Horizon Point Consulting

Author: Mary Ila Ward

  • Realistic Job Previews

    Realistic Job Previews

    3 Reasons to Make Realistic Job Previews a Part of Your Hiring Process

    What’s the best way to determine if a person is right for the job? What’s the best way for a job candidate to know they are accepting the right job? Traditional methods for employers tell us to screen resumes, interview candidates and make a decision. In the case of hiring recent college grads, traditional wisdom tells us to look at their G.P.A. and their major to predict success. That’s the way most companies do it; it must work.

    For job seekers, traditional wisdom tells us to take any job (a still recovering economy tells us this), and if you have multiple offers, pick the one that pays the most.   And make sure you strive for a 4.0 if you are in college and want job prospects.

    But data tells us that the traditional methods aren’t producing results for the employer or the employee. Recent employee engagement statistics indicate only 13% of the worldwide workforce is engaged at work and data shows G.P.A. and major don’t predict job performance. Just ask Google.

    Is there better way to hire where both employer and potential employee benefit?

    Yes. Do a Realistic Job Preview

     

    Why Do A Realistic Job Preview or Request One as Candidate

    Although realistic job previews may not be, well realistic, for all industries and jobs, they are extremely helpful to both employer and potential employee because:

    1. They tell you if the candidate can do the job/if you’ll like the job.   Quite simply, it demonstrates whether or not the candidate can perform the tasks for the job and if you are the job seeker, it helps determine if you would actually like doing the tasks of the job.
    2. They tell you if the candidate has the “soft” skills to succeed/ if your potential boss is someone you would want to work for. Things like time management, communication, problem solving, etc. are hard to measure in an interview even though behavioral based interviewing is the best way to do so. Giving assignments, setting deadlines and leaving people to do the work gives a true picture of these soft skills. Realistic job previews also help you as the candidate understand how your potential boss communicates and if you would like to work with their style of leadership and personality.
    3. They tell you if there is “fit”.   We all have different values and priorities.   Employees are more engaged on the job and therefore more successful when the values and priorities of the organization align with personal values.  These aren’t right or wrong values, they are just preferences and personalities that people (and organizations) have. The better we are at matching individual values to organizational values, the better match we create which leads to higher job satisfaction, engagement, productivity and profitability.
  • Job Search Tips for College Students – Use Your Spring Break to Prep for Job Search

    Job Search Tips for College Students – Use Your Spring Break to Prep for Job Search

    While others are on the beach for spring break, why not get a step ahead and get ready to land the perfect job after graduation?

     

    You at least have an idea of what career path you are pursuing upon graduation, but do you know what company you want to work for? If not, do a google search of relevant job titles and find out who’s hiring. Then, do research on each company. You will be surprised at how helpful that will be when you land an interview. Having background knowledge of your future employer is invaluable.

     

    Now that you have an idea of potential employers, why not begin revamping your resume? Remember to cater the resume for each job you plan to apply for, don’t use personal pronouns and make sure you use a font that is clear and easy to read. Check out Marketing Yourself Must Go Beyond the Traditional Resume and 4 Easy Steps to Know Which Keywords to Include in your Resume for some unique ideas. Contact us at Horizon Point Consulting, Inc. if you are interested in a professional revision of your resume.

     

    Are you connected? If not, join the growing number of professionals and job seekers on LinkedIn. Create a profile and let the networking begin. LinkedIn is a great way to begin your job search. The Forbes article Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn in Your Job Search is a great read for getting started.

     

    For more tips on beginning your quest for the perfect job, Job Search Tips for New Grads by Jason Alderman on Huff Post offers more insight.

  • Why interviews aren’t the best way to hire right

    Why interviews aren’t the best way to hire right

    We’ve had two young men as career coaching clients lately. Although pursuing different types of opportunities, they are both in their early to mid-twenties and are having a hard time finding a job in their respective fields- both of which, by the way, are in demand.   Both have been getting called for interviews, but something seems to fail in the interview every time and they haven’t been offered jobs.

    So, we’ve been working with them to help improve their interviewing skills. Both of these guys are technically minded. They are smart, good, hardworking people. But they are introverts. Situations like interviews are not their strong suit. In reviewing the little bit of feedback they have been given by those who have interviewed them, they get comments like “You need to be more animated.” Or “You need to be more excited and passionate.”

    I’m all for finding people who are passionate about the field they are pursuing, but I sometimes want to say to employers, come on, you are hiring an engineer, not a sales person.   Do they really need to be Mr. Personality or do they need to be technically competent and, yes, personable enough to get along with others, but couldn’t being introverted actually be something that is desirable for a role like an engineer?

    While we need to help people become better at conveying who they are and why they would be a valuable asset to an organization, I think we rely on interviews entirely too much when making hiring decisions. Yes, they are necessary, but I think we establish a certain set of criteria for interviewing that seems to always judge people on their gregariousness or lack thereof and of course a person’s physical appearance instead of what is actually needed for success in a role.

    In light of this, we are going to look at some innovative ways and tools to make screening better in order to hire right:

    1. Implement a pre-screening assessment that assesses people for organizational fit. You automatically screen out those that would not fit with the organization’s values and culture, because as we wrote about previously organizational fit is more important than job fit. There is more here on how to select the right screening assessment.

