Talent Acquisition Excellence - June 2023

How To Improve Quality Of Hire In 4 Simple Steps

Defining

- Trevor Bogan, Regional Director, Top Employers Institute

- Gerlie Corachea, Director, Talent Pairing, Cyberbacker

Where Background Checks And Identity Verification Are Headed

From digital wallets to secure hiring: The evolution of identity verification

- Taylor Liggett, Head of Identity, Sterling

The

Economy

Is Scary.

Recruiting Doesn’t Have To Be.

Supporting employees in a period of economic turbulence

- Josh Millet, Founder and CEO, Criteria

The Recruiter’s Guide To Inclusive Onboarding

Steps every employer must take for equitable hiring to happen

- Dr. Elizabeth Wilson, Founder, Include Inc.

Top Picks 13 19 26 32

Graduate Programs: The Investment That Unlocks Your Organization’s Potential Building a future-ready workforce through graduate recruitment

- Matt Kirk, Owner, SHL

Editorial Purpose

Our mission is to promote personal and professional development based on constructive values, sound ethics, and timeless principles.

Excellence Publications

Debbie McGrath CEO, HR.com - Publisher

Sue Kelley Director (Product, Marketing, and Research)

Matt Charney Talent Acquisition Community Leader

Quality of Hire is A Myth.

This month’s issue of Talent Acquisition Excellence magazine is all about quality of hire, which makes sense, considering that so many recruiters continually rank this as the single most important metric driving relative recruiting success.

Babitha

Balakrishnan and Deepa Damodaran Excellence Publications Managers and Editors

Talent Acquisition Excellence Team

Matt Charney

Editor-in-Chief

Deepa Damodaran Editor

Arun Kumar R Design and Layout (Digital Magazine)

Chandra Shekar A K Magazine (Online Version)

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While this magazine contains insights and expertise from some of the world’s top experts in talent acquisition today on how to measure, manage and optimize for “quality of hire,” the truth of the matter is that, despite this term having become entrenched as a ubiquitous part of recruiting and hiring, no one has ever truly figured out how quality of hire is actually calculated.

There are quite a few theories out there, and most of them boil down to what amounts to little more than common sense. Yeah - making sure the candidate checks out on social media and doesn’t have anything too dirty in their digital footprint is probably going to improve quality.

And OK - psychometric or skills-based pre-hire assessments do a fairly effective job of ensuring that candidates can not only do the job they’re being hired for, but also, that they’re going to effectively align with the bigger business and company culture. So too does structured interviewing, background and digital verification checking and all the other quality controls we already have in place for quality of hire.

The thing is, though, because the concept of quality is subjective (and amorphous), there’s no shared ontology, no common definition, for what seems to be a simple and straightforward term. Everyone defines quality differently, making quality of hire more of a matter of perception than a meaningful recruiting metric - if you can’t agree on what you’re measuring, then there’s no point in doing that measurement whatsoever.

That, of course, doesn’t stop talent acquisition professionals and recruiting leaders from trying. But these efforts will continue to be Quioxtian, at best - but more likely, continue to represent a significant waste of time and resources.

TA organizations spend literally billions of dollars a year trying to make sure that every new hire is going to work out, but the truth of the matter is, voluntary turnover has remained largely consistent across industries for exempt or executive-level roles.

1 in 3 management hires leave the organization before their first anniversary, an average that’s barely moved in a decade or so. Another ⅓ of those hires who do stay (so we’re talking about only 33% of new leadership hires who are actually happy when they hit their first work anniversary) report regretting their decision to accept their current role.

The reasons they leave, or are so quickly disengaged, of course, are manifold. But since recruiters widely consider both disengagement and turnover to be perhaps the biggest factors factoring into the nebulous concept of “quality of hire,” then we have to ask ourselves where the impetus of quality of hire falls, and whether or not it’s even worth thinking about, much less measuring or trying to quantify as an actionable analytic. We have a 67% failure rate as recruiters in making sure our candidates are satisfied with their new roles, feel like they fit in, or are willing to stick around for the long haul. Those are much easier outcomes, of course, to solve for (and measure for) than the quality of hire.

Employee engagement is easily measured against a common standard. So, too, is voluntary turnover, net employee retention and related indicators such as referral volume or absenteeism. And if we can make a positive impact on that data, well, it’s pretty safe to guess that quality of hiring will noticeably increase, too.

Even if you can’t actually measure it. Enjoy this month’s magazine, and happy hunting.

In a world of unparalleled challenges (global pandemic, racial injustice, political rivalry, digital 4.0, emotional malaise), uncertainty reigns. Finding opportunity in this context requires harnessing uncertainty and harnessing starts with reliable, valid, timely, and useful information. The Excellence publications are a superb source of such information. The authors provide insights with impact that will guide thought and action.

Excellence publications are my ‘go-to’ resource for contemporary and actionable information to improve leadership, engagement, results, and retention. Each edition offers rich and diverse perspectives for improving the employee experience and the workplace in general.

I regularly read and contribute to Leadership Excellence and Talent Management Excellence. I use many of the articles I read to augment my own presentations and I often share the articles with my clients. They are always quick, right on target for the latest issues in my field, and appreciated by my clients. If you want to stay up to date on the latest HR trends, choose a few of the different issues from the Excellence series of publications.

We’re eager to hear your feedback on our magazines. Let us know your thoughts at ePubEditors@hr.com

Dave Ulrich

Rensis Likert Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Partner, The RBL Group

Julie Winkle Giulioni Author, Virtual /Live Keynote Presenter, Inc.’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers

Dr. Beverly Kaye CEO, BevKaye&Co.

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Talent Acquisition Excellence - Monthly Interactive Learning Journal

This monthly interactive learning experience captures key metrics, actionable items and keeps you focused on developing yourself and corporation as top leaders in the Talent Acquisition space.

