Jason Blais: From the Recruiting Front Lines

The report below, published in 2008 by the Governor’s Workforce Board of RI, outlines the issues facing the hospitality industry in that state- a state which relies heavily on this sector of the economy (who doesn’t love Newport?).  What’s disconcerting, however, is that it’s now been a year since this was originally published, and there has been little or no change in behavior by the employers within this industry.

I’ve worked somewhat closely with a couple trade associations that cater to this industry, and am forced to come to the conclusion that the problem lies not with the applicant pool, nor with the industry itself, but with the individual hiring managers who are tasked with staffing.  It’s time that this industry look in the mirror.  As far back as I know, the hospitality industry has been famously cost-conscious, to the point of being penny wise and pound foolish.  In the following report, you’ll read that 3 out of the top 5 issues facing this industry are related to hiring and retaining employees.  That may not seem to big of a deal, until you consider that more than 50% of the US population has worked in hospitality at some time during their working lives.

IF 50% OF THE POPULATION HAS SOME LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE TO MEET YOUR STAFFING NEEDS AND YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS ARE HIRING EMPLOYEES, THEN IT’S TIME TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR!

HELP WANTED Signs

Overwhelmingly, employers in this industry rely on the old “hang a sign in the window” recruitment advertising.  They spend ZERO dollars to attract a sizable pool of applicants, and very little time on selecting the best candidates to make offers to.  Unfortunately, this stereotype is playing out every day by a very large majority of these businesses.

While employers think they’re saving money by not running job ads, what they’re really doing is increasing costs as they take on the costs of extreme levels of turnover coupled with overtime pay to cover the unfilled positions.  What’s even more disturbing is that this industry more than most, relies on high quality service (food quality, room cleanliness, customer relations, etc) and high rate of customer loyalty to survive, while most are in a constant churn of staff.

You’d think if your business’s survival was based on your customers having good things to say about their experience with you, you’d invest more time in recruiting the people that make up that experience- waitstaff, hosts, receptionists, reservationists, concierges, cooks, chefs, housekeeping, attendants, etc.  In reality, it’s quite the opposite- these types of positions (aside from chef’s in many cases) are often looked at as low-level, low-investment seats to fill within the organization.

Hiring managers, it’s time to step up.  There is a HUGE pool of qualified, experience candidates on the streets right now looking for work.  It’s time to stop making excuses, and build a strategy to attract and select the best of the best.  You’ll need to develop your employment brand (what makes your hotel or restaurant a better place to work than the one across the street?), build employee training and advancement opportunities into your organizational structure, and take the time necessary to make sure you’re hiring the very best person for every position every time (what motivates them compared to what you have to offer; how will they fit into your culture; why is your job a good fit for their work/life balance?).

Here’s the good news, though.

If you take these steps, while you may be investing more time and money up front than you are accustomed to, you will most certainly increase your revenue (better candidates equals longer retention, which equals better quality work, which equals more satisfied customers, which equals more revenue) and reduce your overhead costs over time (better candidates will stay longer- reducing all the costs associated with turnover).

Here’s the link to the report from the Governor’s Workforce Board.  It’s great to see that the state is investing in this type of self analysis, and now it’s time for private businesses to make the changes necessary.

http://ow.ly/E1lS

And if you’re interested in how to get started with building an employment brand, here’s some posts to point you in the right direction:

Building Your Employment Brand

This was just passed internally to our company from a person I think very highly of, and I thought it was worth anybody’s two minutes to read- though I don’t know where it originated (OKAY, SINCE POSTING THIS, I HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS, AND HAVE BEEN ASKED TO GIVE PROPER ATTRIBUTION, WHICH I’M HAPPY TO DO:

Law of the Garbage Truck

Based on the book by David Pollay: http://davidjpollay.typepad.com/

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jutted out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’  He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally.  Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.

Instead, love the people who treat you right, and pray for the ones who don’t.

Have a  garbage-free day!

Robert Ayers

Robert on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jobfind207

Robert on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/xbertt

This is actually the third time Robert’s found his way into one of my blog posts. Here are the others:

Posts Including “Robert Ayers”

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

In this week’s look back: social media in vacationland, the art and science of winning negotiation, eLearning for HR, and thoughts on the economy.  Read on for quick hits on these topics, or follow the links for more in-depth coverage.

