The HR Guide: How To Find & Support Entry-Level SEO Talent

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StrategyDriven Talent Management. Article |Entry-Level SEO Talent|The HR Guide: How To Find & Support Entry-Level SEO TalentWhen given a choice between an experienced professional and a complete newbie fresh out of the university, most HR managers would pick the former. However, finding a well-qualified employee can be a real challenge — especially in the SEO industry. For this reason, many C-suits decide to pick a different route, hiring inexperienced individuals and turning them into SEO experts themselves.

There are many successful stories centered around developing in-house talent and transforming a bunch of motivated young people into a skilled and well-functioning team. For instance, one may think about the Husky Hamster company when presenting examples of such a case.

Nevertheless, finding and supporting entry-level SEO talent also requires some time and effort. Searching for people with the right traits, providing mentorship, and creating an inclusive work environment are only a few of the things business owners have to address.

If you want to learn more, keep reading! Here are some of the most crucial steps to building a high-level SEO team from the ground up!

Search for People With the Right Traits

While the process of hiring entry-level SEO talent is not as complex as searching for a professional with many years of experience under their belt, it is something more than just snatching up candidates right out of college. The main factor to focus on here is potential.

People hired by the company should be willing to learn and be passionate about the world of SEO. Moreover, they need to have a good combination of soft skills and basic knowledge of the internet. This way, both the company and new workers can benefit from the arrangement.

Here is a list of some of the most in-demand soft skills in today’s market:

  • Focus — In today’s day and age, more and more people have problems focusing on the task at hand. Consequently, the ability to see a project through from start to completion became highly valued among CEOs and HR professionals.
  • Communication — Both written and verbal communication is essential to ensure an organization’s success. Without it, chaos takes the wheel. As such, it is one of the most sought-after skills for all positions.
  • Curiosity — A person who lacks curiosity may still find success at the workplace, but they will not be as successful as a curious one. Curious people make for better learners and can reach new heights faster than others.
  • Flexibility — The ability to find alternative solutions to different problems on the fly is one of the most valuable skills out there. It is especially vital when things do not go as planned.

Organizations can consult search experts or work with universities to learn which people they should hire. Besides, they can try outsourcing the recruitment of SEO talent, limiting their role to only making a few suggestions.

Write an Exceptional Entry-Level Job Description

Both internship postings and entry-level job descriptions require different kinds of treatment than regular job offers. Even though some practices remain the same no matter what kind of person one is looking for, there are a few unique elements that every SEO company that is looking for entry-level applicants should consider.

To resonate with young and talented people, the organization should explain what it expects from candidates and why it is a good place for young people to start their careers. Instead of sticking to a dull outline, making it more inclusive or simply more enjoyable to read might be a better approach. Additionally, the job posting should mention features that differentiate it from other brands.

The main aim is to help applicants visualize the experience of current employees. If the job description can engage a person, it fulfills its purpose perfectly!

Provide Mentorship

As mistakes are an intrinsic part of the learning process, entry-level hires are bound to make them as well. It can be frustrating not only for those who mucked up the job but also those in charge of the whole project. However, how can someone be angry at students’ errors if no one teaches them what to do?

Even newly created SEO companies should have a few more experienced staff members on board who are willing to take on a mentorship role. Otherwise, the enterprise runs the risk of collapsing right after beginning its operations. An alternative approach features making use of places that offer SEO mentorship.

Plus, there are lots of valuable SEO resources online. And while a good portion of them requires payment, paying for these materials is a small price considering how much money the company might lose because of rookie mistakes of its employees.

Create an Inclusive Work Environment

Another critical step in helping new hires to succeed is creating an inclusive work environment. Business owners should ensure that the atmosphere in their companies is as welcoming as possible. This way, they can attract talented individuals to become new team members and strengthen the bonds between their current employees.

Here are a few ways to do it:

  • Hiring people from different backgrounds.
  • Providing plenty of get-to-know-you opportunities.
  • Offering flexible work hours.
  • Encouraging more employee feedback.
  • Providing more feedback and recognition.
  • Implementing a buddy system in the workplace.
  • Organizing team-building events.

Relationships play as big of a role as other factors that determine business success. As such, employee assimilation should be on the top of the priorities list of every business — no matter in which niche it operates.

The Bottom Line

Even though it may not seem like it, talented people are everywhere — one must only know where to look. The same holds for the SEO industry, where companies can find many people with untapped potential.

By searching for people with the right traits and writing exceptional entry-level job descriptions, SEO organizations can fulfill their staffing needs with motivated people who are willing to learn. Next, all that is left is creating an inclusive work environment where entry-level hires can prosper and learn from the best. If more companies do just that — the future of SEO will look brighter than ever!