Talent Acquisition Virtual Events

Talent Acquisition Virtual Events offer webcasts and demos on topics in any of the staffing related programs: Contract Workforce and Talent Exchanges, Online Staffing and Sourcing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, or Quality of Hire. Learn how to bring the right staffing and recruiting programs into your organization and make them impactful. Listen to the world’s top thought leaders in the staffing industry as they help companies make decisions in all areas of staffing and recruiting. Each Virtual Event consists of up to 10 credit webcasts.

Talent Acquisition Webcasts for Credit

HR.com webcasts deliver the latest Talent Acquisition industry news, research trends, best practices and case studies directly to your desktop. Webcasts are available live online with a downloadable podcast and a copy of the slides (PDF) available before and after each webcast. Earn all of the required recertification credits for aPHR, PHR, SPHR, GPHR, and SHRM Certifications. HR.com’s one-hour webcasts, in every HR specialty including Talent Acquisition, are pre-approved for HRCI and SHRM credit (excluding Demo webcasts).

Talent Acquisition Community

Join almost 55,000 HR.com members with a similar interest and focus on staffing and recruiting topics with one of the four staffing related online communities: Contract Workforce and Talent Exchanges, Online Staffing and Sourcing, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, or Quality of Hire. Share content and download research reports, blogs, and articles, network, and “follow” peers and have them “follow” you in a social network platform to communicate regularly and stay on top of the latest updates. This well established Community is an invaluable resource for any HR professional or manager.

How To Improve Quality Of Hire In 4 Simple Steps

Defining talent: Shaping future leaders for success

By Trevor Bogan, Top Employers Institute

recruiting, interviewing, and screening candidates can be a long and challenging process. Even worse, even if you get to the top of the talent pool, you might struggle to offer a personalized and engaging candidate experience.

Here we’ll break down each trend to help employers perfect their hiring approach and stand out from the crowd when it comes to recruiting top-tier talent.

Step 1: Define the Talent You’re Looking for

Asthe world of work continues to evolve, forward-thinking leaders are grappling with what to expect next and how to strengthen their teams in the meantime. Luckily, the Top Employers World of Work Trends Report provides three impactful trends employers can look to as a guiding light for implementing people practices into their hiring.

There’s a reason why we often hear that employees are the most valuable asset of any company. No matter how advanced your products, services, and techniques might be, you can only achieve success with the right people in the right roles. Unfortunately,

As we look ahead to the future, the roles of leaders will be vastly different. This is partly due to the rapid pace of technological advancements and the resulting impact on industries of all kinds. For leaders to be successful in this new landscape, they must possess a new set of strategic skills. Specifically, they must be able to understand the pulse of their organization and adjust their methods accordingly. Strategic leaders are already considering long-term goals, which start with the right talent.

The 2023 Top Employers Survey shows that 63% of Top Employers have a consistent leadership strategy, and 59% continuously offer personalized/ contextualized leadership development.

Before you start reaching out to candidates, it’s important to define what skills you’re looking for in a role to help your team reach future goals. Start with a job description that’s detailed and comprehensive. This will help you eliminate those that aren’t qualified and find those that best match the position that you’re hoping to fill. While experience and qualifications matter, it’s also important to consider soft skills, such as motivation, drive, and teamwork. These traits can help you find the best candidate who will fit your company culture.

Step 2: Attract the Right Candidates

Searching for candidates proactively and leveraging new social spaces and platforms is a necessary but daunting hurdle for top employers. Along with turning over new stones and testing new platforms, your employer brand should speak volumes on your behalf.

Along with perfecting your organization’s social media and career pages, ensure you’re aware of the discussions happening on websites like Glassdoor and other platforms. When you’re aware of how candidates and employees perceive your application

and interview processes, you can better identify what’s working with your brand and what’s working against it.

Step 3: Create a Personalized Candidate Experience

The worst thing for any interviewee is to feel as though they’re just a number: faceless and interviewed en masse. Job seekers today are looking for a personalized candidate experience, so considering more personalization can help you improve your brand and stand out from the crowd. Top Employer organizations offer a wide range of resources to empower and uplift their employees. These business leaders understand that personalization is essential for well-being and that each individual’s needs require individual solutions.

To set the tone of a personalized employee experience, which is a priority for top employers in 2023, start during the interview process. Organizations should extend their range of personalized offerings through communication preferences, interview preferences, and updates throughout the process.

Well-being also becomes more prominent in individual conversations ahead of a job offer, where leaders should discuss ideal work design and tailored technical support for career development, work-life balance, and health benefits.

Step 4: Prioritize Communication

From start to finish, it’s vital to remember that communication is key. Be sure to prioritize clear, consistent communication that can keep candidates in the loop about what’s happening throughout the recruiting process and beyond. Keep in touch with candidates between the various interview rounds, and make sure that you’re communicating the right expectations. The more transparent and honest you are during the interviewing process, the more you’re likely to win in terms of both employee loyalty and satisfaction.

Finally, remember that the hiring process doesn’t end when the interview is over. Prioritizing candidate personalization requires a follow-up with people who you don’t end up hiring as much as those you do. Writing personalized, professional follow-up emails can leave a positive impression on an interviewee, even if they didn’t get the job. These small touches not only reflect well on your brand but can also help to improve your future recruiting processes.

Final Thoughts

Recruiting top talent is undoubtedly a competitive space, but with the right approach, it can be a rewarding experience that leads to a stronger, more successful company. At the heart of this process is a commitment to engaging with people in a personalized and respectful way. By using the tips above, employers can create an environment that fosters trust, positive relationships, and, ultimately, the recruitment of the best talent for their open positions. So don’t wait, start incorporating these strategies into your hiring practices today!

To get a more in-depth view of competitive trends in the workplace and their implications on personalizing employee experiences, take a look at our World of Work Trends Report 2023, where we elaborate on these topics and more.

With over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition, Trevor Bogan serves as the Regional Director of the Americas at Top Employers Institute.