     

    2. Implement a mechanism to see if the person can actually perform the job like a skills-based assessment, in-basket exercises, assessment center techniques or a realistic job preview (more on this next week). Many of these tools also involve some type of interaction with organizational stakeholders that gives you an idea of how well they will work with their potential team. A cool company that is combining many of these tools is Shaker Consulting Group and it’s virtual job tryout.

     

    3. Consider if competition based recruiting could be a viable option for your organization or certain types of positions within your organization.

    More here on this new trend:

    Contest Recruiting

    Competition Based Hiring Whitepaper

     

    4. Improve your interviewing tactics.

    Some innovative tools for this: Hireology and Hirevue

     

    Some other thoughts on improving your hiring process: Hire Slow

    What have you found to be the best hiring practice?

  • Career Spotlight: Market Research Analyst

    Career Spotlight: Market Research Analyst

    Do you like analyzing data? Are you interested in sales forecasting? If so, then a career as a Market Research Analystmay be perfect for you.

    On the other hand, if you don’t enjoy gathering data, preparing reports, critical thinking and problem solving, becoming a market research analyst may not be a good fit for you.

    Market research analysts study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.

    Bureau of Labor Statistics

    What do you need to be a Market Research Analyst?

    Education:

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, market research analysts typically need a bachelor’s degree in market research or a related field. Many have degrees in fields such as statistics, math, and computer science. Others have backgrounds in business administration, the social sciences, or communication. Some market research analyst jobs require a master’s degree.

    If you are a high school student and would like to become a market research analyst, consider taking a marketing or business class while in high school.

    Market Research Analyst may be a good career change option for advertising managers, public relations specialists and economists.

    Skills:

    Market Research Analysts know about:

    • Customer Service
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Critical Thinking & Complex Problem Solving
    • Communications & Media
    • Monitoring
    • Coordination

    Is the field growing?

    ONET reports that careers in Market Research are expected to increase by 32% over the next 10 years.

    What is the pay like?

    March3

     

    What’s the Holland Code* for a Market Research Analyst?

     

    Interest code: IEC – Investigative, Enterprising, Conventional

    Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
    Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
    Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

    Source: http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1161.00

     

    If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Market Research Analyst, go to ONET. You should also check out U.S. News & Work Reports article Market Research Analyst.

     

    Would you want to be a Market Research Analyst? Why or why not?

     

    *Holland Codes are a way to classify a person based on their skills and interests as well as jobs based on the nature of the work. If you have an interest in knowing what your Holland Code is in order to match yourself to careers to pursue, you can read more about our assessment process.

  • Passion + Productivity = Give Back: Education Elements

    Passion + Productivity = Give Back: Education Elements

    Education Elements, an organization that helps school districts personalize learning, embodies the saying “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand” in their approach to education. Because of their belief that learning can be customized for every student, powerful results are being seen across the nation in student outcomes.

    Their story demonstrates how passion + productivity for the work that they do and for improving K-12 education leads to students who are better prepared by their education for college and career so that they can give back to their communities as they get older.

    Here is their story:

    When Education Elements was founded in 2010, “blended learning” was just an idea with little traction and no real proof points.  Anthony Kim, a longtime education technologist, wanted to help schools rethink the structure of schooling and the way technology could strengthen instruction and streamline operations. Anthony founded Education Elements on the belief that learning could be personalized for every student.

    Our work started with a single charter school in Los Angeles and grew from there.    KIPP Empower, our first school, had a specific problem to solve – creating a high-quality education with excellent academic outcomes in the face of limited per pupil allocations. The station rotation model developed at KIPP Empower is one we have seen replicated again and again across the country because it works, KIPP Empower is now one of the highest performing schools in the state of California.

    We hire people who are amazing at what they do and want to use their talents to make a difference. We are all driven to have a positive impact on student outcomes and look for new team members who feel the same. We look for people who get excited about the opportunity to work with districts and schools. We want to get people fired up and demanding that every student have a fundamentally different educational experience that focuses on their individual needs. Our teams volunteer in after school programs and on weekends. They give back constantly.

    With this, we all take on a whatever-it-takes approach to supporting the districts with whom we work. Our team works tirelessly to make sure that districts and schools have what they needs to help students succeed. The passion of our team leads to great results in public schools. Those results are measured in several ways: accelerated growth in reading and math; deeper learning in reading and math; higher student engagement; and higher teacher satisfaction.

    We now serve over 100 schools across the country including large school districts such as Houston ISD, Newark Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Schools and Horry County Schools (the 2nd largest district in the state of South Carolina) and small districts like Piedmont, AL.

    As the list of schools, districts, and networks we have worked with has grown, so has the set of challenges and the diversity of solutions.  Our design-thinking process, which starts with an articulation of goals and assessment of school and district readiness, enables us to facilitate models that meet the needs of every school, just as the personalized environments we develop meet the needs of every student.  We work with a range of proven blended models, ranging from a lab rotation model with Rocketship, to flex models at Career Path, to station rotation at the District of Columbia Public Schools. We often see iterations of all of these models within a single building in order to best meet student needs.  Our 100 schools therefore represent 100 cases of developing a right-sized model, and thoughtfully and holistically supporting its implementation.

    Fundamentally, we believe students should love learning and that we can bring that joy back through our individualize approach. This empowers us to demonstrate passion + productivity = give back in our work so that students have the chance to do the same.

    Want to learn more about Education Elements?

    Visit their website, or follow them on Facebook and LinkedIn

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