How Can Employers Avoid Bias in the Recruitment Process

How Can Employers Avoid Bias in the Recruitment Process AI, Gamification and even blind applications are just some of the ways companies have tried to banish bias from the recruitment process. Ultimately the hiring process is finally decided by a human so is it possible not to have any bias in the recruitment process? Our panel of diversity and inclusion experts are back to give us their tips on reducing bias in the recruitment process. Natasha Broomfield-Reid We all have biases. Most people don’t admit to having biases, and many organisations prefer not to acknowledge them, but denying they exist doesnt means that they go away. By having self-awareness and identifying our own biases and how they affect our behaviour, we can begin to slow down our thinking and challenge our decisions. Consider the reasons behind your decision-making process and challenge them, especially when discounting individuals who are different from yourself or the majority of people in the role/ industry. Natasha Broomfield-Reid, Head of Development at Equal Approach. Caroline Stokes Be aware how human it is that it exists. We can all learn to understand what our biases are, and to make an effort to stretch themselves in interviewing even hiring talent that really make sense, vs the comfortable route you would typically choose. There’s a lot of self work here, and everyone needs to do it. Caroline Stokes, Executive Headhunter Coach. Founder of FORWARD. Nicola Crawford The recruitment process should always encourage applications from a cross-section of society; companies should make their equality and diversity policies (or anti-discriminatory policy) clear and easily available to those who are interested in applying. The goal of the group is to promote diversity in risk management, to harvest the unique experiences, skills and perspectives that women can bring to optimize decisions and build positive risk cultures. Fundamentally it is about recruiting the best person for the job. Nicola Crawford, CFIRM, Chair of the Institute of Risk Management. Joanna Abeyie Use inclusive recruitment processes including using alternative sources for recruitment. Look at interest groups, professional networks, charities, professional thought-sharing events, social enterprises that support diverse talent, industry bodies and the like. All of which will have members who are talented, experienced and professional who would be a great pool of talent to tap into. Joanna Abeyie, Managing Director, Hyden, SThree.  Suki Sandhu The problem with bias is that most people do not realise they have it. Unconscious bias is a big problem for businesses, but you can take actionable steps like ensuring that all staff undergo unconscious bias training to make them more aware. To combat bias, whether it’s conscious or not, I would also encourage all businesses to implement name-blind recruitment and standardised interview questions and scoring systems for ALL candidates. Interviewing in pairs to gain a different perspective can also help, as well as having diverse interview panels to ensure diverse candidates have a more meritocratic process. Suki Sandhu, CEO and founder of  Audeliss. Charlotte Sweeney Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that bias is a natural â€" we all have them. What we have to do as employers is (i) make sure the recruitment process is reviewed to ensure all bias is removed (for example assuming a certain degree grade at a certain university naturally means someone is right for the job) and (ii) raise the awareness of the impact of bias in decision-making for everyone. We should help people understand what their personal biases are and give them tools to help mitigate the impact of their bias throughout the recruitment process and any other areas of decision-making. For example, ensuring there is a diverse interview panel means there will be different viewpoints and more potential for them to challenge each other’s thinking. Charlotte Sweeney, Managing Director of Charlotte Sweeney Associates Ltd. Sarah Nahm Running a good hiring process and reducing bias in the hiring process ultimately come down to the same thing: structure. Structured interviews help lessen the subjectivity involved in hiring â€" increasing the chances of making a good hire and decreasing the threat of unconscious bias. Put great thought into the experience and capabilities needed for excellence in the role, make sure they are reflected in the job description, and train your interviewers so they know what to look for. When roles and expectations aren’t clearly defined, interviewers are more likely to let their biases cloud their decisions. Understanding what you’re looking for before you interview candidates helps take that bias out of the equation. Sarah Nahm, CEO, Lever.

