Posting your job ad online with one of the major job boards is a great way to create awareness about your open position and reach top candidates, but it’s not the only way. There are several other options for successfully promoting your open position; and the path you choose will depend on your particular needs, target audience, and budget.

We’ll dive deeper into these various options, provide tips on how to write an effective job description, and explore ways your company can reach as many possible applicants as possible, all within your financial reach.

Determine Your Target Audience

When you first realize you need help at the office or in your shop, you’ll want to visualize the right candidate. Identifying the right target for your job post can help you craft the perfect help wanted ad for an open position and make it visible to the right audience.

Start identifying your target audience by considering the responsibilities of the job. Will you need someone with experience, or do you prefer an intern or someone with limited experience whom you’re willing to train? Are you hiring for a full-time or part-time position? What is the salary you’re willing to offer?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you can determine which type of job ad will best reach prospective candidates. For example, if you’re looking to hire someone for a weekend position and prior experience is not necessary, a high school or university student might be the right fit for you (although you need to keep it legal by avoiding language that excludes protected classes of individuals).

Identifying the right target group will help you determine the best ways to reach them, whether you’re posting your ad online, in print, or at your place of business.

Cost-Effective Examples of Help Wanted Ads

We’re all familiar with the major online job boards, but there are many other cost-effective ways to post your ad. These can be divided into two main categories: online and offline (print) marketing venues. Some examples of cost-effective offline marketing options include:

• Local newspaper or magazine classifieds
• Community bulletins (think about high school or grocery store bulletins)
• Fliers and tear sheets
• Signage on the window of your business

These examples all have one thing in common: they’re visible to many people within specific geographic locations and demographics. The downside of these options is that targeting is limited. However, it can still work to your benefit.

A physical ad in a newspaper or tear sheet may be seen by people who know someone else who might be interested, which is a great example of word-of-mouth marketing. Depending on what kind of position you need to fill, you can always tailor the ad further to your liking.

However, if you’re going for a more-targeted approach with a potentially broader reach, there are still many cost-effective or even free ways of reaching the right target audience online. Some examples include:

• Craigslist ads
• Regional Facebook employment groups
• Self-created social media posts

These online venues allow you to be a little more precise in terms of targeting the right audience. By posting your job ad in employment groups, you are targeting a demographic with an interest in finding work. By posting it on your social media, you’ll reach locals and people who are a fan of your business.

No matter which approach you choose, always include the basics of the business and open position.

How to Write a Help Wanted Ad

Keeping your target audience and posting method in mind, it’s important to follow these five steps. Depending on the paragraph size or length, you can keep it short or go into more detail.

Step 1: Grab the Reader’s Attention

This can be achieved by a catchy headline or the use of positive and dynamic verbs. Since print ads are often surrounded by other competing ads (think about the newspaper or community bulletins), it’s important to write a headline that captures the viewer’s attention.

Step 2: Describe the Job Basics

Interested readers want to know more about your business and the open position. Provide them with a short introduction to the open position and what it entails. You should include:

• Your company name and location
• The job title, required experience, type of position (full-time or part-time), and salary range
• Start date and application due date

Step 3: Provide the Job Requirements

The third step is to include the job requirements in your help wanted ad to make sure it appeals to qualified potential applicants, but not so detailed that it deters potential top candidates. Provide them with a short list of responsibilities and skills, which may include:

• Must have a high school diploma
• Must have [number] years of experience
• Likes to interact with customers
• Is a problem solver

Step 4: Mention the Benefits

Besides the salary or hourly wage, it’s important candidates are aware of any available benefits, including paid time off and holidays. If you have the space, it’s recommended to include the details of the compensation package as a whole (i.e., retirement benefits, training, perks, etc.).

Step 5: Include a Call to Action

Each ad should include a call to action, which consists of instructions on how interested individuals can apply for the job. Provide them with a contact name and phone number so they can reach out if they’re interested. Prepare your response to applicants, not just those whom you plan to interview but also those who don’t make the cut (“ghosting” candidates, for example, can come back to haunt your employer brand).

Make an Attractive Job Ad and Find Your Next New Hire

Our experts have gathered and combined years of experience and knowledge into a database of articles that will help you hire (and retain) top talent. Sign up to receive more insights into how to write a help wanted ad and much more.

The post How to Write an Effective Help Wanted Ad appeared first on Monster.com.

There’s another compelling reason to hire retirees: Research shows that diverse workplaces are often more profitable than their less-diverse competitors. In other words, increasing age diversity can boost your bottom line. The following best practices for recruiting previously retired professionals will help you tap into this unique and often-overlooked talent pool.

How to Hire Unretired Workers

The process of hiring a retiree is similar to hiring a younger employee, but some changes can make your hiring process more efficient. Here are the main steps for finding and retaining previously retired employees.

1. Write Inclusive Job Descriptions

The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) cautions recruiters and hiring managers to avoid age-biased words and phrases because they could discourage older professionals from applying. Avoid using words and phrases such as “recent college graduate,” “young professional,” “digital native,” “tech savvy,” and “high energy.” Companies that use age-biased language could be found liable for age discrimination.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requires federal contractors to include an equal employment opportunity (EEO) statement on job descriptions, but many other companies (i.e., non-contractors) have followed suit. It is also a best practice to include reasonable accommodation language in every job posting.

2. Audit Your Employer Branding

Your employer brand is your reputation as an employer. Attract and retain retirees and unretired people by showing why your company is a great place to work across the demographic spectrum.

The best way to attract and retain older employees is to show your commitment to building a diverse and inclusive team. Feature your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, such as employee resource groups (ERGs) and mentorship programs, on your company career page and social media platforms. While you’re at it, make sure older employees are featured on your site and social media content.

