Social Media Profiles May Just Get You A Job, Or Maybe Barred From One!

A recent study by Society for Human Resource Management points towards a very interesting trend, use of social media by recruiters. It has been long known that recruiters have started using social media as part of the search and check in the hiring process. Although, it was vague as to what extent social media has integrated itself with it. The study, based on previous data comparing it with usage statistics from as back as 2011, shows an increasing prominence of the channels for recruitment.

However, the catch lies with the way and reason they are being used. With many reliable channels available, the depth social media provides, however unreliable, does seem like a good method to evaluate a person. But to what extent does the evaluation be based on it is dependent on recruiter's individual criterions. However, social media activities do give a very precise evaluation of the following properties of an individual's profile, possible reasons for use:

·         Background and Information Check: Most people on social media are actively providing information which can be used to check for latest information on a candidate, in cases when acquired profiles are significantly old. Similarly, background information can also be acquired easily by navigating between connected and engaged profiles in a very short expanse of time.

·         Reach and Brand Value Addition: With a lot of industries integrating digital technologies with them and a lot more dealing with direct consumer products/services, it has become a practice to hire individuals with strong social profiles. Association with brands imparts two-way value to both, optimizing it through social media. A quick look at the posts and activities and the engagement provides a pretty accurate idea of an individual's value addition when hired.

·         Network and Contacts: Another addition to look for, recruiters have started using social media to expand their respective organization's network through employees, and vice versa. Certain lines and profiles demand intense networking and thus, candidates can be weighed upon their social media networks, though only partially.

 Separately, a very prominent reason behind the use of social media apart from above is the talent hunt for Passive Candidates, ones who are not actively looking for a job or not at all but may just be open for a good offer. Especially on the managerial front, such candidates are best found on the passive side of the talent pool, not necessarily social media though.

With these in mind, how can one go about being active through social media and enhance their chances of being hired or offered jobs? In short, how to keep your social media profiles industry relevant and impressive.

·         Share relevant content relating to your industry and keep the relevance high and simple. Keeping pace with news and presenting opinions is one way to impress employers visiting your profile. Also, it projects sincerity towards the profession itself.

·         Connect to people at every level within and outside of your industries. No profession is confined to a single industry, especially on the higher managerial levels. Having a strong network is a sure-shot way to point out that you are ready for the next step and for further.

·         Engage your network, especially the professional one. Being an ambassador is the first step towards being a brand ambassador. Engagement is a basic side-effect of sharing great content, especially when it is original. And being respectful and rational is the way of keeping it up.

·         Personalize your profile to your natural plus professional personality. Social networks are social spaces and thus, should reflect upon the social you. Although, involvement in irrational and overtly useless activities may just ruin things. 

It is important to see that while social media activities have moved towards entertainment and mostly, clashing opinions, keeping clear of them in terms of involvement is always a good option. Because while all the positives we project can boost the chances, it is the little negatives that can greatly reduce the same. With digital world incepting itself in many aspects of businesses along with social media, it is imperative to maintain the brand reputation and that is one place it has high chances of making or breaking with a wide and strong impact.

The recruitment industry is certainly adapting ways to search, evaluate, and hire candidates. Social media has just turned out to be a pool of information that they intend to use. The information, mostly unusable and inconsequential, is still vital. It is a good practice to ask people to go through your profiles and review what kind of image it creates, and for what its worth, make it worth hiring. 

Recruitment Revamped! Questions For A Job Interview That Need Serious Reviewing!

Evaluation of candidates for employment is one of the most arbitrary forms of a gamble every company has played for long. With technology and research, the risks have decreased but still, it remains pretty much inconsistent because: one, there are currently no well-defined matrices to work on; two, Digital Technology has made the availability of information disadvantageous towards recruiters; three, recruitment industry has standardized itself in a world with constantly evolving standards. Of course, exceptions are there to all, and to create these exceptions, many small steps are taken to make it in the long run.

Recruitment Revamped is a series of such little steps we are proposing to better an organization’s hiring process and employee management. And it begins with a series of most common (and clichéd) questions that need to change for the greater good. And why they need to change the way they are; how they would provide information for more informed decision; and exactly how to use them and what to expect; everything is taken into consideration with guidelines to do the same (in the end).

But first, let us elaborate on the thought process that went into the analysis.

