June 17, 2013
High Employee Turnover Equals High Costs
Can You Afford to Ignore Your Online Reputation?
By Robert Teal, CCP, CBP
In today’s environment of ubiquitous social media, job seekers have unprecedented access to information about an organization’s workforce stability, turnover, and culture. As much as an out-of-work employee may need and want a job, many talented workers shy away from an employer with a poor workforce reputation.
Paul Shread, writing for Time’s Business and Money on March 01, 2013, stated, “Want to hire great employees and keep them happy? Make sure you have a good social media reputation.” (more…)
June 3, 2013
 Joanna Bradley, Sales & Marketing Recruiter How To Attract/Retain Top Talent
Create an Awesome Culture
By Joanna Bradley, IT Sales & Marketing Recruitment Manager
Recruiting for dynamic startups, early stage companies, and even established players is all the easier when that company really knows how to go after the best talent. It is exhilarating as a recruiter to reach out to the best and brightest talent with an opportunity they weren’t even looking for and be able to get them very exciting about it because of the company’s awesome culture!
The companies who have dialed in their culture and know what to offer their employees to motivate them do less recruiting. It is simple. These companies are retaining their excellent talent. They have built a work environment and value proposition that creates engaged, committed team players.
Companies take different approaches to building such an attractive workplace and work contract. What works for one company may not work for another, it depends on the company and the employees. Define a culture and benefits that appeal to the people you want to attract.
These are some of the things that we’ve seen work best in terms of creating an awesome culture:
Give ’em Food:
Who doesn’t like free food? Chocolate donuts and pizza for some, for others organic / vegan / macrobiotic / paleo / trend food. Offering fresh and healthy snacks or meals, at a subsidized rate or complementarily. There’s nothing like healthy fuels to feed the minds of your most precious human resources.
Give ‘em Drinks:
If most people like free food, boy do most love free drinks. Cold beer Fridays, Happy Hour at the local watering hole, a monthly office party… these are easy ways to not only celebrate accomplishments and thank the team, they allow employees to mix it up and create/reinforce connections and bonds.
Be Flexibility:
Flextime, work-from home, virtual offices, self-policed hours, ROWE, ski days. There are any number of ways depending on the nature of your business to offer employees flexibility. Workplace flexibility accomplishes goals such as reducing greenhouse gases, reduced traffic and transit time, and better work-life balance.
Encourage Fitness:
Many companies provide free or subsidized gyms, on-site or off. Some offer cool perks like a company ski pass, golf membership, or shared bicycles. Many will help facilitate walking/hiking clubs and other recreational activities that promote health and fitness. Healthy bodies make for healthy minds.
Build the Team:
Sponsoring a race, forming a sports team to play in the local league, providing flexibility to coach others, organizing a group recreational outing, taking employees out to a comedy show, and/or any other activities that motivate your employees is a great way to help them bond as a team, and reward them for their dedication at work.
Long Lunches:
Companies that offer long lunches so that people can take advantage of time to exercise. It’s a great way to make people happy by allowing some endorphin release in the middle of work, and it keeps people in a productive mode. Other folks may take advantage of a long lunch to check errands off the “to do” list of life such that at the COB, post work life is freed up for quality personal time.
Green Initiatives:
Being a proactive green company can be approached in a huge variety of ways: car-pooling, providing public transit passes, buying green power, going paperless, reducing/reusing /recycling. Creating contests or participating in local promotions like national bike to work day create fun and awareness, and facilitate playing a role in greening our world.
Community Service:
Giving to your local community is very rewarding. Companies can encourage volunteering by giving flex time or time off, celebrating employee contributions, and providing air time for people to inform colleagues about the community organizations dear to their hearts. Participating in fundraisers can be as simple as encouraging the sale of girls scout cookies in the office or as elaborate as creating a team goal linked to a donation to the group’s chosen beneficiary as a function of meeting the goal.