On september 24th, the SocialMediaFTW conference erupted at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.  Yes, it’s true- my home state, Vacationland as it were, does indeed have access to the world wide web, an avid curiosity of social media, and actual universities.  More than anything else, the shear turnout (this event sold out in advance to over 225 attendees) and thirst for knowledge were undeniable indicators that even in the farthest reaching corners of the US, the impact of social media is being felt. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST

The long term survival of employment websites, aka Job Boards, is dependant upon their ability to provide employers a larger and more effective suite of services targeted to help them make better hires.  It will no longer be enough to simply drive eyeballs to job advertisements, according to the thought leaders at IAEWS’s Annual Member Congress earlier this month.  JobsInTheUS saw the writing on the wall at the end of 2008, and launched a new department to focus on identifying and developing new programs to increase their value to employers who primarily utilize their services to advertise job openings.  The first of three major new initiatives was rolled out in September, with the announcement of six new webinars designed to assist employers in the hiring continuum.  Four of these programs have received HRCI accreditation for General Credits. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST

More from NextStep Negotiating.  HRSentry and JobsInTheUS signed off on the framework and agreement of a new alliance, enthusiastically completing a successful negotiation. The force of like-minded individuals working together to reach a common goal can be dazzling.  From discovery to agreement, this process was completed in under 30 days, despite a cavernous gap between the desired terms from each side.  The theme of this negotiation?  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  One aspect of this process worth consideration was the ability to re-frame the model in order to find a new solution. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST
In an effort to share the data we collect as an industry leading employment website in our markets, we’ve launched a new series of monthly job reports with state specific job data.  These videos are available on JobsInME and JobsInNH currently, and can also be viewed on our new Channel on YouTube.  You can also see these two videos on the home page of this site: jasonblais.com.

…SOCIAL MEDIA HAS LANDED IN MAINE!… And it was ushered in by the who’s who of the industry along with a couple hundred people hoping to catch a glimpse of the new being, and, if possible, learn more about it.

Hosted at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Campus, SocialMediaFTW was a smashing success, selling out in advance, and packing the breakout sessions as people flocked to this conference to figure out how their business could benefit from social media engagement.  SocialMediaFTW (or #ftw09 the official twitter hashtag) was the brain child of Rich Brooks, Chrystie Corns, and Jaica Kinsman- three early adopters of social media in Maine, and all with tremendous professional experience.

I was called by Rich a couple months back, and asked to present a session on Using LinkedIn for Business.  I had a terrific time, and was glad to see a packed room.  In fact, I believe nearly all of the 12 different breakout sessions were at or near capacity. A true testament to the interest and engagement created by this new media.

Here are some of the quick thoughts I came away with from this event:

• 45 minutes per session wasn’t enough time to teach or learn about any single subject area.
• The variety of programs offered was excellent and covered a truly thorough view of social media for business.
• I LOVE presenting live at conferences much more than presenting via webinars!
• While the content helped build interest, some presenters were clearly trying only to generate leads for their businesses.
• Just because someone’s a genius in their field, they don’t automatically qualify as a great presenter.
• Of the presentations I saw, there was a good mix of basic and mid level education going on. (hard to do high level in this time frame with such a varied audience)
• There truly was something for everyone.
• The networking time was effective, and a great way to actually meet some of those folks I only knew through social networks!

In closing, I left the conference very excited and optimistic about the growing engagement of these new media outlets across all types of businesses here in Maine.  From my experience, the internet and these types of platforms are actually much more relevant and important in states where the population is spread out.  Maine, and NH and VT for that matter, are all laggard adopters of new technologies and trends, so I’m glad to see we’re finally jumping on to this ship, so we can all rise with the tide.
Want more on the conference?  Click here for the dialogue regarding #ftw09 on Twitter.

As an industry leading recruitment resource for the past decade, JobsInTheUS has worked with thousands of hiring managers and HR professionals, read through tens of thousands of employment advertisements, and spoken to hundreds of thousands of job seekers through our outreach and education programs.  Learning from this experience, along with participation in local SHRM chapters in ME, NH, VT, MA, and RI, and a commitment to ongoing education, JobsInTheUS has developed a web-based education and training curriculum for the HR community and small business owners and managers.

The new eLearning series will launched today with the presentation of 20/20 Employment Branding.  Each month, JobsInTheUS will present two different topics, which registrants can attend via webinar.  Four of the programs have already been approved for General Credits by the Human Resources Certification Institute.  While these programs will be promoted heavily in New England, the web-based learning platform allows for registrants from anywhere in the world.

Here are the current programs on the schedule:

• Internet Recruiting 101 (HRCI Approved for 1.5 General Credits)
• 20/20 Employment Branding (HRCI Approved for 1.5 General Credits)
• Organizational Staffing 200: Working Through a Recession (HRCI Approved for 1.5 General Credits)
• Employment Branding 201: Communicating Your Employment Brand
• Employment Branding 202: Employment Branding Analytics
• Social Media: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (HRCI Approved for 1.5 General Credits)
• Reinventing Your Company: Best Practices

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS