Brightwing

Will Your Marketing Team Thrive or Fail Under These 3 Trends?

Employers, Hiring Best Practices, Marketing, Talent Advisor

Have you seen our recent 2019 Hiring Insights in Marketing yet? We’ve got the research you need to prepare for your 2019 hiring initiatives. Be sure to check it out, then rejoin us back here.

You’ve seen first-hand the exponential growth in the digital marketing industry. Unfortunately, the high demand for marketing talent who can address this transformation of the industry has revealed a tangible shortage of candidates. As a result, even leading marketing teams acknowledge that they aren’t reaching their recruitment goals. The hunt for marketing candidates is often in vain.

However, we believe that the core trends influencing the marketing industry are simultaneously changing the hiring profile of the best marketing talent. Understanding these trends will inevitably change the way you recruit the professionals who can successfully address your business objectives.

1. The Power of “Whole-Brained” Talent

You’ve probably heard someone described as left-brained or right-brained, but have you heard of a person referred to as “whole-brained”? According to a recent study by McKinsey, many companies have begun searching for talented individuals with left- and right-brain skills in an effort to more deeply integrate different marketing functions. In this new approach, creativity and data are equal partners.

Historically, data and creativity have been at odds. You might know this as the “ideas vs. numbers” or “emotion vs. logic” dilemma – the first is hard to measure from a business perspective, but the second struggles to be relevant and engaging to an increasingly demanding audience. However, as the marketing industry has advanced, the idea that creativity and data are adversaries has become outdated.

Today, “whole-brain” marketing professionals, who have the skill to integrate data and creativity in a single role, are innovating the marketing department. These are individuals who are simultaneously creative and logical – and they’re also nimble enough to interface with colleagues of a variety of different backgrounds and functions. It’s a combination that enables them to more effectively drive brand growth, improve performance, and engage the customer experience.

This fundamentally changes the hiring profile of most marketing functions. Hiring a creative director or a data scientist with traditional backgrounds and perspectives simply isn’t enough. A “whole-brained” marketing professionals has elements of both functions even if they lean more heavily towards just one. This will change where companies look for talent and how they assess their skillsets. Adjusting their recruitment strategy accordingly is critical for success.

2. The Growth of Cross-Functional Teams

Breaking down the walls between creative and logical skillsets is also a trend at the team-level. Many companies are pushing the envelope on what it means to enable collaboration between creatives and technologists, choosing an agile marketing model in which they create small, highly-focused, cross-functional teams.

These high-performance teams are staffed with talent from a traditional marketing background as well as people in fields such as IT and operations. Tasked with executing on one specific business objective, they’re simply faster, thanks to a unified view of the customer, eliminated data siloes, reduced inter-departmental bottlenecks, and more seamless testing and integration. Ultimately, new ideas can more quickly be brought to market.

This agile model is especially well suited for the growing trend of personalized marketing. Although personalization has been a buzzword in the marketing industry for years, 2019 could be the year marketers finally deliver more mature personalized marketing strategies, thanks in part to the collaborative effort between creatives and data-focused functions.

While there are many benefits to the cross-functional agile model, searching for marketing talent suited to this unconventional structure can be challenging. Although their experience may be more traditional, qualities like curiosity, emotional intelligence, and natural leadership ability should be top of mind, as these skills will enable them to successfully integrate into diverse teams. Overall, cross-functional marketing teams are here to stay, and adapting your talent search to this new model will be essential to staying competitive in the digital marketing environment.

3. The Rise of Ethical Marketing

Finding the right balance between creativity and data is critical, but we can’t mention the increase of data in marketing without also considering its consequences. Used right, data can massively improve the reach of marketing strategies, but companies must gather a comprehensive knowledge of consumer data privacy and security. A growing number of regulations acknowledge that customers want to know how their data is protected and how it is used.

At this point, everyone should be familiar with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that was implemented in 2018. Similarly, California’s 2020 privacy law requires companies to meet certain principles and conditions regarding data collection and storage. With continuing data privacy concerns and increased regulation likely, companies that implement data privacy protections now will be better prepared for future success.

To earn consumers’ trust, marketers should be focused on ethical data collection and management. However, this is still a relatively new area of expertise, and many companies have been slow to adjust their hiring profiles accordingly. Making the change and recruiting talent with knowledge of data security will help guide companies’ ethical data management strategies.

The landscape of the marketing field continues to shift under the weight of powerful trends. Proactively building a team with talent who can withstand this transformation and pioneer a way forward is critical to the success of your business.

At Brightwing, we believe that finding the kind of individuals who can achieve your marketing goals depends upon relationships, intuition, and experience – we call it “recruiting, reimagined.” We’re on the forefront of the market, keeping in touch with trends like these so we can bring you insights and advice to help you stay competitive.

