Jason Blais: From the Recruiting Front Lines

JobsInTheUS.com to Provide HR Services to Employers Through Strategic Partnership With HRSentry

WESTBROOK, ME–(Marketwire – September 30, 2009) – JobsInTheUS is proud to announce the addition of a new suite of services powered by HRSentry, a Vermont-based company.  HRSentry’s mission is to create, deliver, and support services that empower
organizations to be self-sufficient in administration of Human Resource policies, practices, and procedures. HRSentry services enable employers to locate Human Resource forms, policies, and procedures and link to federal and state laws, regulations, and resources.

Through this partnership, JobsInTheUS.com will offer subscribers access to these tools as part of their new JobsInTheUS Human Resources Center. Not only will this new service help businesses better understand and stay current on state and federal regulations, but it also provides tools to manage human resources functions more efficiently.

Jason Blais, Director of Business Development for JobsInTheUS, on the new strategic partnership: “Many employers simply don’t have the resources or experience to fully understand many of the state and federal regulations surrounding Human Resource management. In addition to providing a simple to use library of knowledge, HR Made Simple provides content related to HR Training, Best Practices, and much, much more.”

JobsInTheUS.com (JiUS) operates state specific online recruitment resources, including www.JobsInME.com, www.JobsInNH.com, www.JobsInVT.com and www.JobsInRI.com. In each of their four markets, they are the number one recruitment resource, offering both employer and job seeker services.  From building a resume to building an employment brand, JobsInTheUS.com’s large inventory of services includes HRCI accredited webinars and a continually growing archive of employment-related site content.

JobsInTheUS.com has been operating state specific job internet sites since 1999 and remains at the forefront of the industry through innovation, solid sales, distinguished marketing techniques and there-when-you-need-us customer service.

In this great article from the HR Executive Online, Leslie Stevens-Huffman explores the power and effect of developing internal competencies in Critical Thinking and Creativity.  To underscore the evolution of training and development in the workforce, Stevens-Huffman highlights the tremendous efforts Jim Hackett, CEO of Steelcase, has undergone to ensure these core competencies company-wide.  As with many case studies you’ll read on any number of innovative programs, this is an example of the highest level of commitment and engagement to this philosophy.  While your company may not be able to go as far as Hackett has gone, the article does illustrate the need and potential benefits of focusing on critical thinking and creativity as core competencies.

FULL ARTICLE from HR Executive Online

Innovation to the Rescue

Training may have taken a backseat during the downturn, but some HR executives are looking to add courses in creativity and innovation to drive their companies out of the recession. Such training won’t work, however, unless a spirit of innovation cascades through the entire organization.

• After completing this entry, I did some digging to find good assessments tools, and found this Research Brief from the Aberdeen Group on the Topic, showing First Advantage as a Skills Assessment leader in 2009: Research Brief on March 2009 Aberdeen Group’s Assessments in Talent Management Report

For more posts related to Human Capital Management, click here.

Your key to career success!

Best Practices Roundtable Discussion

• Screening and Selection – Improving the quality of new hires.
• Leave Integration – Tracking leaves and integration of benefits.
• Compensation for Performance – Increases based on merit in the current market.

Join us for this informative session with seasoned HR professionals helping each other to
develop strategies in each of three challenging areas.  NHRA-NH takes its monthly program
meeting “On the Road” in October, traveling to the seacoast area; note location below.

The session is designed to provide insights and to have attendees work together in sharing
ideas and strategies in Screening and Selection, Leave Integration, and Compensation for
Performance.  Several seasoned HR professionals will provide an overview in each area
then the group will have a working discussion, and we will close the session with an open
forum on best practices.  This will certainly be one of the best meetings we have planned
this year and we invite not only HR practitioners to attend, but also their internal business
partners that would like to develop their skill competencies in each of these areas.

Bring your questions, challenges, ideas, and working strategies to share with each other in a
supportive manner.  You do not have to be a member of NHRA to attend, as our meetings
generally draw both members and non-members.  We look forward to your attendance.

