How Staffing Agencies Can Maximize LinkedIn

How Staffing Agencies Can Maximize LinkedIn Theres no shortage of staffing agencies out there, but few maximise the use of LinkedIn for business building and and general branding.  Trying to keep a network of candidates and clients who will really only need you sporadically can be difficult. Thats when it becomes imperative to stay interesting and relevant, making yourself a must-follow organisation. Global recruiting giant Hays is pretty much hitting this nail head-on  right now. The  group was recently recognised as the most  socially engaged staffing agency on LinkedIn globally!  Hays  has over 9,000 staff and operates from 252 offices in 33 countries across 20 industries. Last year  67,000 candidate were placed in permanent jobs through Hays, and around 220,000 people into temporary assignments. Its safe to say Let me introduce you to  Catherine Gutsell. She heads up Hays social media and content strategy at group level and was more than happy to share the success story with me. Keep reading for her take on how Hays scored no. 1 spot on LinkedIns social staffing agencies list, as well as a bunch of takeaways, too. You can also listen to the interview on iTunes, SoundCloud or keep reading for a summary. Finally, dont forget to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast. Catherine tells us how Hays does it: We, like all brands, have seen the way that our customers communicate has evolved; hence social media is a key strategic priority for our business, across all countries and regions. Our social media presence is large, and has historically been focused on LinkedIn, but we are seeing some fantastic growth across our other social channels â€" this large reach helps widen our talent pool, making it easier and quicker for us to find the right candidates for our clients. Social media numbers: 1.5m LinkedIn followers â€" we have more followers than brands such as Facebook, Pepsico, BP, Dell and Johnson Johnson 126 LinkedIn groups â€" 279k members 10 Slideshare accounts â€" 2.1m views 60 Twitter accounts â€" 79k followers 40 Facebook pages â€" 83k 24 Google+ pages  â€" 3m views YouTube channels  â€" 875k views The focus of my role is to implement and refine our global social and content strategy with the aim attracting clients and candidates to Hays, and ensuring that Hays is front of mind for anyone looking for a new role, or building a team. As such, a big part of my role is focused on content â€" from idea conception, to creation, to promotion, to repurposing to measurement â€" I’m involved in the entire process at a global level. My obsession over the past few years has been on creating high quality content which helps our audience tackle a challenge they are facing, or helps them solve a problem â€" we use social media to provide our audience with something of value, every day without fail. We also ensure that each piece of content works as hard for us as possible â€" for instance, once we publish a new blog post, we will also repurpose this onto Slideshare, into visual social graphics and into a LinkedIn Publisher blog â€" this ensures the reach of our content is maximised, with little effort. We operate a ‘Hum, Sing and Shout’ content marketing model across social media. Hum, being our everyday content which we share daily, Sing, being our bigger content assets such as salary guides, and Shout, being our bigger brand-led pieces such as the Hays Global Skills Index. What are your overall business objectives and challenges? To develop long-lasting relationships with our audience, so that we are seen as their trusted advisor throughout their careers. The challenge here is that in some cases, a candidate can become a client, so we need to take this journey into account. Using social media to nurture talent pools. Increase consultant productivity to ultimately enable our consultants get the best candidates to clients faster than anyone else. Clients and candidates interact with us in multiple evolving ways, using various channels and it is part of our philosophy to recognise and quickly respond to these trends. One of these trends has been social media, especially LinkedIn. Therefore, we actively educate and empower our consultants to actively share jobs they are recruiting for and content with their networks every day. By encouraging our employees to share Hays content with their LinkedIn networks, we are reaching a wider audience, as our employees. This has been a challenge as social media activity is not always front of mind for our recruitment consultants. Maintaining our leading position in mature markets such as the UK and Australia, and increasing exposure to less mature markets. One of the key challenges we face from a content marketing point of view is addressing the issue of languages, and striking the right balance between regional and globally relevant content How did Hays  become the most socially engaged staffing agency on LinkedIn? Our content â€" we have the highest LinkedIn content marketing score in our industry. The Content Marketing Score â€" is a measurement of how our audience engages with our content across the different facets of LinkedIn, including our LinkedIn company page, employee shares, employee blog posts and in LinkedIn groups. Every day, across each of these facets of LinkedIn, we share high quality content, which helps our audience tackle a challenge they are facing, or helps them solve a problem â€" we use social media to provide our audience with something of value. We make sure our social sharing copy speaks directly to our audience which grabs attention in busy newsfeeds. We publish content that is  varied in formats â€" blog posts, Slideshares, reports, video, graphics as well as mobile and tablet optimised.  We actively ask our audience what they want us to write about, and take their comments on board. Moreover, were  constantly  measuring, refining and improving content. We do all of this consistently, and it is what our audience has come to expect of us. Buy-in from senior stakeholders across the business â€" starting with Alistair Cox, our CEO. Our managing directors understand the value of LinkedIn, they advocate its use, are personally active, which sets a great example to our consultant population, which leads me on to my third point. Our recruiters actively use LinkedIn â€"  we educate and empower our consultants to use LinkedIn every day to engage with clients and candidates. We have a very strong training team at Hays â€" and that starts with new joiners â€" new starters are training on how to set up an effective LinkedIn profile, and provided with top tips on how to maximise LinkedIn as a candidate generation and business development tool. This training is delivered through a variety of factsheets, face-to-face training and webinars. We also train our consultants on how to create an effective online personal brand by connecting with relevant people, joining relevant groups and sharing interesting and relevant content. Employee advocacy on social  â€" we provide our consultants with the tools to share relevant content consistently on social media, in a time efficient way and in a way that demonstrates the results of social sharing to them. Why? Employees who are socially engaged are 57% more likely to generate more leads and content shared by employees drives 8x higher engagement than company content. Finally, we also have nearly 100 employees actively using LinkedIn Publisher to post blogs â€" in October alone, this generated 173k page views and 18.9k interactions. What’s the ROI on being socially engaged and how do you measure it? Some of the stats shared by LinkedIn include: Hays LinkedIn followers are 3x more likely to apply for a Hays job after viewing it than non-Hays followers Hays followers are 75% more likely to respond to an InMail sent by Hays than if they were not a follower of Hays 12.2% of Hays followers applied to a Hays job in 2015 43.6% of Hays followers viewed a Hays job in 2015 2.5m Job views from followers For every 6 pieces of content one of our consultants share on LinkedIn, they will generate: 6 views of their LinkedIn profile 3 LinkedIn company page views 1 Hays LinkedIn company page follower 2 new LinkedIn connections 6 views of Hays jobs on LinkedIn Follow Catherine on Twitter @CatGutsell  and be sure to subscribe to the Employer Branding Podcast.