If you have enough job openings, you might want to consider creating a returnship program. This involves recruiting people who are returning to the workforce after an extended time away, such as retired people and parents, making sure you provide all the support and resources they need to be successful.

3. Reach the Right Candidates

Reach retirees and unretired people by posting your job openings on popular job boards, those geared toward seniors, and your company website. You may also want to post job classifieds in local newspapers.

Continue to get the word out by working with employment agencies and other organizations that offer services for seniors. You may also want to host recruiting events at your office and encourage your employees to spread the word by offering employee referral bonuses.

4. Evaluate Candidates

While some retirees will want to work in a similar role, others will want to make a career shift. When your recruiters and hiring managers are reviewing resumes and cover letters, remind them to focus more on the transferable skills retirees gained during their careers than their past job titles.

One of the main benefits of working after retirement is that older workers have years of work experience. They are likely to have the social skills that can help strengthen your company culture, increase employee morale, improve productivity and performance, and boost retention. For example, many older workers will have honed their collaboration, leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.

To decrease the likelihood of being found liable for employment discrimination, the EEOC recommends avoiding interview questions about race, religion, age, and other protected characteristics. For example, interviewers should avoid asking candidates how old they are or how long they plan to work before retiring.

5. Onboard Candidates

Provide the training and support that will help unretired workers succeed, including:

• Orientation. Ask your HR team to make employees feel welcome by introducing them to their new coworkers and giving them a tour of the office. Help them get up to speed by discussing the company history, mission, values, and organizational chart. This is a good time to hand out the employee handbook and review important company policies and procedures.
• Training Programs. Ask managers to provide their direct reports with the training they need. Additionally, have your HR team develop trainings on topics like soft skills; cybersecurity; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and preventing sexual harassment. If you have the budget, consider giving all employees a professional development stipend that can be used toward certification programs, classes, and conferences.
• Mentorship Initiatives. Newer employees can learn a lot from more experienced ones, and vice-versa. Encourage cross-departmental relationship building by pairing coworkers from different departments, careful not to delineate solely by age.
• One-on-One Meetings. Require all managers to have regular individual meetings with their direct reports to give feedback and set and track goals and objectives. Remind managers that it’s helpful to create career development plans for all employees. While some workers might want to retire again soon, others will want to vie for promotions.

Continue to Strengthen Your Team

By improving diversity and inclusion, you’re likely to have a stronger company culture, increased employee morale, better productivity and performance, and lower turnover. Now that you know the benefits of hiring unretired workers and best practices for hiring and onboarding them, you’re ready to get started. Find qualified candidates quickly with a free job posting on Monster.

The post How to Hire Unretired Workers appeared first on Monster.com.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a hyper-local brick-and-mortar retailer, a regional brand, or a community nonprofit, to optimize your digital presence you need to hire a web designer with design and technical skills who understands your brand and your target customers. But how do you go about attracting design applicants, assessing their work, and selecting the right web designer to work with your team?

The following five steps can help you find a designer whose vision meets your needs:

1. Create a budget for your web site design
2. Write a web designer job description
3. Assess applicant resumes and digital portfolios
4. Ask the right interview questions
5. Draw up a project brief and contract

Do You Need a Web Designer or Developer?

Before you begin your web designer hiring process, you need to determine whether you need to hire a web designer or a web developer—and you need to know the difference.

A web designer will create your website’s graphic presentation, including images, and typography. They will also design the user experience: how the user travels through the site and encounters information along the way. Some designers also have web development skills and credentials, allowing them to design and implement your site’s functionality.

More often, designers focus on your site’s visual elements, while developers implement functionality, for example, by making sure your site employs responsive design across all platforms, especially on mobile devices. They can also increase navigation speed and help prevent customers from bouncing from your site to a competitor’s. To hire a web developer, you’ll want to follow steps similar to those outlined for web designers in the process outlined below.

1. Create a Budget for Your Web Site Design

Contemporary web sites are more than just brand marketing tools. A well-designed commercial web site can be a reliable source of pre-purchase product research and a sales driver. It needs to look good and work well. If it doesn’t—if your current site is static or outdated—chances are you’re leaving money on the table.

How critical is your web site design? Data indicates that 38.5 percent of consumers judge products and brands by their web sites, 38 percent will stop interacting with a poorly designed web site, and 50 percent will opt for your competition if they have a negative experience on your site.

That’s why it’s crucial to hire a web designer who ishighly qualified: either a freelance designer or (if your business frequently adds components to your site) a full-time web designer. Depending on the scope of your business, costs for web site design projects vary greatly, but hiring a freelancer, or even an inhouse designer, is likely to be less expensive than hiring a full-service agency.

2. Write a Web Designer Job Description

Once you’ve decided whether to hire a staff designer or freelance web professional, you’ll need to create a web designer job description. Begin with a short description of your workplace that makes your business’s focus and mission clear. You should also explain why you’re a great business partner or employer and why this project presents a fun and creative challenge for the right candidate.

As you list the qualities you’re looking for in a designer, emphasize what makes these professionals so unique. For instance, you’ll likely want to hire a web designer who has a unique combination of technical know how, visual flare, and customer focus.

3. Assess Designers’ Resumes and Digital Portfolios

Once you start getting responses to your job listing, you’ll need to gauge applicants’ resumes for qualities that make a good web designer:

• A bachelor’s degree in graphic design, digital design, or web development
• Adobe certification in web design and/or development
• Previous experience as a web designer
• A demonstrated sense of visual design fundamentals, including image composition, typography, and informational hierarchy
• An understanding of user experience (UX) and information architecture
• Experience using coding languages, such as HTML or JavaScript
• Familiarity with cascading style sheets (CSS), content management systems (CMS), and Adobe Suite software, particularly InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator
• An understanding of search engine optimization (SEO) and mobile optimization

Once you’ve narrowed down the resumes to a core number, you’re almost ready to hire a web designer. The next step is assessing designers’ digital portfolios, which will include work they’ve done for other employers or clients. The top candidates’ portfolios will demonstrate web design best practices, such as clean design, intuitive navigation, and clearly actionable calls to action.

