What Is a Contingent Worker?

A contingent worker is someone hired by an organization to perform specific tasks. Also called freelancers, independent contractors or 1099 workers, contingent workers are experts in their fields, lending their skills to an organization on a non-permanent basis.

Usually, contingent workers are hired on a project-by-project basis, which implies that they are only called to work when there’s a project. A business owner is not required to offer continuous work to them, except if there’s another project that requires their help.

The contingent worker is in charge of their work schedule, how to carry out tasks and where to carry out given tasks. Therefore, they may choose to work on-site or remotely, and can even choose work days or hours. All they need to do is get their tasks completed at an agreed-upon time.

Generally, organizations do not add contingent workers to their payroll. Also, they do not pay them salaries or provide benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans as they would an employee.

Benefits of Hiring a Contingent Worker

Additional support when needed

Contingent workers help companies in times of need when there is an increase in demand. If you find your team short-staffed for a specific project, a contingent worker can help fill any gaps until the project is completed. Another bonus? Once the work slows down again, you do not have to keep paying an employee who no longer has a full workload (or, worse, lay the person off).

Cost-efficiency

Unlike full-time employees, contingent workers generally do not work with you for extended periods of time and do not receive benefits. You also don’t need to supply them with equipment like you would a full-time employee.

More flexibility

Contingent workers bring their expertise and creativity to your team, which enables your business to scale up operations faster to adapt to changing market conditions more quickly.

Fresh perspective

Contingent workers bring a fresh perspective that can revolutionize your company’s approach to business. This is partly because they work with multiple companies, often in various industries. So, they have a very broad perspective to draw upon. In-house teams can get accustomed to thinking inside the box, whereas an outsider may see things clearer and offer solutions that may increase productivity and efficiency.

Specialized Expertise

A contingent workforce allows you to pull individuals from specific fields. Their wealth of experience in a particular area can help your team’s projects. Relying on someone else’s expertise can also be a more cost-effective route instead of paying to train someone in-house who may only need a certain skill for one project.

Fast and low-cost hiring processes

It’s often quicker and easier to hire a contingent worker than an FTE. Unlike full-time employees who may need a series of interviews, you can visit online platforms to find top independent talent that is already vetted, so you know you’re getting what you need.

Scalability

Contingent workers provide businesses with the ability to scale their workforce rapidly in response to changing business requirements. Whether it’s accommodating seasonal demand or launching a new product, the contingent workforce offers organizations the agility needed to meet their goals effectively.

Reduced Risks

By using contingent workers, businesses can mitigate the risks associated with hiring full-time employees, such as the costs associated with layoffs or underutilized staff. This allows organizations to better manage their financial and operational risks while still accessing the talent they need to achieve their objectives.

Challenges of hiring a contingent worker. And effective strategies on managing them.

Managing a contingent workforce presents its own unique set of challenges that organizations need to address effectively. Here are some key challenges and strategies to navigate them:

Communication and Integration

Challenge: Contingent workers may feel disconnected from the core team, leading to communication gaps and potential challenges in collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Strategy:

• Establish clear communication channels and protocols to ensure effective information flow.
• Provide comprehensive onboarding and orientation to help contingent workers understand the organizational culture, values, and team dynamics.
• Foster a sense of inclusion by encouraging regular interaction, team meetings, and collaboration opportunities.

Performance Management

Challenge: Managing the performance of contingent workers can be challenging due to their temporary nature and lack of long-term commitment.

Strategy:

• Clearly define performance expectations, deliverables, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for each contingent worker.
• Implement regular feedback mechanisms to monitor progress, address any issues promptly, and provide guidance for improvement.
• Align goals and objectives of contingent workers with organizational objectives to ensure they contribute effectively to the desired outcomes.

Compliance Management

Challenge:

Compliance with labor laws, taxation regulations, and contractor classification can be complex and pose legal risks if not managed properly.

Strategy:

• Stay updated on relevant labor laws, regulations, and compliance requirements specific to contingent workers in your jurisdiction.
• Engage legal and HR expertise to ensure proper classification of contingent workers and adherence to applicable laws.
• Leverage technology solutions or specialized vendor management systems to streamline compliance processes and minimize risks.

Knowledge Transfer and Documentation

Challenge: The frequent turnover of contingent workers can lead to challenges in knowledge transfer, preserving institutional knowledge, and ensuring organizational continuity.

Strategy:

• Develop robust documentation processes to capture project-specific information, best practices, and lessons learned.
• Encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration within teams by using digital platforms, project management tools, and knowledge repositories.
• Implement effective handover processes to ensure a smooth transition when a contingent worker’s engagement ends.

Cultural Fit and Team Cohesion

Challenge: Introducing contingent workers into existing teams can impact team dynamics and organizational culture if not managed carefully.

Strategy:

• Assess cultural fit during the selection process by considering values, work styles, and compatibility with the existing team.
• Facilitate team-building activities that involve both permanent and contingent workers to foster a sense of unity and shared purpose.
• Encourage open communication, respect, and inclusivity to build strong relationships and enhance team cohesion.

