5 ways to maximize your recruiting efforts

Simply put, your job is to hire people. But for you to do your job well means you have to hire the right person for the right job. This is where your job gets difficult. Oftentimes, the people that respond to your posting in a newspaper or online aren’t the ideal candidates. These people are cold calling a million other places and put little thought into where they’re actually applying. You need to find the person for the job you’re filling; the right person isn’t going to find you. Consider these five tips on better recruiting:

1. Extend your network. This is a common adage for the job seeker, but it works just as well for the employer. Contact local colleges and universities and speak with their career counselors. This is a great way to tap into a talent pool of young, educated, and eager people just hitting the job market. Career counselors know what type of candidates they have through interviews and are usually excellent judges of talent.

2. Look in-house. If you have a position you need to fill, who better to turn to than someone who already knows what you’re looking? Before advertising a job listing to the public do so internally. A current employee looking to advance in the company will know how the system works and will be more easily trained. It also builds employee morale when you hire within because it makes current employees feel valuable.

3. Look for experience. This sounds like a no-brainer, right? But going for someone who simply graduated from a top college doesn’t always translate into success. Look for people that have performed a similar job to the one you’re looking to fill and have done so successfully. This will make the transition easier and they’ll already know the professional landscape.

4. Advertise your benefits. Given the current economic landscape prospective employees want to know what you’ll give them beyond salary. Sure a competitive salary is crucial, but if you offer comprehensive healthcare then let it be known. Have a free health club? Have a great retirement plan? Sell it.

5. Tap your employee’s networks. Your employees know what type of person fits in the company and they can cut down some of the sifting through of resumes if you ask for their help. Offer a referral bonus and you’ll see your employees step up to the plate with viable candidates. They won’t risk putting forward a candidate if it’s going to reflect badly on them.


This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who is an industry critic on the subject of how to become a nurse. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.

Jobs cuts plan by top finance firms!

Against the sub-prime crisis end of last year most finance firms were announcing and consolidating on their exposures during the 1st quarter of 2008 which eventually culminated to drastic measures which we are beggining to hear and see now - job cuts!

Here are some of the latest developments!

UBS: Swiss investment bank UBS axed 5,500 jobs.

Morgan Stanley : Morgan Stanley is planning another round of layoffs in the coming days - 1,500 jobs.

JPMorgan Chase: Plans to cut jobs to make space for incoming Bear Stearns employees.

RBS: Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is set to cut hundreds of jobs as it pushes ahead with the integration of Dutch bank ABN AMRO's investment bank and slashes headcount in divisions hit by the credit crunch. Expected job cuts - 7000.

Citigroup: Plans to slash about 15,000 jobs.

Goldman Sachs: Plans to cut headcounts eventhough their exposures were light.

Merrill Lynch: ML intends to reduce headcounts by 4000 employees.

Here in Singapore, most managers including those at UBS are very confident that the affect will be minimal as most of the job cuts are in US and UK.

In most banks, it has been observed that the hiring plans are either on hold or delayed and even those that are hiring does requires layers of approvals before the offer could be finally released.

My advice to most candidates that are in touch with me -
if you think your job is safe, hold on to it. Don't bother to look out for greener pastures because there isn't much option at this time.
And for those who are out of job or on the verge of being retrenced, look for opportunities aggresively and take any offers that comes your way. Don't bother to look for some more options before you can decide which one to take because there isn't much option for you to weigh at this time.

***Happy hunting folks!***

Why won’t Singaporeans work abroad?

I came across this debate conducted by eFinancialcareers and found one of the comments very interesting, it goes like this...

The reason we don't leave is that Singapore is a great place to live and work - summer all year, world's best transport sytsem, no crime, no hassles....when you step out of work you don't have to battle the guns, cold and grumpy people like in New york or London. plus If Sing wasn't so great then why would so many expats want to live here????

Hay Group Global Study Finds 33% of Asian Companies Poised to Freeze Salaries in Preparation for the Slowing Economy

Singapore, April 2, 2008: The majority of companies in Asia have not fully felt the impact of the current economic events with only 8% of them not confident of hitting their business targets, compared to 16% globally. However, they are bracing themselves to be affected sometime in the near future, according to a new global study released today, which spanned 1,003 companies in 80 countries. According to Hay Group, the global consulting firm that conducted the study, more than 41% of companies in Asia are freezing or considering freezing base salaries.

