Secrets to Successful Job Posts in LinkedIn Groups.

via Secrets to Successful Job Posts in LinkedIn Groups.

via Secrets to Successful Job Posts in LinkedIn Groups.

Many who see themselves as goal-oriented individuals think business small talk is unrealistic; it does not have any purpose, or lead to a clear objective. They see it as a waste of time.

Even those few who struggle to develop themselves in the art of “idle conversation” admit they genuinely do not like business small talk very much.

They could not be more wrong! Business small talk has a significant function. If done right, a short conversation could do wonders for a career. You could…

• Close an enormous deal
• Gain new business leads
• Expand your professional network with new contacts
• Learn about new jobs or opportunities
• Build profitable relationships

Interpersonal communication is one of those “soft skills” that makes you a valuable asset to an organization. The ability to learn about people, and have them reveal themselves to you in a short period, can be tremendously helpful in your professional career.

Interaction is essential, with clients, contacts and co-workers, even if you do not have a specific goal. Developing business small talk skills will help you get more effective—and successful—at both work and in life.

Five tips for becoming better at business small talk:

·         Have a genuine interest in the other person

No interest (or feigning interest) in the other person is a guaranteed fail! Do not be so wrapped up in yourself where you cannot step outside your own life and learn something fascinating about someone else.

·         Ask the right questions

Everyone has an experience he or she would be happy to share, even if it is something strange, funny or weird. Always use open-ended questions in a conversation (those without a clear yes or no response). Engagement with another person—a co-worker or client—will help him or her open up to you.

·         Listen

Questions will get the ball rolling, but encouragement will keep the conversation going. How can you give feedback if you have not been listening? Listen carefully, actively and pay close attention to what is said.

·         Share

This is where most people run into trouble; they are reluctant (or afraid) to share things about themselves. If there is a lull in the conversation, you will have to interject something about yourself. Small talk is about give-and-take.

·         Business small talk means having a truly meaningful conversation

Despite what it appears on the outside, when you have a meaningful conversation, small talk is not a waste of time. It is the opportunity to connect with another person. That alone makes it a valuable workplace tool. Everyone can be a better employee (salesperson, marketer, account rep or whatever) when they make connections with the people around them, even if the subject is “insignificant.”

Do you have any tips for effective business small talk? Join the conversation in the comments below!

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Any employer considering guns at work should have a good background check policy in place first.

In the aftermath of several high-profile workplace shootings, some observers think the answer is arming employees, or allowing workers to bring guns to the job.

Not every employer will accept an armory at the office is the answer. However, before any business even considers allowing guns in the workplace, first they had better have a policy of full and extensive background checks on all employees in place.

Human resources need LIARs

In human resources, the best approach is LIARs—“Look Into All References.”

When one-third of all job seekers is lying on a resume or job application—including the lies of omission—the idea of not checking all references can leave the organization holding the bag when something goes terribly wrong.

Of course, background checks should be in the context of the job. Some positions—operating heavy equipment, having a key-holder responsibility, working with money, children, the disabled or elderly—require candidates with clean backgrounds.

Allowing employees to bring guns? You had better know WHO!

If considering allowing employees (those with the appropriate legal permits) to protect themselves with weapons, the background check should be more than just learning about on-the-job performance. What is the likelihood they will come to work intoxicated, hangover or have a poor attendance record?

The employer has a duty to protect employees and the public. Background checks are the first line of defense. Several state courts have held up employer responsibility in cases of an employee misconduct, finding them liable when things go horribly wrong.

This makes it necessary for employers to investigate the background of prospective (and in some cases, current) employees.

Link between criminal records and the EEOC

The use of criminal history information may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if an employer either:

• Treats job applicants with the same criminal records  differently based on race, religion, color, sex or national origin.
• Applies “disparate impact discrimination,” where they disproportionately exclude specific job applicants or criminal histories, even in cases where the employer uses criminal record exclusions uniformly.

Background checks: not just for new employees

It is clear that background checks prior to employment are crucial.  However, it is just as useful for regular re-evaluation for employees in sensitive positions. When an employer learns of the possibility that an employee might pose a danger, they should be proactive, up to and including termination.

In addition, background checks help businesses that involve independent contractors, vendors and others, to identify contract workers with the potential to cause severe damage. Do not forget about volunteers with access to your assets and customers.

Background checks need not be difficult

Today, it does not require a dedicated staff to perform in-house background checks.  Several companies now provide these services affordably and on an as-needed basis.