Vendor Management

Challenge: Organizations that engage contingent workers through staffing agencies or third-party vendors face the challenge of effectively managing vendor relationships and ensuring service quality.

Strategy:

• Establish clear service-level agreements (SLAs) with vendors, outlining expectations, deliverables, and performance metrics.
• Regularly evaluate vendor performance and provide feedback to drive continuous improvement.
• Maintain open lines of communication with vendors to address any issues or concerns promptly.

By proactively addressing these challenges, organizations can optimize their contingent workforce management and leverage the benefits of flexibility, specialized expertise, and cost-effectiveness that contingent workers bring to the table.

Conclusion

Contingent workers offer numerous benefits, including flexibility, specialized expertise, and cost savings, making them an attractive option for organizations. However, challenges such as limited loyalty, knowledge transfer, and compliance risks must be managed effectively. By addressing these challenges through clear communication, performance management strategies, and compliance protocols, organizations can harness the potential of contingent workers successfully. To determine if a contingent workforce is suitable for your organization, conduct a thorough evaluation of your workforce needs, analyze the cost-benefit ratio, and consider cultural fit aspects. Embracing contingent workers can empower your organization to adapt swiftly, innovate, and thrive in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

Reference

• https://www.upwork.com/research/future-workforce-report

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Wage stagnation, rising cost of living, limited opportunities for career advancement, hostile and toxic work environments, lack of benefits, inflexible work policies, and long-prevailing job dissatisfaction were some of the many reasons why numerous professionals decided it was best to quit their jobs and explore newer and different roles in their careers. And the industries that were hit the hardest by this were hospitality, education, and healthcare.

In the backdrop of this new trend and the ever-changing economic environment, recruiting, mentoring, and retaining highly-skilled and quality talent has been an enormous challenge. From change in the expectations of the new worker to the shift towards fulfillment of qualitative goals like appreciation, acknowledgment, greater work-life balance, etc. more and more companies are taking a fresh look at how they attract, recruit, onboard and retain their most important assets: the talented workers who will bring their organizations to new levels of success.

According to SHRM, around 88% of companies globally already use artificial intelligence or AI in some way of HR operations. AI has been proving itself as a valuable resource when it comes to recruitment by providing benefits like efficiency, personalization, and data-informed decision making. Not only has AI reformed the relationship between tech and people, it has also revolutionized the role of HR when attracting, engaging, retaining talent.

AI in Recruitment

Recruitment is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. A task that can be made much easier and smoother with the help of AI. Across the globe recruitment agencies and HR departments have been employing machine learning to automate various aspects of the recruitment process, from identifying prospective candidates, completing pre-employment assessments, filtering out unsuitable candidates, to efficiently saving time and resources for everyone involved in the recruitment process. AI makes it possible for hiring managers to focus of the more important aspects of recruitment, such as scouting potential candidates or conducting interviews.

Importance of AI in Recruitment

AI-driven HR technology improves efficiency through automation of tedious tasks thereby allowing recruitment teams to concentrate more on strategic, bigger-picture goals. AI has had a significant impact on recruiting software, revolutionizing various aspects of the recruitment process.

Resume Screening

AI-powered algorithms analyze resumes and job applications, automatically screening and shortlisting candidates based on predefined criteria. This saves time and effort for recruiters by efficiently filtering through large volumes of applications.

Candidate Sourcing

AI can identify potential candidates by scouring online platforms, social media profiles, and other sources. AI-powered recruiting software can search for specific keywords, skills, and qualifications, enabling recruiters to find suitable candidates more quickly.

Automated Interviews

AI has facilitated the use of automated interviewing tools, such as chatbots and video interviews. These tools can conduct initial screening interviews, ask predefined questions, and evaluate candidates’ responses based on predetermined criteria. This streamlines the early stages of the interview process and enables recruiters to focus on more in-depth assessments.

Predictive analytics

AI algorithms are capable of analyzing large amounts of data to identify patterns and make predictions about candidate performance and job fit. By analyzing past hiring outcomes, AI-powered recruiting software help predict a candidate’s likelihood of success in a particular role, aiding recruiters in making data-driven decisions.

Improved Candidate Experience

AI has allowed for the development of personalized and interactive experiences for candidates. Chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, provide updates on application status, and guide candidates through the application process. This improves engagement, reduces response times, and enhances the overall candidate experience.

In addition to the above, AI-driven HR technology has jumped leaps and bounds over traditional methods of recruiting.

Time and Cost Efficient

AI-powered recruiting software automates many time-consuming tasks, such as resume screening and candidate sourcing. This significantly reduces the time and effort required by recruiters, allowing them to focus on more strategic activities. Additionally, AI reduces the need for manual data entry, paperwork, and physical storage, resulting in cost savings for organizations.

Enhanced Efficiency and Accuracy

AI algorithms can process and analyze large volumes of data quickly and accurately. They can screen resumes, identify relevant candidates, and match them to job requirements more efficiently than manual methods. This improves the quality of candidate shortlisting and reduces the chances of overlooking qualified candidates.