Top Business Tips for Hiring the Right Salesperson

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article | Top Business Tips for Hiring the Right SalespersonHiring the right people is one way to encourage long-term business success and also reduce employee turnover, saving your business time and money. Hiring the right people can seem like a highly daunting prospect for many businesses, especially for entrepreneurs looking to build a solid team for their new brand.

Ensuring you hire the right person for the job is critical, no matter whether it’s a marketing assistant, a receptionist, a customer service contact, or an accountant. One area where it’s particularly crucial nonetheless is with a salesperson. This person — or team of people — is going to be responsible for chasing leads, driving sales, and ultimately succeeding in making a profit.

With this in mind, here are some top tips to get it right.

Set Your Wants, Needs, and Expectations

With sales comes a lot of potential, which means a high number of applicants and the need to wade through a great number of applications. While interest in the position is, of course, a good thing, you need to make sure you’re not wasting valuable business hours looking through candidate resumes that simply aren’t a good fit.

Setting strict requirements of what you’re looking for before advertising and interviewing will help you to stay focused and only receive applications from those people who fit the bill. Not only will this help you to preserve business time, but it’ll also prevent you from wasting the time of candidates too.

Experience May Not Be Everything

Of course, the ideal candidate might be someone who understands the sales cycle in detail, has a lifetime of successful sales experience, and is an exceptional people person. However, if you’re setting too much store by experience, you may be missing out on a compassionate people-person who has a great rapport with customers and the potential to shine with the proper training.

All of this will depend on the time and resources you have for training up candidates with less experience, but if you do have the resources, you may want to be flexible about experience and think about people eager to develop their sales career who have great personalities (compared to someone with 30+ years sales experience whose personality may not fit your brand).

Look for People Who Understand Your Brand and Fit Your Ethos

While the ability to make sales and work hard is naturally key, you want your salesperson to be the perfect fit for your brand — both for the success of your company and to ensure that they can have a job they’re passionate about too. Sales work more easily when the brand representative truly believes in and aligns with what the company and product is all about. You could have a highly experienced and likable salesperson who simply doesn’t understand your brand’s mission, and this could be a problem over time.

If you want your potential clients to get excited about your product and invest in you, then the salesperson needs to be someone who genuinely feels that way, too.

Loopholes in Hiring: What Are You Doing Wrong?

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Hiring Loopholes|Loopholes in Hiring: What Are You Doing Wrong?It seems like you’ve decided to go through this article. Well, in that case, there’s a high probability that you’re looking for some assistance in your hiring decisions. Even if you’re an experienced recruiter, things could be looking gloomy in the recruiting area for some time, and that’s a point of concern indeed.

For instance, the problem could be that your employees aren’t meeting expectations, or you feel you’ve hired a good candidate for the wrong position! Fortunately, you’ve stumbled upon this article that will assist you in assessing your own recruiting methods and criteria.

Undoubtedly, hiring new employees is a complicated process. You have to know the law, set recruiting criteria early on, sort out an employment contract and – above all, ensure you’re recruiting the right person. You can easily err if you don’t check all the right boxes. After all, finding the wrong person is worse than finding no one at all – it means having to start over.

The trick to recruiting new employees for your business is to have a clear idea of the skills, characteristics, and experience required for that particular position. A reasonable plan to assess and attract the best of the best entrants is an essential component of effective recruitment. Unfortunately, too many businesses commit the same slipups over and over again, costing themselves money and time in the process. The best way to dodge these mistakes is to learn from them.

To make it easier on you, we’ve compiled a list of all the loopholes that exist in recruiting new employees, including a gist of how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Not Manifesting Technology

Are you still taking a stroll down the river to wash your clothes on the rocks? Do you hang your unmentionables over shrubbery to dry? Of course not: There is a better way, and you’d only give yourself some trouble if you do not use it. The same applies to screening potential candidates. Sifting through a mountain of resumes and printing every email is a tedious process. It wastes time and energy and leads to inefficient results, such as losing track of an applicant’s information, slowing down the recruitment process.

The Fix

Incorporating technology and specific tools in the recruitment process is a viable way to track all essential details. An applicant tracker, for instance, is a model built to help you handle everything from potential candidates to interview dates, job positions, job descriptions, and so much more. Furthermore, it casts a vast network for attracting applicants by driving traffic directly to your job openings and screens for the top candidates. So instead of schlepping home a box full of resumes to read, you’re now directly scheduling in-person and phone interviews and getting that position filled. It is not just a keen move but cost-effective and easier on your back as well.

Mistake #2: Rushing to Recruit Someone

Hiring someone without thinking twice or scrutinizing their experience/work profile can be as bad as not using technology or making the hiring process overly lengthy. Of course, there can be a sense of urgency to recruit an employee, especially if you have other staff covering the position putting additional strain on the team. But by trying to speed up the process, you may miss out on vital information, which could prove costly in the future.