4. Ask the Right Interview Questions

The best web designers tend to have a unique skill set. They’re visually gifted, technically innovative problem solvers. They’re creative, but also deadline-driven and highly organized. The questions below will help you select a candidate with this rare combination of skills:

• What kind of information do you look for from your clients before you begin a project?
• What are the differences between desktop and mobile design?
• How do you manage the expectations and opinions of multiple stakeholders on a project team?
• How would you assess your time management skills, and what do you do when deadlines approach and some elements of a project are still unresolved?
• Describe a web design project you worked on that you’re proud of.

As you assess each candidate consider the essential qualities they’ll need to successfully work with your team and complete the project, such as clear communication, flexibility, and technical knowledge. You may also want to ask if you can talk to some of their past clients.

5. Draw Up a Project Brief and a Contract

If you’re planning to hire a web designer on a freelance basis, you should provide your top candidates with a project brief outlining your design needs and goals, a timeline, and budget. In turn, they will supply you with a design proposal. Select your final applicant based on how well their proposal reflects a clear understanding of your company’s goals, brand ethos, and target users’ needs. Then you’ll need to draw up a design services contract for the designer of your choice.

If you’re making a staff hire, it still makes sense to draft a project brief, but your newly hired web designer can help you with this task, and all the tasks that follow, from sketching out wireframes for each stage of functionality to the launch of your newly redesigned web site.

You Know the 5 Steps to Hiring a Web Designer. Now Spread the Word and Find the Right Fit

Now that you know how to hire a web designer, get the word out with a free job post from Monster. With greater reach and performance-based recruitment, you’ll find the right fit for this and all your hiring needs.

The post How to Hire a Web Designer: 5 Steps appeared first on Monster.com.

Here are five steps for creating a successful program that welcomes people back into the workforce:

1. Determine the logistics
2. Write the job description
3. Advertise your returnship
4. Evaluate candidates
5. Launch your returnship

What is a Returnship Program?

A returnship, also known as a return-to-work program, is a career reentry initiative for people who have left the workforce for an extended period of time. The most effective programs provide the support and resources people need to grow their professional networks and improve their skills.

These programs can help you increase diversity and strengthen your company culture, making your business more successful. Research shows that diverse workplaces are more profitable than their competitors. They can also increase employee engagement and morale, which improves profitability.

By showing that your company has a strong company culture, is innovative, committed to diversity and inclusion, and family friendly, embracing a returnship can help you recruit and retain top talent.

How Do You Create a Returnship?

Now that you know what a returnship is and its various benefits, you’re ready to start one at your company. Here’s how:

1. Determine the Logistics

While returnship programs are generally for people who have stepped away for at least a year, not a short break, you could set a specific requirement, such as being away for five years or even 10.

You’ll also want to determine the program duration, whether participants will have one role or rotate departments, and the budget. Consider whether you want to pay all participants the same salary or set salaries depending on the person’s experience level, skillset, and role.

2. Write the Job Description

The next step is to find out which departments want to participate in the program. Ask your department heads if they need someone and to identify the hiring manager. The designated hiring manager should write a detailed job description specifying the role, responsibilities, and requirements.

You could post all the job descriptions separately since they are different roles. However, be sure to use the introduction paragraph to describe the program, the benefits of joining, and why your company is a great place to work. Include the terms “returnship program” and “return-to-work program” in the description so people find it when they use those search terms.

3. Advertise Your Returnship

Now that you’ve nailed down the logistics and the job descriptions, you’re ready to promote your program. Post the job descriptions on well-trafficked job boards and the “careers” page of your website.

It’s also helpful to create a separate page dedicated to the program. You can direct people to the page to learn more. Potential candidates who aren’t aware of your program or company are likely to find this page if they search “returnship program.”

Encourage your team to promote the program by offering an employee referral bonus. You could also find potential candidates by reaching out to former employees who may have quit to raise kids, care for a family member, or simply take a break.

4. Evaluate Candidates

Your next step is to screen resumes and cover letters to decide who to interview. If someone from your talent acquisition team or the hiring manager is reviewing the resumes, remind them to focus more on the person’s skills and potential, rather than their past job titles.

It is possible that some of your best candidates will be people who want to make a career change after taking time to focus on their personal lives. Consider the skills they gained from their personal experience. For example, someone who took time to raise a family or care for a family member is likely organized, compassionate, and diligent.

In addition to the typical interview questions, your team may want to learn more about the candidates by asking questions such as:

• How would your past professional and personal experience make you successful in this role?
• Why do you want to work at our company and in this role?
• What do you hope to gain from participating in the program?

5. Launch Your Returnship

After choosing candidates and sending offer letters, you’re ready to get started. The best returnship programs have an orientation, networking events, and ample hard and soft skill trainings.

Orientation

Have all participants start orientation on the same day so they can get to know each other, and you don’t have to constantly repeat the program. Start with introductions and a tour of the office. Tell them about the company history, mission, values, and organizational chart. It’s also helpful to review important policies and procedures and provide an overview of the program so they know what to expect.

Networking Events

Consider offering networking events with other participants, their respective departments, and the entire company. After being out of the workforce for an extended period, it will be helpful to build back their professional networks, learn from colleagues, and meet people who could become mentors and sponsors. You may also want to create a formal mentorship program.