Objective decision-making

AI algorithms make decisions based on predefined criteria and data analysis, reducing the influence of unconscious biases that can affect human decision-making. This promotes fair and objective candidate evaluation, ensuring that candidates are assessed solely on their qualifications and abilities.

Data-driven Insights

AI-powered recruiting software generates valuable insights from recruitment data, such as candidate performance, hiring outcomes, and process efficiency. Recruiters can leverage these insights to make informed decisions, optimize recruitment strategies, and identify areas for improvement. Data-driven approaches enable organizations to continuously refine their recruitment processes and make better hiring decisions.

Suggested Read – Talent Intelligence + AI Tools: Redefining Healthcare Recruiting

Scalability

AI-powered recruiting software can handle large volumes of applications and candidates without compromising quality. It can efficiently process and manage diverse candidate profiles, ensuring that organizations can scale their recruitment efforts as needed, particularly during high-demand periods.

Future of AI in Recruitment

The future of recruitment globally is increasingly looking AI. It has already transformed the recruiting software landscape, making the process more efficient, objective, and candidate-focused. The future holds even more potential for AI to drive innovation and improve various aspects of recruitment like –

Enhanced Matching Algorithms

AI algorithms will continue to evolve, improving their ability to match candidates with job requirements more accurately. This will result in better candidate-job fit and increased efficiency in the hiring process.

Bias Mitigation

Efforts are being made to mitigate biases in recruiting processes, and AI can play a crucial role in this area. By training AI models on diverse and unbiased datasets and implementing transparency measures, recruiting software can help reduce unconscious biases and promote diversity and inclusion.

Skill Assessment

AI can further assist in evaluating candidates’ skills through automated assessments and simulations. This allows recruiters to gain more accurate insights into candidates’ abilities and potential, enabling better-informed hiring decisions.

Conclusion

If you get AI right, it will blend into the background and be there for support. But it’s also important to note that AI should only be considered as an assistant or advisor to recruiters — it does not replace the need for human interaction during the recruitment process. It would be best recruiters consider AI-driven HR technology as guardrails and not as the rules.

Resources

• https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/global-hr/pages/employers-embrace-artificial-intelligence-for-hr.aspx

The post Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Effective Manpower Recruiting appeared first on Leoforce.

1. Benefits of global teams

• Access to a vast talent pool: The world is now a talent pool. The ability to recruit the best and brightest from around the globe has been made possible by technological advancements, including cloud computing and video conferencing. Businesses can hire top talent from anywhere, allowing them to fill positions quickly and easily.
• Cultural diversity: Cultural diversity within a team can positively impact innovation and creativity. When team members come from different backgrounds, they bring different perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. It leads to increased creativity and innovation, ultimately driving business success.
• Improved productivity: A global team can be more productive than a traditional team because it allows 24/7 work. Different time zones enable teams to work around the clock, improving productivity and leading to faster turnaround times.
• Cost savings: Building a global team can be cost-effective for businesses. When employees work remotely, there are no office overheads, such as rent, utilities, and equipment resulting in significant cost savings for businesses.

2. Global team examples

• Microsoft: Microsoft has a global team of over 200,000 employees located all around the world. The company has embraced remote work and has allowed its employees to work from anywhere. Microsoft’s global team has helped the company stay competitive and innovative.
• IBM: IBM has a global team of over 250,000 employees in over 170 countries. The company’s international team has helped it deliver innovative solutions to customers worldwide.
• Amazon: Amazon has a global team of over 1,500,000 employees in over 130 countries. The company’s international team has helped it to increase and expand into new markets.

3. Global staffing solutions

Building a global team requires careful planning and the right staffing solutions. Here are some global staffing solutions that can help businesses build a successful global team:

• Employer of record: An employer of record (EOR) is a third-party organization that handles all administrative and legal requirements of employing staff in a foreign country. Using an EOR can simplify the hiring process and reduce the risk of legal issues.
• Freelancers: Hiring freelancers is a cost-effective way to build a global team. Freelancers can work on a project-by-project basis, which allows businesses to scale up or down as needed.
• Remote workers: They can work from anywhere worldwide, making them an ideal choice for building a global team. You can hire remote workers on a full-time or part-time basis.

4. Global team staffing

When building a global team, it’s essential to consider the staffing needs of each location. This means understanding the local job market, the cultural norms, and the language requirements. It’s also essential to understand the legal and regulatory requirements for each location, including taxes, benefits, and employment laws. Here are some factors to consider when staffing a global team:

• Cultural diversity: Cultural diversity is essential when building a global team. The team should comprise individuals from different backgrounds and cultures to promote innovation and creativity.
• Language skills: Language skills are critical when building a global team. Depending on the target market, team members should be fluent in English and other languages.
• Time zone considerations: Time zone considerations are essential when building a global team. It is vital to ensure that team members are located in different time zones to allow for round-the-clock coverage and timely communication with clients and colleagues in other parts of the world.
• Recruitment process: The recruitment process for a global team may vary depending on the location. It’s essential to consider local job boards, recruitment agencies, and cultural differences when advertising open positions and conducting interviews.
• Legal and regulatory requirements: They vary significantly from country to country. It’s important to consult with legal experts to ensure compliance with local employment laws, tax requirements, and benefits regulations.
• Training and development: Providing ongoing training and development opportunities to global team members is crucial to ensuring their success and continued growth. This may include language courses, cultural training, and professional development programs.
• Effective communication: Effective communication is critical for the success of any global team. Establishing clear communication channels and protocols, including regular check-ins and meetings, is essential to ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.

