Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Career Development

Beyond Work is our line of resources for people and community leaders looking for something new and innovative, be it a new job, career change, or personal development outside of work. Read this category specifically for Career Development.

  • What does Culture have to do with a Job Fair?

    What does Culture have to do with a Job Fair?

    A friend of mine once shared with me a story of leaving a job to pursue one that seemed like a great opportunity. Soon after taking the new job, she discovered the culture was a nightmare. The company owner had terrible temper and was not necessarily following appropriate guidelines for the business they were in. Needless to say, it was not a culture fit for her and she moved on to find another job. When determining your next career move, culture should definitely be a considering factor.

    In the next few weeks, we will be talking about culture on The Point Blog. What do job fairs and culture have in common? More than you realize. Although it may be cliché to say it, but when you have an opportunity to interview or interact with a potential employer, you are sizing them up, just as they are you. Job fairs are one opportunity to determine culture fit.

    Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help prepare you for your next job fair (including factoring in culture fit):

    Do:

    • Research the company (including mission, values, products & services, available jobs and hiring managers). Check out company websites and hiring manager LinkedIn profiles to help you get started.
    • Bring copies of your resume.
    • Dress for success (and take a bath!)
    • Prepare an elevator pitch – Don’t have one? Check out Networking During the Holidays to help you develop one.
    • Ask questions – remember you’re not only there to find a job but to also determine culture fit.

    Don’t:

    • Bring your mom – unless she is applying too, leave parental units at home.
    • Forget to follow-up – that includes applying for the job you are interested in online and/or sending a thank you note when applicable.

    Read more of our culture related blogs here (& stay tuned for more blogs about culture!)

  • The 3 Quickest Ways to Turn Off a Hiring Manager

    The 3 Quickest Ways to Turn Off a Hiring Manager

    You’ve landed the job interview! In preparation for your meeting with your potential boss, what should you do? Start by checking out these 3 quick ways to turn off a hiring manager:

    1. Talking too much in the interview – Yes, the interviewer wants to know more about you and your experience. However, they don’t want your life history. Do your best to stick to short, concise answers to their specific questions. Don’t overshare – especially about previous terrible bosses! And, limit your questions to 2 or 3 good ones.

    2. Too much follow-up – A thank you note is always a good idea. And, asking at the close of the interview when the company expects to fill the position is acceptable. However, that is all the follow-up a hiring manager needs. If you call and/or email more than once, they will question whether or not you are someone they have the time and energy to manage.

    3. Negative social media image – Before you interview, be sure to clean up your social media. Trust me, the hiring manager will do an online search. Delete any unbecoming pictures, comments or even entire accounts if necessary. Avoid political rants at all costs and limit those selfies!

    Check out these articles from The Point Blog for more interview tips:

    3 Tips for Eliminating the Stress of a Job Interview

    How to Answer the Interview Question “What is Your Greatest Weakness?”

  • What You Should Title Your Job Posting

    What You Should Title Your Job Posting

    The job market is hot right now.  As mentioned in a previous post about targeting passive candidates, there are more job openings now than there are people to fill them.

    So how do you get a candidate’s attention for your job when you post it?  Obviously, some things to consider are where you post it (and hopefully you aren’t just posting and praying) and how you are advertising/boosting your post within those sites.

    But one thing we often neglect to consider is the actual title we place on the job when we post it.  Most often, we just pull the job title that is on the internal job description, but that title may or may not reflect what people are actually searching for in the market.

    So, to make the best decision about your job posting title:

    1. Make a list of the various titles you think would fit the job.  For example, Coder, Programmer, Developer, and Software Engineer could potentially all be a title on the list for a job that requires someone to perform computer programming.  Also, make a list of various qualifiers that may need to go in front of the keyword of the job title.  For instance, in this case, you may also need to use words like “Full Stack,” “Front End”,  “Java”, “Python” based on what specific skills/experience you need for the opening.

     

    1. Next, search for all these job titles you’ve come up with in the job posting board(s) of your choice by your geographic area. What brings up the highest volume of postings? Volume could indicate more people are searching for those keywords, thus more potential applicants.  Or it could indicate that you wouldn’t get noticed by applicants, and therefore fewer applicants because the list is so saturated.  In general, though, you want to be using a job title that will resonate with what candidates are searching for.