“Even more alarming, 33% of Asian organizations (compared to 15% globally) reported that they were freezing salaries for all employees,” said Charlotte Park, Managing Director of Reward Information Services, Asia, Hay Group. “Short of layoffs or salary cuts, this is as serious as you can get in terms of sending out distress signals.”

In addition, the study found that 81% of organizations will be freezing or decreasing staffing levels in the near future. That said, when companies were asked about their primary concerns regarding engaging and retaining key employees during challenging economic periods, they identified retaining and motivating their key contributors as their number one concern – 48% of companies indicated that they have either made changes or are making changes to their retention programs for high-performers.

“An analysis of the forecast for next quarter, coupled with the impact of this report, could be the catalyst for much more serious economic measures,” said Park.

Other notable findings include:
 Employer-provided benefits are being put under the microscope, especially when it comes to healthcare – 27% report they have either made changes or are making changes to healthcare benefits.
 21% of respondents indicated that they either have changes implemented or planned for retirement/pension benefits
 44% of respondents indicated that they have changes implemented or planned for training and development programs

How Asian employers stack up globally

In general, employers in Asia are taking a more cautious approach than their global counterparts in preparing for an anticipated economic slowdown: (Table 1).

	Asia	Global
Not confident of meeting business targets for 2008	8%	16%
Considering freezing or are freezing salaries for 2008	33%	15%
Freezing or decreasing headcount in 2008	81%	20%
Making or planning changes to healthcare benefits	27%	34%
Making or planning changes for retirement and pension plans	21%	18%
Making or planning changes for training and development programs	44%	38%

Rosy outlook for Singapore job market in 2008

Against the backdrop of the US credit crunch and its ripple effect through out most of the financial capitals of the world the outlook of most companies here in Singapore viz-a-viz hiring remains very positive.

The above observation is based on the surveys conducted by various agencies for the 1st quarter of 2008.

As per the Hudson Report Q1 2008, 51% Singapore companies planned to increase their workforce.

The report also goes to say that despite the current credit crunch, the impact is low on recruitment plans across all markets surveyed, including Banking and Finance.

I am sure most of us, at some point or the other was worried about the possibility of US recession having a drastic effect on the market here in Asia. Honestly, I still fear that the US will go into recession and all of us including Singapore will be eventually effected. But after reading what MM Lee has to say on this subject, my fears upto a degree is gone.

Speaking to some 1,200 people at the Tanjong Pagar Lunar New Year dinner on Monday night, Mr Lee said Singapore is at the centre of the world's highest growth region, and is in a period of steady growth. "This is quite remarkable, for it will be the first time that when the American economy slows down and reduce imports from Asia, Asia will not go into recession."

What was remarkable about this great man and his insights was soon evident when he continued to point out that the US recession help the Singapore booming real estate market to cool down and this inturn did not result in Asia going through another financial crisis like the one in 1997.

Most of the banks did not stop hiring in Q4 of 2007 and the hiring trend seems to continue at the same pace in Q1 of 2008 and I am confident that this trend will continue for most part of this year.

This is the year of the rat - a time for renewal, hard work and a fresh start.

Hopefully, all the subprime mortgage crisis and the write downs can all be put behind and everyone will start a fresh and rebuild all that was lost.

This might just be a wishful thinking but I choose to remain positive and think only of good things for the year ahead.

And here's wishing happy hunting and clean closures to all my fellow recruiters in Singapore and across the world!

:: Recruiter 10-Factor Evaluation

# 1: Delivers Result
- Consistently fills most jobs on time, often with top people. Responsible –
Recruiters must be able to hit their numbers. This means consistently filling all of the reqs assigned to them month-after-month. If the backlog is increasing you have a problem. You can’t be passive.

# 2: Knows the Job
- Has solid understand of real job needs. Confident. Gets clarification –
Good recruiters must know the job, and not rely on the Job Description. Recruiters need to know what the person holding the job needs to do to be considered successful. Otherwise, you’re just guessing and box checking.