5. Managing global teams

Managing global teams can be challenging, but there are a few strategies that can help ensure success.

• Clear communication protocols: This means having regular check-ins, using collaboration tools like video conferencing and chat platforms, and ensuring everyone is on the same page regarding goals and expectations.
• Clear team roles and responsibilities: It’s important to establish clear roles and responsibilities for each team member and to provide the necessary training and resources to help them succeed. This can be particularly challenging when dealing with cultural and language barriers, but investing in these areas is important to ensure that everyone is working effectively together.
• Build a global corporate culture: This means fostering a sense of community and belonging and providing opportunities for team members to connect and collaborate regardless of location. This includes virtual team-building activities, cross-functional projects, and employee resource groups.

6. International staffing strategies

When developing an international staffing strategy, it’s essential to consider the unique challenges of each region and tailor your approach accordingly. For example, some countries may have legal and regulatory barriers to hiring foreign workers. In contrast, cultural differences that need to be considered may exist in others.

An organization can develop an international staffing plan with the help of local specialists who are intimately familiar with the region’s labor market and cultural norms. They can help you navigate the legal and regulatory landscape, identify potential challenges and opportunities, and provide valuable insights into the local job market.

Conclusion

There are numerous benefits of building a global team in the digital workspace era. By embracing diversity, leveraging technology, and adopting a flexible approach, businesses can tap into a vast talent pool, increase creativity, and improve collaboration across borders. However, building a successful global team requires careful planning, cultural awareness, and effective communication. Businesses can create a productive, engaged, and secure digital workplace by investing in the right tools, resources, and people, regardless of the location of their employees.

If you are looking to build a global team, an AI recruitment tool can help you widen your search at significant speed. To see how, take a demo today!

FAQs

What is a global team?

A global team is a group of individuals located in different geographic regions who work together to achieve common goals.

How does global team work?

A global team typically use digital tools to collaborate and communicate across different time zones.

What is the meaning of global staffing solution?

A global staffing solution is a strategy that organizations use to hire and manage employees across different geographic regions. This may involve working with local recruiters, leveraging technology for remote work, and adapting to local cultures and employment laws.

What are the problems with managing global virtual teams?

Some common challenges of managing global teams include communication barriers, cultural differences, time zone differences, and lack of face-to-face interaction.

How do you manage a global team?

To manage a global team effectively, it’s important to establish clear communication channels, establish common goals and expectations, foster trust and collaboration, and use technology and tools to manage work and workflows.

References:

• https://yourstory.com/2022/11/digital-workplace-enabling-greater-business-agility
• https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/article-what-are-advantages-building-global-team

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What is a culture fit interview?

A culture fit interview is an interview process that focuses on evaluating whether a candidate’s values, behaviors, and work style align with those of the company. The purpose of this type of interview is to determine whether the candidate will be a good fit for the team and the organization’s culture. While technical skills and experience are essential, a culture fit interview helps identify candidates who will not only succeed in their role but also thrive in the organization’s environment.

Why is cultural fit important?

Cultural fit is essential because it impacts employee engagement, retention, and overall company success. When employees feel that their values align with the company’s mission and culture, they are more likely to be happy and engaged at work. This, in turn, leads to increased productivity, innovation, and commitment to their work.

On the other hand, when employees do not align with the company’s culture, they may feel disconnected and disengaged, which can lead to high turnover rates, lower productivity, and decreased job satisfaction. In fact, a study by the University of Iowa found that employees who have a great cultural fit with their new workplace, manager, and coworkers are happier and more productive than those who don’t.

Therefore, it’s important for companies to ensure that they are hiring candidates who not only have the technical skills and experience required for the job but also share the same values and beliefs as the organization.

Best practices for conducting culture fit interviews

1. Define your company culture

Before conducting culture fit interviews, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your company’s culture. This includes the company’s mission, vision, values, and behaviors that define the work environment. By having a clear definition of your company culture, you can identify the characteristics and qualities that you are looking for in a candidate.

2. Prepare relevant questions

When preparing for culture fit interviews, it’s important to ask questions that are relevant to the company’s culture and values. Some common questions to ask include:

• Specify the kind of work environment in which you can be most productive and give your all.
• What does your perfect day at work look like?
• What, in your opinion, are the most important factors in maintaining productive business relationships?
• What are your greatest interests?

These questions can help you determine whether the candidate’s values and work style align with those of the company.

3. Include behavioral questions

Behavioral questions can help you evaluate how a candidate has behaved in specific situations in the past. These questions can provide insight into how the candidate would react in similar situations in the future. Some examples of behavioral questions include:

• Recall a time when your colleagues weren’t in agreement with your opinions. What did you do?
• Describe a difficult situation you recently encountered at work and how you handled it.
• Describe the most challenging circumstance you encountered at work. What occurred? How did you manage it?

