by Janine Nicole Dennis | Mar 21, 2014 | Featured, HR Technology, Life, Sponsored Post, Talent Acquisition
FTC Disclosure: I received compensation for writing this product review listed below as one of the services I offer my clients. I only work with companies I feel have great products, services and offerings. In accordance with my blog disclosure statement, I will only work with and showcase products and/or companies I believe my readers will benefit from. iCims is an ATS provider and I have either reviewed or used their product personally. I have not made any absolute statements about its functionality but endorse the capabilities I have personally observed. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Image courtesy of stockphotosforfree.com
When we speak about Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) capabilities, we often overlook its impact on the spectrum of users and instead focus on the bells and whistles that tend to be non-essential or less relevant to its primary recruitment function. After all, the purpose of an ATS is to automate and streamline recruitment, hiring and onboarding processes so that it saves time, resources and energy.
The question is: who is really saving the time? Has ATS technology to date been too heavily focused on the recruiter and hiring manager experience?
The gap in ATS technology has been the lack of emphasis on the candidate experience.
2014 is the “Year of the Candidate” at iCIMS. With this initiative, they are refocusing their intentions out of both necessity and utility to better serve the candidate from a technology standpoint. Today’s candidate is on-the-go, always looking for the next opportunity and an easier way of reaching you the employer. With the increased influence of social networks, mobile capabilities and the flattening groups of passive, active and non-active jobseekers, it is only right that iCIMS look at ways of improving candidate engagement.
iCIMS is taking the lead on reengaging the workforce by revamping and developing technology that encourages the candidate to engage with companies and seek out opportunity rather than deter them from the hiring process. In January 2014, The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported a dismal outlook on economic recovery and job creation. In this report, they state that, 23 million people globally have left the labor market due to difficulties in finding suitable employment. Slower job creation can be blamed for that statistic, but I’m sure we can also agree that finding the jobs that do exist has become increasingly onerous as well.
The mobile advantage
Two in five candidates say that their perception of a company is hurt if a company career website is not optimized for mobile. iCIMS has created an extremely responsive career portal that is optimized for candidates to utilize on mobile devices and tablets of all screen sizes. The clean and simple look and feel of the career portal is enhanced with intuitive navigation, making it easily accessible for candidates-on- the move.
Candidates that have embraced using “the cloud” for document storage, will find ease of use in being able to upload their resumes from their Google Drive or Dropbox accounts. In addition, the more social candidate can reap the benefits of iCIMS social integrations which allow candidates to submit their resume for a job with their social accounts like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google+. Social capabilities also ensure that candidate applications that reach recruiters are as up to date as the news feed on their social networks.
Another convenient capability is the location based job search tool which uses GPS technology to search for positions within a specific radius of the candidate’s location. The ideal situation for any candidate is pursuing a job within a reasonable commute. This technology allows candidates to focus on opportunities in their area. This also benefits employers as it allows them to target candidates looking specifically for opportunities in the markets where the business is located. The “Year of the Candidate” is all about connecting the dots and creating a “fit” for both the candidate and employer.
Video as the rule
Video is no longer the exception, but rather the rule. Increased time constraints, diminishing budgets for travel reimbursement or coverage for out-of-state candidates, coupled with a glocal (global +local) candidate ecosystem makes video not only cost-effective, but practical. Video is the shining star across the iCIMS Talent Platform whether it is as a branding initiative on the careers page or part of the real-time Skype integration for interviewing candidates remotely.
Their newest and most exciting feature is the video cover letter. The video cover letter is one of iCIMS newest candidate screening tools that allows the candidate to showcase their skills above and beyond the parameters of what a normal resume can tell the employer. The candidate can record a short video to be submitted for consideration with their application from a computer webcam or mobile device. Rather than submit the same old cover letter that recruiters have seen for years, they get to truly understand from the candidates’ point of view why they believe they are qualified- while gaining an opportunity to assess how they communicate orally.
HR technology takes the guessing out of recruitment; while reallocating power to the candidate, in an effort to allow them to put their best foot forward as they pursue new opportunities with you. Start simplifying recruitment today and make 2014 the “Year of the Candidate”
Company Bio
iCIMS, is a leading provider of innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) talent acquisition solutions, is an Inc. 500 and Software Satisfaction honoree focused on solving corporate business issues through the implementation of easy-to-use, scalable solutions that are backed by our award-winning iCARE Customer Support.