Blow Off Steam:
Some companies have built game rooms and offer impromptu fun time on the job, some organize competitive gaming sessions. Other companies have a music room, on-site jams during the day provide an opportunity to get creative juices flowing and get a fresh perspective on the day. Some organizations provide an in-house masseuse to help employees relax and refocus.
Flora and Fauna:
Domestic animals provide comfort to humans, from the utility of seeing-eye dogs, to the soothing presence of canine companions for treating trauma and stress. Why not allow pets at the office, or organize a visit to/from the local animal shelter? Beautify the surroundings and get some fresh air made in-house by bringing in plants. Why not have a green thumb contest on the desks?
Staff Initiatives:
If what is going to motivate your team hasn’t been mentioned, or just isn’t evident, ask your staff. Get input directly from your workforce about what would make the company an even better place to work. Encourage the employees to design programs, goals, and celebrations that motivate them. You may be surprised by what they come up with!
The key to creating an awesome culture is understanding the types of personalities that make your company productive and unique, and nurturing and feeding these folks. This builds excitement, loyalty, and engagement, which means a more committed and productive staff.
What makes your company great?
Do you have other ideas about fun and fantastic company cultures?
Share them with us, we’d love to hear from you.
Share on Facebook / Send us an Email / Tell the Group on LinkedIn
About Redfish Technology:
Founded in Silicon Valley in 1996, Redfish Technology recruits top high tech and clean tech professional and executive talent. Partnering with growth mode companies, small and large, Redfish staffs executive functions and builds out the teams below. The company provides services nationwide and has offices in Silicon Valley, the East Coast, and Sun Valley. Redfish has received a number of awards: Awarded first place in the 2013 “Best Places to Work”, named a “Top Executive Search Firm” by Leading Providers, and awarded “The Most Dependable Executive Search Firms & Staffing Agencies of the West” by Goldline Research.
May 20, 2013
 The ZOPA of Hiring
By Sandy Cavitch
The ‘Zone Of Possible Agreement’ is not a physical place, but rather an area where two or more negotiating parties may find common ground. It is this area where parties will often compromise and strike a deal.
Every hire is a negotiation about an exchange, make it a success. The employee will be dedicating time, brains, effort, focus, and loyalty. The company will be paying salary, employment taxes, benefits, and investing in training and career development. What are each of these exchanges worth?
On either side of the equation, a full assessment and appreciation for the value of the contribution should be done as objectively as possible. But one size rarely fits all well. Understanding perspectives and priorities will help rule out hard stops from the get go, and identify the ZOPA of a hire.
For example, as a candidate, your present salary doesn’t always equate to your worth in a new position at a different company. The value you bring to a new role may be greater or less than what you were last earning.
And salary isn’t everything, far from it. Quality of life is important. Work environment is huge. Perks, benefits, equity, are all quantifiables that come on top of your salary. When comparing two opportunities, throw the apples and oranges into food processor and then compare the fresh squeezed cup of juice that results from each.
Understand that each company is different, and starting salaries may be lower or higher depending on the upside or an outstanding culture that unifies and attracts talent. Know your own hard stops, and identify what makes up an employer of choice for you.
As a hiring manager, understanding where the company has flexibility, how it will incrementally gain from certain hires, and whether the perfect candidate on paper has what it takes to success in your company’s culture.
The ability to tailor an offer must be weighed against any issues of fairness, while fully recognizing different people are motivated differently. Immediately rule out those who lack the right qualifications, those who aren’t a cultural or personality fit, and those who cannot demonstrate a passion for the mission.
Go from there. For the right person, what can you do to reach agreement within the role’s allotted pay grade or other company hard stops?
Rule out what doesn’t work, focus on where you can make it work. A recruiter or HR staffer often has a pivot role to play, in a sense investigating and mediating between parties to come to the zone of agreement more quickly and efficiently.
About the author:
Sandy Cavitch is a human resources management consultant. Sandy works with companies on tailoring employment contracts to create motivating environments that meet company goals and staff priorities. An avid equestrian, Sandy enjoys spending time in the outdoors when not otherwise engaged in creating HR success stories.