3 Interview Tips to Show You Deserve the Job

3 Interview Tips to Show You Deserve the Job You passed the phone screening after the lengthy online job application. Now, you have been called in for the job interview to meet in-person. If you think you only need to prepare for the interview with a nice outfit and a great resume, the interview will not go well. Do not think you deserve the job just because of an interview. Read these easy interview tips to show the company you deserve the job!1. Research the Company Inside and OutNo one is saying you should be a “stalker” but it certainly may feel like it. But what you are really doing is the appropriate work to know the company (and if you should work there). Learn how to talk about the company by researching:Yelp reviews Glassdoor reviews Employees on LinkedIn Company blog and social media Company homepage and what they say about their company cultureFind out who is working there, what they believe and prepare to talk about it.2. Show You Are Confident“Confidence” is not “arrogance”. Showing confidence works whe n you do the following:Dress appropriately for the interview. Show you care by how you dress. Use professional business language. Not informal language such as, “Wassup” or “Hey man”. Carry yourself in a positive demeanor. Make eye contact, be friendly, and use firm handshakes.Unfortunately, people given the advice to fake confidence usually end up coming across as insecure or arrogant. Confidence is a state of being comfortable and flexible; not a state of pretending you are too good for a job or an expert. Great ways to make yourself confident include practicing all the popular interview questions. You can also practice some of the curveball interview questions.3. Always Ask Informed Questions at the EndIf you have done the steps in #1 this will be a million times easier. Informed questions are not, “Can I come to work at 9:00 am instead of 8:00 am”. Try these questions out for size in your next interview:“How would you describe your company culture?” “Is this a position where I am taking over work or creating a new path?” “Where do you see this company 5 years from now?” “How is performance measured by this company?”These are professional, informed questions you will want answers to whether you realize it now or not. Even if it seems a little rehearsed, your preparation will reflect positively on you.The One Tip Left Out and WhyThe tip of “common courtesy” was left out specifically because showing courtesy should be a reflex response when meeting people and interviewing for a job. Treat everyone you meet with the same courtesy you expect. It is a Universal truth when building business relationships: First impressions are forever.In ClosingSo, remember to always do the following:Treat every person you meet with respect and kindness. Smile and be courteous to others. Always say “Please” and “Thank you” when required. Represent yourself as if you were the ambassador of your own career.You will not be right for every job you interview for but at the end of the day, you want employers thinking, “What a good person. He/she should be working here”.

Strong Tactics for Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Strong Tactics for Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In this time and age where more and more businesses are integrating blogging in their marketing strategies, it becomes harder to stand out, given the hundreds, if not millions, of blog posts published on a daily basis.   You must have a blog that contains not only quality content, but also one that’s attractive, and has easy to read posts that create a powerful impression of your brand. Many online readers are always on the go and do not have the time to read the entire content of your post. As such, it is important to pay attention to the formatting of your content. The initial thing that readers do is to peruse the content. If they are drawn to your post’s title and to other sections, they’ll slow down and eventually read the entire post. Here are some tips to polish your blog posts: The value of quality titles It is a common mistake among many bloggers to write well-written, well-researched content but forget to provide a great title to the post. The title is usually the first thing that captures the attention of readers. Take the time to write a title that captures the interest of readers and is relevant to the content. Also, keep the title short and succinct. Readers will still look into your entire post even if it has a short title as long as it contains the words that will encapsulate the main idea or message of your post. Make paragraphs shorter Break up long paragraphs since big blocks of text are often unappealing to many online readers.  [tweet this] If you can express your thoughts in a few sentences, the better. At the most, limit three to five sentences for each paragraph. If your post is longer, use subheadings or highlight the keywords. This will help your readers go straight to the point and find what theyre looking for without going through the entire text. However, don’t do this too much otherwise your content will lose its coherence. Include images Use images to enhance your posts. Adding a visually appealing photo is a great way to draw your visitors eye and attention. It also sets the tone for the post especially for motivating content. Moreover, it adds extra information. There are thoughts that words can’t do justice and are better expressed through pictures. Images add character to the post. Use formatting to your advantage Highlight the important things that you want to emphasize in your content by “bolding” or “italicizing” it. If there are a lot of points that you want to share, make a list. However, do not use them in every post since it might give the impression to your readers that you are rushing/summarizing the content. Lastly, use a block quote if there are long portions of text you emphasized. Block quoting is also useful to show text that is not your own, so as to avoid giving your readers the impression that you are plagiarizing or claiming something that isn’t your own. Good content educates, engages, and entertains. It is important to consider not only the content but the format of each post. Paying attention to every detail gives your audience an impression that you value them and they deserve nothing but quality content. In return, a well written and formatted blog post will leave a positive and great impression for your brand. Do you have other tips to share? We’d love to hear them. Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of  buzz2bucksâ€"  a word of mouth marketing firm, and a professional speaker and trainer on developing social networks that work. She provides workshops, webinars, seminars and direct services that help create conversation, connection, credibility, community and commerce around your brand.   Maria Duron is founder  and moderator of  #brandchat   a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of  branding  that is recognized by Mashable as one the 15 Essential Twitter Chats for Social Media Marketers. Are you busy? Here’s some quick and easy tips on  Social Marketing for busy people.

