Come for the Job, Stay for the Challenge: Career Fairs in 2022
Samantha Badr
What a time to be alive, HR professionals. Let’s add recruitment to the list of functions that has completely shifted in the last few years. Forget everything you thought you knew – because I guarantee it has changed. This past week I attended a career fair, except I was looking for applicants and not looking for a job (weird, right?). I also had the luxury of attending from my “home office”. Yup, even career fairs have now become virtual, folks. If I had to guess, I would assume at least 80% of the students attending this career fair were not wearing shoes. Nevertheless, it was an experience – and as always, I will share my thoughts.
Every aspect of HR has been altered, so it’s no surprise that recruiting has changed too. Believe it or not, organizations are having a hard time recruiting talent, even with internet job portals at their disposal. Recruiters have tried to look internally to fill vacant job roles, but it’s simply not enough. With the virtual space at our fingertips, it would be a waste to not participate in any virtual career fairs this year. Virtual hiring event platforms are using chat technology and teleconferencing to replicate the interactions job seekers and recruiters once shared. Job applicants can meet with companies individually in a specified time frame, use chat functions to ask questions, and have “face-to-face” meetings with recruiters.
Virtual career fairs are easier to promote and manage. They can effectively capture attendee data and offer some sort of a personalized experience, but with a lot less overhead. The cool thing about this career fair was that organizations were provided a master list of all attendees, their anticipated graduation date, their majors, and their resumes. Job seekers waited in a virtual lobby before being admitted by recruiters into their own personal meeting room. It was almost like speed dating – five minutes to ask questions and have some light banter before going onto the next meeting.
According to a survey conducted by a recruitment marketing agency, Recruitics, 46% of employers are not using virtual hiring events. But why is that? In a few short hours, I was able to meet with 15 future job applicants. That’s 15 more people than I knew yesterday. That’s 15 more job applications. Why are organizations not utilizing these resources? I know recruiters thrive with on-the-ground efforts and conversing with candidates face-to-face, but that’s becoming more obsolete. The new candidate pool is tech-savvy, and it’s time recruiters match their energy
The most common question I received was “do you have any internship programs”? I was shocked at how many students preferred that over the part-time jobs we had open. It got me thinking though, and maybe it makes sense. College students are more likely to join your organization on an internship basis. Almost like a “free trial” – they get to experience company culture for half a semester without fully committing to the job. Additionally, most internships qualify for college credit and university stipends.
Maybe we’re approaching recruiting all wrong. Maybe organizations should start focusing on providing competitive internship opportunities, instead. These students want to be coached, and they want to get their feet wet without fully drowning in a job and schoolwork. The goal is to get more people in the door, right? I guess it’s back to the drawing board..
Performance Reviews: Your Annual Dose of Judgement
Samantha Badr
Happy New Year, everyone! We’ve made it through another year and that’s definitely an accomplishment. Say goodbye to your 2021 PTO – it’s time for a “fresh start”. What better way to kick off the year than by sitting down with your boss and discussing all the things you’ve done right, and maybeeee some of the things you’ve done wrong? But that’s subjective right? Because perfect people don’t make mistakes.
I would’ve LOVED to have a full meeting dedicated to ~ME~ to start this year, but my organization only conducts annual performance reviews for employees with a tenure of 12 months or longer. However, I had the pleasure of creating the form and automating this process for the first time since the company’s inception. That basically makes me the CEO, right?
The organization I work for was used to the traditional method – a paper form and a yearly meeting with your supervisor. Since working from home became the reality, the company shifted to a PDF form over the last two years. Employees answered a series of questions on performance and graded themselves on a scale of 1-5. Supervisors then met with employees and went over the form and goals for the following year.
Luckily for me, the organization decided to finally automate this process by using our HRIS review platform. For the last month or so, performance reviews have become my child. I somehow figured out how to create the self-appraisal form from start to finish. That included the grading scale, the questions, the formatting, the instructions, and every detail in between.
If the organization is already paying for the HRIS system, why not utilize its every function? Working from home has eliminated the possibility of having access to hundreds of paper files. This new format could save hours of filing and lessen the possibility of errors. The HRIS system also allows the company administrator to have access to all employee reviews in one place, as well as run reports with the collected data afterwards.
Shortly after rollout, I received an email from an employee regarding the grading system on performance reviews. One of the questions on the self-appraisal form was about supervisory support. Since the questions were graded, it could technically alter an employee’s overall score if they rated their supervisor with a low score. After that email, it got me thinking about performance reviews in general. Are they even useful? Can they motivate employees, or does it discourage them altogether?
This employee was right. It’s not fair to receive a lower overall score if an employee does not feel supported by their supervisor. Although my intent was to use the scores as data to track employee satisfaction organization wide, I forgot to think about what the employee sees from their end. To an employee, this score holds a lot of value because it determines their yearly bonus. From an HR standpoint, the score is just a number. It’s easy to forget that attached to each score is an employee – a person.
