December 2016 — Youngbrook Recruitment (Brisbane)

The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media: What Your Employers Look for When Hiring

Bursting into relevance over the last decade, there is not yet a rulebook when it comes to social media use. The use of the platforms themselves has changed markedly over the last ten years; those photos that we so flippantly put up in 2007, when Facebook was still very much a novelty, would probably never see the light of day now.

The use of social media is in such a constant state of flux. Therefore, putting together a set of hard and fast rules about how you should use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn when looking for work will always be fraught with danger. But, by taking cues from recruitment agencies, we can get an idea of some of the basic dos and don’ts as stipulated by these professional hirers.

So, what should and should not you be doing on social media if you would like to come across as the perfect prospective employee?

The Dos

The first cab off the rank is LinkedIn, which sells itself as the world’s largest professional network. This is no false bravado either—according to Career Glider, a massive 79% of recruiters use LinkedIn to hire. Additionally, 90% of those users trawl through profiles, searching for, screening and contacting prospects along the way. Essentially this means that by creating a well-rounded LinkedIn profile, you will be applying for jobs without even knowing it.

Invest time in your LinkedIn profile, including as much relevant information as possible. Be active on the site, trading endorsements for endorsements. If you have an inactive profile with just a few connections, it will become clear to recruiters that it was created out of obligation—a placeholder that allows you to say “yeah, I’m on LinkedIn”. Engagement on LinkedIn shows motivation, enthusiasm and work ethic to potential employers.

Those aforementioned snaps from 2007 that are lurking in the depths of your Facebook timeline may be hilarious when they come up on your feed as a memory. But they could spell trouble for your professional ambitions. Therefore, if you are serious about landing your dream job, it is best to untag yourself from less savoury posts. While you may think photos from 10 years ago would be hard to find, a google image search of your name may prove otherwise.

Twitter is the most conversational of social platforms, and as such it is often used by recruiters to get a good sense of how a person operates. Use Twitter to put forward the best version of you. Make yourself eminently searchable, by talking with industry influencers and by using industry-specific hashtags. Heck, you could even talk directly to the recruiters or employers themselves.

The Don’ts

In keeping with the ‘best version of yourself’ philosophy, Twitter use for job seekers is as much about the don’ts as it is about the dos. Do not get into frivolous fights with keyboard warriors. Do not post ironic or sarcastic messages that could be misconstrued. According to Jobvite’s social recruiting survey, 93% of hiring managers will review a candidate’s social profiles before offering a job. So, make sure they do not get the wrong impression.

According to the same survey, amongst the worst things you can make reference to on your social profiles are illegal drugs (83% of recruiters class this as a negative), sexual activity (70%), the use of profanity (63%), guns (51%) and alcohol (44%). Interestingly, bad grammar is the third biggest creator of negative perceptions, with 66% of recruiters saying it was a turn-off. So be sure to spellcheck before you post.

Ideally, if you have got somewhat of a chequered history when it comes to social media, you do not want to leave your profile public for all to see. Now is the time to set your privacy preferences to Fort Knox. Allow snooping recruiters to just see the most basic of information. Another alternative can be to go by a pseudonym (although names can be tricky to change on platforms like Facebook).

Many people use platforms like Twitter to vent about their current work situation. But it is incredibly important that you do not. If a prospective employer sees that you are using your social accounts to knock your current or previous employers, they will not see things from your side—they will see things from the point of view of your employer. That will result in an instant strike through your name.

In the end, social media use for job seekers is fairly basic. You want to treat it as somewhat of a cocktail party; dress well, shake hands confidently, and put the best version of yourself forward.

While the 2007 version of you is lurking in there somewhere, there is no need for them to show their face just yet.

Are you looking for a job in trades, supply chain, business support, sales, marketing and senior appointments? Contact Youngbrook Recruitment on (07) 3399 6899 or search available job openings.