The Cracked Pot - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Cracked Pot - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots â€" each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. Each day, she would venture down to the stream, fill the pots and trek back to her home to use the water for her household chores. While the two pots appeared identical, one had a crack in it and the other pot was a perfect vessel. The perfect pot always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house. Unfortunately, however, the cracked pot arrived only half full each day. Shame in the shortcoming? For years, the elderly woman brought home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.” Value in the shortcoming? The woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.” Each of us has our own unique imperfections, whether in reality or in our brand. It is up to us to determine whether these shortcomings are an asset or a liability. Author: Frank Agin is the founder and president of AmSpirit Business Connections. In addition, Frank is the author of Foundational Networking: Building Know, Like and Trust To Create A Lifetime of Extraordinary Success and the co-author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website and The Champion: Finding the Most Valuable Person in Your Network.

3 ways to stay organised that could change your life

3 ways to stay organised that could change your life This post was written by an external contributor. Chloe Smith gives us her top tips for staying organised, from bullet journals to using your phone to its maximum potential   A new academic year is upon us yet again, and this time youve promised yourself youre going to stay organised. Youll be the King of Calendars, the Queen of Post-It notes, and last minute essay submissions will be a thing of the past But if youre going to truly stay on top of things youre going to need some help, and these three resources are essential for anyone who struggles to stay organised. Have a read and thank us later Passion Planner The Passion Planner is a revolutionary new planner created by Angela Trinidad it’s a planner that works to keep you focused, positive and organised. It has a monthly and weekly layout so you can plan ahead, but what’s revolutionary about it is that it has various opportunities to map out and reflect on your goals. Not only does it help you stay organised, but its designed to help you achieve your ambitions.   There are even weekly inspirational quotes and a ‘space of infinite possibility’ where you can get creative. Best of all, using the passcode that you can easily access on the  Passion Planner website, youre able to download and print free pdf versions of the different sizes and types of planner so you can try before you buy, and make sure its an organisation style that suits you! Believe me, you need this in your life.   Bullet Journals A bullet journal is a planning system originally devised by Ryder Carroll, in this video, you can see that the key is simplicity. And lists. Lots of lists. Basically, you make daily lists of tasks youd like to complete, events to attend, and things youd like to make note of. You then use different icons to categorise the things youre listing. So events  are signified by a circle, and tasks are originally a dot, which you turn into a cross when you finish the task, for example. Its a really simple and adaptable planning system you can change it up as much as you like to make it work for you. Its also a great motivation to get jobs done because who doesnt like crossing things off lists? Another great thing about bullet journals is that you dont need any fancy supplies for them, either all you need is a simple notebook and a pen, and youre good to go! Some even bullet journal electronically, but you can never go wrong with trusty paper. Use your phone We all know how vital our phones are they give us instant access to answers, opportunities, and… well, distractions, typically disguised as social media. But there is a really, really simple way to utilise your phone so that it keeps you organised, using just one built-in app as well.   The alarm clock. Alarm clocks can be used for so much more than just getting out of bed in the morning. You can use it to set regular reminders to start (and finish) tasks. The thought of that looming alarm is enough to spur you on. And because you can easily adjust each alarm you set, you dont have to worry if plans change and you need to adjust when you need to start working on tasks. Couple this with your phones calendar too, which you can use to plan ahead and keep your future tasks organised. Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Boat Mechanics Are In Demand Heres How You Can Become One - CareerAlley

