Outsourced daily chores

We all use outsourcing every day of our lives.  Many of the services that we receive are so common place that we don’t even take notice of them happening all around us. Pretty much any service that you can think of can be classed as outsourcing.  We trust complete strangers every day with services concerning our property and possessions  yet many people are still hesitant regarding outsourcing business processes. Strange don’t you think?

These include:

• Refuse collection
• Cleaning (access to your home and possessions)
• Dry cleaning (access to your personal property)
• Car washing (access to your car, which is possibly your second most expensive possession)
• Dog walking (access to your pet and your trust that the ‘walker’ will return safely)
• Gardening (access to your property)
• Window cleaning (allowing others to view the interior of your home)
• Wedding planning (allowing someone else to plan the most important day of your life)

Trust issues?

Any business that has client facing employees, whether this be in an outlet, over the phone or in face to face meetings, should be utilising this resource as a way to reinforce their message and promote the company brand and message.

In a great TED talk (below), Simon Sinek explains how companies and individuals inspire others.  Among the companies that he mentions are Apple, who as we all know have been immensely successful in their brand, message and advertising.

One of the key points of the speech above is that companies who are successful often explain to customers (and prospective customers) ‘why’ they do what they do, and that they ‘believe’ in what they do.  If  these businesses employees did not know ‘why’ or portrayed their ‘belief’ in their companies offerings then this would seriously impact any marketing campaign that was conducted, not to mention the overall company messaging.

What you may notice about companies like Apple, is that their customer facing employees know and understand the company message.  In Apple’s case the shop floor workers are called ‘Genius”.  This employee ‘label’ immediately gives the impression to customers that Apple’s employees know everything about the product (and brand) that there is to know.  They are not called ‘iPhone 4 Genius’ or ‘Mac Air Genius’, they have been given a job title that incorporates the entire brand.

If those employees are asked “what do you do for a living”, they can reply “I’m an Apple Genius’!, therefore invoking a conversation about the brand.

On the ‘flip side’ businesses who do not communicate their brand message with their employees effectively place a brick wall in front of their marketing campaign.  Even with mediums such as social media and TV advertising, a direct message, person to person is a powerful marketing channel.
If a customer asks what the company message is, or even has a question about the company message, and is met with a blank expression or confused answer, then this will have a lasting effect on the customer, and probably negative!

Simple communication within the business, which has minimal costs, is the simplest way to maximise your employees effectiveness when communicating to your client base. Internal emails, company meetings or internal marketing materials are all effective ways to ensure that your workforce know and understand your message.

If you have a company intranet, then utilise this medium to cascade the information regarding any changes to your employees.  If you are providing your intranet within a SaaS environment then even your remote employees can be reached easily, and using a consistent message.

Something as simple as printing your company message onto office equipment or toys, and then passing these out to your staff, can reinforce the massage within your business. If your employees have a corporate desktop wallpaper or screensaver this can be updated and used to spread the message amongst your workforce.

So, don’t forget your workforce when launching a marketing campaign, re-branding or even just putting out a new message.

Recruiting talent is an area where HR can make significant savings simply by taking an online approach. In fact, eRecruitment systems not only streamline the recruitment processes, they save valuable time through automation of administrative tasks. They also extend the reach of traditional, paper-oriented recruitment methods by opening up social channels to recruitment opportunities through the benefits of scale and reach associated with social media. These two aspects alone make eRecruitment a compelling solution for any organisation.

In fact, for those actively hiring, eRecruitment systems are an absolute must in this day and age. You may want to mix in a healthy blend of traditional (or some might say old fashioned) recruitment techniques but an online recruitment presence is no longer a “nice to have” – it’s a necessity.

A recruitment game face

Looking good has never been so important for recruiters. Having the best, or most attractive jobs to offer is all well and good but you need to be sure that the details of those jobs reach the appropriate audiences and compel them to action. The trick is to design your online brand to be appealing to prospective employees, as well as customers, and to appear ‘cool enough’ to attract the most eligible millennials/GenYs as they enter the jobs market.