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Mar 12, 2014 | Business, Featured, Life, Talent Management, Women in Business
Images courtesy of Wikimedia
Our modern day Rosie the Riveter, Sheryl Sandberg is at it again with a new campaign called “Ban Bossy”. It is a campaign that was launched on Monday as a collaborative effort between Girl Scouts USA and LeanIn.org to empower young girls to be leaders without the fear of being labeled “bossy”. She has some celebrities and/or notable women and men helping her to propel the reach of the campaign like Mrs. Carter herself Beyoncé and Condoleezza Rice among others.
As a woman who has two young girls, I appreciate the sentiment behind the campaign, but it ends there. “Bossy” is the least of what women are called in the workplace for being strong-willed, knowledgeable in their craft and determined. Unfortunately, the reality of being a woman and a leader of color in the workplace also has its own distinct challenges. As a mother, leader and professional, I strive constantly to show my daughters that you have to be a no-nonsense kind of gal to get anywhere in business.
A woman’s success in business requires persistence, self-confidence, advocacy and the knowledge that you deserve better- when all you would rather do is retreat in fear of rubbing the very people you are trying to impress the wrong way.
I have reservations about the efficiency of banning a word in hopes that it will get more girls to realize their worth and fight the good fight when they eventually become professionals in the workplace. From a psychological perspective, words hurt and they are powerful. Therefore, this is an admirable attempt to change the conversation and urge others to use more endearing words. The problem is banning bossy isn’t going to change the blatant and ongoing deficits in pay that women experience in stark contrast to their male counterparts. It will not change the apparent lack of representation of women leaders in organizations across the US. “Ban Bossy” falls short of impacting the very thing that this is all about; which is for organizations to regard women as viable, thinking, worthy, tenacious, dynamic professionals that deserve the same respect, pay, and recognition that males similarly situated have been afforded.
Sometimes leaning in isn’t enough…
I have “leaned-in” and advocated for higher pay. Guess what, I got an “I hear you and I appreciate you” but we can’t do anything for you. I have taken a strong position on issues in organizations where I have worked and watched as my managers sat across from me with smug smirks and nothing else to lend to the conversation. I have also been the best qualified person in the room to handle a job and watched on as a less qualified man took over the reins (under my tutelage) without any accolades being thrown my way. Furthermore, I have had women in leadership try to derail my career or diminish the value of my talents out of fear that I was conspiring to take their jobs.
How does banning a word prepare my daughters or any other young women for those disappointments?
Our challenge in prepping our young women for leadership is not dependent on what they may be called but on the unfortunate reality they will face in trying to achieve, learn and become leaders. We owe them the reality of the struggle and the blueprint to navigate it so the journey doesn’t “sting” as much- nevermind being called “bossy”.
Where’s the cavalry of all of these successful women that have “leaned-in”? Are they on the frontlines making sure that situations like what I have experienced don’t happen to women in organizations anywhere? Until I hear data and evidence around how this campaign is changing perceptions and subsequent actions in Corporate America- I will reserve my right to teach my girls about the reality of leadership for women via my School of Hard Knocks– the truth.
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Mar 5, 2014 | Business, Featured, Life, Talent Management, Women, Work/Life
Image Courtesy of StockPhotosForFree.com
I was inspired by the TLNT wrap-up written by John Hollon last week discussing the demographics of people participating in flex work and questioning why there is a lack of women teleworking. For more on what he said- read here.
As someone who considers herself fortunate to telework, I can tell you that merely referring to the arrangement as “fortunate” is part of the problem. You see there are many employers that still see this flex work as the ultimate privilege. It is almost as though they should be crowned best employer and have employees kneel before them for bestowing such an honor. They put unnecessary and onerous hurdles in front of employees that are afforded flex work and in turn it becomes a less desirable option.
Women in particular have been made to disclose every nook and cranny of their home arrangements. Some are subjected to presumptuous questioning regarding whether or not they have a nanny to watch their kids during telework time. While other flex work infractions have to do with being exclusive to a certain subsection of employees- leaving those with other non-familial obligations feeling singled out from the possibility of teleworking.
When the strategy becomes this entitled all or nothing process, you have to ask yourself are companies really all-in regarding flex work or are they slapping a policy together to appear as though they are a part of the growing trend?
I like what Cali Yost of CEO of Flex+ Strategy Group said in a recent press release, “Telework is not a perk and it’s certainly not just for moms and Gen Y. Rather, it’s an operational strategy.”
If you have a flex work option for your employees, is it being treated as an operational strategy or is it a wild-card policy that you pull out of your bag-of-tricks to appease employees?
It needs to be an operational strategy. Your employees both men and women are stretched at home and at work; with or without children. If the job lends itself to some flexibility- give it to them. Like most concepts of giving- try to give flexibility without ultimatums and ridiculous demands in return for this alternative.