Behavioral questions can help you assess the candidate’s problem-solving skills, communication skills, and ability to work under pressure.

4. Use role-playing exercises

Role-playing exercises can provide insight into how a candidate would behave in a specific work-related situation. For example, you could provide a scenario where the candidate has to deal with a difficult client.

After you have identified the key traits that contribute to your company’s culture, it’s time to start crafting culture-fit interview questions. These questions should be tailored to your specific company and the values you hold dear.

Here are some additional cultural fit interview questions to consider:

How do you define success?

This question can help you understand the candidate’s values and motivations, which can inform how they will fit within your organization’s culture.

How do you handle conflict or disagreement with coworkers?

Understanding how a candidate approaches conflict resolution can give you insight into how they will interact with your team and how they will navigate disagreements in the workplace.

In what sort of workplace do you thrive?

Asking this question can help you determine if the candidate will fit in with your company’s work culture and preferences.

Can you describe a time when you had to work with someone who had a different work style or personality than you? How did you manage it?

This question can give you a sense of the candidate’s ability to collaborate and work well with others, even in challenging situations.

How do you stay motivated during difficult times at work?

This question can help you understand the candidate’s resilience and ability to adapt to changing circumstances, which are important traits in any workplace.

Remember, cultural fit is not just about finding someone who is like-minded or similar to your current employees. It’s about finding someone who shares your company’s values and mission and can contribute to your organization’s success.

In addition to asking culture-fit interview questions, it’s also important to create an interview process that reflects your company’s values and culture. This can include involving multiple team members in the interview process, providing candidates with a clear understanding of your company’s mission and values, and giving candidates an opportunity to ask questions and get to know your team.

Creating a strong company culture is not a one-time effort. It’s an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and attention. But by hiring employees who are a good fit for your culture and values, you can build a team that is engaged, committed, and excited to come to work every day.

In conclusion, finding the right fit for your company culture is essential for success in any organization. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to conducting culture fit interviews, there are certain activities and questions that can help employers assess a candidate’s alignment with their company’s values and mission. By understanding what makes up a company’s culture and asking the right questions, employers can create a work environment that fosters engagement, innovation, and productivity. It’s important to take the time to prepare for interviews and seek advice from experienced professionals to ensure that your hiring process is effective and aligned with your organizational goals. With the insights provided in this article, we hope you feel better equipped to find the right candidate who will contribute to your company’s success and culture.

References:

• https://www.talentlyft.com/en/resources/cultural-fit-interview-question
• https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/cultural-interview-questions
• https://blog.jostle.me/blog/the-truth-about-cultural-fit-interview-questions
• https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/culture-fit
• http://nreilly.asp.radford.edu/kristof-brown%20et%20al.pdf
• https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20211015-what-does-being-a-cultural-fit-actually-mean

The post How to conduct culture fit interview: Activities, questions & more appeared first on Leoforce.

The results were baffling. Gallup, in its State of the Global Workplace: 2022 report, stated employees have reported experiencing astonishing rates of dissatisfaction, disengagement and unhappiness at work.

In the United States alone, 50% of workers described their feelings at work as stressed, 41% as being worried, 22% as sad, and 18% as angry.

A recent statistic released on LinkedIn revealed that only 30% of the global workforce is actively looking for jobs. Of the remaining 70% passive workforce, a whopping 87% is open to finding better job opportunities. This begs an important question. What are candidates looking for in a work culture?

For starters, let’s understand what is work culture. An article in Forbes defined workplace culture as a collective of shared values, belief systems, attitudes experienced by people in a workplace. In a nutshell, work culture is the environment that surrounds a person for a larger part of their day.

It is common knowledge that organisations in the United States, as well as the rest of the world, tend to follow a general framework when it comes to establishing organisational culture. Any organisation’s culture, big or small, is likely to be influenced by three important components. These three components are an organisation’s management policies, the people who work there and their day-to-day operational environment. In this article, we deep dive into how each of these components are likely to impact and influence organisational culture and what attracts a job seeker towards an organisation.

Let’s paint you a word picture

Think of a pyramid’s structure. Now split that pyramid into three primary building blocks. The bottom layer, the middle layer and the top layer. Each layer holds a certain degree of fundamental importance that shapes an organisation’s work culture. Let’s explore how each of these levels attract job seekers.

The job

The bottom layer of a job seeker’s pyramid comprises of day to day operations. Simply put, the job. When an organisation feeds a potential candidate’s passion, they climb several spots on a job seeker’s radar. The job is the reason why a job seeker files out an application for an interview. It is extremely important for a job seeker to be excited by the job they seek. A study shows that 65% of Americans are satisfied with their work, while only 20% of them are passionate about what their careers. Passion for the job is directly correlated with productivity. Let’s give you a for instance. Pilots love the thrill of flying, while techies can write code all day. Now switch their job roles and you will have a bored pilot and a software engineer who is (probably) terrified. But in all seriousness, the work or the job can be considered as the lynchpin that sets the ball rolling for most candidates seeking employment.

