguerilla: @brandchat Without moderation risk can never be eliminated. Everyone, whether individual or big corp. is vulnerable to it #brandchat What can your personal brand learn from this? John Antonios said it best,  â€œwhen personal branding goes wrong they let personal get in the way of professional.” Having a human voice in your online interactions does not mean that it’s not a  professional  human voice.  Exuding your personal brand doesn’t mean to “just let it all hang out”. It does mean be authentic, be real and true to your brand attributes and be as professional and engaging as you would be if we were standing across from each other in conversation at a networking event. While some want to point to social media being the problem, it isn’t. The core of the problem is having ill equipped communication practices and neither the company culture nor system provided to effectively train the person(s) manning the keyboard. Although not every company sees this. I still see companies who will shut down a social site or turn off commenting in hopes of silencing the issue, concerns or opinions. You cannot shut down the voices and comments of a community. You can address it. Engage it. Be human about it as if they were connecting with you face-to-face. And, to listen, discuss and value their community’s voice will provide a strong foundation to create an engaged and loyal community. To bury your head in the sand and pretend you can just have a do over is not real.  To evolve your brand is real. For personal brands in the employ of companies, if you’re in the front line of public relations: Have an escalation policy Know how to handle a crisis and be well trained or offer suggestions on what possible scenarios can be.  An airplane never hopes for a crash landing, yet their personnel is prepared for one (one board and on the ground). Prepare way in advance by putting all the tools and resources in place. Pay attention  to customer needs. Respond  to customer needs â€"personally AND professionally. Communication  is faster  and we have to be smarter. And, personal brands, if you don’t have these things in place  then ask for them. It will not only protect your company’s brand â€" it will protect your brand. Your reputation is still, in many respects,  built by association. If you’re a personal brand doing it alone in the social space, be sure to: Have a plan  as to what you hope to do, experience or gain from being involved with any social network. Be able to  make a focused commitment to that network  (if you’re not going to be involved with the community or effectively use a communication tool then don’t use it at all). Have a definite friending, following or fanning policy.  Put direction in your connection.  For example, if your personal profile is your personal profile on Facebook â€" then keep it that way. Know that you won’t be connecting with anyone that you meet at a conference or some random people who happen to be in your same geographic area. Know what you will say when people ask to connect with you socially.   Will you send them to LinkedIn? Twitter? Or, have a Facebook business page profile set up yourself as an individual professional?   Know  before  you go.

Writing a Cover Letter For Your Resume

Writing a Cover Letter For Your ResumeWriting a cover letter for your resume is probably one of the most important parts of your job search. If you want to land that job you've been eying, it will need to be top notch, impressive and professional. The result will be a short document that will get your mail and get you noticed.The first thing you need to know about writing a cover letter is how to write a resume that's convincing. You have to make sure your resume looks like it's not just written by someone who's applying for the job. Also, the resume should be as engaging as possible. Avoid plodding articles and paragraphs that have no real or compelling reason to stand out from the rest.The next step is to write a cover letter that is not obvious. It should be clear and concise. In addition, it needs to address the reader, so you should make sure you give them the right information at the right time. It's important to remember that job applicants can read resumes on computers and mo bile phones, so you don't want to waste their time.When writing a cover letter, you want to have a formal tone. This makes the prospect want to read your entire document, which is bad for you because it means you're just trying to get through to them as quickly as possible. Instead, it's best to write in a conversational tone. If you have any doubts about whether your tone is right, you can always say something like, 'Thank you for your time' and walk away.A good letter is a balance between the written and spoken word. You want to make sure the content flows and is easy to understand, so you need to practice writing it out. Always be sure to use 'you'your' when addressing a particular person or organization.The next step in writing a covering letter is to make sure it gives your reader the right information. For example, if you're applying for a position in sales, make sure your covering letter includes the information about sales figures, commissions, etc. This way, it's easy to co mpare you against the competition.Finally, the tone of your covering letter should be confident. If you are nervous or unsure of yourself, it will show. Instead, use an upbeat approach and tell them what you can do for them. You don't have to talk about your qualifications, but you do have to prove you can meet their needs.When you're reading a covering letter, you want to be able to pick up on the tone of the letter and the person who wrote it. It helps if you've had some experience working with the person you're reading the letter for. This way, you'll be able to tell whether you're comfortable or not.