# 3: Finds best active candidate
- Strong with basic systems and uses a variety of other good techniques –
Recruiters must be able to find the best active candidates quickly. This means writing great ads, knowing what boards to use, and using all of the latest searching tools to mine through resumes quickly and accurately.

# 4: Finds best less active and passive candidates
- Always obtained good candidates through referrals. Assertive –
If you’re only sourcing candidates, you’re not really a recruiter. Recruiters must be able to build instant networks of top people and convince them to consider your jobs even when they say “no”.

# 5: Manages the process
- Can manage multiple assignments using a variety of tools. Well organized –
Recruiters have too much to do and things always go wrong. Managing all of these issues is a critical skill. Hiring one person is tough enough. Keeping everything moving while staying on top of it all is the essence of an exceptional recruiter.

# 6: Knows the market
- Quite knowledgeable about industry, trends and employment issues –
Recruiters must be on top of all of the issues in their area of expertise. This means knowing compensation ranges, the best places to find top people, and what’s happening in their industry. This is how you convince candidates and clients you’re an expert.

# 7: Influences the hiring decision
- Adds much value. Understands candidates and job needs. Respected –
Recruiters must exert influence on their hiring manager clients at every stage. This means haggling about job requirements, candidate competency, and how to negotiate offers. The best recruiters are involved at each step in the hiring process and push their candidates forward despite differences.

# 8: Influences candidates throughout process
- Provides good advice and is seen by candidate as advocate. Influences –
The best people always have other opportunities. Keeping them involved and interested in your job is the core of recruiting. This means knowing the job and presenting a persuasive case as to why offers should be accepted even if they don’t meet salary expectations.

# 9: Conducts professional and accurate interview
- Uses multiple tools to assess. Solid skills. Pretty accurate. Input valued –
Recruiters must be thorough and competent assessors of talent. This means knowing what questions to ask, interpreting the results correctly, and defending your candidate to the hiring team. You know you’re at the top of your game when you lead panel interviews and the debriefing session.

# 10: Works with the team
- Works well with team to improve process. Takes initiative to help others –
Forget the Lone Ranger stuff. In a corporate environment recruiters must work with a wide variety of people, some not so great. Influencing their decisions and keeping the process moving forward is what teamwork and cooperation is all about.



Source: www.adlerconcepts.com

:: Top 50 recruiting blog!

I made it to the TOP 50 of TheRecruiting Watch blog community - http://www.recruitingwatch.com/community.

At recruitingwatch.com they are constantly monitoring the top blogs and blog posts on Recruiting.

Do give them a visit and if you find that your favorite blog is not on the list you can recommend it to be included in the list.

:: Is the banking recruitment machine losing its steam?

Singapore – Private banks in Singapore are easing up on recruitment, in light of the volatile sub-prime market in the US, says the Business Times.

Manager of search firm Robert Walters’ front office banking practice, Gary Lai says, “The banks won't admit this but they are probably not as aggressive as before.”

Having done well in Singapore over the past two years, assets of private banking have increased to an estimation of US$500 (S$725) billion this year, resulting in a shortage of staff.

Another recruitment firm, Kelly Services, said that hiring wouldn’t stop entirely, but “will slow down to some extent over the short to mid term”.

While the sub-prime crisis is one reason for the ease in , with others being steep competition and high costs, say Kelly Services.

A financial advisor has said that for example, UBS have slowed hiring for its trainee programme. It “used to aggressively look for people, asking bankers to see if they knew people interested in it. But that has stopped',” said the source.

And at Citi, “they have even cut things like staff social programmes for gatherings or drinks,” reported an investment strategist.

Mostly in the US and UK where investment banking centres are based, banks have made clear their intentions of downsizing their staff. However, “I would find it unusual if Singapore was not affected”, reported the strategist.

“At banks that will or have cut jobs, if a unit is seen to be aggressively hiring it sends the wrong signal to the rest,” said Robert Walters' Gary Lai.