Trainings

Provide hard and soft skills trainings so participants have the support and resources they need to be successful. Ask your department heads and direct managers to create role-specific trainings and your HR department leaders to create soft skills trainings on topics like networking, communication, and leadership.

Get Your Returnship Program Aligned With the Job Market

Now you know the benefits of returnship programs and the best practices for creating one at your company. However, to make it work you need access to the latest job market insights. Get out front today by checking out Monster’s Hiring Report, where you’ll get access to the latest in survey and research data about today’s job seekers.

The post 5 Steps for Creating a Returnship Program appeared first on Monster.com.

All these variables can make keeping your business properly staffed a constant balancing act. Here are five ways to attract employees and keep your pipeline full of viable candidates throughout the year.

1. Target Candidates Seeking Non-Traditional Schedules

Businesses in the leisure and hospitality industry often require employees to work weekends, nights, part time or seasonal, and irregular shifts. One of the best ways to attract candidates willing to work such hours is to target job seekers who need non-traditional schedules.

For example, teachers who don’t work during the summer break often look to supplement their income, which makes seasonal work an ideal fit. College students who attend classes during the day may also be attracted to evening and weekend shifts that accommodate their schedules. Also, since workers 65 and older are twice as likely to work part time as workers ages 25 to 64, targeting retirees for part-time schedules can mean a larger pool of willing applicants.

2. Use Your Company’s Products and Services to Provide Generous Perks

Restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, and entertainment venues have a unique advantage when considering perks and bonuses as recruitment and retention incentives.

Employees in the leisure and hospitality industry—and their friends and families—enjoy access to VIP experiences at the restaurants and hotels where they work, or discounts for meals and lodging. Even offering generous food allowances like free meals during a shift go a long way. Be sure to include these perks in the compensation and benefits portion of the job description to attract more applicants.

Offering job-related perks also has an upside for business owners. It saves the business from paying traditional employment taxes, since discounted room rates, free meals, or complimentary admission to entertainment venues are considered nonpayroll compensation.

3. Highlight Your Workplace Culture

While pay remains a top consideration when evaluating employment options, company culture fit ranks high on the list of criteria. Culture consists of shared beliefs and values established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods, ultimately shaping employee perceptions, behaviors and understanding. Culture tends to be implied and not expressly defined and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires.

Like employees in corporate settings, leisure and hospitality workers also want to be part of a company culture where they enjoy their work and feel valued and supported. A Monster poll found that 95 percent of U.S. workers believe overall fit is important when it comes to their happiness at work. That means business owners who take deliberate steps toward creating an attractive company culture have a competitive advantage.

In-person hiring events and job descriptions are effective places to highlight your business culture. For example, if you offer a high-energy, fun work environment, flexible schedules, or are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive business, be sure to emphasize it when writing your job description and talking to applicants at in-person events. Also, be sure to articulate your vision, mission, and philosophy for how to serve customers so workers understand the big picture and how their role in the business.

4. Create or Update Your Employee Referral Program

Creating and managing an active employee referral program significantly reduces the time and cost of recruitment. Also, employee-referred job candidates are usually a good cultural fit, which may mean less turnover.

Leisure and hospitality employees who work late nights frequently form bonds from hanging out after shifts. That social comradery often turns into a de facto professional network, and a great resource for employers who can successfully engage their employees and leverage an active referral program.

Cash bonuses for the new hire and the employee after a predefined time on the job is a common reward for high-quality referrals. Other incentives can include additional paid time off and reimbursements for fees associated with industry networking affiliations or training.

5. Consider a Different Compensation Model

Leisure and hospitality employers across the country often have to increase wages to attract and retain workers, especially during peak seasons. Given this competition for talent, it may be worth considering a more sustainable compensation model for service industry workers. For example, minimum wage plus tips is a standard pay model in the restaurant industry.

Although it may feel like too risky (or expensive) a proposition, restaurant owners who consider a salaried front-of-house staff immediately gain an advantage for attracting top talent. Salaried front-of-house staff create a better customer experience because they’re not focused on “turn and burn” tactics that rush diners so that the server can seat more customers and earn more tips. A better experience means more referrals and repeat customers—and a more profitable business.

For other leisure and hospitality job positions, compensation models that include profit sharing or bonuses for meeting business goals also serve as incentives that attract and retain employees who work hard and serve customers with the highest standards.

Get Your Business in Front of the Best Leisure and Hospitality Professionals

One of the best ways to manage the ups and downs of staffing your business is to maintain a viable pool of applicants. Once you’ve crafted a clear, specific, concise job description, jumpstart the search for your business’s perfect fit. Post your listing for free on Monster and attract the best candidates.

The post 5 Ways to Attract Leisure and Hospitality Candidates appeared first on Monster.com.

The main benefits of rehiring a former employee are knowing the quality of their work and what it’s like to work with them, and their familiarity with the company culture and team. This makes the onboarding process easier and more predictable for both parties.

The main downside is that it’s possible they may quit once again. However—assuming they didn’t quit because they were dissatisfied with the company—a boomeranging employee might stay longer than other employees since they are choosing to come back.

It might be tempting to rehire an employee without going through the formal hiring process or considering other candidates. However, it’s important to evaluate factors like the skills they gained since they left and whether they’d be successful in this role. These best practices can help you structure your hiring process for former employees.

Recruiting Former Employees

The best way to recruit former employees is to frequently stay in touch with them. For instance, you could send out an alumni newsletter, create alumni groups on social media, and invite alumni to events. Share job openings and invite interested parties to send their resume to you or the hiring manager directly. It’s likely that some alumni will apply or send the job posting to people in their network.

