GMs Plan for New Vehicles and a Zero-Emission Future

 

On October 2, GM announced its plans to globally launch at least 20 new all-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by the year 2023. In fact, it intends to release two of these new vehicles within the next 18 months. This launch plan supports GM’s vision of an “autonomous, zero-emission future,” which the company’s CEO Mary Barra recently announced.

 

Even though we don’t yet know which vehicles GM plans on making electric, the company stated that their new 

GM Zero-Emission Futurevehicles are “built from the ground up” to meet the needs of its future goals. It did preview three new models for its next-generation propulsion system, which included the familiar designs of a Buick crossover and a Cadillac wagon.

 

We’re excited to see how GM will raise the bar on electric vehicle design and performance — and what other companies, like Ford and FCA, will do to compete.

 

Check out the full article for more details on GM’s plan for a zero-emission future!

6 Mistakes to Avoid When Recruiting

Recruiting is not merely a function of HR, it’s essential to the success of your organization. Without a well-defined strategy for recruiting talent, you run the risk of making inefficient and costly hiring decisions—up to $17,000 in lost productivity, compromised work quality, and turnover.

To ensure better hires, you need a targeted recruiting strategy that will help identify high-quality candidates who align with the requirements of the position and the corporate culture. Avoiding these six recruitment mistakes can help streamline your hiring process so you can make more reliable hiring decisions that will elevate and enhance company performance.

1. Hiring in desperation mode

When you’re desperate, you can often make hasty decisions that can have long-term (often negative) consequences for your organization. This is as true in hiring as anywhere else.

That’s why it’s essential to approach the recruitment process proactively, not reactively. Building and maintaining a pipeline of potential candidates, even when you’re not actively hiring, ensures that you always have a pool of pre-vetted, talented individuals to choose from.

This will reduce time pressure and help improve the quality of your hires.

Here are some steps you can take to build a talent pipeline:

  • Regularly attend networking events
  • Engage with potential candidates on social media and other digital platforms
  • Partner with a professional hiring agency that already has a pipeline in place

2. Failing to validate traits

Resumés can be misleading. Everyone naturally puts their best foot forward and, as a result, often overstates their previous experience and success. In fact, Forbes published a startling report last year, claiming that 70% of workers lie on their resumés.

As a result, validating each candidate’s values, aptitudes, passion, behaviors, and skills is absolutely critical. You can do this through a series of screening activities, including tailored assessments, reference checking, and more.

The more you validate candidates early in the hiring process, the less turnover you’ll have.

3. Not tapping into your personal network

Referral hires are 40% more likely to remain with an employer after the first year than non-referral hires. So if you aren’t leveraging your personal network in the recruitment process, you’re missing out on high-value opportunities.

4. Skipping the pre-screening phone call

You don’t want to waste time on a candidate that will never be a good fit for the role. Pre-screening phone calls, then, are an essential time management tool for your recruiting team. During these calls, you can quickly get a sense of the candidate’s:

  • Communication skills
  • Professionalism
  • Genuine interest in the position
  • Knowledge of the industry and their own trade

By screening out obvious bad fits, you can ensure your recruiters (internal or external) are only spending time with candidates you might actually hire.

5. Hiring based on instinct

Sure, intuition plays a role in the hiring process. But relying on your gut too much can lead to biased and inconsistent decisions. Instead, it’s important to have some kind of standard hiring process to enable evidence-based hiring decisions.

Brightwing has a time-tested process that involves multiple stages of assessment and strategic planning to ensure we’re finding the best candidates for your needs.

6. Speaking before listening

To the best of your ability, you should avoid telling applicants what the ideal candidate looks like before you find out who they are and what they can do.

By opening the conversation to explore their intrinsic motivations, problem-solving skills, and perspectives, you gain insights that would otherwise go unnoticed. This approach not only respects the individuality of applicants but also enriches your understanding of how they might contribute uniquely to the team.

Avoid these recruitment mistakes with a dedicated talent partner

It can take a great deal of time and energy to avoid these recruitment mistakes. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a talent partner in your corner that can take the reins of the hiring process. Learn more about Brightwing’s tested process here.

5 Tips for Purpose-Driven Recruiting

 

The art and science of recruiting with purpose goes beyond matching a skill set to a job requirement. It’s about understanding the position and its impact on the organization and industry—and finding the ideal candidate who aligns with the organization’s core values and the other employees.

 

 

Brightwing’s 5 Tips for Purpose-Driven Recruiting will help you make more reliable, high-quality hiring decisions.