Are You Empowered at Work 12 Strategies to Gain Rock-Solid Strength and Confidence - Kathy Caprino

Are You Empowered at Work 12 Strategies to Gain Rock-Solid Strength and Confidence From my view, professional women have made tremendous strides in terms of drawing on our strengths, abilities, and confidence in the workplace in recent years, but it’s clear that we have a long way to go before we are using our female power with self-assurance and ease. Based on my national in-depth research study Women Overcoming Crisis: Finding New Meaning in Life and Work and work with hundreds of professional women each year, it is clear that even high-level, high-achieving professional women report battling insecurity and discomfort in using their voices to lead powerfully and say “no” or “yes” when necessary. Many professional women do not serve as their own advocate, nor do they experience feeling supported or mentored by other colleagues in the workplace. They also reveal a reluctance to embrace new opportunities that may lead to greater advancement and leadership, particularly if the change in responsibility or focus takes them out of their comfort zone. Clearly, there is a palpable power differential experienced by women in the workplace, and the leadership styles of men and women remain widely divergent, contributing to gaps in understanding, acceptance, and trust. In the end, research participants report experiencing less than a rock-solid sense of empowerment and self-confidence in their work lives. These empowerment gaps that professional women experience can lead to personal and professional crisis, and a deep desire to transition away from the current professional track to a radically different one. From this study, Ive identified no fewer than 14 common crises professional women face today, and have developed strategies and approaches aimed at helping women overcome these crises and reclaim the direction of their lives. How can women gain empowerment, and avoid professional crises altogether?The following approaches, suggested by research participants who have successfully reinvented their professional lives, have proven very powerful: 1. Remember, you are a many-faceted individual. Your life is a mosaic. Your current job does not define who you are in this world. Let go of what isn’t working.Over-identification with any role in your life can lead to emotional difficulty and limitation. You are more than your current job or professional identity. If you don’t like who you are at work or what you are focusing on, you need to either find ways to change your style or behavior to your liking, or find new work or a different workplace that allows you to be and to express who you truly are. 2.Stretch and grow at all times..say “yes” to new opportunities that excite you (even if they make you nervous)Again, you are more than you think you are. You possess a broader array of skills, strengths and capabilities than you are aware of at the moment. If you are offered an opportunity that allows you to stretch in a new area, and this area feels exciting to you, go for it! The expansion you’ll experience will allow new preferences and strengths to emerge. Be committed to continually expanding your knowledge and skill base. Move away from needing to be an expert at all times. Have the courage to be a beginner again, and don’t shy away from trying new things. 3. Get out of denial when things aren’t workingStaying in the dark about what makes you unhappy only prolongs your suffering, and postpones the action that eventually must be taken. Get hip to what isn’t working in your life and work, and begin to create a meaningful action plan for addressing what needs to be changed, added, redirected, or released. 4. Don’t let your ego make decisions for youMake sure your ego doesn’t lead you around by the nose. Ego-based decisions are those that lead you to actions that simply inflate your ego and your sense of outward domination, power, control, and recognition. Often these ego-based decisions point you in a direction that is not in line with what you are truly passionate about. Integrate your ego perspective with your intuition, your higher thinking skills, and your understanding of what you value and appreciate. Make decisions that reflect who you are and wish to be in life. 5. Let go of perfectionism and over-functioningMany professional women in particular suffer from perfectionism and the need to over-function and over-control both their work lives and home lives. In order to avoid the crisis of “things falling apart,” we must move away from the need to be perfect and the need to do everything ourselves. Start empowering all others in your life (your spouse, children, friends, parents, colleagues, employees, and others) so that they may gain a greater sense of their own independence, self-reliance, self-confidence, achievement and productivity, and can oversee and execute appropriately what is theirs to handle. Let go of what isn’t yours to manage. 6. “Always go where the energy is.”Start tuning into your energy level and energetic guidance. Expand your focus on all those projects, people, or endeavors in your work life (and personal life) that give you a lift in positive energy. On the other hand, activities, people, and roles that deplete your energy just thinking about them are to be avoided. Follow your energy. 7. Know your passions and talents, and find work that emphasizes themSo many professionals (women and men alike) haven’t taken time to understand what they are passionate about in life â€" those endeavors that bring joy and positive energy. This is an essential step to take to avoid professional crisis. Discover and identify specifically what stimulates you, know what you are uniquely talented at and excited about, and move toward these endeavors. Find new ways to bring them forth in your personal and professional life wherever possible. 8. Decide what your life outside of work needs to encompass In order to achieve essential work/life balance and be confident and strong personally and professionally, you must know what balance means to you. Get as clear as possible about what your life outside of work needs to embody and express in order for you to live the life you desire. Once you know, then your priorities will become clearer, which in turn allows you greater conscious control over how you manage your work life. 9. Realize your value. Don’t underestimate yourself and be your own advocate. Believe in yourself and your potential.According to many of the professional women studied, men seem to be more skilled overall in perceiving their own value and taking advantageous action based on an unwavering view of their current and potential contribution. Women are in an earlier stage of development in their ability to embrace and express their worth and value in the workplace and at home. Start by understanding and appreciating your own value. Focus on speaking and acting from a rock-solid sense of self-worth. If this is difficult for you, reach out to friends, family, and colleagues that you respect, admire, and trust, and ask them to tell you all about the strengths and talents they admire in you. Believe in yourself and understand the enormous power you have to positively impact your own life and the world around you. 10. Elicit outside support; gain new, unbiased and expansive perspectivesHow do you identify clearly what has to change and how to change it? Get some unbiased help, which can come in many forms including an outside mentor, coach, a Mastermind group, career counselor if needed, or someone who has done what you wish to do who can provide beneficial guidance. Helpful support is neutral, not biased, and aims to help you on your path (not someone else’s) by providing fresh insights and perspectives on how you can draw on your vast potential to achieve what you desire. 11. Develop short- and long-term goals for all areas of your life. Act on these, and review your progress, continually If you haven’t already, it’s time to sit down with a pad and outline both short- and long-term goals for your life and work that reflect who you are at your core, and what you wish your life to mean and contribute going forward. Make your goals concrete, specific, behavioral and measurable, and don’t limit yourself only to what you think is possible. Develop goals that reflect your true potential, and what you dream you can do. Once you commit these goals to paper, break them down into bite-sized, doable mini-steps, and begin to take action. Revisit your steps and your goals regularly. 12. Be authentic to yourself. Take positive, courageous action and use your voice in empowered ways, always. Don’t be afraid to put yourself forward.It’s time to step up. Trying to be someone else in the workplace simply doesn’t work. Do and say what is authentic and appropriate for you. Develop an integrated style that embodies your values around leadership, authority, power, delegation, execution, relationship, and communication â€" a style that allows you to express who you are and what is important to you. The more you act and speak authentically, the more it will become immediately apparent if and when you need to make a change in your professional life. *************************************************************************** Employing these strategies regularly will not only help you avoid professional crisis altogether, but also bring you forward on a life-long path of professional and personal fulfillment, empowerment, confidence, and joy. For more information on the national research study Women Overcoming Professional Crisis: Finding New Meaning in Life and Work or Caprino’s Life and Career Path Assessments and coaching programs for professional women, please visit www.kathycaprino.com.