Here are some rules of engagement if you are serious about offering your employees more flexibility:
1) Focus on results. It is none of your business who watches their kids, if a nanny is present during telework hours, spouse’s work hours etc. As long as you are receiving their work and it is quality, focus on the results; not how they got there.
2) Trust your employees to do the right thing. If you don’t ask your employees to document what they do every minute of the day in the office, why would you do it when they flex work? Trust your employees to do the right thing unless you find out otherwise.
3) Do not offer flex work unless you believe in it as an “operational strategy”. Everyone wins when trust and flexibility are given. The second you start to micromanage or make your flex work policy an elitist offering it will do more harm than good for the company and your brand.
According to a recent infographic by Flex+Strategy Group, 31% of workers are working from home, a business center or another location. Employers can expect decreased absenteeism and tardiness, less employee burnout, increased employee productivity as a result of offering flex work.
So I ask employers that are still hesitant about flex work- what are you really losing?
Need some innovative ideas on flex work strategies- contact us.
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Feb 12, 2014 | Business, Entrepreneur, Featured, HR Innovation, Human Resources, Life, Talent Management
Image from Flickr
One of the things we HR practitioners get dinged on consistently is our ability to be flexible. Yes, there are compliance pieces and yet other things that we must oversee and manage in HR, but is there no flexibility in how we roll out our programs, initiatives and policies?
Being in business has taught me that one of the most important things we need to be able to do is “pivot”. The definition of “pivot” as a verb is “to turn on or around from a central point”. In HR, we are the central point in the organization. It is the place from which all operational and transactional aspects of the business’s workforce emanate.
When you are asked to step slightly out of your comfort zone which is standing right at that central point- do you?
1) Tell your business partners an emphatic “no”.
or
2) Hear your business partners out and find ways to stand at your central point while pivoting to allow them some flexibility in how they accomplish what you need them to.
Pivoting in business is no longer a best practice-it is the way we need to support our partners in doing business. Owners of businesses have to pivot all of the time whether it is regarding the direction of the business or who they market a product to. Doing things the same way with a sentiment of rigidity, control and authority is no longer the way we need to support the business. Just as business is changing so should the discipline of HR and how we do things.
The key to success is to have a basis by which you operate but not to impede progress for the sake of rules or compliance. Instead of saying “no” try listening, discussing and providing a new path for your partners to achieve their expected outcomes.
Consider these scenarios…
Has an employee asked you for some flextime to deal with personal obligations lately? Ask yourself this, are they a good employee and will this adversely impact the run of the business? If your answer is “no”, pivot and offer your employee some flexibility.
Does one of your hiring managers want to try a new platform for recruiting a specific professional that may cost more than what you usually pay for advertising? Pivot. Ask questions, find out more and offer he or she some alternatives if the option they have suggested isn’t budget-friendly.
I’m not just looking at you HR, this also applies to those running businesses that haven’t figured out the importance of pivoting. For all of your business savvy and vision, sometimes the reality of business or market conditions is very different. We are all part of an economy where the needs of the customer and the demand for products and services are rapidly changing.
Would you rather to hold on to a vision that no longer translates to a profitable business or might it make sense to pivot and explore new ways of serving your customers?
These are the types of considerations that businesses and those that support business owners need to be mulling over in 2014 and beyond. Pivoting is a business imperative not a new year’s resolution.
Here’s how you can work your way to pivoting today:
1) Start listening to customers, business partners, associates more.
2) Take every concern or suggestion you receive seriously and think about ways you can make each situation easier for your partners without forsaking you position.
3) Discuss possible alternatives with your customers/partners and allow for their input on how you reach the desired outcome.
4) Enjoy the fruits of having more collaborative relationships, because you were able to consider solutions and viewpoints other than your own agenda.
How will you pivot this year and how can I help you?
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Jan 22, 2014 | Diversity & Inclusion, Featured, HR Policy, Human Resources, Life, Motherhood, Personal, Policy, Pregnancy, Talent Management, Work/Life
Image Courtesy of “Think Progress”
After being pregnant three times over the past seven years, I have seen, heard, and endured things that have both shocked me and made me angry. For starters, there are far too many employers that are still treating pregnancy as if it is a cardinal sin and a complete undoing to their business. Having children whether as an older more tenured employee or an early careerist is a life decision that need not be vetted or agreed with by an employer. Certainly, there are the usual considerations of the inevitable impact of having children depending on where you are in your career; but they are just that- considerations.
Consider this instead:
*The U.S. is one of only 4 countries that doesn’t offer paid leave to new mothers — the others are Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
*Having a baby is a leading cause of “poverty spells” in the U.S. — when income dips below what’s needed for basic living expenses.
