APSCo social media workshop 17/10/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in future engineers, jobs, social.Tags: candidates, engagement, social media
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I recently attended a seminar on social media by APSCo which reinforced just how vital it is for consultants to keep up to date with new developments in this area.
Put simply, the job of a recruiter is to find the best employee for a position. As such, industry contacts and expertise have traditionally been the best methods to locate a perfect match. But today consultants are increasingly looking to social media.
LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have over 535 million combined users. That equates to a lot of potential talent for a company. The seminar was a success and focused on how to maximise LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. The key, it appears, when using social media platforms is creating relevance – following and engaging with significant people and creating dialogue.
If recruiters are increasingly looking to source talent via social media, do job seekers need to improve their online presence? We suspect so. Here are our top tips for candidates using social media:
- Google yourself
Remember that any social media profile you have can be found through a simple Google search. Make sure that there is nothing in the public domain that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see. An unfortunate picture, or an inappropriate discussion with a friend that may have happened years ago could cost you a future job. And if you are using Facebook, a good way to make sure only your friends see what you post is through the privacy settings.
- Make connections
If you’re using LinkedIn, make sure you are connecting with old and new faces. By expanding your network you will be able to access many more potential employers, but also, and importantly, you will be visible and show up in searches. But don’t make the mistake of adding every member of an organisation that you want to work for. Not only do you run the risk of being ignored, you may also ruin your chances of working there by alienating staff members. Be selective in who you send an invitation to connect with.
And if you are using Twitter, start following experts in the field that you are interested in and begin commenting on what they are discussing. This will make you more visible and the more you engage, the more followers you will get.
- Be active
Be active and contribute to online discussions and forums. Provide insight and share your ideas on any bogs you are following, and retweet interesting posts you see on Twitter. Not only will you gain more information, but you may just make some new connections or learn of job opportunities in the process. By joining relevant groups on LinkedIn, you will expand your network. And by commenting on discussions, your ability to be seen by hirer’s will increase, and you will begin to stand out.
- Stay updated
Make sure that all your social media profiles are up to date and current. On LinkedIn don’t forget to add volunteer and internship placements you may have undertaken. This information can only enhance your profile. You should also take advantage of the ‘Recommendation’ options on LinkedIn – get past colleagues, mangers, or clients to recommend your previous work. This will show up on your profile and is a place employers will check when looking at potential candidates.
- Research
Last but by no means least, use social media to research your potential boss. Viewing an organisation’s website is no longer deemed sufficient research. Search your future company’s Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. Knowing the business will give you an added advantage in your interview and will show that you are resourceful.
Let us know what you think? How has social media helped you in your job search? Do you think that traditional methods are now old hat?
Employees facing increased pressure and job insecurity at work 12/08/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in Employment, Engagement.Tags: CIPD, employees, employer, engagement
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The latest CIPD statistics showed that employees are facing increased pressure at work, as well as worrying for their jobs. The report also showed that they have little trust in senior managers, preferring instead to follow the lead of their direct line managers.
Here at CBSbutler, we think the value of employee satisfaction is immeasurable. If workers are unhappy, then productivity goes down, absenteeism goes up and the company is less productive (and enjoyable to work for) as a whole.
All of these factors would seem to stem from one root cause: a serious lack of communication within the company. So how can companies open dialogue with their employees in order to restore trust, manage workloads and provide reassurance? (more…)
Are you satisfied with your manager? 25/03/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in Engagement.Tags: employees, engagement, retention
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A recent headline about employees not respecting their managers caught my eye. The article discusses a survey of 2000 adults in the UK carried out by People 1st.
The survey showed that 36% of respondents felt their manager didn’t provide clear instructions and 23% simply disliked their manager. Another question revealed that almost half of respondents didn’t believe management did enough to develop their career, and almost a third thought their manager talked down to them.
At CBSbutler we work very hard to ensure all staff are not only motivated by management, but also rewarded and regularly spoken to about their progression through the business. In an often hectic industry like recruitment, it’s easy to get sidetracked by targets or the worry of getting a candidate placed in time for a client deadline. We know this all too well, but what we also appreciate is how valuable our staff are – after all without them the targets wouldn’t be met! (more…)
CBSbutler – the annual kick off event 10/02/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in Awards, CBSbutler, Employment, Engagement.Tags: awards, employees, employer, engagement
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Each January we hold our annual ‘kick off’ meeting. The whole company attends the off-site get together to celebrate and highlight the 2010 key achievements and the objectives for the year ahead.
It is a good way of sharing experience and knowledge, and communicating honestly and transparently so everyone knows what’s going on, feel involved and part of the team.
Are we losing behaviour based skills to monetary rewards? 31/01/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in CBSbutler, Employment, Engagement, Management, Recruitment.Tags: employees, engagement
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There is no doubt that many recruiters join the industry because of the financial rewards, but in my opinion the emphasis on rewarding only hard financial targets is flawed. For one thing, it can encourage and lead to a purely monetary focus at the expense of other qualitative skills including team work, managing change, problem solving and customer focus; which to me are fundamental to the operation and success of a business.
Industry awards should be in everyone’s PR toolkit 05/01/2011
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in Awards, CBSbutler, Employment, Engineering, Recruitment.Tags: awards, employees, employer, engagement
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Entering industry awards is something we ensure is at the heart of our marketing and PR strategy. They are a great way of enhancing your business profile and performance, and attracting new members of staff and clients who both want to work with the best in the industry. Having a bulging trophy cabinet and a wall full of certificates, like we do at CBSbutler, is absolutely fantastic for staff morale.
Ahoy m’hearties 23/07/2010
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in CBSbutler, Engagement, Uncategorized.Tags: employees, engagement, welll-being
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A recent survey suggests that employers encouraging employees to socialise down the pub could be contributing to poor health problems – through excessive alcohol consumption. However, although social events for employees generally revolve around the pub both employers and employees are unconvinced that these events are a positive way to develop healthy working relationships.
So with this in mind, we like to be a bit different here! Recently a group of our staff set sail on the Solent to enjoy a
day’s boating courtesy of our generous boss who won the excursion in a charity auction.
After being taken to Southampton, they boarded the boat for some lunch, drinks and a leisurely meander before mooring up by the shore where they were able to improve their jet ski-ing skills. (more…)
Are your employees engaged? 19/07/2010
Posted by CBSbutler Ltd in Employment.Tags: employees, employer, engagement, welll-being
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Only 24% of employees are engaged with their job. This was the finding in the recent Gallup Engagement Survey and following these findings, the CBI reports that employee engagement is the biggest problem facing employers. So what should employers being doing to change this and more importantly why is this happening?
According to David Macleod, author of the Macleod Report to Government on Employee Engagement, many employers spend a lot of time ensuring that their employees have a good work/life balance which is positive but has no real impact on employee engagement. Employers need to address the real issues which are trust and management. The biggest influence on whether an employee is engaged is the relationship they have with their manager. Managers that cannot bring out the best in their employees risk losing them.