If you have a job opening and think a former employee would be the perfect fit, reach out and see if they’re interested. They will be flattered that you thought of them and may be interested in applying even though they weren’t actively job searching. Additionally, consider offering an employee referral bonus to motivate current employees to share your job postings with their former coworkers and other people who might be a fit.

Interviewing Boomerang Employees

You should still interview former employees even though you’ve worked with them before. It will give you and your team an opportunity to find out the skills and experience they’ve gained, why they left, and why they want to return.

In addition to your regular insightful interview questions, you may want to ask the following:

• Please walk me through your resume since leaving. What skills and experiences have you gained?
• Why did you initially leave the company?
• What excites you about this role and returning to the company?
• What are you looking for in your next opportunity?
• How would you hope to grow at the company?

Evaluating Former Employees

One of the benefits of considering boomerang employees is that you have more resources for evaluating them. Start by speaking with their former manager and people they worked with closely, treating it like a reference check. You may want to ask:

• What was it like to work with them?
• What were their main strengths and weaknesses?
• Would you want to work with them again? Why or why not?

You can also check past performance reviews to see how they performed at the company. However, try not to judge the employee solely on their past performance because they have likely strengthened their hard and soft skills from other roles.

As with any candidate, you should still call their references, run a criminal record check, and complete any other relevant background checks. It’s important to do the same due diligence for former employees as you would with all applicants because it can help you prevent negligent hiring claims.

Onboarding Former Employees

Onboard boomerang employees just as you would with any other new hire. Even if some of it is familiar to them, you don’t want to give others the impression they’re getting special treatment as alums. Start by sending all the normal new hire paperwork, like an offer letter, employment agreement, and tax documents.

When they arrive for their second first day, have them attend the full orientation program alongside your other new hires. Some of the information they learn might be similar, like the history, mission, and values, but it’s likely a lot has changed. For example, they’ll meet new team members, review the updated employee handbook, and learn new policies and procedures.

Your new-again employee might be in a new role or at a higher level. Ask their manager to give them instructions and guidelines for completing their main job responsibilities and review any new software or processes. As with all employees, it’s helpful to have clear job responsibilities, set long and short-term goals and objectives, and have regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.

Use Your Brand to Draw Them Back

When it comes to catching boomerang employees, your brand can be your strongest asset. In an always uncertain job market, employees are drawn to the brands that they know and trust. Find out ways to enhance your brand and standout from the crowd with Monster’s expert branding insights.

The post How to Rehire Boomerang Employees appeared first on Monster.com.

The job market, too, has become similar to the plot of a horror movie, with applicants and employers reporting frequent job ghosting, often well in the hiring process.

Data from multiple sources indicates that ghosting is on the rise, with a majority of job seekers reporting that they have been ghosted by an employer. Ghosting is never acceptable in a professional setting, but it can be especially damaging to employers since it can affect how applicants view your brand.

What Is Job Ghosting?

So, what does ghosting during the hiring process look like? It might mean not responding to rejected applicants at the early stages of your filtering process or extending an offer and then avoiding the humiliation of rescinding it when the budget falls through—or at any stage in between.

Nearly every job seeker has a story about that time they sent out dozens of resumes, only to be ignored by most employers without even the simple courtesy of a form rejection letter. This was always unprofessional, but it is especially inexcusable now that the first few rounds of applicant correspondence can so easily be automated.

Why Job Ghosting Is Bad for Business

Your hiring process is a reflection on your company culture, and perceived discourtesy can be downright dangerous for your brand. Embracing a culture of clear communication at every stage of the hiring process can improve your rate of accepted offers and minimize the possibility of applicants complaining about being ignored on social media.

Applicants are twice as likely to become customers of a brand where they had a good experience during the recruitment process, even if they did not get the job. That’s because the hiring process is often perceived as an indicator of workplace environment, and 77 percent of applicants believe there’s a correlation between how they are treated as job applicants and how they would likely be treated on the job.

Job ghosting is especially damaging when it’s done to applicants who have been referred by employees. If word gets out that you are doing this—and why wouldn’t it?—employee referrals are likely to dry up, and your employees may feel betrayed and embarrassed by your behavior. This can hurt workplace morale and even retention. No employee wants to be associated with an employer who gains a bad reputation in the field for poor recruitment communication.

How to Keep Applicants in the Loop

If you’re too overwhelmed with first round applicants to reply to each one, you can set up an automated process using candidate relationship management (CRM) software, or research whether your applicant tracking system (ATS) has the capability to manage candidate communication during the early rounds of your search. CRMs and ATSs can, for example, send out automated rejection letters and requests for applicants to supply further information, such as completing a task or taking a skills test.

After the initial filtering phase, let your remaining candidate know what to expect by outlining the steps of your hiring process with an approximate timeframe of when they can expect to hear from you along the way. As employers continue to ask job seekers to invest increased time and effort into the application process—from skills tests to in-person interviews—it is unacceptable to fail to keep applicants informed about where they stand in the process.

At the end of an interview, let applicants know when they can expect to hear from you next. If the timeframe changes, get in touch so they know they are still under consideration, and ask if they are still free to go forward. Don’t assume they have nothing better to do and no other prospects.

Late-Stage Applicant Etiquette

When you reject candidates during the final stages of your search, reach out by phone or in personalized communication with carefully crafted feedback. If the decision was difficult, let them know how hard a choice it was, how much your team enjoyed meeting them, and encourage them to apply for similar positions in the future.

Ghosting goes both ways, but keep in mind that technical obstacles happen. If you suddenly stop hearing from a promising candidate just as you get down to the final stages of your decision-making process, don’t assume you’ve been ghosted. Your most recent email may be sitting in the candidate’s spam folder and they’re scratching their head wondering what they did wrong.