     

    1. Taking this information, you then need to do some testing. Take what you believe to be the top two job titles based on your search in number two, and post the same job posting with the two different titles on the same job board. Track the number of hits and applicants you get.  Which one performs better?

     

    1. It is a quality over quantity game. Even though you may get more applicants from posting a job one way does not mean that you are getting more quality applicants by posting it a certain way.  So, do an initial screening to see if the candidates are qualified for your opening to see which title is better.   For example, posting the job title “Developer” may get you a lot of applicants, but may not get you the level of skill you need. However, posting as “Full Stack Developer” or “Python Developer” or even posting as “Software Engineer” may get you the right quality of applicants.  That is why you have to test different titles and see what yields you the best results.

     

    1. In addition to tracking quality in the initial screening, track your quality over time. After you’ve made a hire, is it really a quality hire?  Obviously, there are a variety of factors that affect the quality of hire, but one could simply be the job title of the opening they were for which they were selected.  This is because your job title should reflect the reality of the position and steer people who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are a match for an opening.  For example, we have one client where “code monkeys” as they call them are not a good fit for their organization because the reality of the positions they have is that people need to not just know how to code but be able to more aptly be a “Full Stack Developer.”

     

    Making sure the job title reflects what the position really is as well as what will draw attention in the marketplace for the right applicants are the critical factors in determining what to “call” a job when you post it.

    How do you determine if you are posting a position with the right title?

     

     

  • Improving Applicant Conversion Rates

    Improving Applicant Conversion Rates

    We recently switched dentist offices. With three boys I always try to schedule their appointments at the same time and that normally means being handed a clipboard loaded with forms; one set for each child.

    To my surprise, when I walked up to the receptionist to sign in, she asked me to look at a computer screen on the counter and “fill out” their paperwork. On each screen, the information was pre-filled. All I had to do was make sure it was correct and click through the screens, then use an electronic signature pad to sign a few pages. It literally took me two minutes to complete the paperwork! Needless to say I was thankful for their easy new patient process. (That was just the beginning, the entire visit went very well)

    Job applicants want ease of use during the application process as well. Research shows that applicant drop off rates are anywhere between 60-75%. One of the top reasons cited is the length of the application. The longer it takes the candidate to complete the application, the higher the drop off rate. Applicants get frustrated with being required to provide information that isn’t necessary during the applicant process such as providing references or having to enter information that is available on the resume they are required to upload.

    According to Appcast, conversion rates can be increased up to 365% by reducing the time of the application process to five minutes or less. Many applicant tracking systems available today allow for easy applications, oftentimes even supporting one-click application processes. These systems also provide organizations with easy access to application metrics including drop off rates.

    When was the last time your organization analyzed applicant drop off rates and reviewed the application process?

  • 3 Things to Do When You’re NOT Looking to Make a Career Move

    3 Things to Do When You’re NOT Looking to Make a Career Move

    HR professionals know the War for Talent is real. So, what does that mean for individuals who are comfortable in their current jobs? It’s simple; don’t get too comfortable.

    I received a call from a colleague once who said a hiring manager had reached out to her about me. Apparently, she had seen our connection on LinkedIn and asked if she thought I might be interested in a job. I wasn’t even looking, but was offered an opportunity that turned out to be enjoyable contract work and nice supplemental income.

    Now more than ever, recruiters and hiring managers are seeking out passive candidates. Even if you love your job, you never want to become complacent. Always strive to be the passive candidate companies are looking for.

    Here are 3 things to consider:

    1. Grow and foster your connections – reach out to at least one potential or current contact per week to touch base. This can be as simple as a call, text or email. Check out: 7 Networking Do’s and Don’ts.
    2. Keep your LinkedIn profile current. If you don’t have one, check out 3 Steps to Get Your LinkedIn Profile Job Search Ready.
    3. Be a lifelong learner. For ideas, read this article via HR bartender: How to Plan Time for Self- Learning.

    Are you ready to be an amazing, passive candidate?