The Fix

Focus on setting a realistic timeframe to send out the job offer and go through the hiring process. You can then share this with your team to get an idea of how long it will take to find the right candidate for the job.
Also, ensure that you take all the necessary time to perform relevant checks, contact references, and conduct online skill assessments. A checklist can assist you in this regard; by setting a timeline for every step, you can stay on track and ensure nothing is left out.

Mistake #3: Making decisions based on gut feelings

Human beings are biased – no arguments here. However, this becomes a problem when most of the recruitment at a company is based on gut feelings! Subjective and unthoughtful decisions are a primary problem in several organizations.

The Fix

Fortunately, with AI or Artificial Intelligence, recruiting managers can identify the right fit for the position by evaluating the applicant’s characteristics, skills, and other required criteria. AI-based solutions are designed to collect data and convert them into actionable insights. It will ensure that all the crucial decisions are based on untainted data, allowing companies to compare the skills required for a particular position with the applicants’ job profiles.

Moreover, deciding to hire someone based on gut feel can be damaging to the company. If you’re not careful, you might miss the red flags in job applicants. Performing extensive criminal background checks with candidates’ written consent through a third-party background checker is within a business’s legal right, so it’s something you should consider. Background checks can expose problematic behavior and keep bad employees from being hired at all. Since background checks are standard practice, most job seekers are aware that they may go through them.

Mistake #4: Not Including other Staff Members

Hiring managers often use the same old recruiting criteria used previously to hire the last employee. What they don’t realize is that the skills or role requirements might have changed. They often fail to mention these additional requirements in their requisition. Thus, the job offer might attract the wrong group of candidates.

This mistake usually occurs when recruiters and HR work in isolation, not consulting the team and hiring managers about the actual job preferences and duties. This makes the hiring process even more chaotic and prolonged than anticipated.

The Fix

Involve all your staff members in the recruitment process. More than 50% of the time, it is seen that hiring managers make tweaks to the job description. You can invite your staff members into your talent acquisition podium so that you can all give your two cents on the hiring process. Moreover, with open-end discussions, you can discover the right candidate for the job opening.

Mistake #5: Not Offering Enough

When it comes to hiring new employees, staying within your budget will forever remain an essential consideration. Many organizations walk a fine line between spending enough money to expand their business and staying profitable. But now more than ever, job applicants know what they are worth, and they are searching for a job that will be realistic in terms of amenities and salary. So offering less for a job that deserves more is a definite no-go.

The Fix

It is wise to look at what other organizations are paying their employees. The same websites that candidates will use to research what a position is worth can help recruiters too. You don’t necessarily have to pay more than your competitors. Still, you should play fair if you’re expecting to attract top-class talent.

Furthermore, suppose you don’t have the budget to match what your contenders are paying. In that case, you can perhaps offer other bonuses, such as an office gym, 401k matching, tuition reimbursement, etc.

Conclusion

So there you have it – a list of all the plausible mistakes that are bound to sabotage and possibly derail a recruitment process. All recruiters need to consider the pointers mentioned above to ensure an effective and smooth hiring process. To err is human, of course, but you can streamline the entire process and run it smoothly with a little bit of effort and technology. Just be sure to take your time and assess the potential candidates with a sharp eye, and before you know it, you’ll have no trouble finding the best fit for the job.

Practical Ways To Promote the Health of Workers in a Manufacturing Industry

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Manufacturing Industry|Practical Ways To Promote the Health of Workers in a Manufacturing IndustryThe health and safety of workers are a top priority for any company. A healthy workforce can be more productive and less likely to call in sick, which will result in lower costs associated with recruiting and training new employees. Here are some practical strategies that you can use to promote the health of your manufacturing workforce.

Promote a Culture That Values Health

If a company does not value the health of its employees, it probably won’t make any efforts to promote it. Instead, companies can enable healthy workers by fostering a culture that respects and views good habits necessary for productivity.

Another way that companies can support employee health is to provide training opportunities that encourage exercise or schedule walking meetings instead of sitting ones. Lastly, companies can promote healthy habits by providing free or low-cost food options that are healthier, like fruits and vegetables.

Promote Safety Standards of Metals and Machinery Used

More advanced machines are safer, but new employees may not know how to use them properly. Promoting safety is through education and training programs on-site that teach people safe working habits. These pieces of training should focus on the specific hazards in each workplace, including proper storage of tools or techniques for using certain kinds of machinery.

Prioritize Annual Medicals

As some of your employees may be working on physical tasks, it is essential to stay healthy and fit. Therefore, make sure you prioritize annual medicals and any regular checkups needed for those who work in the factory or plant every day.

Whether a walk-in checkup or an occupational health program, these services should be at the forefront for your employees.
The physical and mental well-being of workers in the manufacturing industry can have a significant impact on their lives and how they perform while working. Therefore, make sure you invest enough time into having them take care of their bodies and minds, as well as the work environment.