 

1. Know the Position—Intimately

Candidates will perform their due diligence researching your company, checking out social media channels, browsing through the website, and gathering competitive salary information long before sitting down for the interview.

 

Therefore, use the time to share information the candidate doesn’t know. Explain how the position impacts the organization, and describe recent critical projects that were completed. Discuss the candidate’s short- and long-term career goals and explain how the job will help achieve those goals. Bonus Tip: Identify specific training and programs that are in place to support and encourage employees’ professional growth.

 

2. Define the Ideal Candidate

This exercise will help you define characteristics of the actual human being who will be most successful in the role. This goes beyond skills, education, and even experience. Once a candidate aligns with the organization’s core values, identify characteristics that will ensure long-term success within the company as well as the department.

 

Consider two employees: one working in accounting the other in marketing. Even though their core values may be equally aligned with the organization’s, the characteristics that define the ideal candidate for their respective roles will likely look very different.

 

3. Answer the Question: Why?

Why should a highly qualified, perfectly aligned candidate sign an employee agreement with your organization? Every organization promotes work-life balance, culture, and people. Dig deeper. Give them more. Take time to consider the type of role you are hiring for and what you would expect the ideal candidate to want from the role. Talk about a cross-departmental innovation team that meets quarterly, and specific projects that are in process and on the horizon. Share an employee success story and tell an anecdote about a company party or event. This is a great way to say you have a great company culture without actually saying it.

 

4. Let Employees Tell your Story

Don’t limit testimonials to customers! Let your current employees be your greatest supporters. Give them the opportunity to share comments on the company website via short quotes or even short videos. Develop a variety of examples, including project diversity, holiday parties, on- and off-site events, etc. Be as transparent as possible. Remember, you want to attract and hire employees who will thrive in the organization and hopefully share their own testimonial one day.

 

5. Promote, promote, promote!

This is a recruiting step that takes planning and strategy. Get involved in events, forums, conferences, and meetups where you can connect with the right people. Invest in a strong social media presence to continuously engage directly and indirectly with your audience. Most importantly, push for referrals, as the best hires are often found in your employeesnetwork.

 

Companies in the U.S (and beyond) are hitting new autonomous milestones every day. The competition is heavy, and so is the creativity. GM and Toyota are in the news again, but so is…Dominoes? 5 trending connected car stories this week:

 

 

GM Deal Is A Big Move In Autonomous Vehicle Quest

General Motors received quick regulatory approval of its acquisition of Cruise Automation, the three-year-old start-up that has developed a “highway autopilot” product that could accelerate GM’s quest for a fully autonomous car. Read more…

 

 

Toyota Hires Entire Staff Of Autonomous-Vehicle Firm

Toyota, looking to gain an edge in the auto industry’s race for technology talent, has recruited the staff at a small Massachusetts-based autonomous-vehicle company to work on its advanced projects. The move reflects a trend among auto industry companies, including car-hailing and other fast-growing startups, to rapidly build their research & development skills by taking over small & specialized companies. Read more…

 

 

Ford To Have Autonomous Mini Theaters For Passengers

Ford is going the extra mile with its autonomous car fleet by putting autonomous vehicle entertainment systems into its self-driving cars. Just like an in-flight movie can distract plane passengers from long, boring flights, Ford thinks movie projectors in its autonomous cars could benefit and entertain its passengers while they ride. Read more…

 
 

Baidu To Test Drive Autonomous Cars In The U.S.

The move, disclosed by Baidu’s chief scientist Andrew Ng in an interview late Tuesday, is a significant step for the company, which is trying to get ahead in the race to build autonomous cars and is now calling on the resources of its Silicon Valley tech center to advance the effort. At the same time, Baidu is advocating for better coordination with the U.S. government. Read more…

 
 

Dominos Is Trialling An Autonomous Pizza Delivery Robot

Pizza giant Domino’s has unveiled an autonomous pizza delivery robot that is being trialled in New Zealand. The vehicle’s development started in 2015 and was pushed towards commercialisation by Domino’s Australia-based skunkworks DLab. This feature has been incorporated in DRU, which according to Domino’s can dodge hurdles thanks using on-board sensors. Read more…

 

Let’s be honest – automation technology can be disruptive at times. Some manufacturing jobs have been taken over by robots, while others have been outsourced. But that’s not to say the industrial sector is dead, or anywhere near it. In fact, advanced technology is becoming more efficient, which lowers production costs. When production costs are down, companies are able to invest in outside specialists needed to maintain manufacturing equipment.