Joshua Yim, chief executive of JCG Search International said that, banking sectors in Asia are “isolated to a certain degree, but at a big corporate, depending on which bank we're talking about, you can have across-the-board reductions.”

Banks are less aggressive than when they were five months ago, and those affected by the sub-prime crisis are cutting back, he said.

On the other hand, banks and insiders have reported that the hiring slowdown rumours are unfounded, and Citi Private Bank have said that it would continue to grow in double digit percentage terms in the short to medium run. And come 2008, it “will continue to recruit the appropriate talent in order to match our business expansion and growth needs”.

:: Good time for job seekers in S'Pore

Singapore employers continue to see positive hiring demands in the last quarter of 2007. According to Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey, net employment outlook of +43% showed that employers in Singapore will continue to hire at a vigorous pace.

The survey revealed that 51% out of 759 employers polled expected to hire more [eople during the fourth quarter of 2007. 31% projected no change in hiring intention while 2% expected a decrease in staffing levels.

The finance, insurance and real estate industries reported the strongest hiring activity with a net employment outlook of +70%.

:: General Nature Conservation Groups in Singapore

General Nature Conservation
Nature Society (Singapore)
SEC Green Volunteer Network
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) Volunteers, Toddycats!
Eart-H (Joseph Lai)
Simply Green (Dr Chua Ee Kiam)
NParks Ubin Volunteers
NParks CCNR Volunteers
NParks Sunge Buloh Volunteers
Zoo Docents

:: S'pore IT Salary Report by ZDNet Asia

This ZDNet Asia IT Salary Benchmark 2006 report provides an overview of salary data for several IT positions, including IT Management, Project Development and Systems Development. It also highlights the most popular technical skills and professional certifications.

This 9-page report focuses on Singapore and shows that IT Management positions are at the upper end of the pay scale. Project development ranked second.

The overall average annual salary is highest in Hong Kong at HK$404,144 (US$51,964), followed bySingapore at S$64,943 (US$41,601). Surprisingly, Thailand is in third place with an average annualsalary of THB 994,203 (US$27,044). However, the correspondent base is also smallest in Thailand, therefore some caution is advised when interpreting results.

Overall Average Annual Salary by Country

Country	Local Currency	Average Annual Sal(Local curr.)	Average Annual Salary (in USD)
Hong Kong	HKD	404,144	51,964
Singapore	SGD	64,943	41,601
Thailand	THB	994,203	27,044
Malaysia	MYR	61,278	16,696
India	INR	662,310	14,702
Indonesia	IDR	102,379,052	11,231
Philippines	PHP	536,241	10,730

If you wish to access the complete survey report please Join activeTechPros! Get a salary comparison based on your job title at http://www.activetechpros.com/.

:: S'pore job-seekers demand 10% more than what employers expect to pay

Is it a case of overblown expectations or just market savvy?

More than in any other country in Asia, job candidates in Singapore tend to demand salaries higher than what employers are willing to pay, said the latest report by human resources firm Hudson.

More than half of the 723 employers from multinational firms in Singapore surveyed said they "often" or "very often" received such demands — the highest proportion of all the Asian markets involved in the study, Japan, Hong Kong and Shanghai included.

Singaporeans are increasingly aware of their value in a market where demand outstrips supply, said Hudson's Singapore country manager Mark Sparrow.

"When Singaporeans look for jobs, they are looking for higher pay, but employers haven't adjusted their expectations yet," he said.

.

Also, 57 per cent of respondents said Singaporeans are asking for more than 10 per cent above the salary offered — second only to what job-hunters in China are requesting.

While companies here "shouldn't bow down to job candidates", they do need to readjust what they are prepared to pay employees in a competitive market, he said.

by LIN YANQIN
yanqin@mediacorp.com.sg

Learn about Hispanic Recruiting at LatPro.com.

:: Big Biller by Bill Vick & Des Walsh

For all those serious recruiters who wish to scale the dizzy heights of big billing this great work by Bill Vick & Des Walsh is a great resource. Some good excerpts are given as below. Please register your mail id to receive a sample copy of their work at http://www.bigbiller.org/.

Every industry has its superstars. In the recruiting world we call them the Big Billers. They are the ones who have mastered the art and science of recruiting, the ones who consistently earn far more than most people dream of earning.