Monday, October 19, 2009
Courtyard Marriott Portsmouth
1000 Market Street Portsmouth, NH
Registration: 5:30 p.m.
Dinner and Business Meeting: 6:00 p.m.
Program: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Members & Students: $25
Non-Members: $35
To Register, contact Kathleen McDonnell – phone 603-801-8377 or go to:
http://www.humanresources.org/events_main/cfm

New Hampshire Business Review

Building your employment brand

By Jason Blais

Friday, October 9, 2009

I was told once that the way to determine whether the glass if half full or half empty is to know whether your filling the glass or emptying it. If it started out empty, it’s easy to see the glass as half full; if it started out full, you’re likely to feel that it has become half-empty. Following that logic, I suggest that the glass of our economy is half full.

“What I can tell you is that we are seeing signs of improvement. Layoffs, although we are still having them, seem to be leveling off a bit compared to a number of months ago. Of course, that doesn’t help those still out of work.”

Those were the words of Fran Allain at the beginning of September. Allain is the employee retention project manager for the State Department of Resources and Economic Development, one of the officials on the front line of the labor market here in New Hampshire.

Allain continued: “Simultaneously, we see more hiring. Not in great numbers, but there appears to be some positive movement. I wouldn’t expect massive hiring too soon. It’s going to be a conservative, long-term correction to the workforce.”

While not a very positive outlook for job-seekers across the state, it is a very good environment for employers. In fact, forward-looking employers have a rare opportunity to significantly enhance the quality of their workforce. Those companies slowly adding new staff will have the pick of the litter when making hiring decisions. Now more than ever, they can position themselves to attract high-quality talent that had not been available prior to the recession.

Of course, to be successful, employers will need to pay close attention to the recruitment process.

FOR FULL ARTICLE: New Hampshire Business Review

With the rollout last week of our new service powered by HRSentry, we gained two invaluable assets: A strategic partner who is engaged and innovative, and a new offering to clients that will build long term brand loyalty and help reposition our company as a valued recruitment resource.

In a previous post, I outlined a key to the negotiation with HRSentry, and shared what I believed were some key considerations that came from that process.  But that was only the beginning.  As a professional with more than15 years in the business development arena, I know the perils that befall those who focus their attention on “the deal”, then lose momentum or interest once the pen has been put to paper.  While the agreements were signed previously, the real work began on September 28, the day we had HRSentry lead a web conference to our sales, marketing, and customer service staff.  That day represented the beginning of building engagement and buy-in internally to support this new service.

You see, it really does take a village to raise a healthy, competent, confident, and successful child.  In my world, it takes a village to develop a new business initiative to maturity and lasting success. While you may be thinking of the old adage, many hands make light work, there’s much more to it than that.  A new business initiative must receive nurturing and attention from many different people and departments within the organization to truly thrive.  And long term success in business development is reliant on the maturation and lasting success of each new initiative.

When you are working on an implementation plan or rollout for a new business initiative, be thoughtful about who will help in it’s development, and how.  That is, don’t look for the shortest distance between signed contract and abandonment.

As an aside, the ultimate goal of a business development professional is to abandon every new business initiative some day- to push it out of the nest.  As it matures and becomes integrated as part of your business, it no longer needs you, and will no longer be viewed as a new initiative.

That shortest distance will normally lead to a lack of nourishment, as you’re not actively seeking out a variety of sources for input and assistance.  Here are a few questions you should always consider when developing the implementation plan for a new business initiative- these questions are specific to who should be involved, and to what extent. There are obviously other questions to be considered regarding other aspects of the deal:

1. What 5 ways could each department help this initiative develop? (Make a list for EVERY dept!)
2. Which departments/people will care the most about the success of this initiative?
3. How high up in the company can I count on for support? (Will your CEO lend a hand?)
4. At each stage of the process, who can I ask for assistance? (Again, list this out)
5. How will I engage people/departments enough to care about this new initiative?

When asking yourself these questions, write out your answers.  Also, be sure to consider answers both from within your company, and from without.  By going through this exercise, you will uncover new opportunities to nourish and support the development and maturity of your initiative.   These are the key to long term success of the initiative, and to your long term success in business developments.