Ask the Recruiter Part Three

Ask the Recruiter Part Three For this weeks  Ask the Recruiter  series I interviewed  Laura Lashbrook  of  Clarity,  a boutique staffing firm in New York City specializing in temporary and permanent administrative, support, and entry-level positions.What are the three most important  interview questions  you ask candidates?What would your current/previous manager say about you in terms of your personality, skills, and strengths?What was your favorite job and why?What is most important to you in your next position-the industry, people, environment, duties, salary, etc.What level of follow up do you expect from your job applicants? How much is too much? Generally once a week is good. Three times a week is too much for a general check-in.What is your opinion on sending a thank you letter after the interview? Do you prefer they be sent via email or snail mail? Candidates should always send  thank you letters.  It shows courtesy and doubles as a way of showing personality and writing skills. Email is acceptable but s nail mail is always a nice touch.What is your biggest interview pet peeve and why? My biggest pet peeves are when candidates bring coffee into the interview (brought from the outside). Gum-chewing and a lack of eye contact are also distracting.What is your biggest resume pet peeve and why?  My biggest  resume pet peeve  is paragraph format. Bulleted format is much more clear and concise.Do you notice significant stylistic differences between your gen Y, gen X, and boomer candidates? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each group? In general we find that those in the Boomer generation desire stability and are more open to change in terms of advice, feedback, and making accommodations. Longevity and loyalty are typically most important. Gen Ys tend to be more concerned with having their needs met. They are good at projecting and communicating their wants and desires but arent typically as willing and open to figure out how to get there. Gen X tends to be a combination of the two. Are you using business or social networking tools such as LinkedIn and Facebook to source candidates? Do you Google candidates or check out their online profiles before interviewing them? Is there something that you could see in a networking profile that would make you think twice about calling that person in for an interview? We use LinkedIn regularly but do not use Facebook to source candidates. We do not Google candidates or view their online profiles before interviews however I would hesitate to call a candidate if I saw excessive use of profanity or intoxication. It would make me question his/her maturity level and ability to be responsible.If someone has a gap in their chronology, how do you recommend they deal with that issue on their resume? The gap should always be addressed even if its just a quick bullet with a sentence or summary explaining the gap.Do you read cover letters? Why or why not? As a general practice, no unless the candidate is applying to a specific position or if one has been requested by a hiring manager. I use the  cover letter  more as a tool to get a sense of communication skills and personality versus why the candidate is a strong match for the position. Generally the experience listed on the resume, our phone conversation, and the in-person interview are better tools for us to determine if the qualifications and skills match the job requirements.You can read last weeks Ask the Recruiter interview  here  and be sure to check back next Monday for the final installment in the series.