The people

An old but commonly used phrase in work spaces and we’re sure you’ve heard of it too, people don’t quit their jobs, they quit their managers. Obviously, there is some truth to this statement because a 2022 survey report revealed that 57% of employees hand in their resignation letters because of bad managers. That bring us to our next point of inquiry. The impact of human behaviour on work culture.

We know that humans are social animals. This means that the people around them can have a direct and rather huge impact on their intellectual as well as emotional capabilities. Candidates are looking for supervisors and managers who commit to their role beyond performance feedback and reviews.

A manager’s ability to guide, teach and nurture employees directly impacts an organisation’s culture. Employees are happier when their supervisors are approachable, transparent and open to ideas. Managers who are rigid, dismissive and have a tendency to point fingers and push blame are likely to increase the chances of employees quitting their jobs.

Its not just managers who affect work culture. The average person spends 81,396 hours at work. It is only natural that employees look to each other for a sense of camaraderie. In fact, research shows that people with friends at work tend to have higher productivity. 60% of employees consider their colleagues to be the biggest contributors to job happiness.

The policies

For the final factor, we need to take a spin back to our pyramid analogy. It is said that the pyramids are visible from outer space. In the context of an organisation’s work culture, the top of the pyramid or the capstone is something that has the most visibility. Because it is at the top, policies form a focal point and tend to have a profound impact on work culture. Organisational policies are designed to seep into work culture, shaping employee perception and affecting the degree of job satisfaction as well as the retention rate.

When an organisation designs it policies right, the degree of job satisfaction among employees is considerably higher. Happy employees tend to work more, innovate better and stay with organisations for longer. More survey reports state that employees who are well taken care of tend to be happier at work. While free meals, life and health insurance, day care facilities, and memberships to clubs and gyms are great ways to elevate work culture, their degree of attraction will eventually depreciate. Equal opportunities, job security, a nurturing environment and work life balance, on the other hand will go a long way in keeping existing employees and attracting like minded potentials.

The hidden factor

Apart from the three factors that make up an organisation’s work culture, a hidden or bonus factor affecting the culture are candidates themselves. A candidate’s ability to adapt to an organisation; their personality, attitude and skillset also play a huge role in impacting an organisation’s work culture.

About 74% of US employees claim company culture is important for job satisfaction. If the last three years have taught us anything, it’s that job seekers are looking for more than just a salary hike and incentives while looking to land their (next) dream job. It is safe to say that the rise in remote and hybrid work settings has led candidates to delve deep into their expectations from a workplace.

Today, job seekers want more. More, in this context, is not limited to a great salary package. It refers to a healthy and nurturing environment (both on campus and remote), it refers to opportunities to grow horizontally as well as vertically. Most importantly, job seekers are hunting for an organisational culture that promotes equality, inclusivity and delivers a higher degree of job satisfaction.

The post What are candidates looking for in a work culture? appeared first on Leoforce.

Even with the best people intelligence platforms, your organization could miss out on the ideal candidate if you’re not the first to act. Because let’s face it – Recruitment is undoubtedly not easy. Far from it. Considering the time and energy required along with resources.

Leoforce Chief Revenue Officer Anthony Cassio recently hosted an online fireside chat, “Tech and Talent Acquisition: Avoiding the Points of Failure,” to discuss this subject with HR leaders across the US. We present the best insights into the conversation in this article.

But before we delve into what experts have to say about avoiding failure points of recruitment, let’s understand some of the common pitfalls of talent acquisition.

Common hiring challenges of HR Teams

Finding suitable talent

The challenge of landing a suitable candidate is like a minefield. You can be very cautious and methodical in sorting out one out of many, but once onboard, it may not be as expected. Despite rigorous screening and interview rounds, there seems to be no sure-shot way around it.

Engaging with aspirants

Engaging skilled and qualified aspirants is another issue faced by companies. It is vital to keep candidates in the loop of the process, answer their queries, and, in some cases, have filler interactions as well so as not to let them drop off the candidate pipeline. Doing so in a timely and personalized manner is critical but equally challenging.

Reducing hiring time

With regard to recruitment, most HR teams and recruiters are given a stipulated deadline for filling up vacant positions. However, delays only lead to operational losses, revenue losses, and more. Usually, owing to the difficulty of sourcing and shortlisting promising aspirants, hiring takes longer than one would want to allocate.

Enhancing employer brand

A strong and well-known brand naturally attracts high-profile candidates in large numbers. However, because of not prioritizing employer branding or needing more right tools, bandwidth, and expertise to engage with online communities come in as a challenge.

Streamlining hiring process

Efficiency in the recruitment process is something else that recruiters and hiring agencies struggle with. Each vacancy demands its strategy and arrangements for recruiting needs, but it should also align with company resources and culture. Hiccups in assessment, scheduling, and communication can lead to inefficiencies that overlap with bandwidth issues.

Fair Recruitment Procedure

A bias-free recruitment process is even more critical today, considering how companies are emphasizing DEI objectives. There is a need to be transparent and fair in the hiring process, going strictly by merit and available position requirements while eliminating all biases. This is a massive challenge for most recruiting teams because despite having a balanced outlook, everyone comes in with opinions, preferences, and experiences that can be indirect and even unconscious at times but impacts the fairness of the results nonetheless.