In a nutshell, a job in manufacturing was once a hammer and chisel until we evolved, and now we’re evolving once again. Here are some of the latest manufacturing outlook news stories:

 

Auto Tech Brings Domestic Manufacturing Jobs Home

Tech might be what’s being blamed for shrinking the number of industrial jobs, but it’s also the key to reviving the sector. Here’s why.

 

The Rise of Manufacturing Jobs in America, even with Robotics

Are robots to blame for the slow job growth in America’s manufacturing industry? No, in fact, robots may actually be helping to save jobs rather than eliminating them. Read more.

 

Manufacturing Jobs Expected To Increase Slightly In 2016

A new survey anticipates that employment in the industrial sector will rebound following a slight decrease in late 2015. Read more.

Today’s world of talent acquisition or “recruiting” seems to have some very confusing measurements around what represents value. The market is trending towards more outsourced solutions: RPOs, MSPs, automated resume parsing and screening, as well as off shoring some, or all of the initial contact with potential candidates. This trend seems to represent a quicker delivery (in most cases) of resumes to the hiring managers or client delivery team.

Real Value In Talent AcquisitionFor hiring managers combating a real talent shortage, is the quicker, faster delivery of resumes really the best answer? In my career the focus has always been on working towards finding the best hire, not on the delivering resumes within a 24 hour period.

The sad reality is that there are HR organizations that seem to drive the same concept of value whether they are recruiting for themselves or outsourcing the work to recruiting organizations. The selection process is essentially driven by a commoditized procurement model rather than a value/success driven talent acquisition model. I am convinced that the commoditized procurement model falls short in helping to support hiring managers. Forcing a usually overworked hiring manager or executive to review numerous resumes (we refer to this as a resume blizzard) in the hopes of finding that one aligned and ideal candidate is a recipe for failure.

I discussed this theory with a manager at a major airline a few years back. He had already gone through a hiring process 3 months earlier to hire 2 senior people on his team. Of the initial 2 hires, one eventually didn’t show up and he was getting ready to release the 2nd due to performance issues. The manager reached out for support from the existing HR partner and wouldn’t you know it, he received 60 resumes within 2 days. I asked him about his plan for the 60 resumes and he said; “probably take them home and read them over the weekend.” This gentleman had a wife, a new born, 3 other children and was already working 10 to 12 hours a day. He eventually admitted he would probably only get to look at 10 to 15 of the resumes.

When did quantity of resumes delivered in 15 minutes or less represent success and value to hiring managers over delivering quality and finding the “right” candidate? Managers forced to staff under these circumstances sometimes never get to see the best available candidate. Ultimately, the organization ends up accepting the best of the mediocre submitted candidates. On the other hand, high performing organization’s focus on their talent acquisition process.  They insist that their recruiting or HR professionals streamline the acquisition process for the hiring manager. The lesson is this; a monkey can pull scores of resumes off of Monster or Career Builder, the real value of a recruiting partner is their ability to evaluate hundreds of resume submittals and find the 2 -3 most ideal candidates.  In addition, they also help managers review resumes and guide candidates through the recruiting and hiring processes. This leads to a better representation of the organization as well as a more informed manager and ultimately congruence when offers are eventually made.

I believe it’s time to put the human element back into the recruiting processes as a matter of practice as opposed to the exception.

I look forward to hearing what other professionals think. Let’s start a dialogue.

Author: George Albert Opitz

What do you do when you’re starting out? What do you do when you’re switching industries, or rejoining the workforce?  While every situation is different, many companies are looking  for people with experience.  Here are a few ideas for students, professionals switching industries or those rejoining the workforce:

Students leaving the nest

  • If you are a current student or a recent grad, you may have a few advantages…
    • Internships are usually reserved for students or recent grads. If you are a junior, senior or just graduated, you may have a very good chance at scoring an internship that will essentially be a business school education and your base for an entry level position.  Look for an area and companies that interest you and apply/network like crazy. When you land said internship, be a sponge. Soak up everything you see, hear, habits that successful people have and the way that successful people carry themselves.  Take notes, ask questions and at the end of it, you will have a lot to add to a resume.
    • Clubs and projects are a part of the everyday. You can gain “ideal world” experience that may not be what you actually do in the “real world”; however, the project management skills, planning and presentation experience you gain are invaluable.
    • Networking opportunities are constantly made available. Talk with your peers, professors and guest speakers about their ambitions, where they had success, mistakes they made or tips on how to be successful are all information that you will need.  These people may also help you land a job or internship.
    • College centers can help you market yourself! Never be afraid to go to your college center and have them format your resume, give you interviewing tips or a heads up on volunteer or internship opportunities. It’s their job to help you find opportunities for employment; use them.