By this stage, you should have asked for several ways to reach out to your final candidates. Give them the courtesy of attempting to reach them through at least one other channel before you move ahead and never look back.

Letting the candidates who have invested in a multi-stage hiring process know when they have been eliminated from consideration so that they can place their energies toward other opportunities is the least you can do. And, if you ever need to rescind a job offer, reach out and apologize, explaining the situation in as much detail as you can.

How to Craft a Harmonious Hiring Process

As you map out your hiring process, you need to think about the candidate experience and how to make it a good one from start to finish. Job ghosting is never okay at any point, even very early on in the application process. Remember that every job applicant is also a potential customer, and a potential critic, who has the power to poison your brand with negative social media posts or warnings to other professionals in your sector that yours is not a professional operation.

The way your team presents itself during the hiring process can frame an applicant’s perception of your company and brand. Use interactions with job seekers to create a positive image of your brand. If you’re using a contracted employment agency or talent acquisition specialist, make sure that they never resort to recruiter ghosting when representing your company.

At whatever stage the candidate exits your hiring process, ask if they would be willing to provide feedback in the form of a quick survey. Not only can you use this information to improve your recruitment strategy going forward, but you’ll also be letting applicants know that you care about their interaction with your company, regardless of whether they ended up joining your staff.

Conjure Up Top Candidates for Your Job Openings

Now that you know how to make job ghosting disappear, post a job description for free and find the best qualified applicants to help grow your business. Take advantage of a free job posting and find the right fit for your organization.

The post Why Job Ghosting Candidates is Bad for Business appeared first on Monster.com.

While the increase in revenue bodes well for your company’s bottom line, it can also create new challenges for your recruiting efforts: finding, hiring, and onboarding the right candidates without sacrificing quality or disrupting current business operations.

The thought of hiring several employees at once may be a bit scary. But with ample foresight and the right planning, attracting the right talent quickly and efficiently can be a positive experience. Here are five tips to help you meet your high-volume hiring goals.

How Mass Hiring Differs from Traditional Hiring

Traditional hiring processes generally focus on filling just one or a few vacancies at a time. As the term suggests, mass hiring involves adding a large number of employees at once. Another differentiator is the time it takes to fill a position, which is 42 days on average, according to the Society of Human Resources Management.

Broken down by industry, construction jobs have an average time to hire of about 13 days, leisure and hospitality about 21 days, and health services at 49 days. By contrast, high volume hiring dictates a far shorter timeframe to support surges in demand or geographic expansion.

Since hiring a large number of employees in a short amount of time presents unique challenges, you’ll want to proceed carefully. The following tips will help you do so successfully.

Tip #1: Create a Plan for Before, During, and After Mass Hiring

As with any large undertaking, hiring tens (or even hundreds) of employees at once requires a solid plan. Making key decisions about the entire process—before, during, and after the hiring event—will save you and your team a lot of time and prevent you from skipping important steps. For each phase of hiring, here are a few things to include in your plan:

Before

• When is the best time to begin advertising the openings?
• Will you hold both online and in-person interviews? If an in-person hiring event, who will coordinate logistics?
• Where will you advertise the openings?
• How can you incorporate current employees in the advertising efforts?
• Are there other local businesses or partners who can help spread the word?
• What days and times will you hold interviews? If online, what platform will you use?
• Who will be a part of the screening and interviewing process? Will they be available to execute their roles in the allotted timeframe?
• How will you make your final decisions?

During

• How will you communicate with candidates during the hiring process?
• Do you plan to make hiring offers “on the spot?”
• What team members will have authority to move applicants to the next phase of the process?
• What information do you provide about compensation and job requirements during the screening and interview process?
• Do you have a target number of interviews you to complete each day?
• How do you plan to check references or perform and kind of background checks?
• Will you require candidates to take any kind of test or assessment during the interview process?

After

• How long will onboarding and training take?
• Who will be responsible for managing onboarding and training?
• What human resources documents will you need to have available?
• How will you handle employee turnover?
• Is there a process for offboarding temporary hires?
• What additional IT resources will you need for the influx of new hires?

Tip #2: Determine Must-Have Skills and Qualities for the New Hires

Recruiting large numbers of employees at once means that you probably don’t have time to search for the “perfect” fit. However, some skills and qualities are non-negotiable. Creating key selection criteria—the skills, attributes, knowledge, and qualifications essential for satisfying the requirements—will make it easier to select candidates to move to pre-screening and interviews. Think about the day-to-day tasks for each position, then list the most important skills and qualities needed to complete them.

For example, if you need to fill multiple sous chef positions in a new restaurant, make a list of qualities and skills that make a great sous chef in your particular business. Is speed most important, or is attention to detail or familiarity with a specific kind of cuisine your top priority? Be sure to include the most important personal qualities as well, like punctuality, ability to work well on a team, or leadership experience. Rank the key selection criteria and be sure to emphasize it in the job description.

Tip #3: Don’t Overlook Hiring Best Practices

While mass hiring generally entails a shorter time to hire, it shouldn’t mean a decrease in the quality of talent. It may be tempting to cut corners or skip over a step or two, but don’t give in. Excessive employee turnover is costly for businesses, and the stakes are even higher when onboarding large groups of people at once.

To ensure that you maintain the high standards you’ve set for employees during your normal recruiting, large volume hiring sprints should include the same steps that you usually perform, even if slightly modified to account for less time. That means you should still:

• Craft a detailed job description that clearly describes the position and requirements.
• Insist on hiring candidates who resonate with your organization’s values and culture.
• Prepare interview questions ahead of time.
• Conduct thorough interviews, even if it’s with a panel instead of one-on-one.
• Pay attention to red flags—and don’t ignore them just to meet your headcount goals.