• An interview, what we understand, is a method to extract information to make a decision.
• Questions are used to focus the flow of information to/through targeted points.
• Answers are segregated/broken-down for data to be considered.
• The whole process involves the use of reactionary mechanism of an individual’s psyche to extract unbiased (or less biased) information.
• Abstraction is used more often to decrease the biases further.

Using the above understanding, we reframed the questions to make the filtering focused on the required information directly. So, without further ado, let’s get to our first candidate:

Tell me about yourself!

With several variations of the question out there, it is one of the best questions to evaluate individuals. But often, the vagueness of the question itself leaves answers lacking crucial information and presentation of it. But with tips to frame it properly, it is also one of the most manipulated as well. So, what does a recruiter needs out of it? To check communication skills, focus towards information flow and filtering? Possibly, even approach to work and personal life too. Well, here are a few variations that solve the problem:

Tell me one interesting story from your past!

Tell me the one event in your life that got you this far, and how?

If your life is a movie, give me its plot/synopsis!       

We have a tradition of giving 1-2 word nicknames here, so suggest one for yourselves and why that?

These variations confine the answer to limited information, leaving room for choice of better content and also, describe the progressions.

What are your weaknesses?

Since the content itself is seeking negative traits, a diplomatic manipulation is what we are asking for. And that is what we are bound to get. Changing the negativity to positivity will bring out more unbiased opinions of an individual about themselves. Thus, the variations go as:

What are the five most important strengths you need in your teammates individually to create a flawless team?

What five strong traits you need in your teammates to be invincible/unbeatable?

What are the only strong points you need in other people to win every team event?

It eases off the candidate and gives them a chance to redemption from their weaknesses described as strength in others. Also, one is compelled to present an analysis of past experience with other teams keeping things practical.

Notable Mention: “What are your strengths?” can be modified to “How do you keep your team from going down/failing?” to add the practicality in the information being asked.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Most answers to the question will have a conflict with the level of ambitiousness and practicality to be shown, and also, may point towards a short-term stay, overall inviting diplomacy in information. And this question comes with one of the best variation so far:

What would make you stay with us for five years from now at least?

Expanding to one’s analysis of the organization or the job at least, it takes an individual’s ambition in account with an organization’s growth; it is the more important thought process that needs to be evaluated.

Notable Variation: “Where do you see the organization in five years with you?”

Notable Mention: “Why do you want to leave your current job?” to “What would make you join us?”

Why should we hire you?

This is one question that should have been eliminated long back. Isn’t it, one, the interviewer’s job to determine that, two, with all the things in their right places, a candidate can still be incompatible and vice versa, three, too offensive to ask in an open-ended deal! Anyway, the answer will have high biases and monotony. The variations proposed (with the recommendation to drop the question altogether):

What is important for you to decide on joining us?

Describe a time when you disagreed with a decision and what did you do?

While it doesn’t really contain negative, it is still an attacking question due to its framing. Just changing the voice can get better information with ease on either side. Thus, the variation suggested:

Did you ever help make a decision better, give a brief account of how?

Because it’s not about disagreeing but about why the difference and how could that be an advantage or channelized.

I would like to conclude by saying that the questions here are rephrased to meet the purpose of the interview. And in the limited time as well. And from an analytical point of view, recruitment for a job is to place a person to make it happen. And if that is evaluated with more precision, human resources can create resources that no other can, as is evident throughout the history. Further are the guidelines, as promised. And some Tips, on the house. Until next time!

Guidelines to Modify Questions (for future references and unstated questions):

• Analyze the question for elements, breaking it down to: Entities Involved, Information Involved, Relevance of Information, Distractions Involved, Tone, Approach, and Connection.
• Entities, if includes anything less than three of: the Candidate, Organization (the one being recruited for) and/or Team(Mates), Job/Workplace, and Time Frames, then it needs revamping with inclusion.
• Information Involved should contain experience, skills, learning, and/or analysis - with respect to - work, experience, approach, application, observation, and so, to keep a check on its relevance. A question must be so that at least two factors from the former set must be targeted with respect to two from the latter set to maintain the efficiency of Information Flow.
• Distractions are the premises that the question covers, willingly, in order to impart meaning to the Information Extracted. It is a form of Residual Information which is quintessential to define the frame of references. Since it is obvious to reduce them, thus, keep the frame of references in check by limiting them through connections, time periods, and scenarios.
• Tone and Approach are, on a basic level, the same factors, only tone (positive, negative, passive-aggressive, etc) is identified sub-consciously and approach (aggressive, invasive, interested, etc.) is identified consciously. Modifying them to be neutral or positively aligned is the best way. Also, two extremes can be used (with care) together to maintain the general neutrality of the tone and/or approach.
• Connection is the inter-reliability of the different information sets/types which ‘weaves’ together the response to a question. For an efficient flow of information, a connection between the elements, including the distractions, is necessary. 