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LinkedIn versus Diversity

By Jason Starr, Ikiru People

Introduction

For the executive recruiter – be she working in an executive search firm on in a corporate setting - LinkedIn Recruiter is typically the “go to” tool for candidate sourcing purposes.

A huge population of (largely) accurate and up-todate profiles ensures that it is a great starting point. However, for the recruiter seeking to find a genuinely diverse candidate pool, the evidence suggests the nature of the platform may actually be doing recruiters a disservice.

The Challenge of Keyword Search

One of the primary features of LinkedIn Recruiter is its keyword search capability. In some recruiting contexts, the candidate sourcer is likely to focus more on hard skills – this is particularly the case in technical sourcing, for example. A Java Developer is likely to have “Java” as a skill in the skills section of her profile. It is a simple search.

Executive search is different.

Senior-level recruiting tends to be focused far more on finding candidates based on their experience. If I am looking to source a CMO for a furniture retailer, I am likely to seek candidates with exposure to that sector. “Furniture Retail Marketing” is not a recognized LinkedIn skill – so keywords come into play.

Of course, keyword search only works if candidates use the right keywords. The problem is, many do not. As a case in point, Jesper Brodin, the CEO of Ikea, does not use the keyword “furniture” anywhere on his profile.

Why is this relevant to diversity?

Simple. Using keywords inadvertently creates a bias in favor of individuals, who possess the most comprehensive profiles, which often tends to favor men over women.

Gender Disparity in Profile Keywords

Multiple studies have shown that men tend to have more keywords on their LinkedIn profiles compared to women. The most recent example of this was researched by the team at Talentis, who compared the “about” section of 250 female, U.S.-based VP-level individuals with that of 250 males. The result? The average male candidate had 10% more words than his female equivalent.

Why is this? Potentially a combination of factors, with suggestions including social conditioning, cultural expectations, and differences in self-promotion tendencies.

Men are more likely to explicitly mention specific skills, technologies, certifications, and achievements,

aligning with traditional gender norms that encourage assertiveness and self-promotion.

Conversely, women may downplay their achievements or lack confidence in self-promotion, resulting in fewer keywords associated with their profiles.

Whatever the reason for it, this disparity in keyword usage between genders creates an inherent disadvantage for women when recruiters rely heavily on keyword search functionalities within LinkedIn Recruiter.

Unintended Bias and Missed Opportunities

When recruiters predominantly rely on keyword search to identify potential candidates, they may unintentionally overlook highly qualified individuals who do not have the same keyword density as their male counterparts. Talented and capable candidates who possess valuable skills and experiences but fail to explicitly mention them in their profiles can be inadvertently excluded from the hiring process.

This unintended bias perpetuated by LinkedIn Recruiter can further exacerbate the underrepresentation of women in various industries and perpetuate gender disparities in the workplace. So, what is the solution?

The concept of augmented keywords is one approach. Essentially, this reduces the impact of a limited profile

by adding words to the profile that “should” be there. Unfortunately, LinkedIn Recruiter does not support this type of functionality – yet.

However, a variety of other products have been developed that do – one of them being Talentis. Talentis is specifically designed for executive-level recruiters and works by supplementing candidate profiles with additional information on the organizations for which a candidate has worked. The result can be as many as twice as many candidates being found on a search when compared to simply searching on LinkedIn Recruiter.

The team behind Talentis is running a series of webinars to explore this issue and showcase the Talentis platform. All attendees will receive free access to the platform for a week. To participate, register for one of the sessions below:

● June 27 – 9 AM Central / 10 AM Eastern –register here

● June 27 – 3 PM Pacific / 5 PM Central / 6 PM Eastern – register here

To book a one-to-one demo, register here

Jason Starr is the Chief Executive Officer of Ikiru People. Jason joined Dillistone Group in 1994, becoming Marketing Manager in 1996 and ManaQging Director of the UK business in 1998. Following an MBO, Jason became the Chief Executive of the Group. Dillistone Group develops and markets a range of rectec products via its Ikiru People brand - including Talentis executive search software. Jason was appointed a Non-Executive Director of AIM-listed PCIPAL PLC on January 1, 2015. Jason has a BA (Honours) business studies degree from the London Guildhall University.

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Where Background Checks And Identity Verification Are Headed

From digital wallets to secure hiring: The evolution of identity verification

By Taylor Liggett, Sterling

Employers are competing for top talent while balancing ever-evolving regulations, new types of work, and workplace risk. To meet hiring demands and provide a safe environment for employees, customers, and partners, identity verification as part of the background check is an integral part of the hiring process.

Identity Verification in Hiring: What Recruiters Need to Know

Let’s break down the difference between identity verification and background screening. It’s a common misconception that identity verification is included in a routine criminal background check. A criminal background check is dependent on candidates providing accurate identifying information at the beginning of the process, such as their Social Security number, name, and date of birth. Errors, whether they are accidental or intentional, can potentially go undetected and lead to incorrect background check results.

Incorporating an identity verification step early in the hiring process, before Form I-9, allows clients to conduct a more accurate search with the correct identity information and protect against rising identity

fraud; fraud losses in 2021 amounted to $5.8+ billion. At the most basic level, identity verification assesses whether the candidate is truthfully representing themselves.

There are multiple identity verification solutions available including verification via telecom and device, document and facial recognition, biographic data, live video chat ID proofing, and portable identity.

In today’s environment, a person may be hired and onboarded without ever meeting anyone in-person, so verifying the identity of a candidate is a vital step in the hiring process. 2020 was a catalyst for digital identity verification and innovation in tandem with the shift to remote work and the rise in identity fraud.

A few examples of fraud in the workplace include candidates hiding something from their background to get a job, such as a criminal record, and candidates hiring another person to do an interview for them or pass an assessment test when they are underqualified for the position. Another example of employee fraud is a candidate claiming to be someone else in the hiring process to gain access to a company’s proprietary systems, customer information, and software, which can put a company and its clients at risk.