Writing a Resume in School

Writing a Resume in SchoolWriting a resume in school can be very overwhelming, especially if you are just starting out. It is important to note that not all schools have the same needs or expectations for your resume. Thus, it is important to know what each specific school has to offer before you take the time to write a resume in school.Certain skills are needed on your resume to impress potential employers. Some examples of these include how long you have been employed, the amount of education you have had and how many positions you have held. Many schools that use standardized tests require you to have a high GPA. This makes sense because many students have to take these standardized tests to be competitive for high school and college-level jobs.There are several different kinds of resume formats. Some students prefer to use the standard format while others like the one-page-one-column format. One very popular resume format used by many students today is the executive resume. This type of resume was originally created to help professionals and executives who were already employed and were looking for work.The number one benefit of this style of resume is that it allows more information to be included on the page. It also allows the candidate to make a good first impression on the hiring manager. Executive resumes are often the best choice for candidates who have a decent amount of work experience, have a lot of college credit hours and have good references. In order to create an executive resume, you will need to hire a professional writing service.For candidates who are going back to school after being employed for years it can be very important to see what type of course work they have completed. Many employers use information about various courses that a person has taken in order to determine their level of ability and motivation. This information can also help them when deciding if a candidate is worth their time or not.One of the most difficult parts of starting a new career is finding a school that offers the type of training that you want. It is important to do some research in order to find a school that will be able to meet your needs. Typically, the best way to find a school is to contact the school directly in order to get a recommendation.Career development is another major part of creating a resume in school. You want to be able to show the potential employer that you took the time to develop your skills and are now able to apply those skills to your current position. Career development is usually a requirement for every position and therefore it is extremely important that you make sure you complete it before you apply for a job.If you are thinking about getting a new career after being employed for a while, then writing a resume in school should be a priority. There are many different things that you can include on your resume. Be sure to explore all of your options and try to find the best possible school for you.