I don’t think it’s super motivating to receive a grade at the end of the year that determines if you did a “good job” or not. I also don’t think it’s motivating to attach that grade to a dollar amount. People should not be graded, and I think maybe the system is outdated. A lot of companies are shifting from the generic performance review method, and I can see why. Maybe it worked back then, but maybe it’s time for something new. Maybe 2022 is the perfect time to start.
Recruitment Strategies: The Interview of Champions
Samantha Badr
Join me on this HR journey as I try to navigate my way through *Recruiting* and all the fun stuff that comes with it. To provide some background – I’m not technically my company’s recruiter, rather an HR professional that wears many hats. Our interview process begins with the recruiter reading through a bazillion resumes. But luckily for me, I showed up just in time to showcase my one true talent – “chitchatting”. This last week was filled with structured panel interviews and I can’t wait to tell you ALL about it.
Interview Types
Before we dive into the good stuff, let’s educate ourselves on interviews in their entirety, because who knew there were so many different techniques? For starters, interviews can be either structured or unstructured. Structured interviews provide the interviewer with the information needed to make a hiring decision. This technique is crucial in defending an organization against allegations of discrimination because all applicants are asked the same questions. In an unstructured interview, applicants can set the stage while many open-ended questions are asked. However, a lack of structure can make it difficult to compare and rank applicants that are not asked the same set of questions.
The most widely used types of interviews are:
The telephone prescreen interview
The direct one-on-one interview
The panel interview
Before being hired in my current HR role, I experienced all the interview types listed above. The recruitment process started with the telephone prescreen interview. The second round included the direct one-on-one interview, and the final round was a panel interview. Now that I’m sitting on the opposite side of the table, I get to witness just how much this process can be designed in different ways.
Approaches
The three most common approaches to interviews are behavioral, competency-based, and situational. These approaches are used to discover how the interviewee performs in specific situations. The logic is based on the fact that past performance can predict future behavior. In a behavioral approach, a candidate’s experience, personal attributes, and job-related skills can be determined by this style of questioning. In a competency-based approach, questions are designed to determine if the applicant possesses certain attributes or skills. The situational approach provides candidates with hypothetical scenarios and focuses on their past experiences, behaviors, knowledge, and abilities.
Some examples of interview questions are:
Behavioral: Give me a specific example of a time you set a goal and how you were able to achieve it.
Competency-based: Tell me about a situation in which your spoken communication skills made a difference in the outcome. What did you learn?
Situational: You have been hired as the HR director in a 300-employee company and are struggling to perform the necessary HR administrative work by yourself. The CFO tells you that you need to be more strategic. How would you handle this situation?
Styles
Now that we’ve discussed interview types and approaches, it’s time to figure out an interview style. Interviews can be either one-on-one or conducted in a group setting. The most common style is the traditional one-on-one interview, where just the interviewer and interviewee are present. As for group interviews, there are two types – a panel group and a candidate group. In a panel group interview, a candidate is interviewed individually by a panel of two or more people. Panel interviews can create a broader picture of the candidate given that there are differing perspectives amongst the interviewers. The less common option, a candidate group interview, is when a candidate is interviewed alongside other job applicants who may be applying for the same position. Each candidate listens to information about the company and position then may be asked to answer questions or participate in group exercises.
Formatting Interview Questions
Most interviews will consist of a combination of open/closed-ended questions and some follow-up questions. Open-ended questions encourage candidates to provide longer answers and expand on their knowledge, strengths, and job experiences. Closed-ended questions can enable the employer to receive direct responses and specific information from the candidate. Follow-up questions are needed if an interviewer does not fully comprehend a response, if answers are vague, or if more specific information is required. Understanding the different styles of questions can help interviewers be creative during the interview design phase.
Some examples of interview questions are:
Open-ended: What are you looking to gain from your next position?
Closed-ended: How many years of experience do you have as a team leader?
Follow-up: Could you please tell me more about . . .?
Something to note: Because interview questions can be pre-determined, it is important to not make any statements that could be misconstrued. It is best to avoid using terms such as “permanent” or “long-term” when describing the job. To minimize the risk of discrimination lawsuits, interviewers must also familiarize themselves with topics that are not permissible as interview questions.
Closing the Interview
The most popular method of closing an interview is to say that the interview is ending and to offer the candidate the opportunity to ask any questions. This enables the candidate to gain clarification on aspects of the position such as hours, salary, and benefits. The interviewer should answer the candidate’s questions as candidly as possible while avoiding compensation discussion if others are present. The interviewer may want to ask if the candidate is interested in the job based on the information provided in the interview, the time frame of the rest of the interviews, and when a decision is likely to be made.