Think about the design of your recruitment portal and ensure that it is branded appropriately, does it reflect your organisation, the way you work or its products and services? It is important that the experience of new recruits is positive right from their first encounter with your site. After all, the younger generations (and in particular the so called Trophy generation) aspire to work for a cool company and their first impression is likely to endure. Also, this generation communicates extensively via social channels and, as a result, the knock-on of their experience with you will be felt far afield. In fact, this generation is having a massive impact on the traditional dynamic of the recruitment process and many believe that it is likely to change the face of recruitment in much the same way that the baby boomers did back in their day. Having a strategy to address this group is likely to be a key differentiator over the near term.

Recruitment stamina

Recruitment is no longer simply about placing a great ad in a newspaper and waiting for the CVs to come flooding in. To be successful, it is critical that the recruitment process extends beyond initial search and selection phases to include onboarding practices and then continue into employee engagement, assessment and development activities. No company wants to be the training ground for its competitors so they should move their focus along the engagement curve to ensure that their people are motivated, challenged, and supported at all times. Incentives to remain in a company are not always financial, so businesses should look at a range of opportunities and techniques to motivate and encourage key talent to remain.

The game maker

Technology can really make the difference in recruitment. It can support and channel the process of maintaining contact with prospective employees by automating the initial phases and takes out the potential for human error at this early stage. Automating the various phases and applying strict policies ensures a smooth flow of information and avoids bottlenecks that would prolong the process.
Providing relevant information at appropriate stages of the engagement and developing effective strategies to onboard employees will prove vital ongoing. After all, continuous attention to the needs of staff (from the first point of contact onwards) will create an environment that engenders commitment and loyalty.

Extending into overtime

In reality, onboarding has become an extension of the recruitment process and it is equally important to the on-going health of any recruitment drive. It has proven to be important to many of our customers as they engage in positive, proactive dialogue with their new recruits. It is used to varying degrees, as an information resource and training tool to introduce people, products, services and the company to new recruits. Many organisations have recognised the power of effective onboarding using video footage, recorded webinars, infographics and photo galleries to share relevant and interesting content and information.

It has become an integral part of their recruitment activities and a core facility in their HR systems as these evolve into an employee engagement and communications tool.

Just the ticket

Like any investment, eRecruitment should demonstrate a clear ROI (Return On Investment). We encourage our customers to put their figures into our calculator to see just how much they are able to save over the course of months, not years. In many cases customers don’t just reduce the amount of paper advertising they produce, some discard it completely. Also using the eRecruitment portal to manage the interaction with agencies can potentially limit associated charges through pre-arranged fee structures. The potential savings in these instances can be incredible.

In our experience the main challenge is to change the culture and the outlook of organisations rather than prove the value of eRecruitment. Inertia is so often the enemy of progress and promotion.

- Chris Berry is Managing Director of HR Software as a Service provider, CIPHR.

Do

Background research

Researching a company doesn’t just prove to an employer you’re enthusiastic about the role. It also helps you to match the organisation’s culture and values. The more you know about the company, the better.  Learning who’s who, the company culture and any other information that will make your life easier and enable you to get your job done efficiently will all help you settle in and make a good first impression.  Reading the company blog (if they have one) and following the business on social networks are great ways to learn about the company. Often blog posts are less formal and give an insight into the inner working of a business.

Be positive

Be seen to be positive and keen to learn.  If necessary ask questions to clarify instructions and take notes to avoid having to ask the same question twice.  Be vocal and interactive in meetings and within your department discussions and remember to listen as well as providing your own opinion and information. Your positive thinking and actions will rub off those around you, it also helps with stress management and can even improve your health.

“Positive thinking is hard. Worth it, though.” – Seth Godin

Introduce yourself

Get to know those around you and those that will be part of your daily work life.  Try and remember who sits where, and what they do.  Ask your colleagues a bit about themselves, this will help you to learn who they are as a person, as well as what they do within the business.  In contrast, tell them a bit about who you are and give them an insight into your own life and working style.

Learn the preferred method of communication

Different businesses have their own preferred methods of communication.  Whether this be email, Skype, an internal social network, or simply getting up and speaking with the recipient (a dying trend!).  Knowing when to use a certain method can save you time, for instance, using the company intranet to make a company wide announcement, rather than sending an email to every employee.

Be part of the team

Being seen to be part of your team, working with colleagues and taking part in group discussions and activities will not only reflect well with management, but also help you to integrate into the company. Show loyalty to your co-workers and focus on sharing any recognition you get with your team.  As part of an effective team, you should be reliable, constructive, a good listener, interactive, able to share openly, cooperative and flexible, this sounds like a lot of qualities however most of them come naturally to most people.