Why Brexit Means Exit for People in the Creative Industry

Why Brexit Means Exit for People in the Creative Industry Three years after the historic referendum in Britain in which people voted to come out of the European Union it finally happened. Brexit happened on Friday, January 31st at midnight in Europe. The UK is still in a year of transition while politicians thrash out the finer details of the divorce from the EU. But what does it mean for employers and employees in the creative industries? Well new research by TopCV, reveals that 25 percent of marketing, media, and design professionals are planning to seek employment outside the UK as a result of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. Britain’s exit on the 31st January 2020 will have seismic consequences for Britains creative industries, worth £268 billion in 2018. TopCV’s data found that 15 percent of those surveyed would consider packing up their lives and moving from the UK. However, Brexit will cause greatest harm to the marketing, media and design sector, which will see a quarter of its workforce up and leave to advance their careers, followed closely by workers in science and education (21%), engineering and construction (18%), project and program management (17%), and technology (16%). Our research reveals incredibly dire implications for Britain’s creative industries. We have some of the brightest minds and most creative agencies in the UK, so for a quarter of that talent to leave would be shocking. Hiring and retaining the right staff, even in the steadiest of times, can be tough. Employers will have to identify creative ways to incentivize their employees to remain in the UK â€" and quickly.As a silver lining, there are numerous ways those wanting to break into these industries can leverage Brexit as an opportunity to advance their careers as a result of new vacancy openings. Amanda Augustine, careers expert at TopCV Whatever job losses or opportunities Brexit may bring, following are four ways you can proactively take charge of your career: 1. Invest in your network If you had neglected your professional network for a while, now’s the time to reinvest in this important career tool. In times of job uncertainty, your network of professional and personal contacts can be an invaluable source of support and motivation, career advice and job leads. Reconnect with former colleagues and alumni in your field, and seek opportunities, such as relevant networking events, to make new connections. If you’re interested in working for a new company or in a new industry, schedule informational interviews with individuals who already work at the organisation or in the field, and can help you determine whether it’s the right move for you. 2. Strengthen your skillset Whether you’re planning to pursue a new line of work or you’re wishing to safeguard your current position against redundancy, it’s in your best interest to seek professional development opportunities that can boost your employability. Look to your professional organizations, the local universities and the web for free or low-cost workshops and courses that can help you sharpen a skill or learn an entirely new one. 3. Promote your expertise Modesty has no place in an ambitious professional’s career tool kit â€" especially when the job market is competitive. Use this opportunity to Google your name, reevaluate your LinkedIn profile and other social media activities, and make certain you’re consistently promoting your talents to prospective employers and potential networking connections. Consider posting articles about your industry and sharing your perspective on the topic, publishing an article on a blog or your LinkedIn profile that demonstrates your knowledge of a subject, and sharing outcomes of your work or professional-development opportunities. You cannot expect your network â€" or even your manager â€" to appreciate your accomplishments and expertise if you don’t actively merchandise them. 4. Update your CV Whether youre looking for a job because the market is flush with opportunities or because companies are downsizing, a strong CV is the foundational building block for your post-Brexit career preparations. Although the art and science of CV writing can be tough to master, professional CV writers can help craft a CV that can be your winning ticket into any interview room, no matter the circumstances.

Gen Y Wants to Work It!

Gen Y Wants to Work It! With the new website coming to life (huge thanks to Andy Merrick) and a few exciting meetings last week, Ive been tied up and unable to blog as much as I usually do. All of these developments for my business are so exciting but have sapped some of my creative juices away. In attempt to get back into the swing of things, Ive been sitting here contemplating what topic to kick off the week with. Thanks to the newest poll feature, I noticed that of the few people that actually took the poll, everyone had the same answer. To the question, Whats your biggest career fear? Everyones response was: working for someone else my whole life. Very interesting. I know that entrepreneurship has always been a dream of mine, but is it also a dream for the majority of my generation? According to a recent article written by Michael Malone in the Wall Street Journal, An upcoming wave of new workers in our society will never work for an established company if they can help it. To them, having a traditional job is one of the biggest career failures they can imagine. Wow, a career failure is working for an established company? That might be a first. What about these shocking statistics: Today, 80% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. now offer courses on entrepreneurship; 60% of Gen Y business owners consider themselves to be serial entrepreneurs, according to Inc. Magazine. Tellingly, 18 to 24-year-olds are starting companies at a faster rate than 35 to 44-year-olds. And 70% of todays high schoolers intend to start their own companies, according to a Gallup poll. So as Gen Y continues to get the reputation of being self-centered, obnoxious, lazy and under-dressed, we are apparently also quite ambitious and independent as well. Owning your own business is no walk in the park. It requires managing money, marketing, selling, paying attention to details, using your life savings for start up costs, making tough decisions, taking risks and wearing many hats at once. In my short time in starting a business, Ive learned how completely consuming it is. It is definitely NOT something that I can stop thinking about once the clock strikes 5pm. I do wonder though, what is it about how us twentysomethings were raised or the times that we live in that make us want to take on owning our own businesses so much? Perhaps we saw our parents get laid off from their big safe job after 30 years with no loyalty back from their company. Perhaps we saw large politicians and CEOs break our trust after we initially looked up to them so much. Or, maybe we really are just too damn selfish to want someone else to tell us when we can take off work or how we are supposed to run our division. Maybe we hate rules and authority. Or perhaps we are just so creative that we feel stifled when we have to work under someone elses vision rather than our own. Were not afraid of technology and we feel we deserve everything that we want in a career. So, my little poll question quickly gave light to a huge topic I need to spend more time writing about because apparently Im not the only twentysomething who wants to talk about starting a business. Im sure many of us are nervous about the economy, nervous about keeping our jobs and also nervous about how to pay down our debt. The answer might be starting a business to hedge the risk and do something you love. I get super irritated when people complain but dont do anything about it. If you dream about working for yourself someday, why cant you start now? Youre the only one who can get yourself to the next level, so start dreaming about what you want and then figure out how to get it. Anything is possible, right? And if you have questions along the way, ask me and any other person who is passionate about entrepreneurship because we are all willing to help.