Data-based recruitment processes

Maintaining, compiling, and leveraging hiring data is overwhelming from a manual perspective, leading to incorrect insights and predictions of future recruitment drives.

With these hurdles in place, how do you stride while maintaining momentum? How can you bypass the barriers when integrating more innovative recruiting solutions into your hiring process? Let’s now jump to the big takeaways of the fireside chat with HR experts, as promised.

Practical hiring solutions by HR experts

Keep people at the top of the tech stack

Technology can certainly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the recruiting and hiring process, but only if recruiters use those solutions. To truly take a people-first recruitment approach, including the people who will use the AI hiring tools in the vendor evaluation and selection process.

Consider holding a tech parade where recruiters and HR team members can compare potential vendors. Then, sit an actual recruiter at the table to tell you whether a tech solution will work or add value to the recruitment process. Doing anything else just increases the chances that your next investment will gather dust in your tech stack.

Suggested reading on AI recruitment: Discover how AI is being leveraged for the recruiting industry

Choose technology that’s part of an open ecosystem

In today’s environment, you’re always going to run into vendors promising to solve your problems with new innovative recruiting solutions. Understand, however, that not all systems touting tons of features can innovate as fast as specialized AI hiring tools.

When evaluating platforms or single-point solutions, take a second look at the ones that can exist within open ecosystems. Even platforms with “legacy” functionalities can be viable if they can freely engage with other solutions and parties. Investing in those products lets you layer in the exact tools your HR team needs to streamline the recruiting and hiring process.

Stop searching for the perfect tool

Recruitment is moving at such a rapid pace that you need to consider what’s working and what’s not working with technology — and then solve for that. More importantly, look under the hood of your current tech stack to determine whether your team is using every resource to its fullest capabilities.

The functionality might already be available to your recruiters, and they just don’t know it. Always updating tech in search of the perfect tool can lead to a continual cycle of re-training and confusion, which takes time away from sourcing, nurturing candidate relationships, and interviewing.

Work toward standardization

Organizational silos go well beyond processes, applications, and data. It can easily bleed into talent and job information, challenging recruiters to move the hiring process along and fill certain roles.

Apply people intelligence across your organization and minimize confusion by standardizing terminology. That way, everyone from recruiters to executives talks about skills and job requirements in the same language. It prevents the hiring process from becoming a game of telephone where the original message gets lost somewhere along the line.

Suggested resource on hiring strategy: How to build HR flexibility and resilience post-COVID

Endnote

In this challenging climate, organizations must use tech to empower recruiters to do the human part of hiring: nurturing talent and growing the business intelligently. We need to inform and empower job seekers, too. Multiple offers for the same candidate are now the norm, so you need to give people a good experience from the first interaction onward. Relationships haven’t changed, but the means for strengthening them have — and that’s where the right recruitment technology solutions come in.

To see how AI recruiting solutions can supercharge your talent acquisition efforts, take a demo today.

FAQs

What is the main HR challenge?

Some of the biggest challenges for HR include dealing with change management and developing leadership. 48% of companies face issues with change management, while 35% have problems with leadership development. Another noteworthy one is the inaccurate measuring of the effectiveness of HR functions through proper metrics.

What are the challenges of talent acquisition?

One of the major challenges of talent acquisition is dependence on non-specific and overly saturated job listings/boards. Administrative tasks like communication, scheduling, and others take up a lot of time and energy as well.

Using an AI recruitment tool that can take care of manual tasks at speed and scale and can also help with making candidate sorting and selecting decisions.

Which tools are used in HR?

Most popular contemporary stand-alone HR tools include ATS (applicant tracking systems), job boards, and chatbots. With the advent of artificial intelligence in HR, comprehensive AI recruiting tools that can take care of various steps in the end-to-end recruitment drive is also being readily adopted by HR teams. making a splash.

How AI recruitment tools can help meet DEI goals?

With AI recruitment tools, you can set your DEI goals as a filter before you begin sourcing candidates. It then considers not just your candidate’s skill criteria but also the overall diversity of the workplace to select candidates from strategic talent pools for your review.

How to choose a good recruitment software?

Choosing a good software for recruitment means checking for aspects like ATS integration, and the ability to source qualified leads from diverse avenues. Other parameters include Chatbot-enabled communication, automated scheduling and workflow management, and screening abilities.

The final decision, of course, would be based on your precise requirements and budget, but you can check out the recruiting tools on a test-run basis to understand their fit.

The post Watch HR leaders discuss avoiding failure points in tech and talent acquisition appeared first on Leoforce.

That’s a burning question for many folks in HR and recruiting. While AI hiring tools have made the process more efficient, people-first recruitment isn’t the priority it used to be — or should be. According to TribePad, about 4 out of every 10 people believe tech removes the human element from the hiring journey.

The problem isn’t that recruiters relied too heavily on technology or prioritized efficiency over person-to-person connections. Instead, the issue is that recruiters are just now figuring out how to tap into the benefits of those advanced tools without losing the art of their profession.