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Youngbrook Recruitment

Level 1 / 122 Lytton Road, Bulimba QLD 4171

Phone: (07) 3399 6899

Email: simone@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au, ybr@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au

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What Value Will Your Company Get from Partnering with a Recruiter?

Quality employees make for quality organisations. Your company is the sum of its parts and if those parts are not first-rate, the whole machine is at risk of breakdown. Finding the right people for your organisation is paramount.

Using a professional recruitment agency may seem to some like an unnecessary luxury. Something that is reserved only for companies that have labour needs too large to handle in-house. The truth of the matter is quite the opposite. Partnering with a trusted recruiter long-term, can bring a huge amount of value to any organisation, no matter the size.

So what value can your company expect from partnering with a recruiter?

Time Saving

Recruiting is a notoriously time-consuming process. Therefore, the first and most obvious benefit is the efficiency that comes with handing over the responsibility of recruitment to a third party.

It begins with advertising the position and generating interest. You then need to sift through the possible candidates, identifying those that may be suitable. This is followed by the screening process, involving background checks, calls to references and initial interviews. Eventually you will reduce the list down to a few of the best candidates, but only after quite an effort.

Recruitment agencies are set up in a way that streamlines this process, making it as efficient as it can be. They also have the knowledge and skill set that comes with doing this as a full-time profession. Ensuring that the entire process is as well-organised and effective as possible.

Money Saving

Along with time saving comes money saving, and let’s be honest, we are all slaves to the almighty dollar. The efficiency with which a recruitment agency can find the perfect candidates for your organisation, is one of the biggest reasons that partnering with a recruiter can save you money. It frees up your time, allowing you to focus on the things that make your organisation money.

But there are other reasons as well. If you pay a recruiter to take care of a new hire’s payroll, you will save money on ongoing administrative costs relating to the employee. Furthermore, the quality of candidate that a recruiter can find may well add to your bottom line down the track in a bigger way than you would ever imagine, which brings us to access to better candidates.

Access to Better Candidates

With sprawling networks covering a large amount of industries, partnering with a quality recruitment agency grants you access to their database of contacts. It is their business to know who is available to hire, even if the candidate is already employed elsewhere.

The problem with putting an ad on Seek or in the newspaper is that only those who are actively searching—and actively searching in the right location—will see it. The best talent is almost always employed in one capacity or another, and may not be actively searching for work. These candidates may only be interested in switching companies when proffered.

Partnering with a quality recruiter will ensure that you have access to a good quantity of candidates and an excellent quality of candidate.

Deep Knowledge of the Labour Market

Recruiters constantly have their fingers on the industry pulse—if they did not, they would not last long. This knowledge of the labour market can be invaluable to your organisation.

If there is a severe lack of available talent, your recruitment agency can save you time that you may have spent endlessly looking for a non-existent candidate. On the flipside, if the labour market offers a wealth of choice, your recruiter can ensure that you do not settle for a new hire that is not perfect for the position.

The Perks of a Long Term Relationship

Once you form a long-term partnership with your recruiter, the benefits listed above become more and more pronounced. Your agency will become comfortable with your processes, and will develop an understanding of what you look for in an ideal candidate. Over time, the synchronicity between your organisation and the candidates that your recruiter offers you will increase, until your recruiter has as deep a knowledge of your company’s likes and dislikes as you do yourself.

This will result in greater efficiency, which in turn will result in even lower costs. In short, finding a quality recruiter and sticking with them could prove to be one of the most prudent moves your organisation has ever made.

All of these benefits of partnering with a recruiter are just be a phone call away. If you are ready to recruit better, contact Youngbrook Recruitment today on 07 3399 6899.