Important Objective To Include On Resume Example

Important Objective To Include On Resume ExampleIn most cases, an objective can be the first thing that people read in a resume example. It is very important to have a strong objective that describes the job of the applicant. The objective needs to be specific and should stand out from all the other information in the document.A resume example should not just describe the requirements of the job and what the applicants qualifications are. There should also be a description of the main responsibilities that are required by the job for which the applicant will be applying. If the applicant does not specify the responsibilities that they will be expected to perform, this could make it seem like they are not serious about the job.The objective should include an explanation of the applicant's previous work experience. It should be as specific as possible. Other than the job they were currently working, they should also state what previous job they had and how many years it lasted. This wi ll help the interviewer to decide if they are being truthful or being complacent with their previous employment.The objective should also list the employer's name. It is also a good idea to indicate the region where the applicant plans to live once they land the job. This will make it easier for the employer to locate them when they are looking for a new employee.When it comes to the interview, the interviewer should listen to the applicant's objective. It should be clearly stated. The interviewer should have an opportunity to rephrase the candidate's objective as well as ask questions regarding it. An interviewer should feel comfortable asking questions about their applicants objective.This objective should include the skills and abilities that the applicant has that make them an ideal candidate for the position. There should also be a detailed explanation of why the applicant is the best choice for the job. They should state the accomplishments that have been accomplished in order to prove themselves capable of the job. A quality resume example should include examples of past jobs that the applicant has worked at.There should also be a statement indicating whether the applicant has worked at companies that were large or small. Most of the times, employers will interview candidates who have been working for large corporations. There are many good opportunities that exist for these people to land jobs that will benefit their families.The final section of the resume example should be the letter of recommendation. The recommendation should be from someone whom the employer can trust. Usually, a friend or family member that the applicant knows and has met will provide this document.

Resume Letter Writing

Resume Letter WritingResume letter writing is an important part of your job search. One of the key things that a great resume should contain is a short paragraph with your contact information in it. This gives your prospective employer your full name, address, email address, and telephone number, all in the space of one paragraph.Resume letter writing is very simple and you have all the information you need right at your fingertips. There are certain writing tips that you can use that will make your resume letter writing easier to write and more effective. The most important thing is to make sure you cover all of the basics and you also have to get used to writing the sentences one at a time.Another important tip when it comes to resume letter writing is to make sure that the information you provide is clear and concise. The first thing you want to do is identify the goals that you have for your future employer. Make sure that you spell out these goals in as much detail as possible a nd to make sure that they are specific and applicable to your job.Research is a significant factor in any resume. The writer needs to understand the industry that he or she is writing for and how it functions. The writer should be familiar with the company as well as the products and services that the company offers.The writer should not waste your time trying to figure out how you should spell out the word 'excellent' in your recent letter, if you don't know how to spell it yourself. Remember that this is not a hard and fast rule but if the writer is going to be writing letters for five to ten years he or she should have a general understanding of the English language.The next tip for resume letter writing is to make sure that you include your education in the first paragraph. Now this doesn't mean that you have to spell out the entire line, just the first letter. Also make sure that you give your contact information in the second paragraph of your resume.In the third paragraph, yo u will want to make sure that you provide a little bit of additional information. The last thing you want to do is spend time creating a resume letter that is filled with too many sentences. You want to be brief and sweet and you should avoid putting too much information on there.Now you can make sure that your resume letter writing is easy to read and a good thing to do is to start with the first letter that you create. Over time you will be able to read them and they will become easier to follow.