Why Every Employer Needs to Invest in Identity Verification

Hiring challenges will continue to drive organizations to update their processes and invest in technology improvements to make hiring programs more efficient and engaging for job seekers. A recent survey of more than 1,200 HR and staffing professionals found that 89% of respondents are actively investing in new technology to streamline the candidate experience and automate hiring.

Identity verification provides a better candidate experience by minimizing the amount of manual data collection, accelerating the screening process to deter candidate drop-off, and allowing verification to be completed remotely. By modernizing the hiring process, HR staff can use time formerly spent on manual tasks to focus on their candidate experience journey and engage in meaningful touchpoints.

Automation Meets Verification

There is a shift from transactional, one-time identity verification to a network-based, portable digital identity. The promise of a reusable digital identity is exciting. It means that individuals can go through the verification once and be able to reuse it in different instances, such as government applications, business forms, and employment. This process removes friction without reducing the level of security.

Think of using digital wallets to apply for jobs like having TSA PreCheck to go through airport security. Once completed, the process is expedited. Rather than candidates having to spend time reverifying credentials such as a college degree or re-enter their information each time they apply for a new job, they can share items from their digital wallet with a potential employer.

Once their information is verified, they can choose the data they share with potential employers, government agencies, and businesses. This brings privacy-preserving principles where individuals have control over their own information.

Digital Identity Isn’t Just for Hiring

In general, people are becoming more familiar with digital identity verification, not only in applying for jobs but also with personal tasks like opening a bank account or booking an Airbnb. According to our research, it takes 30 seconds on average for candidates to complete the pre-verified process and 90 seconds to complete a new identity verification process.

As technology advances and more organizations adopt digital identity in their workflows, more attributes can be verified and stored on an individual’s digital wallet. Hiring strategies and processes will continue to evolve to keep pace with technology and candidate experience.

Sterling is not a law firm. This publication is for informational purposes only and nothing contained in

it should be construed as legal advice. We expressly disclaim any warranty or responsibility for damages arising out of this information. We encourage you to consult with legal counsel regarding your specific needs. We do not undertake any duty to update previously posted materials.

Taylor Liggett is the Head of Identity at Sterling. With more than a decade of domestic and international experience in background screening, identity, and biometrics, he brings a unique perspective to the emerging and rapidly evolving identity space. Prior to joining Sterling, Taylor led the global account management operation for ADP’s background screening and I-9 services division. Taylor also serves as a member of the Forbes Business Council.

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HR STARTUP PROFILE

Meet some of the newest startups in the HR space. What is their story? What value do they bring to the HR industry? How do they ease the day-to-day tasks of HR professionals? Learn these and more.

Founded: 2022

Company: PEO Marketplace

Founder: Guillermo “Gil” Triana

Headquarters: Miami, FL

No. of employees: 5

HR Vertical: PEO

Guillermo “Gil” Triana Founder

PEO Marketplace: Simplifying Ideal PEO Search

Tell us the story behind the company.

Guillermo: After working in the professional employer organization (PEO) industry for over a decade and participating on both sides of many PEO transactions as a buyer and seller, I realized that businesses needed a better way to find and compare PEO services.

This is when peo-marketplace.com was born. I wanted to create a seamless and transparent experience where clients can easily find and compare various PEO providers and receive expert guidance throughout their buying journey all at little to no cost to them.

All too often I’ve seen clients “sold” on a specific PEO provider without truly understanding the relationship, terms, or costs associated. Clients should never have to be sold PEO services as the value a PEO provides is very high for certain employers. PEO-marketplace. com becomes a client’s trusted PEO advisor to uncover the good, the bad and the ugly so we can make sure that the PEO options we bring back to the client meet all of their requirements.

Our goal with every client is to give them back control over the PEO buying process and help them make confident and informed business decisions. When clients work with us they leverage our knowledge, expertise and transparency. We help clients through the entire PEO buying process from identifying, comparing and analyzing different providers to onboarding and beyond with tailored 1 to 1 expert guidance to ensure we help them enter into the right PEO arrangement.

New trends that you see in the HR market that you could be catering to?

Guillermo: New trends that we see in the HR market have to do with the continuing rise of remote work and hiring talent overseas. In addition to PEO selection services, we also offer employer of record (EOR) selection services for companies that want to hire talent internationally and do so compliantly.

What improvement are you planning to your solutions?

Guillermo: Right now we are continuing to expand our PEO and EOR network of providers we work with to ensure we can offer the best options to clients.

Could you please share a case study?

Guillermo:

● With 105 employees, Premier Property Group, a property management company, was growing and expanding throughout the U.S. With expansion came increased state and federal compliance. Therefore, they needed a robust HR infrastructure with multi-state presence and multi-state HR assistance. In addition, they needed a more competitive benefit package that would work nationally to help them attract the best employees. As a result, PEO-marketplace.com was able to place them with a national PEO that met all their criteria to assist them in their growth and multi-state operation, including a robust HRIS system to assist them in managing their workforce and dedicated personnel. In addition, they were able to save over $135k in annual savings on their worker comp, and state unemployment taxes.

● Global Supplies, a 115-employee wholesaler, wanted to reduce their worker’s comp and health insurance expenses and had never explored PEO options before PEO-marketplace matched them with their ideal PEO and helped them save over $150k.

● Metro CPAs LLC, a 20-employee CPA firm, was looking for HR infrastructure to pair with their growth, seamless electronic employee onboarding and self-service process, and Fortune 500 caliber benefit packages to attract and retain top talent in a highly competitive job market. PEO-marketplace identified and assisted in onboarding them to a PEO that allowed them to have the infrastructure and benefit packages of a CPA firm 3x their size.

QWhat are the market pain points that you address?