Tip #4: Use Technology Throughout the Mass Hiring Process

Advertising, prescreening, and interviewing are all areas for which you should use technology to streamline your high volume hiring plan. Whether your hiring team is in-house or you’re working with an outside firm to handle the process, be sure to incorporate tools such as:

• Social media to broaden your reach for potential candidates.
• Email to notify previous applicants of the current openings.
• Application tracking software to automate resume reviews, screen applications, and manage the status of each application.
• Automated email messages to notify applicants of where they are in the process.

Tip #5: Document Lessons Learned

Each time you complete a large-scale hiring effort will be different. The good news is that you can use the lessons from each round to refine your plan for the next time. Use an hour or two following your hiring event to review your process with your team. Document what went well and what you’d do differently, then update your plan.

For example, if you found that a particular website brought in more qualified applicants than others, you may want to allot more budget to that source during your next hiring sprint. Or, if it takes three days to properly onboard new hires instead of two, you can update your plan to ensure adequate time to get everyone ready to work.

Stay Abreast of Labor Market and Employment Trends

Mass hiring is easier when you know what’s happening in the larger employment marketplace. Check out Monster’s job market information and resources page to help employers like you appeal to the emerging workforce.

The post How to Make Mass Hiring More Efficient appeared first on Monster.com.

It’s not exactly a feel-good story. The solution to this problem, though, may be on the job training, often referred to as “upskilling.”

Over the next few decades, millions of workers will be displaced as the need for physical and lower-level cognitive skills is replaced by automation. Meanwhile, employers will be scrambling to find applicants with high level cognitive abilities, social competencies, and tech skills. Plus, an aging workforce and looming mass retirements have triggered a talent gap that is only exacerbating the skills gap.

This gap, no matter how deep, can be navigated as long you have the right tools and the right strategy. These five strategies will help you provide strategic on the job training for your workforce and successfully narrow the skills gap:

1. Identify your organization’s skills gap
2. Revise your job descriptions to attract candidates willing to learn new skills
3. Offer ongoing skills training to current staff
4. Focus on recruiting adaptable, open-minded employees
5. Make broad investments in training

1. Conduct a Skills-Gap Analysis

The first step toward developing an upskilling strategy is to conduct a skills-gap analysis. Begin by determining your company’s goals at a point in the future—say, five years from now. The timeframe will vary by industry, but it’s important that you look well beyond the next quarter or even the next year.

Next, determine what jobs you suspect will be most affected by automation during that timeframe. Look at which new roles automation might create by taking stock of what skills are most sought after in your industry currently and in the years to come.

Then, take stock of the skills and knowledge your employees will need but do not yet possess to reach your future goals, with an eye toward opportunities for on the job training.

This may involve comparing your company’s current job descriptions to the list of skills you suspect will be most critical in the future. You can also conduct an inventory of your workforce’s current skills based on performance reviews and similar metrics, or by having your staff complete task-based skills assessments.

2. Redesign Your Job Descriptions

Once you’ve conducted your skills-gap analysis, begin redesigning your job descriptions at every level to include the skills:

• You are short of now
• You anticipate needing in the near future
• You predict you’ll need for years to come

Nearly all workers will need technical skills, customer focus, and an adaptable attitude toward change. Build in flexible core competencies like customer focus, a love of learning, and a facility with technology—traits that would welcome skills training—rather than simply experience with a certain platform or software suite.

Gone are the days when you could create a job description with a shopping list of dream qualities. You’ll need to manage expectations and be willing to hire for potential rather than immediate job readiness. Start by revamping your existing job descriptions for current staff and then work to help them attain anticipated must-have skills.

From there, you have three options: Provide your current workforce with skills training, begin recruiting a more adaptable workforce, or do both simultaneously.

3. Create an On the Job Training Program for Your Current Workforce

If you’ve already done an in-house skills assessment, you should have a good idea of which employees lack the skills you will need in the future. You may also have identified your most adaptable employees, who can be upskilled or even move into different roles. From here you have a few options as you work to develop a learning and development program.

Employers in sectors such as light industrial, manufacturing, and logistics will need to aggressively invest in training their existing staff to both retain and recruit the workers they will need to remain competitive. Make sure workers are incentivized to take advantage of training benefits, paying attention to high performers who seek this out.

Depending on the size of your organization, you might partner with a trusted staffing agency to create a training program, contract with a training vendor that can create a customized on the job training program for you, or hire someone to head up in-house training that includes self-guided learning modules.

4. Recruit and Hire Adaptable Employees

Employers will need to move away from targeting a specific skillset that is likely to have a short shelf life. Hiring managers and recruiters will need to convince employers that their desire to hire applicants who can “hit the ground running” is not sustainable. For some this will mean convincing executives with an eye on the quarterly bottom line that they need to adapt their expectations to the reality of a changing employment landscape.

Instead, you’ll need to target your hiring practices and strategies to find applicants with “soft” skills that lend themselves to career-long learning: critical thinking, problem solving, curiosity, and patience. While 46 percent of newly onboarded employees are considered failed hires within the first 18 months, 89 percent didn’t last because of a lack of soft skills such as coachability and interpersonal relationship building, rather than technical incompetence.

As you look for your newly defined ideal employees, be sure to mention in-house training benefits in your descriptions. This increasingly popular job perk can help you attract the kinds of curious lifelong learners your workplace will need in the coming decades to keep up with the rapid pace of change.

5. Invest in Training at All Levels

Offering comprehensive on the job training and a continued career path as part of your compensation practice builds loyalty among top performers, increasing productivity and innovation. When coupled with career development, mentoring, and promoting from within, investment in employee training saves time and money you would otherwise spend on recruiting and onboarding, and then some.