Need Staff:

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Youngbrook Recruitment

Level 1 / 122 Lytton Road, Bulimba QLD 4171

Phone: (07) 3399 6899

Email: simone@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au, ybr@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au

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10 Secrets for Retaining Your Best Recruiter-Sourced Employees

According to Investopedia, the average ‘break-even’ point for new employees (the point at which the recruitment and training is paid off by the employee’s productivity) is 6.2 months. If an established employee leaves, it will take more than half a year to get their replacement up to a base level of productivity. Retaining new employees is not just imperative for productivity, it is also the fiscally responsible thing to do.

compass pointing towards recruiter sourced employees Your recruiter has done an excellent job. You have managed to get on board some excellent new talent. However, the next step can often be the hardest. How do you get good employees to stay?

So how do you retain your best recruiter-sourced employees?

1) Run a Meritocracy

A happy office will not promote on personal preference or internal politics. It will promote on merit. If an employee is doing a great job, recognise and reward them with a well-deserved promotion or salary increase. Your other employees will note that you are applauding effort. Resulting in them doing their best to be recognised in the same way.

If an employee enjoys their current work, a promotion could be as simple as a change of title and an increase in salary, rather than anything to do with workload or work substance.

2) Pay Above-Board

Money talks. There is no way around it. And if you are looking to keep the best people, your money may have to talk louder than your competitors. By paying above the market rate, you are showing your employees that they are truly valued.

A salary that sits 20 to 40 percent above average should be more than enough to quash any money grievances. Just be sure to read up on the legalities of paying above award.

3) Ask for and Act on Input

Your best employees will be experts in the field that they are working in. As such, they should be heard.

You need to create a forum where an open discussion can occur between you and your employee about what things need to change, and what things are working well. While all of the suggestions may not be put into practice, the main thing is that you are showing your employees that you value their input. They will appreciate that.

4) Encourage Innovation

While input on current operations is important, so too is input on the direction that your organisation. Use a similar open forum to give employees the chance to spitball ideas. Allocate a budget—of both money and time—to test out these ideas.

Encouraging innovation not only keeps your employees engaged and interested in their work, one of the ideas could increase efficiency, or maybe even open up another revenue stream.

5) Loosen the Leash

For employees that are great at their jobs, nothing is more off-putting than an overbearing manager. If the employee is worth their salt, they will know exactly what needs to be done, and when it needs to be completed. A manager who needs constant updates or has a tendency to micromanage may drive them away.

If they are good at their job, loosen the leash. Set them a task or project, offer support if needed, and leave them to it.

6) Promote Friendly Competition

Friendly inter-office rivalry can spur on productivity, and keep your star employees interested in their work. Form your employees into small teams, and get them working on similar projects simultaneously. Then offer a reward to those who do the work better or quicker.

7) Don’t Manage. Coach!

Grown men and women do not want a school principal standing over them. Empower your employees to manage themselves. Give them responsibilities and guide them to a point where they meet those responsibilities. By coaching your employees rather than managing them, the resultant self-sufficiency will eventually lighten your workload too.

8) Make Expectations Clear

Clarity is paramount to retaining your best employees. If a message or instruction is misinterpreted, the consequences can be dire. The expectations for each employee should be set in stone and there should be a structured set of consequences for those that do not meet those expectations.

While this clarity can often come across harsh at first, it pays itself off enormously in the long run.

9) Celebrate Success Tangibly

Any manager of people worth their salt will be sure to celebrate their employees’ successes. But while a group email and a glowing performance review are important, they can start to become expected. Truly excellent performances deserve something greater.

Dinner on the company. An afternoon off before a long weekend. A group night out. These things are tangible, and appreciated.

10) Clear out the Dead Wood

Perhaps the hardest part of retaining your good employees is clearing out those that are holding them back. Whether these people bring a bad attitude to the table, are lazy, or stir up office politics, their removal is a non-negotiable. You and your star employees cannot be expected to shoot for the stars if you are carrying dead weight.

Good employees leave organisations all the time. But this is often due to reasons that are preventable. By keeping in mind these 10 tips, you are well on your way to a healthy retention of your new recruits.

So, if you are seeking to fill the next appointment whether it be a temporary, labour hire or permanent recruitment contact Youngbrook Recruitment. Speak with one of our experienced recruiter who do great work, because they love what they do. Phone 07 3399 6899 or contact us online.