Motivation Monday And Your Second Half Is About to Begin

Motivation Monday And Your Second Half Is About to Begin Congratulations to the Giants! (Even though our house was cheering for the Patriots last night.) During the last minute of the forth quarter we were all on the edge of our seats, hoping the Patriots could score. It was almost too painful to watch. Of course, many people just watch the Super Bowl for the ads or the Half Time show, and Ill admit, I didnt get up to refill my glass during the ads, but during the game. So where is this going Monday is the day I dedicate to providing motivational content and there was one commercial with a message I didnt want you to overlook. Clint Eastwood, in his husky voice, starred in one of my favorite ads last night.   He tells Chryslers come back story as it parallels to a football game.   But what I heard was how Chryslers revival can be similar to yours- the job seeker who feels like theyve been defeated. Football coaches have some of the most motivational quotes of all time! I hope sharing some with you might help get you going so you can let your engines roar! (Youll have to watch the commercial to understand how this fits!) Famous Football Coach Quotes Its not whether you get knocked down, its whether you get up. -Vince Lombardi Leaders arent born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And thats the price well have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. -Vince Lombardi The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a mans determination. -Tommy Lasorda There are no failures just experiences and your reactions to them. -Tom Krause Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it. -Lou Holtz Ability is what youre capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. -Lou Holtz The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others. -Don Shula Paralyze resistance with persistence. -Woody Hayes Believe deep down in your heart that youre destined to do great things. -Joe Paterno We compete, not so much against an opponent, but against ourselves. The real test is this: Did I make my best effort on every play? -Bud Wilkinson Now, get out there and win!

How Online Courses could be the Perfect Way to make Money from Home IM HIRED

How Online Courses could be the Perfect Way to make Money from Home Making Money from the comfort of your home There is a saying, I am sure you’ve heard it before â€" ‘knowledge is power’. Well, they weren’t wrong. Most people have a subject or area they have got more knowledge and expertise in than their peers. Now, a lot of people I bet will be thinking I don’t know enough about the subject to be teaching courses. Well look at it this way, if you know more than the person you are teaching then you can teach! Source Pexel How easy is it to do? Teaching courses online and setting up your own online school could not be easier. If you have some keen learners, you could be making money that day. Teaching allows you to share your passion and knowledge with others whilst also making money online. It’s easy to get started, all you need is a computer with a working mic and webcam and you’re pretty much ready to go. Therefore, this could be the side hustle you’ve been looking for as you don’t need much to get started and you could start to see results almost immediately. A lot of side hustles take a long time to build up to earn money or you must spend time acquiring things to sell. This is your knowledge you are monetising. You don’t need to acquire anything new! You could pre-record a set number of videos that take you 20 minutes each. Once you have uploaded that content into your course, that’s it. You could sell your courses with just pre-recorded videos and then just watch more and more people buy your courses.  However, we always recommend you create interactive courses. This can be achieved through creating multiple content types per lesson/course. Live lessons are a popular way you can interact directly with learners, increasing levels of engagement and enhancing the learning experience. You could also test their engagement by creating quizzes and rewarding your learners with badges for their progress. What is great about this kind of side hustle is that it’s totally flexible to your life, you can choose what time you want to teach a live class or when you just want to provide material.   You can also teach from anywhere (with a wifi connection). So, if you’re planning to go travelling or on holiday as long as you have your laptop with you, you could host your next live class from the balcony of your hotel room. Sound good? Source Pexel How do I sell my courses? So how do you get your learners? You could attract learners through your website and Google Adwords. This is a highly effective way to advertise your services. If you have a decent following on social media maybe advertise your courses there as well. Find out where your potential learners hang out- maybe it’s a Facebook group or a local club and advertise your courses to them. The problem with most side hustles is that to make money a lot of time and money has to be invested first before you start seeing returns. Creating your own online school only has a small investment in comparison to many other side hustles. If you sold your courses for £30 and 5 people enrolled, you’re already well into profit! If you already teach maybe you are a Maths tutor, teach guitar or even Spanish. By offering classes online you open yourself up a larger audience who can learn from you and will pay you for your expertise. Ok, I am ready to make money, where next? Give it a go Try teaching courses online and see how quickly you could make money. Then simply market those courses and you’ll be selling them quick than you think. Chloe Anthony-Pillai is the content and social lead for HowNow, working on all social channels for HowNow and also writing for their blog and other publications. HowNow is an educational software that enables people to create and sell courses and teach from their own online school. Feel free to book a demo with HowNow and take advantage of a two-week free trial.