April 22, 2013
 Redfish Technology Inc. Awarded First Place in the 2013 ‘Best Places to Work’
Redfish Technology was awarded first place in ‘Best Places to Work in Idaho’ last night at the awards banquet held by the Idaho Business Review, the state’s preeminent business publication.
“We’re thrilled to be named number one Idaho’s Best Places Work,” says Rob Reeves President and CEO of Redfish Technology. “Cultivating a culture in which we are healthy and thrive personally, as well as contribute to the local community is among our firm’s greatest achievements. We are designed to attract, motivate and retain extraordinary people. This culture is surely one of the main reasons that we, and our clients, are so successful today.”
The recognition was given to the top ten businesses in each of three categories. Redfish Technology, a leading nationwide technology recruiting company, competed in the category of companies with 10-19 employees.
The Idaho’s Best Places to Work is awarded based on employee feedback and achieving excellence in company best practices in employee attraction and retention. Companies competed in three size categories and were measured by the employees in terms of Compensation and Benefits, Employee Growth and Development, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Environment, and Company Management.
When asked what employees liked best about working at the Redfish Technology corporate office, they said:
“Redfish offers a dynamic and proactive environment in which staff can enjoy professional careers in the middle of majestic mountain recreation and lifestyle.” – Logan Knight, IT Recruiter
“I love working at Redfish as it gives me an opportunity to assist people and companies in meeting their needs and every day is a new challenge.” – Jon Piggins, Sales & Marketing Recruiter
“It allows us to live in a place where most people can only vacation, while pursuing a rewarding career.” – Leah O’Flynn, Sales & Marketing Recruiter
“I love Redfish because of the open team environment, and I can wear shorts in the winter.” – Greg Schreiner, Tech Recruitment Manager
Redfish Technology has long cultivated a culture of community and health. The company’s CHO (Chief Humanities Officer), Heidi Clark, is proud of the design and implementation of the corporate culture and philanthropic efforts at Redfish. She’s been instrumental in Redfish’s involvement and financial support of local community events and non-profits. The recruiters have also created their own community service initiative called ‘One for One’ that consists of volunteer hours and a monetary donation program benefitting local organizations.
 Best Places to Work Winners The company motivates its staff in large part by providing superior work-life balance which includes traditional-type benefits such as a matching 401K plan, as well as inspired perks such as fun employee activities. The company takes an annual camping trip to (but of course!) Redfish Lake, there’s an annual night out to see The Second City, golf and ski days, and gym membership reimbursement.
Redfish Technology has also been recognized as one of the top Executive Search Firms of the United States in 2011 by the Leading Providers and in 2008 by GoldLine Research.
About Redfish Technology
Redfish is an award-winning, nationwide technology search and talent acquisition firm. Founded in 1996, the company provides services nationwide and has offices in the Silicon Valley, the East Coast, and the Intermountain West. Redfish’s high tech division specializes in recruiting top talent in the mobile, software, security, digital, cloud, saas, e-learning, and big data sectors. The cleantech division focuses solar, wind, renewables, energy efficiency, green technology, and alternative energy. www.RedfishTech.com
April 15, 2013
 Top Ten Best Places to Work Redfish Technology Inc. Honored on 2013 ‘Best Places to Work’ List
Redfish Technology was named among the “Best Places to Work” in Idaho. Winners are companies that reflect exceptional performance in the areas of Compensation and Benefits, Employee Growth and Development, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Environment, and Company Management.
(more…)
March 25, 2013
 John Stevens, Executive Recruiter, IT Engineering The Craft of Scouting for Tech Talent or Hockey Talent
You’d be surprised at the similarities…
By John Stevens, Executive Recruiter, IT Engineering
Hockey scouts live in a secretive world of prospecting, some have said it is a world more akin to Cold War-era spying than a casual day in the stands. Faced with bad coffee, long periods in cold rinks, and remote locations, the job isn’t as sexy as you might think.