Be aware of expectations

Knowing what is expected of your as a person, and your role will help you to set goals and monitor your own progress.  If this area has not already been discussed during your interview/s and with your manager on your first day then you should inquire as to the expectations that your employer has of you, and your role within the business.

Avoid the gossips

Do not get drawn into office politics or gossip. This is often easier said than done, however it is important not to be seen as a gossip or someone that cannot be trusted.  You can avoid office gossip and politics by concentrating on your daily goals and objectives and adhering to the office unwritten rules (who not to talk to about others during breaks etc).

Take time to read company procedures

Knowing and understanding the official company procedures will often assist you with our daily work life as these will explain who deals with what (office manager, fire warden etc) and what to do in certain situations.  The procedures will also provide useful information regarding annual leave, social media, any flexible benefits etc.

Be proactive

Be seen to be learning and taking the initiative. Waiting for people to approach you to offer help will not only waste your time, but give the impression that you are a  reactive worker. It’s better to ask for assistance before you’ve completed a task the wrong way. Prioritising your daily duties will help you to stay on top of things and reduce the need to become reactive in your role.

Personal appearance

Wearing something appropriate and abiding by the company dress code should be an obvious tip, but one worth following.  Turning up for your first day in jeans and a t-shirt is not a good start.  It’s better to be over, than under dressed.

Keep your eyes open

Learn how things work within the company generally. Even topics such as where people go for lunch or whether there is a particular place employees socialise will help you to learn the culture.

Don’t

Criticise

Criticising those around you, whether it be the way in which they carry our their roles, or involving yourself in office gossip will not create the best impression of you as a professional or as a person. Try to avoid getting caught up in negative conversations and, where possible, try to keep your personal opinions to yourself.  If issues need to be raised then there are proper procedures which you should follow.

Unacceptable punctuality or absence

Bad punctuality or high levels of absence are not acceptable for any employee. If you are new to a company then these traits are a good way for an unsuccessful probation.  You can’t avoid becoming ill sometimes, however, taking every Friday as absence or arriving late after letting your colleagues know that you were out on the town the night before, is not a good move, especially if your employer can report on your timesheets.

Compare your last company and how they did it

Your not there anymore, even if the old way does work better, be tactful as provide advice in a not comparative way.  Consistently telling your colleagues how much better your previous employers carried out certain tasks or procedures will make people wonder why you left and resent you for your constant comparisons.

Some of the ‘services’ that are encompassed by the XaaS umbrella are:

• NaaS (Network as a Service)
• AaaS (Analytics as a Service)
• PaaS (platform as a Service)
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
• CaaS (Communication as a Service)
• MaaS (Monitoring as a Service)
• BaaS (Backup as a Service)
• IDaaS (Identity as a Service)
• DaaS (Desktop as a Service)
• SECaaS (Security as a Service)

The above list is not exhaustive however. As is common in the online world, exciting new (often abstract) acronyms will emerge alongside the services offered to make our lives easier and save us money.

If you think about it, XaaS is nothing new and exists on the offline world too.  When you go abroad on holiday, you will inevitably use the services of an airline and car hire company, rather than use your own car to travel to your destination.  This website is hosted by a third party, another example of XaaS.

Put in perspective, it seems strange that people are happy to put their lives in the hands of one XaaS provider (an airline), but are still cautious about using an online provider to manage their internal systems.

What do you think?  Let us know in the comments.

Prioritise your requirements, and target accordingly

It is very unlikely that you can literally pick and choose who you work for.  However, this does’nt mean that you can’t prioritise certain elements of the role you are looking for, or the industry that you’d like to work in.  With this prioritised list you can then target certain websites, forums and social media pages in order to start your search in a more targeted fashion.

Use your existing connections

Whether you have an existing professional network on LinkedIn, following on Twitter or ‘Friends’ on Facebook, these are all potential referrers for a new role.  Utilise these contacts and discuss your requirements with them. It is likely that a contact will know of a role which suits your needs.

Get yourself on LinkedIn and make sure your profile is up to date and optimised

LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the world.  Most prospective employers will research candidates on the network prior to interview (and probably after).  Ensuring that you have an up to date, professional and optimised profile is essential to your personal brand. There are numerous hints and tips on optimising your LinkedIn profile in our previous article.