Changing Industries with Work Experience

  • Assess the pros and cons: The New York Times quoted John A. Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, who suggests, “For mid-career people, it’s risky to make a wholesale career switch. Unless they are at the beginning of their working lives, many people can’t afford to give up the time and the income required to develop entirely new skills.” If this description fits you, then applying your learned skills to a new industry may be the most economical and fulfilling choice.
  • Research and compare your skills to those of your potential colleagues. Robert Hawthorne, president of search firm Hawthorne Research suggests, “Compare your accomplishments and skills to someone in a similar job who has been working in the industry you’re targeting. That will give you a better read on your chances and help you figure out how to position yourself against incumbents.” This can also help you see the way that industry experts talk about their skills and experiences. You can catalogue your existing skills, and find where you may need more research or experience.
  • Network, network, network! Do research, learn the lingo, see any forecasts for successes or challenges in the industry and then hit the networking circuit. Attend events that are either industry specific or position specific, listen, learn and ask questions. The people you meet here may be able to help you directly, or know someone who has employment needs. If getting a job is about who you know, then go out there and meet people.

 Re-Entering the workforce

Stay-at-home parents, those coming off of extended sick leave, or those coming out of retirement please do not get discouraged. Any volunteering during your time off and past work experience (years ago), can be relevant if you are able to present them in a way that shows you are keeping up with your industry. Our resident interview expert, Karen Melvin, had insight as to how a company may look at an extended leave candidate’s experience:

“First and foremost, if you have been on extended leave you may want to research companies who value a work/life balance. Those are the kinds of companies that are more likely to keep an open mind about extended leave, as opposed to companies that view employees as a number. Before interviewing I would suggest researching the industry to show that you are up on trends, review your resume to refresh your memory about how you acted/ re-acted in certain situations and network to find out any inside industry knowledge.”

As a last resort, or if you are seriously wanting to not only re-enter the workforce, but switch industries and/ or professions altogether, you may want to look into going back to grad school or college. Remember what Christopher Robin said, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” You can do it!

If you’ve ever visited one of the popular online dating sites and taken the opportunity to review the profiles of those seeking the “right” person for what they consider an “ideal” relationship you’ll notice a common theme on many of them.   The profile of the person they seek is perfect…literally perfect.

The list of things they’re looking for goes on and on with all kinds of requirements, interests, and qualities.  Do people like that really exist?

Probably not.

What if these folks approached their search with somewhat more realistic expectations, and just included of a few of the non-negotiable must have’s instead of listing out every little thing that would be “ideal”?  What if they included a little bit of info on what’s truly important to them (their values), and why those things matter?  What if they stuck to the “must have’s” and allowed for someone to learn/develop certain interests or qualities over the course of a relationship?

If they were to sit around and wait for someone who met all their “ideal” requirements they could be waiting a very long time, and interact with very few people.  At the end of the day, they might actually keep themselves from meeting someone really great; someone who has qualities they never expected or thought to ask for in a person.

Attracting Talent in the workplace is not all that different than attracting the right person for a personal relationship…a wider net gives you a larger pipeline, more choices, and offers opportunities to include those with unique skills and experience.

The “attraction” process often begins with a simple job description.  Much like the online dating profile, many job descriptions are loaded with requirements; full of ideal qualities and skills, and ultimately pretty limiting in terms of whom might actually be “right” for the job.

The most effective job descriptions are those that stick to core requirements—what is absolutely essential to performing the functions of the role.  Including an outline of how performance will be measured also provides a standard for both the individual and the manager.  Allow for some of the “ideals” or nice-to-have skills to be learned and developed along the way.  Often those “nice to have” skills change as the business changes.  Good job descriptions also include something of the core values and the behaviors that exhibit those values.  The potential for success in a role is much greater when you seek to match the core skills and values rather than focusing strictly on the never ending list of technical skills and experience requirements.

Here are some simple rules for writing a realistic but effective job description; one that is likely to apply to a range of different individuals who can perform the job, and without limiting the possibilities for potential in the role:

  • Outline the primary, or core responsibilities of the role.  This will also assist managers by providing clear objectives and standards for the role.
  • Stick to “must have” requirements—what skills are absolutely necessary to performing the job outlined?
  • How will performance be measured in the role?
  • Include a couple of the company core values as well as the key behaviors that exhibit these values.

Core requirements…simple, straightforward, and clearly outlined.  Effective, realistic, and applicable to a wider range of potential talent.  Now that’s absolute perfection.