As a long-time recruiter in the tech sector, is also an avid hockey player and coach. He notes many similarities between scouting for hockey talent and recruiting top tech talent. (more…)
February 11, 2013
Recruiter Fees: What Are You Paying For?
The hiring process is a long one, most of the time. Recruiting the talent you need is an art form in and of itself. Whether your company is a start-up under the gun to bring in revenue or obtain funding, or a seasoned organization launching a new product or ramping up in a competitive market, the opportunity cost of being stalled out in job posting mode is enormous. But what do you get when you contract the services of a search firm?
Recruiting fees cover a range of services, each tailored to the needs of the company.
Generally, a contingent search firm’s services may include:
Pre-Hire Process Streamlining
- Help with crafting a job description; Defining the skills and attributes needed for a successful hire
- Understanding priorities, timeline, process, department needs, company culture
- Setting up communication & feedback loop methodology (more…)
January 21, 2013
 Jon Piggins – IT Recruiter, Sales & Marketing 6 Tips for Building a High Quality Management Team
By Jon Piggins, Executive Recruiter, IT Sales & Marketing
When recruiting new management, or professionals who can be groomed to move into leadership positions, it is imperative to get the right combination of skills and qualities. When building a team, from the outset recruit new employees with the skills and abilities that will strengthen the department. And additionally look for these qualities in candidates in order to build a high quality management team:
1. Big Picture Thinkers
Of course a candidate must be excellent at what he/she does, and must be a strong contributor to the team or department. Moreover they must fundamentally understand the business, the industry, the competition, and the economy at large. Those who can take your group to the next level must be strategic thinkers who have a grasp of the big picture. (more…)
December 31, 2012
Resolve to Hire the Best Talent in 2013!
Hiring Advice from the Experts at Redfish Technology
Human capital, the most important asset of most companies, comprises the totality of competencies, knowledge, social and personality attributes, and creativity, embodied in the employees’ ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value.
Recruiting the right talent to advance your company’s mission and goals requires finding the right fit for these myriad of considerations. As the demand for leading talent continues to increase, there is more competition over top talent. Companies that are winning at attracting and on boarding the best talent are those who survive and thrive.
The recruiters at Redfish are in the trenches everyday with hiring managers and their teams, and with passive and active candidates, putting together winning combinations. Based on their in-depth experience building out teams, here are their suggestions for hiring managers in 2013.
The Top Resolutions every hiring manager should make in order to hire the best talent!
“Identify 6 to 10 traits you’re looking for in a candidate and then narrow it down to 4 “must haves”. (more…)
November 19, 2012
Top 5 Tips for Picking a Recruiter,
and Hiring Top Talent
Choosing a recruiter is like choosing a life-partner. You want someone who understands you, someone who is excited about your focus, who can communicate effectively with you on your terms, and who knows just what you want! So what are the top qualities to look for when choosing a recruiter?
1. Pick a recruiter who is in your niche.
There are a lot of big names out there. Picking the recruiter who works the roles and sectors you do is the only way to go. The big box staffing firms handle soup to nuts so they can get you anyone from a receptionist to a senior architect to a sales executive, but do they spend the time to on a daily basis understanding what makes the very best Cloud User Interface Lead or the very best Targeted Data Technology Business Development Director? Do they have the expertise to hone in on specialty growth roles in the fast-moving tech sectors? Can they really connect with the cutting-edge talent that is motivated by more than salary? If you have special needs, find your match in the recruiting world and form a partnership. (more…)
October 29, 2012
 Leah O’Flynn, Executive Recruiter Is Testing More Important Than Interviewing?