Boat Mechanics Are In Demand Here’s How You Can Become One - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The marine industry is on the up and up. And there are plenty of statistics that demonstrate this. According to a report published by the Recreational Boating Fishing Foundation, between 2012 and 2017, the demand for recreational boating has grown by 8.2% annually. The growing usage of powerboats has a lot to do with this trend. The sale of new powerboats in 2016 alone grew by 6%, with 247,800 boats sold. By the end of 2017, another 6% were sold. If you love the water and are seeking a tech-savvy profession in a desirable industry, you should consider becoming a boat-mechanic Tweet This Economic factors, including an improving housing market, higher employment, strong consumer confidence, and growing disposable income, are creating a golden age for the countrys recreational boating industry, Thom Dammrich, president of National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) said in a statement. Summer is a busy selling season for our industry, and we expect steady growth to continue across most boat categories through 2017and into 2018to keep up with the acceleration in demand for new boats. With more consumers opting to take boating trips and invest in boats of their own, one might wonder, whos taking care of all these boats? Thats where boat mechanics come in. If you love the water and are seeking a tech-savvy profession in a desirable industry, you should consider becoming a boat mechanic. Heres what you should know: Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash What Does a Boat Mechanic Do? Boat mechanics are highly sought after in the boating industry, as theyre necessary to keep all marine vessels running smoothly in the water. A boat mechanic is responsible for maintaining and repairing outboard and inboard boat engines. Think of a boat mechanic is the sea vessel equivalent of a car mechanic. While they dont engineer the technology themselves, they understand all the nuts and bolts of how it works. When something goes wrong, or when a boat owner simply wants to ensure their boat is up to standard before a journey, they enlist the services of a boat mechanic to get the job done. source Why Boat Mechanics Are In Demand Earlier we discussed the rising trends in the boating industry, and these explain plenty about why boat mechanics are in such strong demand. However, there are other reasons as well. One of the biggest reasons boat mechanics dont have trouble finding work is because marine engine technology is growing in complexity. Because of this, theres a higher demand for skilled technicians who are up-to-date on the latest machinery and trends. Well-versed boat mechanics have a deep understanding of computerized engine systems and electronics, as well as how to assess engines and other physical systems. Vocational schools offer job-specific training to students who are typically bound for a skilled trade which often leads to well-paying jobs. The curriculum at most vocational schools includes a wide variety of programs, from plumbers and electricians to dental hygienists and computer specialists. Job Specific Training Furthermore, as the population grows, so too will the need for more yachts, powerboats, and marinas. This creates a domino effect; the more resources that are built to accommodate boats, the more that boats will fill them, and the more boats there are to fix. How to Become a Boat Mechanic Fortunately, if youre a determined individual, it isnt too difficult to become a boat mechanic, although, like most tech-based careers, youll need to put the time and effort in. You can learn on the job through an apprenticeship program, where youll learn the ins and outs of marine machinery by being under the guidance of another company or supervisor. Although a 4-year degree isnt necessary, you should complete some type of education at a community college, and/or have the appropriate certifications. A certificate is the most common type of education level in this field. source Whats the Typical Day Like? If youre considering becoming a boat mechanic, then you may be wondering what the average day is like. Sometimes youll have long days in the sun and may even be able to work in the water, while other days are more laborious and complex. In the majority of cases, youre working inside the boat on the motors and other machinery. This also depends on the type of training you have, as some jobs are highly complex and require a higher degree of knowledge. According to Mechanic Schools, On one day, for instance, you could spend your time on a Honda Marine and the TMI ignition system. On another day, you could spend the majority of your hours on the Marine Suzuki and the four-stroke outboard motor. Still yet, you might find yourself maintaining the Marine Yamaha oil-injection system. On the plus said, as a boat mechanic, you might run your own business, working as an independent contractor or starting a company of your own. If you have the skills and know-how, it isnt very complicated to start your own small business. When you own your own business, you have more freedom to set unstructured hours and work in areas that you enjoy most. The Startup Owners Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company Price: $35.28 Buy Now from Amazon We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Last Updated: March 2, 2020 What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Who Needs Federal Resume Writers?

Who Needs Federal Resume Writers?Federal resume writers are in high demand. Recruiters and Human Resources executives have realized the need for these qualified, professional resume writers to meet the need for competent and effective applicants. Federal resume writers may be offered commissions or stipends for their services.Federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as many other federal agencies, require qualified applicants for employment. It is expected that many companies will expand and contract the workforce. The change in government will not only affect the workforce but also their qualifications and training needs.Federal government agencies rely on qualified candidates, who are professionals in the job they want. For example, the FBI, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies require applicants to have experi ence, education, and current certifications and licenses in order to receive a position. The Human Resources team should interview each candidate to ensure that they meet the qualifications and requirements necessary for their new positions.Many experienced candidates who have recently gained access to federal jobs are in dire need of assistance. Federal resume writers can offer them basic resume writing tips to assist them in their writing efforts. They can also provide them with the resources they need to apply for jobs.However, even for people who are newly qualified for federal jobs, resumes can still be prepared by professional writers. Federal resume writers are tasked to be experienced, qualified, and have excellent writing skills. Federal resume writers are required to complete a variety of tasks such as tracking resumes, attending company conventions, and submitting resumes.If you're looking for qualified and experienced federal jobs, one of the first things you should do i s visit online job boards that post vacancies for federal jobs. Search the search results of the websites for the specific agency, division, and department that you are interested in applying for. Make sure that the job you are interested in has been posted on government websites. You can look at available positions by searching for your desired job description on government job boards.Resume examples are available for free online. You can browse through these free samples by typing the name of the position you're looking for into the search engine for federal positions. You can also use specific keywords in your search such as 'Federal Jobs'Government Jobs.'While federal government jobs are not the only jobs that need resume writing, they are the most popular. A good resume should be able to help you land a good job. If you don't want to deal with your own resume, then find a professional resume writer to help you prepare and polish your resume.