For more research, check out the Brightwing 2019 Hiring Insights in Marketing guide today.

March 25, 2019

Brightwing 2019 Hiring Insights in Marketing

Employers, Hiring Best Practices, Marketing

Did you know that an overwhelming 97% of marketers are reportedly open to new opportunities? Most of them aren’t actively looking, but that number is still a massive cause for concern. Employers are already battling with a marketing talent shortage in order to fill new positions, let alone backfill roles that people leave.

This supply-demand dilemma is the underlying theme for many of the recruiting and hiring trends that are top of mind this year in the marketing sector. Our aim is to provide you with a comprehensive guide to the labor market to prepare your staffing and recruiting practices for the year ahead.

A Quick Glance at the 2019 Labor Market
A New Focus for the Future of Hiring
Hiring Insights in Marketing
2019 from the Perspective of Key Leaders

A Glance at the 2019 Labor Market

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The national unemployment rate is at a record low since 1969 and is even lower in many industry sectors and regional markets. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

This is a typical increase in wages, only 0.1% higher than 2018, which implies stagnant wage growth.

However, job switchers in marketing can expect a 9.1% wage increase – a highly attractive reason to seek something new. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text][vc_empty_space]

25.7% of employees are actively seeking new job opportunities.

And 55.5% are passively open to new job opportunities. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column]

Best cities for jobs

Glassdoor ranks these cities based on hiring opportunity, cost of living, and overall job satisfaction:

Pittsburgh, PA
St. Louis, MO
Indianapolis, IN
Cincinnati, OH
Hartford, CT
Boston, MA
Memphis, TN
Raleigh, NC
Cleveland, OH
Detroit, MI

Top Perks Employers are Highlighting

Casual dress codes
Employee discounts
Remote work opportunities
Extra paid time off
Signing bonuses
Free lunches
Gym memberships
Work from home Fridays
Daycare

A New Focus for the Future of Hiring

In 2018, AI-powered recruitment technologies took off across every industry. Seeking to automate the application, screening, and interviewing processes, these tools unburden the hands, and minds, of recruiters and corporate talent acquisition professionals everywhere.

However, our stance on this trend has been, and always will be, that humans are greater than machines – most especially in recruiting for highly skilled Technology, Finance, Engineering and Marketing professionals.

Even with a quarter of employees looking for a new job, and over half passively interested should the opportunity present itself, employers cannot rely on the programming of their recruitment technology to make the right matches and entice the best-fit talent. This is the year that employers must focus on the human side of recruitment, specifically, the candidate experience.

Here are a few numbers proving why the candidate experience is critical this year:

68% of employees believe the candidate experience is a reflection of the employee experience [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

51% of people continue to look for jobs even after they’ve accepted an offer[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

31% of candidates expect a customized message when a company reaches out with a new opportunity [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

55% of applicants give up if they haven’t heard back from a company within two weeks [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]

In short, the role of the candidate experience in your recruitment process cannot be overlooked. One in seven new hires accept a job offer only to walk away at the last minute. Do not let this become your story.

Quick steps to an awesome candidate experience

A fast and easy (and mobile-responsive) application process
Quick feedback and responses to every candidate
A compelling employer brand that reflects your company culture
Personalized emails, phone calls, and messages throughout the process
A short, but thorough, interview process
A clear understanding of the benefits and perks you offer
An efficient and valuable onboarding process

Hiring Insights in Marketing

The digital marketing industry, valued at the beginning of 2018 at $192 billion, is expected to grow to $306 billion by 2020. That’s massive, exponential growth, putting the demand for marketers at an all-time high. In fact, marketing manager is the 3^rd best job according to Glassdoor, a ranking based on number of job openings, salary, and overall job satisfaction.

That said, marketing is yet another field feeling the pain of a skills gap. CMOs agree that finding marketing talent is one of their biggest challenges in today’s market.

The cherry on top of this talent shortage is that a reported 97% of marketers are open to new opportunities – usually to gain a better salary or career advancement. Although only 19% are actively searching for a new job, this is still massive cause for concern.

Top digital marketing trends

Interactive chatbots
Voice search
AI and blockchain
Influencer marketing
Security and data privacy
Personalized messaging
Data analytics

Most valuable skills when hiring marketing talent

Creativity
Natural leadership abilities
Emotional Intelligence
Curiosity
Marketing platform experience
Data science background

2019 from the Perspective of Key Leaders

“Low unemployment and increasing skills gaps continue to plague employers who are struggling to fill roles at all levels within their organizations,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. “Fifty percent of U.S. employers reported that it is taking them longer to fill jobs today compared to any other period of time — a trend that is ultimately giving job seekers more leverage.”