By Leah O’Flynn, Executive Recruiter, IT Sales & Marketing
Many companies believe testing is more important than interviewing. Testing has long been a part of many evaluation processes from personality testing, character testing and skill set testing. Human Resources often look upon these tests as a requisite part of their screening process. Hiring managers may rely too much on tests. (more…)
September 3, 2012
Hiring Hurricane – 5 Tips for Managing the Urgent Hire
The tech sector is fast paced and always evolving. Hiring in such an environment can be fast and furious when the sales season is ramping up, the project deadlines are set, new releases are ramping up. The hiring process when done with urgency can feel like a hurricane. How do you hire talent in a fast paced environment without succumbing to the storm?
Here are 5 tips for managing the hiring process when urgency has taken hold: (more…)
August 27, 2012
How To Successfully Recruit Top Tech Talent
 Logan Knight, Executive Recruiter, IT Division By Logan Knight, Executive Recruiter, IT Division at Redfish Technology
We’ve all heard about the competition for top tech talent. Despite the Great Recession and the limp recovery, unemployment is very low for technical professionals in software, IT, and high tech. Hot spots like the San Francisco Bay area, New York, Seattle, So Cal, DC, Boston, etc. are thriving (more…)
July 30, 2012
Positive Job Creation Indicators Revealed in the 20th Anniversary Executive Job Market Intelligence Report
Companies are planning on growth, both via new management hires and trading up new hires for existing executive roles to fill gaps or improve teams. Recruiters weighed in on executive job creation reporting they expect 51 percent of employers will be adding headcount through “trading up” with new hires for existing executive jobs and 27 percent will create new executive roles over the next six months. Only 2 percent of companies surveyed intend on continuing the management cutbacks that have been in effect during the economic downturn. (more…)
July 16, 2012
Managing Expectations:A Prerequisite to Successful Hiring
 Heidi Clark, COO, CHO (Chief Humanity Officer) By Heidi Clark, COO, CHO
One of the key competencies of an executive recruiter is that of setting expectations, yours and mine.
The recruiter is out there acting as an emissary for a company. She must embody the corporate values and ethics of his client, she must create enthusiasm and motivation for the opportunity. When reaching out to both potential candidates and professionals who may refer the next candidate, the recruiter is representing the company brand. The better the collaboration and communication between the hiring manager and the recruiter, the more successful the process. (more…)
Comments Off
July 2, 2012
Should You Screen for Cultural Fit in the Hiring Process?
Cultural Fit should be a major factor in any hiring process, because it is one of the main reasons an employee doesn’t succeed or stay on once hired. With the cost of turnover to be avoided whenever possible, assessing cultural fit from the get go is a must. Candidates who fit into the company culture will contribute faster, perform better and have longer tenure.
(more…)
June 11, 2012
Recruiting Trends
The view from 5,318 feet
While this recovery is much slower and longer than most post-recession recoveries, most economists anticipate modest growth for the rest of 2012, and stronger growth in 2013. The National Association for Business Economics panel predicts an average monthly growth of 188,000 of jobs in 2012, up from the previous forecast, with GDP growth of 2.8 percent.
So what does this mean for recruiting? (more…)
May 28, 2012
Personnel Mobilization Doctrine
 Joanna Bradley, IT Sales & Marketing Recruitment Manager By Joanna Bradley, IT Sales & Marketing Recruitment Manager
The term “Recruiting” originally meant “to enlist new soldiers”. Every army needs to replenish troops over time, and at certain times they need to grow their numbers to accomplish specific operations.
Militaries, to facilitate this process, have established recruiting commands. These units are solely responsible for increasing military enlistment. The mission of the United States Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) is to recruit candidates for service. This process includes the recruiting, medical and psychological examination, induction, and administrative processing of potential service personnel. (more…)
May 14, 2012
Pre-employment Screening; The New Player That Every Office Needs on Their Team.
From mega staffing firms to big time industries, from companies of communications and technologies to the small town restaurant owner simply searching for a few good servers; every business is faced with the same fears and problems of hiring that new employee. Pre-employment Screening can help bring some answers to these problems.
Most of us have worked in a time where a reference from a potential employee actually meant something. Remember when a resume filled with diplomas, past jobs, and community services truly displayed the character and essence of a person? Unfortunately, the days of a sturdy handshake sealing the deal have simply slipped away.