Tips and Tricks:

• While working to modify the questions, try to ask yourself or get a current employee to help in the exchange, asking and being asked.
• Recording interviews on voice channels for post-interview analysis is also a good method. However, do not let the latter analysis to manipulate the initially developed perspective nor the action based on it. Interviewing is much more of an intrinsic evaluation than we think.
• Its best to keep technical questions untouched and maintain their complications, these are only for the general personality testing questions.

Resume Formats for Success

A resume is the first and the most quintessential part of applying for a job, because of the former property. And also, cause it is the first point of filtering the candidates out from the others. The first impression, and if carefully made, the lasting impression. So to make it through the screening, it has to be impressive. Also, during interviews, it is kept as a reference document to check and question upon. This actually increases the contextual value of refining it to the better side.

The value itself, in the resume, is built upon two things, One, the profile, Two, the profiling.

The profile is the static data and is subject to minimal to no flexibility. The only flexibility that can be seen with the static part is regarding the decision whether or not to include according to the relevance. However, that is one of the most important decisions that need to be made for the resume.

Profiling is the presentation of the profile in such a way that it caters to the needs of the application and speaks of the viability of employing a candidate. The approach to formatting and presenting in the standard practices are purged to suit most needs, however, they do not directly address the presentation approach.

It is very important to select the right template for your resume, as it defines the basis of approach, including that for the presentation. Once the template is up for edits, use one of the following approaches to present the content, although make sure to pick and structure your resume content accordingly first.

Essay Format: The format in which content is represented with headlines and paraphrased details. These can be used to explain briefly about previous works and other content informing about the roles and responsibilities (if applicable), undertakings, results, and learning. Recommended for profiles with lesser main (headlined) content but comprehensive details. The interlinking of the content is what makes it an effective form of presentation and a universally usable as well.

Tabular Format: The format in which the above data can be introduced in a tabular matrix form. It is a way of segregating the content into a quickly scan-able form. Recommended for a resume with ample content to fill in without much details given. Also, it is easier to make with spreadsheet applications. Looks like neat and professional documentation as well.

List Format: It is a cross-over of the above two formats in which details are given with heading and brief details as bullet points. It is also a format for a much-targeted approach than the above two since a heading can be briefed on with only one or two kinds of details. Best suited for experienced individuals with the diverse profile but can be used otherwise as well with care and planning.

Sample formats usually layout a good flow for the content to be laid upon. Although it requires time and efforts to do it. A good practice is to make a simple resume with simple details and basics and then, see how impressively the content itself can be used together. Also, getting someone experienced and a few others to read and review it for you can be very helpful for the long run.

A well-made resume also reflects on one’s understanding of the job they are applying for, and this should be kept in mind to make things relevant. And whichever format and style you use, it should look neat and professional, another way of reflecting well on the profile. On the other hand, the same positives (and seemingly negatives, if any) will rise as questions in later phases of the recruitment, be prepared and be consistent, and mostly, be honest.

Lastly, consult and don’t hesitate to seek help with your resume and other aspects of your job application. At the end, if the job is yours, everything worked well else nothing did. Keep learning and improve yourself and eventually, success will knock.

Your Job Search Should Never End, Even If You Have A Job! Do You Know Why?

In a recent conversation with a friend, catching up with each other’s lives and leading on to talk about economics, a very odd question popped up. As the economic analytics moved on to depressions, unemployment, economic bubbles, and so, we came to a point where we asked ourselves; What if the next day, we are fired? And let me ask you the same, What if you do?

However unlikely it may seem to most of us, it isn’t unheard of and it isn’t a rare case either. Organizations are known to change strategies and priorities and many things, often, very abruptly. And a lot of times, it results in employees being laid off work and employment terminated. There may be many other reasons of it happening as well, the point is, things like these happen, and they may happen to just anyone, even the best of performers.