How Are You Overcoming the Marketing Talent Shortage?

You’re probably gearing up for 2019 hiring, but some of these statistics might be concerning.

For us, these statistics are eye-opening. We’re always looking for new ways to partner with companies to overcome these challenges. Our talent acquisition solutions are one-part relationships, one-part insight, and one-part results. It’s a recipe that works every time, and we’d love to introduce you.

We want to partner with you. Let’s chat.

January 16, 2019

6 Recruitment Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

Accounting & Finance, Employers, Engineering, Hiring Best Practices, Human Resources, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Marketing, Operations, Talent Advisor

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.

July 21, 2017

5 Tips for Purpose-Driven Recruiting

Accounting & Finance, Employers, Engineering, Hiring Best Practices, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Marketing, Operations, Talent Advisor

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 meet–ups 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 employees’ network.

May 17, 2017

Quitting Your Job? 5 Things to Consider

Accounting & Finance, Career Growth, Engineering, Human Resources, Information Technology, Job Search, Job Seekers, Marketing, Operations

Quitting your job is a big move that, if done right, may be beneficial to your career. However, make sure it is the right time and for the right reasons. With such a big change, it’s crucial that you are strategic when quitting your job, to position yourself to move forward in your career rather than being stuck in unemployment. Although frustration creeps up in all of us, you don’t want to find yourself in a place where you’re struggling to get your career back on track. Here are five things to consider before quitting your job:

1. Check Your Finances

For most, if not all, money is the greatest motivator that will keep you in a job or push you to a new one. Quitting your job may seem impossible if you’re not financially stable. However, this shouldn’t be the reason you stay at a job you hate. Plan ahead with your finances, and save some money to use as a safety net. This will give you the liberty to take some time in finding your perfect job without feeling pressured to go back.

2. Start Your Job Search

Sometimes those who are already employed, make the best candidates. Don’t close yourself off to new opportunities. Begin the job application process before quitting your job, to make the transition from one job to another easier, and less stressful.

3. Keep It To Yourself

Although it’s okay to talk to other companies while you are employed, keep it to yourself. You certainly do not want this information to reach management, resulting in burnt bridges. When the time comes, be discreet when you quitting your job.

4. Stick With Your Main Reason

When you quit, you will need to provide your boss a reason as to why you’re leaving. Remain professional, respectful and don’t hurt your reputation. Your next employer is likely to call for a reference, and you don’t want to leave them with a bad impression.

5. Be Your Best Until The End

Once the end is in sight, it is so easy to slack off– Don’t! Stay focused and continue to work hard to accomplish all the tasks needed. This will leave your employers with a great impression, maintaining relationships that may pay off in the future. Make the transition for your coworkers and boss as smooth as possible.

November 29, 2016

How to Negotiate a Job Offer

Accounting & Finance, Career Growth, Engineering, Entry-Level, Human Resources, Information Technology, Interview Tips, Job Search, Job Seekers, Marketing, Operations

Negotiating a job offer begins the moment you start your job search. The key is to be prepared by researching similar positions in the industry. Doing your homework will help you make smarter, more reasonable decisions and establish a negotiation strategy. The most important factor in negotiating a job offer is confidence – confidence in your skills, talents, experience, and education. The way you hold yourself and present your capabilities will help convince the hiring manager that you will be a valuable asset to the organization. Learn the dos and don’ts on how to successfully negotiate a job offer with these three articles:

How to Negotiate A Job Offer

Learn great tips and strategies from Forbes on “How To Negotiate A Job Offer“. This article will guide you on every step of the process from the beginning stages of your job search, to the final negotiating stages. Not sure what to actually say during the negotiation? This article also provides a word-for-word example on what to say and what responses to expect from the hiring manager.

Don’t Make These 8 Mistakes When Negotiating Salary

Preparation is key to negotiate a job offer. Avoid these “8 Mistakes When Negotiating Salary“, as discussed in U.S. News. From lying about your last salary, to playing games, find out what may be causing you to loose the job offer completely. Don’t let these mistakes become experiences you are forced to learn from! They may cost you a great job offer and a great position.

How To Negotiate Salary: 37 Tips You Need To Know

According to The Muse, most people avoid negotiating their salary out of fear. Overcome this fear, and become a better negotiator with their article “How To Negotiate Salary: 37 Tips You Need To Know“. The article gives tips on every stage of the process including:

Getting Prepared
Starting The Conversation
Making the Ask
Getting An Answer (and Dealing With the Aftermath)

August 11, 2016

6 Career Fairs Brightwing is Attending This Fall

Accounting & Finance, Brightwing News, Career Growth, Engineering, Entry-Level, Human Resources, Information Technology, Job Search, Marketing, Networking, Operations

One of our favorite times of the year is upon us – it’s career fair season! This year, Brightwing plans to attend 6 IT and/or Engineering career fairs.