Provide the Right Working Gear and Equipment

Manufacturing is a very demanding industry. Workers in different manufacturing sectors like the aluminum anodizing process must work long hours and often must do heavy lifting or operate dangerous electronic equipment. They also face inclement weather, poor lighting, noise levels that exceed safety standards, and working conditions that are not ergonomically correct.

Because of these factors, workers in the manufacturing industry need to have good working gear and equipment. It will help them protect their bodies, increase productivity, and prevent injuries in the workplace. Not only will this save money in healthcare costs, but it can also increase productivity by giving workers safe and comfy working conditions instead of ones where their health is compromised daily.

Lead by Example

Managers need to set an example. If you are wearing safety glasses and gloves, your team members will follow suit. Be sure that employees see you walking around the plant floor with a hard hat on. The best way to promote health in an industrial setting is by leading by example.

When workers feel their supervisor cares about them, they are more likely to work safely. In addition, they will want their coworkers and managers to be proud of them rather than chastising them for a mistake that you could have prevented with better gear or equipment.

Conclusion

A healthy workforce is a productive workforce. The primary purpose was to highlight the importance of promoting health and safety in manufacturing plants. It’s not about the workers necessarily being healthier, but rather having a workplace that doesn’t make them sick or hurt them while they are at work.

How To Find Employees for Your Franchise in The Wake of Covid-19

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article |Covid-19|How To Find Employees for Your Franchise in The Wake of Covid-19Beginning in early 2020, Covid-19 began having a massive effect on everything. Above all else, the demand for Covid-19 staffing went through the roof. Everyone was shaken up and no one knew what to do. How to find employees for your franchise in the wake of Covid-19 was the call.

With the advent of the coronavirus in the US, most everything changed for the worse and the demand for employees rose. People became scared and the shortage of qualified workers became overwhelming. The economy began to change and jobs, as well as entire businesses, were lost. Some people were even too afraid to come out of their houses.

As communities rallied together and families met to discuss the situation, things began to fall into place as they always do with American families. But this was something different, something not seen before in this generation. We all knew we had to do something but what?

As the pieces fell together:

Healthcare employment agencies were the hardest hit because they place more people in jobs than any other bureau. Staffing agencies do their work based on the industries they are working with. Everyone was looking at Covid-19 staffing. One area that struggled most was the healthcare industry and especially in hospitals. Many hospitals laid workers off adding to the exploding unemployment numbers.

How to attract employees in the middle of a pandemic:

  • Beef Up Your Job Descriptions: with increased applicants, key on quality over quantity. Creating a robust and highly descriptive job summary is the key
  • Skills Appraisals are more important than ever: to reduce unfairness when screening applicants and to find the best-qualified individuals, set up a system of skills testing
  • Find talent by utilizing a work scout or recruiter: with the Covid-19 situation, find qualified applicants and inform them about your company and then provide adequate job descriptions and information and do it by creating an additional post.
  • Key on help to obtain qualified applicants: sites like Monster and Indeed can connect you to large audiences
  • Offer Coronavirus temporary staffing: when you find a qualified applicant, a temporary position often works into a permanent one

Show a caring and loving attitude: we all know that love and gentle caring can often do more than words

Refit and Restructure:

The most effective way of attracting employees in the wake of Coronavirus is to offer remote work. You will need to change things and make some adjustments but it can easily be done. Offer bonuses or increase salaries, and perhaps even provide a computer or let them use the one they were on in the office.

Employers must now think outside the box

  • What is the workload
  • How many employees do we need
  • Where will we find them.

The answer to all of those questions and more can be found in technology. It was there the entire time. As it turns out, many of these remote jobs were better than the daily commute to the office and more productive for all involved.
Sometimes life provides the questions and the answers.

Show your prospects the benefits of working from home:

Even before the global pandemic, lots of folks were choosing to work from home. With the advent of new technologies such as Zoom, Skype, Facetime, Slack, and Google Hangouts, this was easy. It was no longer just an option but the chosen way for employers to obtain staff and for employees to stay home but still produce a living for their families and their loved ones.

Help all your staff in the setup process:

You value your staff and you must let them know it. Make the time to interview all potential work-from-home candidates and learn what they have at home and what they need. Offer to get them set up in any way possible. I wouldn’t think that offering them a stationary bicycle would be out of the question. Staff working from home could much more easily find the time to work out when their office and their home is the same place.

How offering remote jobs helps your franchise:

Companies that offer remote work programs can vastly improve employee productivity, reduce turnover, and actually lower costs. Telecommuting workers with highly complex jobs who do not need a lot of personal teamwork often perform better than their office-based correspondents.

Also, look on the bright side. If another natural or manmade disaster ever comes along, a distributed workforce is in a better position to keep operations running, even if some of the group goes offline. So as it turns out, there just may be good in everything because working from home is actually a very good plan