Accoring to Paul Hawkinson Big Billers are a special breed: “Some of their traits are: they’re hungry, they’re money-motivated, they’re basically peoplepleasers, they have a purpose. They’re generally intolerant of mediocrity. They’re extremely focused. Whether a searcher, a placer, or contingency, or retained, a lone wolf or a team leader, they have laser like focus. And I have found they are sensitive to gut feelings. Some people are sensitive to gut feelings, some people aren’t".

5 Keys to success:

• Attitude – every Big Biller has reached a point where he or she has an unshakeable, winning attitude and relentless persistence.
• Focus – every Big Biller has a crystal-clear purpose and a strategy for success.
• Control – Big Billers control the process at every step, and are in control of the hirer’s expectations and the candidate’s presentation - nothing is left to chance.
• Discipline – every day is planned, routines are followed, the process is respected.
• Relationships – Big Billers put customer needs before fees (again and again it was emphasized that recruiting is above all a relationship business).

The 11 commandments for Big Billers:
1 - Thou shall not play games thy cannot win and never forget time kills all deals.
2 - Honor thy self first, the client second, and all others third. Never forget who brought you to the party.
3 - Thou shall plan thy work and work thy plan.
4 - Thou shall remember recruiting is a contact sport.
5 – Thou shall remember building relationships and establishing rapport is an all the time not a sometime thing. The 5 best and proven ways to build relationships are:
1 - Face to Face
2 - The phone
3 - The phone
4 - The phone
5 – e-Mail
6 - Thou shall remember recruiting is a life style, not a sometimes job. If you don't love it don't do it. If you have to lie to win don't do it. If you have to be somebody else from 8:00 to 5:00 don't do it. Always strive for balance in your business, as in your life, and live with integrity and honor.
7 - Thou will follow through and never forget the deal is not done until the check clears.
8 - Thou shall not get seduced by Technology. It is a tool not a crutch.
9 - Thou shall remember when hunting for clients or candidates, as in hunting for elephants, to use a rifle, not a shotgun.
10 - Thou shall not forget Recruiting is a business, not a profession, but to always act and conduct business professionally.
11 - Thou shall not forget the Golden Rule and treat other’s as you want to be treated.

Big Biller Basics © Big Biller Publishing 2006 - www.BigBillerPublishing.com

Find information on Diversity recruiting at DiversityJobs.com.

:: Post them jobs on Wednesday

An internet job-posting company survey found that the best day to post employment advertisements on the web is Wednesday.

The survey was conducted by eQuest and they counted how many were viewed on a specific days of the week and how many were then clicked through to go to the next step of filling out an application.

While job ads were frequently viewed on Wednesday (18.1%), the report also cliearly confirmed that candidates often search for jobs between Monday (17.5%) and Thursday, with a major drop in acitivity on Friday (12.3%). Saturday and Sunday sees a drop below the 9% mark.

No wonder my first co-branding ad on a Saturday did not received the responses that I quite hope for.

:: My first co-branding job ad | Macquarie

:: HR Salaries in Singapore

Singapore economy is booming. All sectors are doing well. Banking and Finance is facing shortage of skilled manpower.

These are very familiar headlines that we’ve been seeing for the past few months here in Singapore.

Not surprising, given the fact that the recruitment space which is the best indicator of how well the various industry is performing is buzzing with business and every one getting a share of the recruitment pie.

Every other day we hear of new search firms/recruitment agencies that are making inroads into Singapore market – some from as far away as Alaska!

We also hear of reports from multinational search firms forecasting huge pay rise across the sectors. The recruiting fraternity too benefits immensely from the resultant effects of the booming economy.

The latest Salary Survey in September 2007 by Profile & Search Selection for Singapore, for both Financial Services and Industry markets combines is indeed very interesting.

Partial report as per the salary survey conducted by Profile Search & Selection.

