The fourth quarter begins this week, and with the holidays and loose ends to tie up by year-end, we might not have as much time to form a strong 2016 hiring strategy as we’d like.

Here’s how to start the foundation for a recruitment plan that sets you up for a successful year: Continue reading “4 Things to Do in Q4 to Hire Strategically in 2016” →

Remote employees are unquestionably here to stay. The internet has made it possible to create and operate businesses on a global scale. Companies have found that remote work has allowed them to expand their global talent pool, increase employee retention, increase productivity, and reduce overhead costs. Managing remote workers is all about the 5 C’s: Continue reading “How to Hire and Manage Remote Employees” →

As recruiting becomes more and more challenging, employers are getting creative about where and how to find leading job candidates.  One easy change is to consider candidates who may have come from other industries or professions but possess transferable skills that will enable them to be successful in your position. This three-step process will help you expand your pool of candidates to shorten recruiting times and find even better employees. Continue reading “Don’t Miss the Best Job Candidates: How casting a wider net can help you win the war for talent.” →

In view of the growing talent deficit, more employers are beginning to relax their job requirements to avoid productivity gaps. What many are discovering is that hiring so-called “underqualified talent” is an underrated strategy that can pay both immediate and long-term dividends: Continue reading “3 Reasons Why More Smart Employers are Hiring Less Experienced Talent” →

In a talent-driven market where it’s a struggle to find any talent much less somebody that matches exactly what you think you may need for your position, you need to be open to candidates that fall slightly outside of expectations. That may mean investing in talented individuals who don’t have all of the experience they may ideally want, but who have potential – or, individuals who seem to have more experience than the position requires, but who may be able to raise productivity even more than they were anticipating.

The good news is that a Harvard Business Review found that overqualified workers, what the study refer to as “too-good employees,” can actually be perfect fits for your company. In fact, the study revealed that so-called overqualified employees “tend to perform better than other employees, and they don’t quit any sooner.”

As for the benefits, there are quite a few great ones, including:

Stronger Industry Knowledge and Networks: Overqualified employees have the skills to do well, and if they gained their experience working in the same industry as your company’s, they could likely bring useful information to the table that you, your team and even your company can benefit from:  tricks of the trade, valuable contacts, or even new perspectives.

Less Training Time – and Cost: Hiring an overqualified candidate can mean dramatically reducing the learning curve, so you have a new hire who is ready to pull his or her weight in less time and at less cost. Less training means they (and you) can move on to tackling important projects.

Easier Delegation: Many overqualified employees are such because they are driven, enjoyed what they do enough to learn and develop skills, and more likely have been in the industry or their line of work for a while now (hence, “overqualified). They won’t just hit the ground running, they will run with any ball you pass to them, as long as your provide well-defined goals, instructions and parameters.

Hiring means having the opportunity to carefully select the right person with the right qualities – and for the right price. Despite months of increases in hiring, the market is still teeming with candidates, including many great people who just happen to have too much of good things. It’s not a matter of finding a “bargain” – a great employee who will accept less pay, but a matter of deciding which candidate can bring the most benefit to your team and your company. Not surprisingly, most overqualified employees fit this bill… and surprisingly enough, it doesn’t take that much more for you to foot the bill.

Nearly nine out of ten companies surveyed by Deloitte Global point to retention and engagement as their biggest challenges. One reason they have identified for good employees jumping ship is lack of trust in the leadership and management. From an employee’s perspective, there are numerous ways supervisors can flounder and demoralize their teams. Continue reading “3 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Became a Supervisor” →

Most companies (87%) now view employee retention and engagement as their biggest challenge. So what can you do to make your employees love working for you – and, ultimately, stay? Continue reading “3 Ways to Make Your Employees Love Their Jobs” →

The 4^th of July typically ushers in vacation season, when many employees choose take days or even weeks off. As supportive as you are of your team taking time off and enjoying work-life balance, one thing you cannot afford is to have most of your employees want the same week off. Continue reading “5 Tips to Prevent Employee Vacation Scheduling Headaches” →