Recruiting is as much art as science — and the art happens on both sides of the equation. Ideally, innovative recruiting solutions should optimize the hiring process while supporting recruiters in the higher-value tasks of engaging with talent.

Here’s how recruiting technology can help hirers optimize the hiring process without sacrificing the personal touch:

Choose tech systems that integrate seamlessly with each other.

According to a G2 study,68% of recruiters believe their jobs will become more efficient in the next five years thanks to technology. However, too many tools that don’t complement one another only add to the confusion and slow the process down.

Clunky, disconnected tech interfaces ruin any chance of recruiters getting the information they need smoothly. Invest in tech that enables hiring personnel to integrate their point solutions effortlessly and streamline workflows. That way, recruiters can lean on technology without feeling at odds with it.

Empower recruiters — don’t replace them.

About 94% of recruiters surveyed by G2 say innovative recruiting solutions simplify their jobs. A solid hiring tool should work with recruiters and provide them the necessary People Intelligence to find qualified, capable candidates.

Cuts in recruiting teams have been made based on unrealistic promises from tech vendors. Rather than use technology to reduce staff roles, leverage tech to empower team members to do their best work. Choose tech products that give people more time to spend nurturing talent. You’ll see the benefits when you start attracting and placing top performers.

Lean into standardization.

Standardization isn’t a four-letter word. Standardizing job descriptions and applications can make it easier for hirers to use tech in an assistive capacity.

For instance, hirers can rely on an automated system to scan a vast pool of diverse applicants in seconds. The standardization ensures the system won’t miss anyone, and the recruiters can take over once the pool of candidates is whittled down.

Recruiting is all about placing the right people with other people, which is why companies in all sectors should embrace people-first recruitment. Although technology hasn’t always promoted People Intelligence in the hiring journey, that has changed in recent times. Hirers just have to seek out the right fit for their tech stacks and workflows.

Want to know more about how to use tech to promote your people-first recruiting procedures?

The post How technology can keep people at the heart of recruiting appeared first on Leoforce.

However, AI is a product of human innovation, which means it also has human flaws — namely, unconscious bias. Consider Amazon’s failed recruitment experiment to design a tool that could learn to pick the best people fast. The only problem? The tool used historical hiring data from Amazon, and it ended up choosing top candidates through the same partial lens as human hirers.

Biases are typical, and they all get triggered in us in some way. Whether language, location, level of education, or gender, everyone has biases — and they can easily lead to AI bias in hiring. By working in tandem with automated hiring tools, companies can address the challenges of AI in recruitment and still achieve internal hiring goals related to diversity. Here’s where to focus:

Your People:

Research from TribePad indicates that 42% of people believe technology dehumanizes hiring. This feeling likely comes from an overreliance on tech. AI hiring tools can be their most effective and pull a diverse pool of candidates by working in tandem with a diverse and DEI-focused group of decision-makers.

Suggested reading on DEI hiring: Blueprint to drive DEI hiring in the workplace

Build a team from different departments and backgrounds that recognize the biases in your company; this group should also watch for any AI recruiting bias. Challenge this team to keep diversity top of mind and act as gatekeepers in the event that discrimination occurs.

Staying aware of these biases on a human level better informs your technology. That cognizance, hopefully, can mitigate the challenges of AI in recruitment.

Your Process:

All companies have their go-to sources for finding talent. They visit certain job sites, colleges, or organizations to find ideal candidates. For technology to collect a deep and impartial talent pool, its sources need to be equally diverse.

Turn to your usual sources while adding in new ones. Try adding different job boards and placement agencies to your array of sources. Collaborate with your diverse hiring team on the areas of concern in your hiring, and then find places to address those areas.

Then, let your hiring AI sift through the most qualified candidates from those platforms to balance diversity and people-first recruitment.

Your Technology:

Once you have the people and processes in place, it’s time to examine your technology to see how AI bias in hiring can materialize.

Suggested reading on AI Hiring: Discover how A.I. is being leveraged in Recruitment Process Outsourcing

Take a close look at the information being fed to your technology to determine how that might introduce bias. For instance, look at the words and phrases that populate each job listing (e.g., “go-getter,” self-starter,” “nurture,” “aggressive”). Do those phrases lean toward a particular gender, race, or anything biased in any way?

Look at how sophisticated your technology is to determine whether it and your team can work together to be stewards of diversity for your company. For instance, Leoforce’s solutions work to cut through potentially biased keywords to look at the depth of someone’s qualifications in assessing their ability to perform a job.
Unite your team and processes with cutting-edge, innovative hiring AI to bypass potential bias.

AI recruiting tools don’t operate in a vacuum. They need the eyes and ears of human expertise to build a diverse talent pool. Practice a people-first mindset in your use of AI hiring tools, and they can act as complementary parts of your efforts to attract and retain a more diverse team.

Resources

• https://becominghuman.ai/amazons-sexist-ai-recruiting-tool-how-did-it-go-so-wrong-e3d14816d98e

The post AI hiring bias is real — Here’s how you can fix it appeared first on Leoforce.