With the dawning of a new era, we have adapted and conformed to reality. We still hire new employees and expect a trustworthy relationship, accepting them into our circle. Now, we use a new team player which is at our fingertips to help us.
Pre-employment Screening is the strategic opportunity which gives the employer the potential to avoid hiring a harmful or even inappropriate employee. Pre-employment Screening is that new player. It is very accessible to anyone looking for that help. The choices of avenue are numerous. So, like that coach who seeks out that perfect player for his team, an employer must also find the right Pre-employment Screening Company which fits, best with his team members.
There are many Pre-employment Screening companies who adhere strictly to the internet. All exchange simply consists of emails. They remind us of the companies out there who have a computer generated phone system. The allusive customer service representative is never to be found. This type of Pre-employment Screening Company is not totally off basis. In our fast paced society, this is the perfect solution for companies who find human contact an interference and obstacle in trying to meet their daily deadlines. To be honest, that screening company fits perfect with many employers and their members. They are the perfect team player.
Let’s swing to the other side of the spectrum. What about the other employers who enjoy service, and want a personal touch? There is a choice for you also. Pre-employment Screening does not have to simply be only an email away. Look for that Screening Company who has a healthy balance. They are out there also and will have that person to talk you through your problems until you find your answer. They are found to be efficient and personal at the same time.
No matter which way your company swings in the scenario, your Pre-employment Screening team member is out there. It is crucial you find the right fit for you and your team members.
While Pre-employment Screening has the potential of being this year’s MVP, it is facing some game changers and issues which have come about. Yes, Pre-employment Screening might enhance the safety of you and your fellow workers or save financial loss, it might simply help an employer save face; but it is a subject which is growing and facing its own difficulties. This “new team player” or “rookie” is arousing a lot of attention and not all of it is good. It looks like Pre-employment Screening will have to play by some rules.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs background checks under federal law, but now there are a number of state issues that must be measured when selecting applicants for employment. With all 50 states being involved, to specify every state mandate, restriction, compliance, imposing and limitation would be too numerous and tedious to describe. The Associated Press, Washington, published April 25, 2012; announced “New gov’t guidance on employee background checks”. Trends are showing that while Pre-employment Screening will be regulated more and more by states and government, they will still multiply and that will lead to mutual escalations in effectiveness but also in difficulties. It seems, just like every game played by a team, the Refs have come out with new ways to enforce rules and change the way the game is played. Like every good player, Pre-employment Screening is too valuable to lose. It is here to stay and will adapt and learn to conform in every situation.
Now getting back to your team, be sure you are making a team effort in the hiring of an employee. Utilize the skills of others around you. Only you and your coworkers can decide “how a person fits into your company”, or “will they meet the qualifications that are necessary for this role?”, “do they possess the skills needed for this precise position?”
Now it’s time to bring in your “new player”. Let him finish up the process by closing some vital questions. “Has this person been honest on his facts presented in his resume?” and “do they have any history of violence which may concern the safety of your staff and company?” Lastly “is this person trustworthy and reliable for this position?”
Remember, superstars alone don’t win championships. A Pre-employment Search alone will not find the valued employee and answers you and your team is looking for, but solid united teams do! Utilize all of your team members in this team effort. Pre-employment Screening will be an amazing addition, and by reforming your efforts, you will recruit the person who fits impeccably with your office team.
That team will be the one who will lead you all the way to the end zone!
About the author:
Dawn Chalupnik is an Accounts Marketing Manager/Writer at Express Services. Express Services offers Pre-Employment and Background Information reports. The company’s website is: www.ExpressVerify.com
April 2, 2012
Hiring Best Practices & the EEOC
In some countries it is standard to include a photo on your resume, as well as your marital status, age, and other juicy tidbits that are considered to be completely out of the professional and legal employment scope in the United States. Including that kind of information when applying for a job seems hard to imagine here in the United States. (more…)
Older Posts »
|
|