Guillermo: The PEO market is vast, specialized, and with no two providers exactly the same. It can be difficult for employers to pinpoint the provider that best meets their needs. Most businesses looking for PEO services have limited industry insight. They often simply solicit brand name providers on their own and struggle in comparing and identifying key differences not knowing whether they are getting a fair offer from the various PEOs. PEO-marketplace.com does the heavy lifting for clients in terms of identifying, comparing, analyzing costs, services, and terms all to find the right PEO provider for them.

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The Economy Is Scary. Recruiting Doesn’t Have To Be.

Supporting employees in a period of economic turbulence

By Josh Millet, Criteria

Despite stubbornly high inflation and other forms of economic volatility, companies have continued to hire at a rapid rate. This has given job-seekers an advantage over employers in the labor market and fueled rising wages, but has also been accompanied by higher inflation. Even as the labor market has proven to be remarkably resilient, however, higher interest rates, higher costs of living and rising household debt have created high levels of anxiety for those currently looking for work.

While the labor market remains strong overall, job growth has slowed somewhat from the record high levels of 2022, and this is beginning to show up in candidate sentiment. The 2023 Criteria Candidate Experience Report – which is based on a survey of more than 2,000 candidates around the world – found that 17 percent of job-seekers say they’ve been laid off over the past year. Forty-one percent of candidates say finding a job has become more difficult compared with last year, while just 12 percent say it has become easier.

There are, however, still around two jobs for every candidate who is actively seeking work, and this has remained consistent since October 2021. This means recruiters are still locked in an intense competition for talent, and candidates are benefiting in the form of more options and better compensation. But HR teams shouldn’t ignore the strain many candidates are

under (especially in certain industries, such as tech), and they need to account for economic instability and unpredictability in the year ahead.

Candidates Face an Uncertain Economic Environment

A tight labor market benefits candidates in many ways – it gives them greater negotiating power, drives up wages, and offers a wider array of professional options. But this shouldn’t obscure the fact that candidates and employees have been through an extremely arduous and stressful few years. The COVID-19 pandemic led to mass job displacement, permanently changed how and where employees work, and continues to wreak economic havoc.

While the personal savings rate spiked during the pandemic, it has since fallen well below pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, credit card debt in the U.S. has surged to $1 trillion – an all-time high, and a 17 percent increase from a year ago. As inflation remains high, employees are feeling the consequences – the proportion who say compensation isn’t keeping up with the cost of living jumped from 41 percent in 2021 to 59 percent in 2023. Almost three-quarters of employees seek financial guidance from companies, which presents an opportunity for recruiters and HR teams to demonstrate their commitment to employee well-being.

Finding a job is difficult in any economy, and this one is no exception. The most successful recruiters acknowledge the financial challenges candidates face, have open discussions about the best ways they can offer support, and provide transparency around salary and benefits. These are key elements of the candidate experience, which is more important than ever for attracting talent.

Assessing and Addressing Candidates’ Unique Circumstances

Candidates aren’t interchangeable with one another. Their employment prospects and financial situations are heavily dependent upon the industries they are in, their professional aspirations, ages, and a range of other variables. For example, while 17 percent of candidates say they have been laid off within the past year, this proportion rises to 20 percent for job-seekers in the technology industry. This finding is consistent with the spate of layoffs that have shaken the tech world over the past several months, a trend that shows little sign of slowing down.

There’s also a significant experience gap: 14 percent of candidates with one to three years of experience say they have been laid off, but almost one-fifth of candidates with over 15 years of experience say the same. Candidates who have been in the job market for longer are disproportionately likely to say finding a job is more difficult than it was a year ago. While 30 percent who’ve been searching for less than a month say the process is more difficult, this proportion rises to 63 percent for those who have been searching for seven to twelve months.

Recruiters shouldn’t automatically dismiss candidates who have gaps in their resumes – they should instead try to understand why these gaps exist and evaluate each candidate holistically. Objective and predictive hiring tools such as pre-employment assessments and structured interviews allow HR teams to go beyond resumes and determine how well candidates will likely perform in a role.

Transparency and Communication Are Critical

Although the headlines are filled with incessant talk of inflation, recession, and other economic woes, candidates remain optimistic overall. Eighty-eight percent are confident that they will be able to find a satisfying new job (including over two-thirds who are very confident), while 81 percent expect that they will be paid enough in their next role. The recruiters that provide clear and consistent communication about salary, benefits, and other aspects of the role (such as remote work options) will keep candidates engaged throughout the hiring process.

The Criteria survey found that the top reason candidates abandon the recruitment process is poor communication from an employer. Beyond a lack of communication, the main causes of negative candidate experiences are misrepresentations of job requirements and salaries.

This is consistent with other findings, such as a 2022 survey which found that 98 percent of workers say companies should put salary ranges in job postings. A majority wouldn’t even apply to a company that

doesn’t provide this information. Candidates have always been focused on transparency around salary and benefits, but this is particularly true as inflation cuts into their earning power and the economy contracts.

A strong labor market has helped employees navigate a period of global economic turmoil, but many are still under immense financial pressure. While jobs outnumber workers roughly two-to-one, we are in a multi-speed labor market in which certain industries are struggling and others are still hiring very actively. Recruiters and HR teams need to take all these factors into consideration as they update their hiring processes, and they should be transparent with candidates at every step.

Josh Millet is the Founder and CEO of Criteria Corp

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ChatGPT: A Recruiter And Hiring Manager’s Best Friend

Four ways generative AI can make you more efficient in your role

By Matt Parkin, FindWRK

The HR industry is constantly evolving and adapting to new trends and technologies. One of the most exciting and transformative technologies to emerge in recent years is generative AI. Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize HR operations by automating timeconsuming, repetitive tasks and providing insights that can help

HR professionals make more informed decisions.

Generate Interview Rubrics

One of the main benefits of generative AI in HR is the ability to reduce bias and save time during the recruitment process. For example, generating inter-

view rubrics for teams that may not already have them can help reduce bias and ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly and consistently. This can be especially helpful when hiring for positions that require a specific set of skills or experience, as the rubric can help identify the most qualified candidates more quickly and efficiently.