* Experience is in Years. * B & F - Banking & Finance. C & I - Commerce & Industry

HR SALARIES (ANNUAL) - SINGAPORE

ROLE	Experience	B & F (in S$)	C & I (in S$)
HR Director/Head	10+	220-330	180-250
HR Manager/VP	7-10	150-220	120-180
Asst HR Manager/AVP	5-7	100-140	80-120
HR Biz Partner/Generalist	5-10	100-180	80-150
Com & Ben Head	10+	190-260	160-240
Com & Ben Manager	5-10	120-190	100-160
Head of Resourcing	10+	180-250	170-220
In-house rec Manager	5-7	120-180	100-150
In-house rec Consultant	3-5	80-120	60-100

For more details please go to Profile Search & Selection

:: Top 100 HR bloggers!

Such a great and new feeling to see myself included amongst such esteemed company in the Top 100 HR bloggers as compiled by Laura Milligan at Bootstrapper.

Here are the list of the top recruitment blogs in alphabetical order.

1. Amitai Givertz’s Recruitomatic Blog: This recruiting professional reveals some of her best tools for attracting talent.
2. AmyBeth Hale: Research Goddess!: This fun to read blog is a great resource for connecting you with other HR sites and blogs across the Web.
3. A Recruiter Diary: Author Joe Neitham shares “the ups and downs, lessons learnt, success stories,” and more in his recruiting blog.
4. Ask the Recruiter: Post your questions or just browse through other readers’ inquiries to learn more about the recruiting industry.
5. Cheezhead: Cheezhead is an attractive, popular blog about recruitment trends, with special attention paid to issues unique to working on the Internet.
6. Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter: Even if you’re not in the restaurant business, you’ll have a good time reading this blog, which is full of recruiting tales and tips that will leave you hungry for more.
7. Confessions of a Recruiting Newbie: Follow the author’s journey through a career in HR recruiting.
8. Cyber Sleuthing: Use this blog to learn the sneakiest tips for using the Web as your main recuritment tool.
9. Director of Recruiting: Catch up on all the latest “news and views” you need to know as a recruiter.
10. ERE Expo Blog: The ERE Expo is the principle convention held each year for recruiting professionals. Sign up to attend, check out their blog entries, or preview the event’s schedule.
11. Expert Recruiter Resource: Don’t miss this blog. Use it to discover a wealth of advice and tips that will help boost your career.
12. Hire Strategies: Learn about the power of e-recruitment, especially within the retail industry.
13. IT Recruiting Diary: On this blog, you can read inspirational stories and valuable tips about recruiting.
14. IT Toolbox Recruitment Blog: The IT Toolbox Recruitment Blog features short but thorough postings with expert advice on the newest recruitment ideas and trends.
15. The Asia Pacific Headhunter: This blog discusses trends in recruiting, and is a great resource for professionals and job searchers alike.

:: Singapore's booming economy creates recored number of jobs

Singapore's booming economy saw a record growth of 61,900 jobs in the last three months with unemployment at a six-year low of 2.4% in June.

The preliminary findings from Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also found employment growth in all sectors.

Stimulating the job growth is the rapidly expanding economy which exceeded all expectations in the last quarter.

Experts here observed that the economy is steady enough to survive even the weakeding US economy and decreased demand for electronics.

Source: HRM Issue 7.8




Find thousands of Bilingual jobs at LatPro.com.

:: Satyam to double its office space in Singapore

Indian technology giant Satyam Computer Services will open a new 10,000 sq ft office in Changi Business Park (CBP) next week - a move that will effectively double its current floor space in Singapore.

Satyam's Singapore office, which is the company's regional headquarters servicing the Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East, will be well poised to take advantage of this regional push.

Source: The Sraits Times, 13 September 2007.



Visit DiversityJobs.com for information on Diversity in the workplace

:: Singapore job seekers prefer SPH newspapers

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) newspapers are the preferred medium for job seekers, according to the Singapore Workforce Survey (SWS) findings.

The SWS shows that 84 ercent of job seekers rely on SPH newspapers for recruitment opportunities.

That is more than double the number that use the Internet - the second most poplular medium - for the same purpose.

In addition, six in 10 of those who use SPH newspapers in their job search said they were eventually offered jobs, compared to 15 percent of those who used the Internet.

Source: The Straits Times, Friday, Sept'7 2007