Ovation Technologies is a perfect example. Ovation allows users to request specialized background checks on either new hires or existing employees. Criminal background checks include National Criminal, Sex Offender, Homeland Security and authentication of the social security number. DMV checks are also optional.

Even if your company has no interest in allowing employees to carry a weapon to use for self-protection, every company can benefit from careful background checks and references. They help your business weed out potentially dangerous employees, as well as demonstrating a caution in hiring practices, thereby avoiding legal liability.

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Everyone agrees that finding a job can be a job in itself, especially for employers who have to sift through thousands of identical resumes. So it might be reasonable to think job seekers will use eye-catching tricks in an attempt to stand out. One popular trend has become the infographic resume.

With infographic resumes, is it more than just a fad? It could be here to stay.

Video resumes are a prime example of technology gone awry—perhaps even becoming a running joke with employers. Some experts swear by them, others say job seekers should stay away.

The same is true with infographics, the vision and design phenomenon that has now made its way into the world of the resume.

Infographics have already become common business tools, popular for summarizing information in visually appealing ways and making them easy to understand.

It is not difficult to imagine job seekers will try to do the same for their qualifications, strengths and abilities.

Isn’t that is the point of a resume, anyway?

However, an effective infographic resume should depend on the situation and type of job you are seeking. Do it right and it could get you noticed (in a good way); do infographic resumes wrong, and you may be the object of office jokes for years to come.

Four tips for creating a successful infographic resume:

• Take it seriously

The perfect resume is an investment in your career, like hiring a recruiter or buying an expensive suit. Going cheap in an infographic resume will do you no good. Unless you are an expert graphic designer, leave infographic resumes to the professionals.

• Don’t rush into it

In just about everything, good quality takes time. In addition, it should be a collaborative effort with the job seeker and the design professional. The more information you provide and the better your results will be, but remember, excellent designs do not happen overnight.

• Simplicity is everything

Resist the urge to include all the bells and whistles; they can become overwhelming to the reader fast.

Although you only have a few valuable seconds to make an impression, your resume will never be noticed when it is just too busy. Excess data will make it look like a big mess.

• Be relevant to the job

Create your resume for the job you want, more than simply who you are. Infographic resumes will grab certain employers, while they may leave others cold (or scratching their heads). Make sure your “thinking out of the box” is suitable for the company where you are applying.

On top of it all, keep one thing in mind: never rule out anything! Let your imagination get you the job!

Some samples of well-designed infographic resumes:

Photos: Infojobs.net

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To get the best talent, hiring managers, recruiters and human resources personnel need to stop last-minute hiring and start proactive recruitment!

It is true that many hiring managers shudder when they hear the word “proactive.” They are all so busy, and “proactive” certainly sounds like a lot of work.

In reality, proactive recruitment is not that hard.  All it means is recruiters must work a little smarter than the competition.

Two ways proactive recruitment will improve your hiring strategy—timing and quality. Neither takes extra effort, hard work or long, sleepless nights.

Timing

Getting the timing right is the biggest challenge in proactive recruitment. Most companies only hire someone when there is a need, and not a moment sooner. This approach clearly hamstrings the hiring process.

Ask the typical hiring manager the chances of finding the right candidate, at exactly the moment the company needs them. It should be no surprise that the odds are close to zero!

Anything less than proactive recruitment results in a system that is bound to fail. Companies that use an A-B-C way to hiring—Always Be Closing, or at least always eyeing new prospects—will be the ones who have the qualified talent pool when necessary.

Quality

Locating a qualified candidate is more than finding people who can do a job. They have to be employees that will grow and thrive in the job. They are people who will succeed at their work.

For centuries, the resume has been the foundation of recruitment. However, many hiring managers agree that resumes alone are not the ideal method of determining a good fit for a company, or predicting how a candidate will actually act on the job.

Usually, companies advertise an opening, and the first thing is they get flooded with a deluge of resumes. Then, those resumes need sorting, to separate the good from the bad (often more bad than good!) Can you imagine how time-consuming it becomes?

Many companies see this as the ‘cost’ of recruitment, but it is both a waste of time and shows a failure to screen for excellence from the beginning. What makes the problem worse is the vast volume of resumes will almost guarantee you will miss some of your greatest finds.

Few, if any, have an applicant tracking system (ATS) that can rank candidates by qualifications.

An automated tracking system, with candidate ranking based on specific conditions, will not only extend the pool of qualified candidates but will increase their overall quality, as well.

Without an ATS as part of a proactive recruitment strategy, you have little chance of solving the problem of quality.

In addition to improving value, proactive recruitment will ensure your company has the enough potential talent available when the time arrives—solving the problem of timing.