Create Training Scenarios

Another way that generative AI can be used to save time is by creating training scenarios to diversify and improve onboarding and training. This can be particularly useful in industries where the workforce is constantly evolving and new skills are needed to keep up with changing trends and technologies. Employees can also use this to reflect on scenarios they experience and how they could have responded differently.

Identify Transferable Skills

Generative AI can also be used to screen for transferable skills, which can be especially helpful in industries that are experiencing a short-

age of qualified candidates. HR professionals can expand the pool of qualified candidates and fill critical positions more quickly and efficiently with the ability to recognize applicants with transferable skills from other industries.

Personalize Development Plans

Finally, generative AI can be used to personalize development plans for employees, empowering managers to quickly suggest growth and training opportunities and resources for their team. If employees are feeling lost, ChatGPT can serve as a personal coach to help

them explore the next steps in their career growth and alleviate coaching time from peers. For example, one can explain to ChatGPT their strengths and areas for improvement, and ask it for suggestions on what they can do to upskill in their industry.

In conclusion, generative AI has the potential to transform HR operations by automating time-consuming tasks, reducing bias, and providing insights that can help HR professionals make more informed decisions. By leveraging the power of generative AI, HR professionals can streamline their operations, improve employee engagement and retention, and support business growth. The four strategies outlined above are just a few examples of how generative AI can be used to improve HR operations, and there are countless other possibilities waiting to be explored. As the HR industry continues to evolve and adapt, it will be exciting to see how generative AI is used to shape the future of HR.

Matt Parkin is the Business Development Lead at FindWRK. He helps employers quickly connect with hourly employees without needing a job posting. Would you like to comment?

HRCI® & SHRM® CERTIFICATION PREP COURSES

GROUP RATES AVAILABLE

For HR Professionals

Show that management values the importance of the HR function, and has a commitment to development and improvement of HR staff.

Ensure that each person in your HR department has a standard and consistent understanding of policies, procedures, and regulations.

Place your HR team in a certification program as a rewarding team building achievement.

For Your Organization

Certified HR professionals help companies avoid risk by understanding compliance, laws, and regulations to properly manage your workforce.

HR Professionals lead employee engagement and development programs saving the company money through lower turnover and greater productivity and engagement.

A skilled HR professional can track important KPIs for the organization to make a major impact on strategic decisions and objectives, including: succession planning, staffing, and forecasting.

Why Certification is the Best Choice:

1 Less expensive than a masters or PhD program, and very manageable to prepare with flexible study options.

2. Recertification - ensures HR professionals continue to be up to speed on the latest legislation and best practices

3. Recognized, Industry benchmark, held by 500,000+ HR Professionals

Group Rate Options

We offer group rates for teams of 5+ or more for our regularly scheduled PHR/SPHR/ SHRM or aPHR courses.

For groups of 12+, we can design a more customized experience that meets your organization’s needs. You can have scheduling flexibility in terms of the days, times, and overall length of the course.

Groups rates for HRCI exams are also available as an add-on.

All group purchases come with 1 year of HR Prime membership for each attendee to gain the tools and updates needed to stay informed and compliant.

The Recruiter’s Guide To Inclusive Onboarding

Steps every employer must take for equitable hiring to happen

By Dr. Elizabeth Wilson, Include Inc.

According to the McKinsey 2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives report, employers need more clarity on what works — and what doesn’t — to improve inclusion in the workplace. The first days of a new job can be fraught with nerves, confusion, and many unknowns from the side of the employee, while the employer is learning about the person they hired, wanting them to feel welcomed and part of the team from day one.

The truth, however, is that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work actually begins before the employee is hired and should continue throughout the employee’s time at the organization. With better attention to the steps necessary to ensure robust DEI standards, employers can offer inclusive onboarding to new employees, setting the stage for a positive employee experience.

Inclusion Matters

According to a 2020 study by Yello, 64% of job seekers stated that a potential employer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion was an important factor in their choice to accept a job offer from a certain organization.

DEI initiatives put into practice from the start of the hiring process are important because not only do they ensure more equitable opportunities for traditionally underrepresented identities, but also prepare potential

employees for what to expect from your company’s culture. They can decide if your company is a good fit for them, and know right away what a company values.

But an inclusive recruitment process is not enough and must continue throughout the appointment and onboarding process, lest people feel as if being hired led to a “bait and switch” situation. What was promised during the hiring of the employee needs to come to fruition within the welcoming of the new employee into the fold.

Inclusive Onboarding: 7 New Strategies for New Hire Success

Everyone — from HR to the manager to the other employees on the new hire’s team — is responsible for demonstrating the organization’s commitment to inclusion during the onboarding process. According to one study, employees who went through a structured, inclusive onboarding program were 58% more likely to still be with the organization after three years.

Onboarding is important because it helps new employees become accustomed to their new work environment, navigate and contribute to the company culture, and become effective in their new role. An inclusive onboarding experience makes employees feel supported and that they belong.

Here are seven tips to help your onboarding process be welcoming and inclusive.

1. Make sure they can hit the ground running

Helping new employees prepare for their first day ahead of time lets them know about key workplace details in advance so they know what to expect. For example, are there any particular workplace safety requirements — like wearing closed-toed shoes — they need to be aware of? Are there nearby accessible options for getting food throughout the day, or any details about where to park or how to access nearby public transport options?

Ensure you ask if there is any support they will need either getting to or accessing your workplace and, of course, mutually agree on the time they should arrive at the office. Also, ensure that any access card your new employee needs to enter your workplace is ready and working!

2. Make sure their workplace works

Your new employee needs to hit the ground running in their role on their first day. This means having an equipped, clean, safe workspace ready for them to use.

In an office environment, this might include any relevant phone or computer equipment, an appropriate desk and chair, and any other accommodations or equipment requested by the employee. You should also make sure any critical software is installed on the new employee’s computer ahead of time.