Need Staff:

Keep in Touch With Us

Our responsiveness continues to drive results.

Youngbrook Recruitment

Level 1 / 122 Lytton Road, Bulimba QLD 4171

Phone: (07) 3399 6899

Email: simone@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au, ybr@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au

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Why You Should Hire Through an Established Recruitment Agency

With the rise of the internet, there are now more ways to recruit than ever. From posting vacancies on your website to head-hunting on LinkedIn, businesses have a larger array of recruitment tools at their disposal than at any other time in history. This may leave you wondering what are the benefits of using a recruitment agency, if any.

You may expect that professional recruiters are a dying breed due to the rise in recruitment options. But this presumption could not be further from the truth. Recruitment agencies, especially long-established and reputable ones, are now more relevant than ever.

Here are just a few benefits of using an established recruitment agency, like Youngbrook Recruitment.

No Applicants, Just Candidates

For companies with in-house recruitment, an inordinate amount of time is wasted separating the wheat from the chaff. The number of applications is forever increasing, with many job seeker programs requiring the unemployed to submit a certain number of applications per week. Consequently, the filtering process can feel like you are scrolling through your email’s long-neglected spam folder.

A recruiter will deliver only the most relevant and qualified candidates available. Therefore, a well-organised recruitment agency will remove the need to machete your way through the impenetrable forest of applicants. As a result, your recruitment and selection process will be as efficient as possible.

A Greater Reach

The best candidates are often the hardest to find. Perhaps the potential candidate is too busy to search for a better position. Perhaps they do not see their skill set as one that fits with your advertised job. Maybe a fear of the unknown is holding them back from becoming interested in moving to your company.

Whether they are passive or overly selective, if they are a skilled professional then it is likely that they are on the radar of an established recruitment agency’s specialist recruiters. These trusted specialists may be the conduit through which your company and the potential candidate can start a dialogue. By using an established recruiter, you gain access to their extended network.

Market Knowledge

The best and most established recruitment agencies ensure that they always have a finger on the industry pulse. They will have knowledge on where the available talent is and how to reach them. Recruiters know candidate’s career expectations, salary demands and any other complexities that may be thrown into the mix. When it comes to bringing aboard a key member of staff, too much information is never enough.

Addressing Talent Shortages

A UK survey found that the number one reason for companies to utilise the expertise of recruitment agencies, above even the common need to cover for leave and peaks in demand, was to gain access to key strategic skill sets. While the points addressed so far have focussed more on finding permanent talent, it is important to remember that recruiters also give their clients access to skilled talent at short notice.

Talent shortages can severely impact an organisation’s potential for growth. Furthermore, if the talent area is in high demand or scarce, an in-house recruitment team may find it difficult to fill the vacancy. Again, the sprawling network of an established recruitment agency offers a simple and efficient solution. Youngbrook Recruitment’s network expands across trades, supply chain, business support, sales and marketing, aged care, food processing and senior appointments.

For Reasons of Resource

Many organisations will have a budget specifically allocated for recruitment purposes. But may not have as great a budget when it comes to manpower or time. The resources required to properly oversee the recruiting process from start to finish can be great, particularly for organisations who do not have the proper structure and recruit ad hoc.

Youngbrook Recruitment’s systems and procedures are efficient and effective. Allowing us to pass on these efficiencies to clients in the form of monetary savings. When you add the fact that an established recruiter has access to knowledge and professional networks that only come with time. It soon becomes clear that an organisation can get a huge amount of value from utilising their services.

The fact of the matter is, by engaging an established recruitment agency’s services, you are far more likely to secure the best behavioural and skills base match for your job vacancy.

So, if you want an employee who is skilled at what they do, whether it be a temporary or permanent recruitment contact Youngbrook Recruitment on (07) 3399 6899.

Need Staff:

Keep in Touch With Us

Our responsiveness continues to drive results.