Use social media to your advantage

Social media is not only a great source of the latest news from your friends and acquaintances, but also from many businesses who are keen to engage with their customers and potential employees.  Many companies will have business pages on social networks, such as Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Monitoring these networks, and following the company’s feed is useful, not only to find out what the business is up to and research their brand, but also for notification as to when they are advertising vacancies.  More and more businesses are using social media for recruitment to cut costs, engage with potential future employees and to reach large numbers of potential candidates quickly and efficiently.

Sharing interesting information which the company has published (or shared themselves) is a way of getting noticed and interacting with that company. Don’t overdo it however as you will just come across creepy and desperate.

Optimise your online presence

Many people have numerous online profile’s, make the most of these for job hunting success. Ensuring that these profiles are consistent across the different social networks, and ‘cleaning’ up any information or updates which may be damaging to your personal brand is an important task. Potential employers often check social networks for any information that will guide them in their decision as to whether to employ you, make sure that they only find information that is advantageous to your chances.

Some tasks to take include:

• Reviewing the security settings on any social media network you are a member of.
• ‘Untagging’ yourself from any images that may not be suitable for a prospective employer to view.
• ‘Google’ your name to check if any results reflect badly on your reputation or professional standing.
• Ask LinkedIn contacts to recommend you for key tasks relevant to the role which you are searching for.
• Ensure your profile image is clear and appropriate.
• Make sure that any references to skills, current roles or experiences, which are relevant to your job search, are up to date and accurate.

Set up Google alerts to help with your search

Using Google Alerts to monitor and report on certain important terms and keywords relevant to your career search in an invaluable tool.  You will require a Google account  in order to create alerts and the process is very simple and effective.
Once signed into your Google account, navigate to Google Alerts where you will be presented with a screen similar to that below;

From the above screen you can create as many alerts as you wish and have the results emailed to you either as a summary or as the news is published (enabling you to respond quickly).  You are also able to filter the search to news only (as opposed to ‘everything’) and whether the results returned are only those deemed as ‘best’ or ‘all’.

Update, optimise and upload your CV

Job boards are still a very important part of the eRecruitment process. Ensuring that your profile and CV are optimised will increase your chances of being  found by employers. Ways to enhance your CV include:

• Clear layout: The more complicated your CV is, the harder it is for the search to understand and find it.
• Skills: When you list your experience, mention the skills you obtained as well.
• The right heading: Along with your name, add the description of the role you are interested in.
• Key words: Use the key words used for your role in the industry, place those words near to the top of your CV.
• Keep it concise: Include the relevant information only, recruiters will not spend long on each CV.
• Check it, and check it again: Make sure that the CV is free from grammatical errors or spelling mistakes (this rule should be applied to everything you write online or share).

Direct eRecruitment through company website eRecruitment portal

Scan employers websites for an eRecruitment portal.  Many businesses are using online recruitment software, such as CIPHR web recruitment solution. These tools allow you to apply for roles currently available within the business and, in some cases, send speculative applications which enable the business to add you to their ‘talent pool’ of applicants.

Thoroughly read the job description before starting to apply online.  Make sure you understand as much as possible about the role and what would be expected of you.  If there is anything that you do not understand, or is missing from the job specification, then this can be a question you can ask at the interview.
Ensure that as many fields on the application form are completed to the best of your ability, this will show that you have taken time to complete it and are not filling out as many online applications as possible, using the minimum details required for successful submission.

SaaS HR won’t cost you your entire budget

With no large initial outlay or installation costs, SaaS HR offers an opportunity for Human Resources to upgrade to the latest technology available, without the need to spend their entire budget doing so. This often simplifies and shortens the buying cycle, as well as being a much simpler solution to implement. Ongoing cost of ownership is reduced, as maintenance of the system and environment are the responsibility of the supplier. Companies can spend up to 75 percent of their total IT budget just to maintain and run existing in-house systems and infrastructure.

You already use SaaS (and so do your employees)

If you were to ask your employees for a show of hands as to which of them did not have access to the internet, the chances are that none of them would do so. Everyone uses online services for a variety of activities, from music and film streaming to company presentation software.
It is this familiarity that leads to a greater acceptance of SaaS delivered applications within a business.