For roles that are not office-based, this might include safety equipment or materials, a demonstration or training for key equipment or processes, along with any specific equipment or adjustments requested by the employee.

All of this needs to be organized and ready before the employee’s first day.

3. Take the pain out of new hire paperwork

Always have any necessary paperwork organized ahead of the employee’s starting date. Nothing wastes time and leaves a bad impression like having to chase forms and manuals on a new employee’s first day, including any tax or superannuation forms, employee handbooks, or training manuals.

If the employee needs an email account or access to an internal intranet or shared drives, ensure these are organized and ready to go. It’s hard for new employees to get up to speed in their new role if they don’t have access to the information they need.

4. Coordinate with coworkers

It’s important to introduce your new employee to their team and key members of staff during their first day. This may be via an all-team or all-staff email, an in-person group introduction, or individual one-on-one introductions.

When thinking about these introductions, it’s really important to ask the new employee which approach they would be most comfortable with. Make sure you consider and accommodate the new employee’s preference.

5. Set expectations early

Making sure that your new employee is aware of the organization’s values and code of conduct regarding workplace and staff interactions is critically important when they begin. It will make expectations about their behavior, and the behavior of others, clear and set the tone for what’s appropriate in your workplace.

The new employee should also be briefed on how to report any unacceptable behavior and the process for responding to, and acting on, these reports.

6. Give them the tools to thrive

During the onboarding process, you should revisit the responsibilities for the role of the new employee. In addition to setting the expectations, this is a good

opportunity to discuss with your employee how they would like to work and evolve in their role.

As part of this conversation, you should also identify and discuss with your new employee if any training for new skills is required or if there are any development opportunities they would like to pursue. If there are, make sure these are prioritized and scheduled as soon as practical.

You should also discuss any probation period, the evaluation process, and how and when performance reviews will take place.

7. Onboarding isn’t the end - It’s the beginning

Successfully onboarding new employees and helping them settle into their role takes time, so it’s important to check in with them often. Scheduling regular catch-ups gives them the opportunity to air any concerns and for you to receive feedback on their progress. Make sure that you follow up on any concerns or feedback that you receive.

It’s also important to help keep the employee motivated and engaged, so make sure that their success is celebrated and recognized.

The long-term impacts of inclusive onboarding cannot be overstated. In the age of The Great Resignation and worldwide labor shortages, an inclusive hiring and onboarding program can help an organization create the conditions for diverse talent to be engaged and thrive in their roles.

Would you like to comment?

Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Wilson is a behavioral scientist, organizational transformation expert, and founder of Include Inc.

Compatibility Test: Why Personality Assessments Make Every New Hire The Perfect Match

Personality assessment for effective talent pairing

By Gerlie Corachea, Cyberbacker

Iwill never tell anyone that talent pairing is easy. Doing so effectively requires you to delve into the details of each open position and each candidate to discover what makes each one tick, the work they do best, and the tasks they enjoy most. Then, you can match your clients to the virtual assistants or other employees in your organization with the skills, values, and training they need.

To achieve this, your company needs to develop a value-based personality assessment to screen each applicant. In a hiring role, such an assessment allows you to screen job candidates and get a sense of whether they’ll be a good fit for your company culture. When pairing internal talent with new roles and responsibilities, these

assessments help you match employees to the most fulfilling work they can perform and ensure teams work together as effectively as possible.

Identify the Right Talent for a Job with Personality Profiles

Personality profiles are the first step in focusing your talent search. Today, technological advances and remote workplace environments enable you to take advantage of a global talent pool. If your company leverages work-life counterbalance, geographic flexibility, and a hybrid workplace environment to attract top talent, you will likely have a steady stream of applicants. In fact, according to Distribute Consulting, employers who advertise remote jobs

see applications increase by approximately 3,000%.

A full interview roster is a blessing and a curse. As you scan through hundreds or thousands of applications, the bullet points on those resumés begin to blur, so it helps to have more precise criteria to narrow the pool.

Personality profiles enable you to see at a glance who is best suited for a role and who will enjoy the work most. For example, if you are looking for an administrative position, you will focus on finding candidates who are more task-oriented and efficient at multitasking. If you need an enthusiastic salesperson or customer representative, keep your focus on outgoing and open candidates.

With personality assessments, you can screen for people who will be analytical, detail-oriented, team players, or good communicators much faster than you can with traditional resumés or interviews alone. This, in turn, helps you streamline the talent pairing process once a candidate’s onboarding process is complete.

Design More Effective Interviews with Personality Assessments

After narrowing your talent pool, personality profiles enable you to hone your interview process. The more thorough your interviews are, the more insight they uncover about your candidates.

Resumés can shed light on work experience and skill sets, but effective interviews dig deeper. In addition to crafting questions about your candidate’s experience, word your questions in such a way that enables you to uncover more details about their character and soft skills, such as emotional intelligence and communication.

Personality profiles help you identify specific questions to ask. Rather than running down a list of generic interview questions, you can meet candidates with questions individually tailored to their personalities. This ensures that you receive an accurate sense of each candidate and how

they will fit into your organization’s culture before onboarding. Essentially, managers who ask the right questions find the right candidates.

Create Stronger Teams with Personality Profiles

As you begin to pair talent with groups and individuals, you can use personality profiling to find people who complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses and build productive teams. This allows you to best balance conflicting personalities across teams and departments to ensure each pairing can work together seamlessly.

For example, some of your applicants may be driven by the need to achieve order, routine, and structure in their work, while others are motivated by a desire to acquire knowledge, learn, and grow. As you pair candidates and clients, you must match their motivations to make their work as effective as possible.

Improve Company Culture with Personality Profiles

The most successful companies have clear values and strong cultures and align their employees around those values. The best way to do this in your organization is by using personality profiles as part of your hiring process.

Personality profiles help you to pair people who are the best fit with each other, the responsibilities of their role, their managers, and their supervisors. This ensures new hires come eager

to contribute to the team and the company’s mission from day one onboarding.

Boost Retention with Personality Profiles

Many companies struggle to attract suitable candidates — even those with a strong recruitment process can end up with employees who don’t fit into the company culture. For example, you may hire someone who has the skills for a job but doesn’t mesh well with other members of your team. This leads to unhappy employees who feel undervalued, which can subsequently lead to higher turnover rates.

Personality profiling helps you attract the right people to your company and ensure they stay. Before hiring, these assessments enable employers to accurately think through the responsibilities of a job and identify the traits that

make up their ideal candidate profile.

Before the interview process begins, be sure to advise your clients to touch base with every candidate in the pool. In this short meeting, they define their expectations for the role and address the qualities they are looking for in a virtual assistant. A thorough understanding of the work ahead enables both parties to enter the partnership with clear expectations. Working relationships are far more likely to succeed when parties talk through responsibilities.

While the process of creating and implementing a personality profile may seem like a lot of work, the ROI is worth the time and resources this will require. As a result, you will hire better employees, develop stronger teams, improve company culture, and boost retention rates.

The bottom line is that personality profiles help you attract and retain the best people for your company. And when you have the right team in place, your business can thrive in any market.

Would you like to comment?

Gerlie Corachea is the Director of Talent Pairing at Cyberbacker.

Graduate Programs: The Investment That Unlocks Your Organization’s Potential

Building a future-ready workforce through graduate recruitment

By Matt Kirk, SHL

Aseconomic instability increases, employers are looking to leverage their workforce differently. Graduates can be the foundation for building a strong and dynamic workforce that is equipped to meet your organization’s current and future needs.

Companies continue to increasingly invest in early career talent and graduate recruitment programs as key drivers for innovation and growth. Graduate recruitment is a crucial aspect of talent acquisition that creates the kind of future-ready workforce your company needs to get ahead of the curve - and the competition.

If you’re hiring recent grads, or are thinking about implementing a graduate hiring program, then there are some key considerations your company needs to consider when considering college hiring and graduate recruitment.

3 Ways to Win at Graduate Hiring

Extensive research suggests that there are three key aspects of graduate recruitment that are critical for making sure there’s a match when considering a candidate. These are, simply, fit - how well the candidate aligns with the organization’s vision and

values; readiness to succeed on the job today while developing their future potential.

Let’s break these considerations down a little more.

1. Organisational fit

The first aspect of graduate recruitment is fit. This refers to the compatibility of an individual’s values, attitudes, and work style with the company’s culture and core values. A good fit between the employee and the company can result in higher job satisfaction, better performance, and lower turnover.

Companies should take the time to understand the values and culture of their organization and look for candidates who share in these—you can be sure that candidates are doing the same during their search.

2. Ready for the job

While graduates will need development over time, it’s important to ensure they will be productive and able to contribute from the first day of joining your organization. Companies should prioritize finding early career talent who possess the skills and attributes necessary to excel in their role from the outset.

By hiring candidates who are ready to hit the ground running, companies can streamline their onboarding processes and reduce the time it takes for new hires to become fully competent in their roles. This will lead to improved productivity, increased job satisfaction, and smoother integration into the organization.

3. Future Potential

Graduates bring a unique set of skills, a fresh perspective, and the potential for growth and advancement. As they are just starting out in their careers, they have the potential to develop into highly skilled and motivated employees who can contribute significantly to the company’s success.

There has always been a focus on potential when it comes to graduate recruitment. but has the type of potential needed now changed?

The concept of potential in graduate recruitment continues to evolve. Previously, the potential was primarily associated with a graduate’s ability to advance within the organization and assume leadership positions. However, in today’s fast-paced and constantly changing workplace, the potential also

encompasses a graduate’s adaptability and success in various roles.

This shift in focus emphasizes skills-based hiring, as employers seek candidates with the foundational soft skills essential for success across roles. These skills, such as communication and teamwork, are highly valued because they are transferable and can be applied in different contexts.

What to Expect in Graduate Recruitment and Campus Hiring in 2023 (and Beyond)

To help organizations understand more about graduates, we conducted a recent analysis assessment scores from over 20,000 graduates across the globe. With this talent insight, we can show the areas of strength and development against those that are critical for success in the workplace today— and guidance on how to use this information.

Our analysis shows graduates’ most common strengths are the ability to: Take Responsibility, Cope with Setbacks and Criticism, and Adapt to Change Interestingly, our findings challenge the common belief that this generation tends to display lower resilience than previous generations.

The three key areas for development are how to Use Time Efficiently, Strive to Achieve, and Analyze Information. One possible explanation for this could be linked to challenges faced in staying motivated and working in remote or hybrid environments. Organizations should consider these three competencies when designing onboarding and development plans.

Insights from assessments are important for identifying strengths and areas of development. Sharing individual reports with graduate candidates as part of the hiring process will help them learn more about themselves.

Similarly, successful candidates and Hiring Managers should use and discuss these insights as part of onboarding. Managers should consider developmental activities and leverage strengths through individualized task assignment activities and motivational stretch opportunities that allow them to collaborate and do meaningful work early in the employee journey.

Graduate recruitment plays an essential role in the development and success of any organization. In combination with the three key factors described earlier as critical during graduate recruitment,

organizations can use assessment data to better understand individuals and inform professional growth and onboarding activities.

By considering these aspects of their graduate, companies can build a workforce that is agile, future-ready, and equipped to handle the ever-changing demands of the market. With the right mix of talent, companies can meet current needs, prepare for future challenges, and capitalize on growth opportunities.

Graduate recruitment is an investment in the future success of the company.

Matt Kirk is the Owner of Talent Acquisitions Solutions at SHL. He holds expertise in product management, sales, developing SaaS platforms, solution creation and leading teams.

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