Youngbrook Recruitment

Level 1 / 122 Lytton Road, Bulimba QLD 4171

Phone: (07) 3399 6899

Email: simone@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au, ybr@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au

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Employers: Why Comprehensive Cover Letters Matter

As global markets grow and flatten out, more people are entering the workforce as population levels and the average working age rise. For professional roles, a well-structured resume, even if filled to the brim with experience, just does not cut it anymore. According to Business Insider, with the launch of LinkedIn, a cover letter now outweighs the importance that your resume once did.

The high importance that employers place on cover letters can mean the difference between a prospective employee winning a job or not. Strong covers letters can help illustrate a candidate’s passion, attention to detail and work ethic. Youngbrook Recruitment wants all of our employers to secure exceptional talent. So we have created the ultimate cheat sheet for things to look out for in cover letters you receive.

What is a cover letter?

To avoid any confusion, a cover letter is a single page summary of information to accompany a resume in a job application. A cover letter should always be included as it remarkably heightens the chance of being eligible for a job. Research shows that some employers will not even look at a resume without one attached. Most importantly, a cover letter is an opportunity for the candidate to explain how they are perfect for the job. Plus, what unique benefits they could bring to your company.

Here are four elements to look for when assessing professional and executive-level cover letters.

Authenticity and honesty

It is important to look for cover letters that read as being authentic and honest. They should be written in an easy flowing, conversational style. This displays the candidate’s originality of thought and desire for the offered position. The worst cover letters read as if they were a ‘copy and paste’ template.

It has been outlined by communication specialist, Lauren Nelson, that only one in four cover letters read authentically and are written from scratch.

Pro Tip: If the cover letter is average, and the resume is still great, do not instantly dismiss the potential of that candidate. Arrange an interview or phone conversation through your recruitment partner.

Did they do research on you and your company?

Before writing a cover letter, candidates should allow themselves ample time to become familiar with the company through research. They should find out as much as possible about the company’s background, team members, location, services and even past and current clients.

To showcase this, stronger candidates will weave information into their cover letter about the company, to entice the employer to read on and book an interview. Nowadays, where information is so readily available, there is really no excuse for not doing homework. Basic company research is the minimum expected. If a candidate is truly interested in a position, they will do what it takes to be prepared.

Pro Tip: When you interview a candidate, prepare a number of questions to help unlock answers. Find out how much the candidate knows about your company and how they think their experience will support the new role.

Do they sell themselves well, without being pushy or over-sensational?

The cover letter is all about selling your personal brand before you make it to a short list or an interview. Essentially, you should look for cover letters that show the candidate clearly understands (as best as possible) what the job involves and what your organisation requires. To do this, look for specific information about their skills and personal qualities. Furthermore, look for any insights into how they match your role and organisational needs.

If a cover letter has been executed right, it should also allude to relevant life experience and how this has had an impact on the candidate’s current work ethic. Depending on your industry and the type of role you are offering, do not be afraid if you notice a bit of personality in a candidate’s cover letter and resume.

Pro Tip: More conservative, introverted candidates will often ‘hold back’ on selling themselves in cover letters. So, if you are recruiting for a role that naturally attracts these personality types, it is important to take this into account or risk prematurely dismissing a potentially strong candidate.

Does it read like a polished, finished piece of writing?

Finally, the most simple, but often neglected tip is to ensure it reads as a finished piece of writing. Candidates who have poor attention to detail do not proofread their resume and cover letter very well. There is nothing worse than receiving a cover letter riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. It sounds basic, but this is an obvious way of initially evaluating a candidate’s professional aptitude at writing and communicating.

Pro Tip: To attract the greatest number of high-quality candidates possible, your job ad copy needs to be error-free. As part of the recruitment process, Youngbrook Recruitment manages ad copy for its clients. Therefore, we can relieve a great deal of stress and risk.

So, there you have it. It is important to never underestimate the power that a great cover letter can afford a strong candidate, or how a poor cover letter can highlight deficiencies of others that may not perfectly suit your role.