While it is highly unlikely for most us too, it certainly is a nightmare to be thinking of. Which brought us to the point, are we prepared for it, can we go on about our life and career irrespective of such events? Is it really so easy to bring us down? Well, no, neither it is nor should it be. And the only one counter-measure one needs is to be prepared always!

And to be prepared, the most important elements are anyway what we should have sorted. Let’s get over them one by one.

· Keep yourself industry ready.

· Keep yourself industry relevant.

· Keep yourself financially stable.

· Be updated with everything and everyone relevant to your industry.

· Keep learning, including cross-industry skills.

That is the simplest it could get. But doing them is equally complicated and needs regular and efficiently made efforts. The security itself will build up over-time, till then, it must be all a carefully calculated set of steps and tasks. These should be the first few steps that need to be taken among the standard practices of job search:

LinkedIn

One of the most powerful professional tools out there, LinkedIn will take care of two very important things for you. One, networking inside and beyond your industry, especially among the management and human resource personnel, Two, strengthen and keep your profile updated with the best and most targeted information about your professional prowess. The best practices to make these happen are:

· Starting with the basics, keep your profile updated with any relevant information, courses, certifications, achievements, and links. The catch here is, it can be used to enhance reputation via a very simple step, keeping the “Share Profile Changes” switched on and making changes, relevant ones, regularly. Even if a pool of changes comes together, make them with gaps segregated into sets. Why? Well, it’ll keep you visible and show a progressive professional life amongst your connections because most won’t be viewing your profile regularly yet they will know that you are moving forward.

· Network among your connections and their connections by engaging professionally in online activities and sharing good content. Little things like few words of appreciation, gratitude, and constructive criticism (toned down as suggestions with a hint to connecting for detailed discussions) go a long way. Engaging through industry-specific groups and experts give a significant boost to reputation. Also, incite one on one discussions to keep your visibility strong, need not spend much time but invest a little.

· Write and post content with the community. Give it a professional, and constructive and insightful touch. Become an inside expert in your industry and network. And make people engage with you as well.

And you will never run out of offers and opportunities, it is tried and tested by many.

Resume

Create a bunch of resumes, update them all and be ready to use them anytime. Also, have a copy of them in semi-public domains as well where recruiters can find you, like Job Portals (more on this later). Let the offers come, consider them but don’t waste anyone’s time with it. Let your contacts and everyone know that you will always be open to the “right” offer. And it should be more about growth and opportunity and money (lower on priority but a priority nonetheless). Give it a little time regularly and distributed as needed.

Network

Professional and personal networking is a great thing for anyone to grow but also takes resources and time equally. It will not grow you directly, but it can certainly help you grow by bringing opportunities, contacts, reputation, and so. Attend networking events, meeting, have meetups among professional groups, spend the breaks with colleagues and seniors, not every day but regularly. In short, spread the word, spread your charm!

Job Portals

Job search portals are a thing these days and some of them are really efficient at it. With numerous vacancies, if you keep your profile active and updated(with resume at best a month old) it can be very effective a measure to damage control. It is important to note that most portals deactivate profiles from mail alerts and viewability if not operated (log in) for six months or so. Shine network also facilitates linking your LinkedIn profile and keep itself updated accordingly, saving time. With privacy settings for contact and other info, you can keep your job alerts switched on, receive communications (emails and calls/SMS) from recruiters and be on the radar always. What’s important to note is, One, doing the former two will aid towards this profile, Two, if configured and used properly, the profile will invite opportunities and communications that will help grow the network as well.

And finally, Save and Invest

Just like your time and efforts, money is yet another resource that can be saved and invested properly to create substantial reserves to survive the emergencies. As a mature professional, it is in itself a sign of responsibility developed by handling money the right way. Make two kinds of reserves, One, savings, ready to be used anytime for emergencies, substantial enough to fund several months of survival, typically six at least, Two, invested carefully with a long-term goal, which grows with time due to returns on it as well as periodic additions for further investment. The second reserve will take time to process if a withdrawal is needed, maybe even a waiting period to be released, thus, the first reserve.

So, while things are going smooth around you, it is important to be prepared for the worse. Everyone has some ups and down in their store to be taken care of. And as big an up one hopes to go, as down they should also prepare to handle as well. A balanced approach to life and work is all that a person needs to keep going and be happy!