You get more flexibility

Being able to use a cloud HR application from anywhere with an internet connection allows greater flexibility and choice. Enabling your employees to work effectively away from the office not only increases morale, but also benefits your business as the access restrictions relating to your HR solution are removed, leading to greater productivity.

It makes your life simpler

As SaaS HR automates such activities as regular system backups, upgrades and disaster recovery precautions, these duties are one less thing for the system supervisor to worry about, organise and monitor. All of the technical aspects of maintaining the Cloud HR system are taken care of by the provider, who has the key expertise and knowledge of their SaaS environment.

Because SaaS solutions are predominantly designed with the end-user in mind, they are more user-friendly than traditional, legacy applications. This reduces training costs and improves user adoption.

You get the latest and greatest

Both the hardware and software used within a SaaS environment should be of the highest standard and latest release of the respective program. There are no internal upgrade cycles to adhere to, you get the latest software available at no additional cost. This means that everything from security to the word processing program within the SaaS environment are always up to date.

You get the help you need, when you need it

Support for systems provided via the Cloud is often more effective than if the system were ‘client maintained’, as the supplier has direct, instant access to your problem or query. There is no need to arrange for a backup to be sent to the provider or for a technical representative to visit your offices, at a cost to you.

There is also an advantage regarding the environment in which the SaaS HR solution is housed, as this is set up and maintained by the provider, they are aware of all the components involved and are not required to rely on information passed to them via the client regarding their individual environment.

If you would like to discuss an upgrade to CIPHR+, call us on 01628 814060.

Questions to ask the applicant at interview:

1. What is one misconception people have about you?
2. Who at your former place of work gave you the most energy and why?
3. If you could wave a magic wand, what ill in the world would you solve and why?
4. What was your most and least satisfying job and why?
5. What is your 5 year goal?
6. What criteria do you use for evaluating success?
7. Describe a project that you’re especially proud of.
8. How do you spend your spare time?
9. Which of your skills, technical or otherwise, have helped you most on the job?
10. Describe how you prepared for this interview?
11. What is your typical working week in hours?
12. What have you learned most from your previous role?
13. What kinds of people do you have difficulties working with?
14. When have you been most satisfied in your career?
15. What was your greatest contribution to your last job/company?
16. How would your best friend describe you?
17. How much do you invest in your personal development?
18. Who do you see as our top 3 competitors or potential threats in the future?
19. When was the last time you took a risk? What did you learn from it?
20. Can you think of a recent problem in which old solutions wouldn’t work?

Questions to ask the employer at the interview:

Question NOT to ask an employer at the interview:

1. Can I do this job from home?
2. When can I take time off for vacation?
3. How many hours will I be expected to work each week?
4. What does the company do?
5. Will you check my Facebook page?
6. How often do you give raises?
7. How many warnings do you get before you’re fired?

Cost Savings

One of the main benefits to the employer is the cost savings associated with providing employees with devices.  Not only are there up front costs for the device itself, there are also the ongoing costs attached to hardware upgrades, software releases and support.  When an employee brings their own device to the office, they are responsible for the device costs, any upgrades or new software.  The company also benefits from fewer calls and less burden on their IT support desk as the employee is familiar with the way in which their own devices work.

Familiarity

The employees will naturally be more familiar and proficient with their own devices and software.  They may have tailored their devices and software in a way that may not be possible with company property, in order to suit their needs.  Using Apple products for instance, instead of the restriction of ‘Microsoft only’ enforced policies, may be one way in which the freedom of choice can benefit an employee who uses their own device.

Newer Technology

Employees will tend to keep up to date with the latest technology, whether this is a mobile device or software installed on a laptop or tablet.  Company hardware and software updates would normally be subject to the refresh/upgrade cycle in place under the IT policy.  Being able to take advantage of the latest technology, without the associated costs, is a huge benefit to a business.

Employee Care

Employees are much more likely to take good care of a device if they have purchased it with their own money.  Being the device that the employee uses at home as well as in the office they will take extra care to ensure that the device is kept up to date and not to damage it.

Choice

Allowing employees to use their own device for business also enables them to choose which device (and software) they utilise.  This in turn increases employee satisfaction and wellbeing, as well as improving productivity.

Satisfaction

As mentioned above, the simple act of allowing employees to make the choice of which device they use will increase satisfaction, productivity and morale.  40% of the employees consider it very important to be able to use personal devices at work, that’s almost half of the workforce!