Youngbrook Recruitment has been Queensland’s leading recruitment agency for ten years, servicing the supply chain, trades, business support, sales, marketing and executive level sectors with quality service and return on investment.

Need Staff:

Keep in Touch With Us

Our responsiveness continues to drive results.

Youngbrook Recruitment

Level 1 / 122 Lytton Road, Bulimba QLD 4171

Phone: (07) 3399 6899

Email: simone@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au, ybr@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au

CONTACT US

Top Staff Sales Training Tips That Will Also Improve Workplace Productivity

It can be tempting to think of sales training as a simple quest to achieve the highest numbers; learning the ins and outs of how to sell, sell, sell. But reducing it down to such a simplistic definition is doing the art of sales a big disservice. In truth, training your staff in sales techniques can have benefits that stretch far beyond the line on the sales graph.

Here are just a couple of sales training principles that, when taught correctly, can also have a big impact on your workplace productivity.

The Problem of Over-Talking

The stereotype of the smooth-talking salesman that gets a sale over the line through sheer force of will is a classic one. But it is also a misleading one. Many salespeople feel as though it is their job to do all of the talking, as if they are re-enacting some sort of live version of a late-night infomercial. But as consumers get savvier and information becomes more attainable, the salesman with the machine-gun voice is turning out to be less and less effective.

Leading sales training agencies now teach the art of the sale as more of a conversation than a presentation. The Sandler Sales Institute’s 70/30 rule is a great example of this: in their eyes, a customer should be explaining their needs for most of the sales process (70%). The salesperson should use the remaining time (30%) to ask the sort of questions that help them understand the prospect’s situation even better.

Listening intently to the other side of the story and understanding other people’s drive and motivation is just a good habit to be in, period. In the workplace a team of attentive listeners will better understand the tasks at hand, and will better work together to operate in an efficient and productive manner.

Staying Quiet on Potential Issues

You have got a big sale on the horizon, but then you spot something. This something has the potential to make your product or service the wrong choice for your customer. You may have discovered that your product does not meet a required standard, or may not fit the client’s budget in the long term.

The temptation is to obviously stay quiet and to accept the sale. Your monthly figures will be through the roof, and a nice little bonus will be on its way. But in this situation, short term gain equals long term pain. When the issue is discovered, your credibility will be shot, and your client could be lost forever. An extra figure on a months bonus is not worth forgoing potential years’ worth of steady sales from the client.

In the workplace, as in sales, it is vital that any issues you identify are brought to the organisation’s attention as soon as possible, no matter how much short term pain it may cause. Long term productivity will skyrocket by dealing with potential issues as early as possible. No good has ever come from crossing your fingers and hoping the problem does not come up.

Solve Problems, Not Symptoms

In sales, in can be tempting to take a prospect’s word on face value. They have an issue, and they want your help in resolving it. You naturally assume that the exact issue that the prospect communicates is the problem. But what if it is just a symptom of something deeper?

Before offering our help in addressing a prospect’s challenges, we first need to find the root cause of the problem. This can only be done by asking questions, and by developing a deep understanding of the factors at play. From there, like a doctor who has run exhaustive tests on a patient, we are best placed to offer a solution.

Another principle that is just as important for workplace productivity as it is for sales, developing an understanding of the underlying cause of a problem is paramount to solving it in the long term. And by asking questions and performing a deep investigation, you may also find other potential problems in your workplace systems and procedures that are affecting your organisation’s efficiency.

At its core, good sales principles are based on solid, overarching business principles. By educating your staff on good sales technique, you will soon see the fruits of this training drip down into other areas of your business.

In sales as in the workplace, if you get the process right, the rewards will follow.

Keep in Touch With Us

Our responsiveness continues to drive results.

Youngbrook Recruitment

Level 1 / 122 Lytton Road, Bulimba QLD 4171

Phone: (07) 3399 6899

Email: simone@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au, ybr@youngbrookrecruitment.com.au