When you are notified by an employee that they are pregnant, they haven’t just given you their resignation simultaneously. Pregnant women are not only capable of continuing their duties (unless sickness and or the physical nature of their job interfere), but they are worthy of having your support as an employer.
As a new business owner, I would like to impart some food-for thought for dealing with pregnancy in general and pregnant employees:
- Stop saying dumb things to your pregnant employees. If you are hesitant to say what you’re thinking or you are unsure; do yourself a favor and be quiet.
- Be kind. In as much as pregnant women are willing and capable, a little compassion can go a long way. Ask them how they are feeling. If they are struggling during the first trimester or beyond; allow some leniency. It’s that whole do onto others philosophy.
- Did you also know? *51% of new mothers lack any paid leave — so some take unpaid leave, some quit, some even lose their jobs. If you can help it, get out of this third-world mentality that exists in the US and offer your female employees a dose of relief in the way of a paid maternity leave, the ability to phase-back to work, short-term disability etc.
- While said employee is on leave, do your best to refrain from contacting her regarding work related things or anything in general. Maternity leave is supposed to be a time for healing, bonding, and family. Respect the employee’s time.
- Lastly, if there are concerns about adequate time and the like- communicate your concern, but don’t over communicate. There are dr.’s appointments, unforeseen sicknesses, etc. Again, if this is a good employee do your best to work through these hurdles. In business, there are always workarounds whether you want to openly admit it or not).
- Don’t forget your male employees. They are becoming dads too and may need your support as well.
Pregnant women are not second-class citizens. You do not have to fundamentally agree with the act of childbearing or its timing but you do have an obligation to respect the decision and support your employees as best you can.
Every year Working Mother.com compiles a list of the best 100 companies for the working mother. One of their requirements for application acceptance is that they offer at least one week of paid family leave or they must be on their way to implementing some sort of paid maternity leave. The list is great and proof that nothing I said here is pie-in-the-sky. Check the list of companies out here.
Here’s a wacky bonus tip: don’t touch your pregnant employee unless you ask. I once had a manager push in my protruding belly button because she thought it was odd and cute. Please stop doing these things. It doesn’t bode well for anyone involved.
What are some innovative arrangements or policies you have implemented to support your pregnant or even new mother employees?
*Statistics from MomRising.org- http://www.momsrising.org/issues_and_resources/maternity
by Janine Nicole Dennis | Oct 17, 2013 | Life
Unless you have been in hibernation, you have likely been tuned into the government shutdown showdown happening in Washington over our debt crisis. I won’t address the politics of this situation, but rather the leadership lessons.
This shutdown despite the reasons purported for its existence is something that has crippled many and nearly crippled others. It has crippled people- if not with the mere fear of the repercussions of our congressmen and women’s decision-making then most certainly by having one’s livelihood and means of supporting themselves temporarily stripped with furloughs.
Through it all, the handsomely compensated leaders in government wooed us with jargon like “we’re in this together or we understand how difficult this is.” Wooed may not be the right word maybe angered is better. Nevertheless, the reality couldn’t be any further from the truth for those affected by furloughs and the like. Still these leaders march on valiantly in ignorance making no progress until nearly the 11thhour.
When we speak about leadership it is important to note that the concept of leadership begs that we lead by example. It isn’t a moniker of entitlement whereby you get to hand down a different set of rules and values to those who follow you while you do the exact opposite.
In addition, you aren’t likely to engage people as every leader hopes to- when your sympathy is worn on your sleeve and you don’t have a clue or truly care about your employee’s realities. When you are paid a healthy salary along with perks and your employees are hardly compensated well for their efforts-face it- “we aren’t in this together.” There are very different vantage points at play.
Many of my colleagues and even I have spoken in the past about engagement and leading people from a place of compassion. It is not fluff or some warm and fuzzy HR concept. It’s a wake-up call and a call to action urging you to get your head out of the clouds and back on earth where humans (your employees) need you to recognize that their realities and your own are not one in the same.
That isn’t to say you should start throwing money and gas cards from your office chalet, but it is to say that these are difficult times in business and society and your success as a leader is heavily dependent on being able to mobilize and inspire people to work towards your mission, goals, and vision.
To get them there, you first have to see each of them as individuals and regard them highly as a fellow human being. Every decision or indecision you make affects your employees. The effects of your decisions or choices will not always be a crowd-pleaser. However, you do need to have the foresight and ability to see the different realities from where your employees sit-to gain and sustain credibility and respect with your staff. If you can lead in a way that makes the partnership meaningful for you and the employee, you will be on your way to a laying a crucial foundation for a great leadership and an engaged workforce.
Janine