The best strategy is an aggressive one. Don’t just offer apprenticeships and internships to forge relationships with promising students and recent graduates or intense training during onboarding and then drop it after the first year of employment. A comprehensive upskilling program needs to include aggressive training of prospective hires, new employees, and existing personnel.

Some particularly sought-after roles, such as an Agile Coach or information architect, may become very difficult to fill. If the need arises, consider gauging whether some of your top-performing employees may be interested in training for these other roles.

Be generous. Offer tuition reimbursement. Use your skills-gap analysis to pinpoint underutilized employees with hidden potential. The loyalty you cement in your workforce through these gestures won’t just pay off in increased skills acquisition; it also will save you time and money otherwise spent on recruitment and training when the next hiring crisis emerges.

Use On the Job Training and Other Strategies to Close the Skills Gap

Hiring is an ever-moving target in shifting business landscape. Learn how to navigate all your employee recruitment and retention challenges and come out ahead with the help of Monster. Sign up to receive expert insights into recruiting trends and best practices, delivered free to your inbox.

The post Make On the Job Training Part of Your Recruitment Strategy appeared first on Monster.com.

These days, unless you’re a very new startup or small business, if you don’t already have a security guard, you need one. If you have lots of foot traffic, house expensive merchandise, or operate in a high-crime neighborhood, then on-site security is a prudent investment.

As you’ve decided it’s time to learn how to hire a security guard, the five steps below can help you plan your search for this crucial hire.

1. Consider How a Security Guard Will Fit Into Your Work Setting

One size does not fit all when it comes to security officers. If you’re hiring a security guard for an elementary school or a senior living complex, then a candidate with a friendly and approachable manner is essential. But if you’re hiring someone to guard valuable merchandise in a high-crime neighborhood, you’ll want someone who conveys authority, while also showing an appropriate amount of restraint in high-stress situations.

Some settings require round-the-clock security. Residents in a planned community are likely to expect 24-hour security. On-site security can be an effective deterrent to crime, especially if your business is located in a high-crime neighborhood, and particularly if expensive equipment or merchandise is housed on the premises. Knowing how to hire a security guard is also a must if you sell or store alcohol or .

2. Decide How You Will Equip a Security Guard

One of the most important questions you will need to ask yourself before posting a job is whether you think you need a security guard who is armed. If you decide you want your security guard to be armed, then they must obtain a permit to carry a firearm. You will also want to decide if you will furnish your security officers’ uniform, firearm, and other equipment.

In some states, security guards need to undergo special training and earn a certificate. If security officers in your community do not need certification and are not required to complete firearms training, you may want to require these certifications anyway. If your preferred candidate isn’t certified, paying for the certification can be strong inducement to secure your preferred candidate.

3. How to Hire a Security Guard: Writing a Job Description

Now that you’ve taken into account how your setting will determine some of the key factors you are looking for, it’s time to write a job description for a security guard. Begin your job description with a few sentences about the setting. Make sure to describe what makes the organization your next security guard will be a part of special.

Next you will want to list their probable duties, such as:

• Greeting visitors, having them sign into a guest book or visitor log, and directing them to their destination.
• Maintaining safety procedures.
• Monitoring entrances and exits.
• Monitoring safety and surveillance equipment.
• Directing traffic and checking credentials.
• Reporting irregularities.
• Detaining or restraining trespassers until law enforcement arrives.
• Developing crisis plans and lockdown drills.
• Archiving data from security cameras.
• Making sure all alarms are up to date and functioning properly.
• Undertaking perimeter checks.
• Completing written reports after each shift.

Next, you’ll want to list some of the skills and character traits you are seeking in a security guard. For example, since they are often the first person the public sees upon entering your facility, they should be courteous and professional. They also need to be poised under pressure and capable of remaining rational in dangerous situations.

Your job description should include benefits and a salary range. You can use Monster’s free salary tool to determine a fair wage in your community. End with a call to action, encouraging applicants to submit a resume or fill out an application. For more ideas on how to hire a security guard and write your job description, you can browse through Monster’s security guard job listings.

4. Ask the Right Interview Questions

Once you’ve narrowed your applicant pool to a few promising candidates, it’s important to use your interview process to get a sense of who they are, what they value, and how effectively they can communicate. To ensure that your top applicants are patient, restrained, and fair-minded, ask questions that assess emotional intelligence.

You’ll also want to Include behavioral questions that ask how they would respond to common scenarios that might take place during the course of a shift. Their answers should match how you’d want a security officer representing your business to respond. For example, you might ask:

• What security practices would you follow to lower risk?
• How would you deal with a visitor who refused to follow safety protocols?
• How would you de-escalate a tense situation?
• How do you know when it’s time to call for law enforcement?

5. Run a Background and Reference Check

Because ethical interactions and honesty are crucial qualities in a security guard, it is essential to run a background check and contact references, including former employers. Ask former employers and colleagues open-ended questions to get a sense of how the candidate behaves in a professional setting, if they have strong interpersonal skills, and how they are at solving problems and dealing with unexpected circumstances.

If they need to use a company car to patrol the property, then you will want to check that they have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record. The safety of your property, customers, and employees may some day depend on the person you hire, so careful vetting in essential.

Now that You Know How to Hire a Security Guard, Use a Free Job Post to Secure Your Next Hire

You’ve learned the five key steps to hiring a qualified, trustworthy security guard to protect your property and employees. Now that you know how to hire a security guard, it’s time to get the hiring process started with a free job posting from Monster.

The post How to Hire a Security Guard appeared first on Monster.com.