Cutting-edge, exclusive opportunities you can expect to see at the fairs include Software Development, Project Management, Big Data Analysis, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, and more! To see a complete list of our current openings, visit www.brightwingbdev.wpenginepowered.com/jobs.

Thursday, September 17 – Ohio Northern – Graduate/Professional School Fair (OH)

Tuesday, September 22 – Oakland University – Engineering/IT Career Fair (MI)

Thursday, October 1 – Wayne State University – College of Engineering Career Fair (MI)

Wednesday, October 14 – ITT Technical Institute (Richardson, TX) – Fall Career Fair (TX)

Friday, October 16 – Saginaw Valley State – Employment/Networking Fair (MI)

Monday, November 16 – Engineering Society of Detroit – Engineering/Tech Job Fair (MI)

Want Brightwing to visit another college/association career fair? If so, please let us know! To better prepare yourself for career fair season this year, visit our Self Improvement Tips.

August 25, 2015

How to Provide Real Value in Talent Acquisition

Accounting & Finance, Candidate Experience, Engineering, Hiring Best Practices, Human Resources, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Marketing, Operations

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.

For 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 2^nd 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

September 26, 2013

How to Join the Workforce When You’re Short on Experience

Accounting & Finance, Career Growth, Engineering, Entry-Level, Human Resources, Information Technology, Job Search, Manufacturing, Marketing, Operations

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!

September 13, 2012

How to Write a Realistic Job Description

Accounting & Finance, Candidate Experience, Engineering, Hiring Best Practices, Human Resources, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Marketing, Operations

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.

July 26, 2012

How to Stay Creative in the Workplace

Career Growth, Company Culture, Employee Engagement, Engineering, Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing

Staying creative in the workplace can be challenging, even if you work in a creative environment all day long. I was recently asked in a marketing meeting what websites, books or blogs I read for inspiration and creativity and my list wasn’t that long, in fact it was downright pathetic. I never made time for surfing the web to view other designer’s work or reading design blogs mainly because I felt I couldn’t give myself permission to take the time away from my daily job duties. So I challenged myself to find interesting design websites, blogs and articles to view or read several days a week, such as Pinterest. Once I gave myself that permission, I opened myself up to a whole new world of creativity, excitement and a fresh perspective on ways I can be more creative.

The article “5 Ways to Ignite Creativity” by guest author, TJ Philpott states, “In order to promote our own ability for thinking outside the box and spawn the creativity we seek within ourselves deliberate measures sometimes need be taken”. One of his suggestions is to separate yourself from the work environment which is usually a very structured environment with triggers that limits one’s ability to create and causes one to focus more on the issues and functions of that environment. Our marketing department is following this suggestion. We have decided that each month we will focus on a new creative medium and choose a day to do a mini field trip to explore that medium. For instance, March is Interior Design, April is Television & Movies and June is Culinary. The idea being that exploring different forms of creativity and getting “away from our work environment” will open our minds to be more creative in what we do on a daily basis.

So what do you do if you don’t work in an extremely creative field or department? What if your job is more technical? How do you stay fresh, come up with new ideas and think outside of the box? I collaborated with Brightwing Recruiter Angela Crooker to get her perspective on staying creative in the recruiting field.

Being a Recruiter is more of a technical job but you can also be very creative! When you are looking for candidates for a position, sometimes you have to get creative.

Bianca Male, in the article “10 Creative Recruiting Strategies to Hire Great People”, states “…many companies are embracing creative recruiting.” Recruiters these days have to think outside of this box. Some of the ideas that this article suggests are some Angela uses every day, like utilizing obscure social networks. Angela also likes to meet with candidates after work hours in a group setting to discuss things such as resume and cover letter building. This brings her a lot of referrals.

By staying creative in your career, you will have greater success. Being creative doesn’t always mean painting a picture or sculpting something, it’s as simple as the dictionary describes it – the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods and interpretations. This can mean just thinking outside of the box, making use of creative thoughts and problem-solving like Angela does when looking for new ways to find candidates. Something as simple as day dreaming is considered to be a constructive way to help foster new ideas and to open your mind to creative thinking. So anyone at any type of job can find a moment to step away from their usual setting to do something that will open themselves up to more creativity.

Authors: Carol Koskyn, Angela Crooker

March 1, 2012