This past week was my first time conducting interviews and I couldn’t wait to learn something new. Candidates started with a pre-screening phone interview, with rounds 2 and 3 being virtual panel interviews. As time progressed, I found that it might be beneficial to play around with different interview styles since some questions could overlap or not provide enough background. Throughout the week I altered introduction styles, interview questions, and scenarios, to observe the outcomes. The key takeaway is that people love me and I’m really good at chatting. With all jokes aside, the one thing that really stood out to me was the interview style. Although my colleagues and I had naturally inviting demeanors, some candidates were more reserved in their speech, which made it harder to judge. However, the best observations were made from the questions that produced personal responses. These last two years have shown the significance of human interaction and how we have lost that through our computer screens. At the end of the day, we are all human beings first, and the more we focus on that, the greater we can be.
You know you’re old when the young kids in the neighborhood running on your lawn begin to bother you. Except this isn’t your lawn, it’s the office – and the young kids on your lawn are actually the new recruits in your organization. Move over everyone, here come’s Generation Z, and they’re not going anywhere. So, what do we do now? Better yet – what are they even saying half the time?
Even as a Millennial, I find myself perplexed at the newest generation. Just like any group entering the workforce, Gen Z comes with a certain style – including new terms/abbreviations, a different work ethic, and a distinctive learning style. HR already knows that one size does not fit all – and it looks like we need to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to attract and retain Gen Z. Before we get started, check out this clip from “The Office”.
Now that we got the jokes out of the way, let’s get down to business. For starters, Generation Z includes anyone born between the years of 1995 to 2012. So the next time you spot a new applicant aged 24 or younger – just know, you’re in for a treat. One thing is for sure – Gen Z makes no apologies for what they expect from their employers and a lot of companies are finding that they might have to shift their practices to suit them.
When it comes to finding a place of employment, Generation Z requires that organizations are socially aware, flexible, have a work/life balance, and provide opportunities for growth. When attracting candidates, companies must make sure to outline their commitment to social responsibility on both equity and environmental issues. It’s critical that recruiters demonstrate what their organization has done on these issues, and not just show a cute little paragraph from the CEO on their company’s website. Flexible work options are also expected these days. Most Gen Z workers prefer to work from home so it’s very likely that potential candidates will ask organizations if they have the option to do so. Since work/life balance is a requirement for Gen Z’ers, it is probable that they will align with companies that provide time off for doctor’s appointments or other such emergencies. Pro-tip for HR recruiters: stress the importance of the role your organization plays in work/life balance and how employee well-being is most important. Companies should make sure to outline career growth opportunities within their organization as well. Since bouncing from company to company is not on their agenda, Generation Z candidates will likely join and stay at a company if there are opportunities for advancement.
Similar to training other generations, Gen Z’s needs for training might look a little different than usual. Generation Z is a diverse generation, and they anticipate the same diverse environment at the organization they work for. Gen Z enjoys feeling part of a team – so different cultures, views, and skillsets from a diverse workforce will only further their productivity. Because of the pandemic, many organizations had to be creative in engaging their staff, and the same goes for this new generation. Companies should make it a point to have weekly/monthly meetings to gain feedback from employees and form connections. Mentorships could be another essential way to mix and match different generations on the same team. New candidates will thrive if they feel supported by a peer or employee with more experience. Oh, and one more thing – Gen Z loves the opportunity to rotate through several jobs during their first few years with a company. This gives them the chance to find what they like the best and the path they want to pursue. If an organization is willing and able, job rotation can attract and retain Gen Z.
As the past two years have demonstrated, it’s getting “real” out there. The world will keep on evolving and we must embrace it. Change is inevitable and it’s okay, guys. Everything will work out. It seems like the tasks never end for HR professionals, but we can’t avoid the storm of Generation Z waiting to turn our offices upside down. Do yourself a favor and brush up on some terms the “youngins” like to use – it might help you in the future.
Congratulations, you’ve survived the first four months of 2021! We’re a third of the way through the new year and yet we are still learning how to adjust to this pandemic. Vaccinations have been distributed and many businesses have begun to open their doors. Some organizations are continuing to work from home (WFH) for the remainder of the year, but what happens after? Many employees had to incorporate new daily tasks into their workday, while many have had to learn new skillsets altogether. It is crucial that the HR department start preparing for the transition back into the office – making workforce planning the top of their to-do list.
For my audience that is not familiar with HR terminology, workforce planning is the process an organization uses to analyze its workforce and determine the steps it must take to prepare for future staffing needs. LinkedIn’s 2020 Workplace Learning Report reveals that 99% of learning and development executives believe if skill gaps are not closed within the next three to five years, that customer satisfaction could plummet – as well as product development and the company’s ability to innovate and grow. LinkedIn’s report also states that 57% of talent developers will focus on leadership and management skills, 42% on creative problem solving, and 40% on communication skills.
As for the HR department, you are in my thoughts and prayers. It seems like the work never ends! In 2020, safety and adjusting to WFH was the priority, now comes the best part of 2021 – putting all the broken pieces back together. Good thing the HR department is here to save the day. The first task at hand is to expand the ability to operate in a fully digital environment. All employees will need to brush up on their technological skills. This will ensure that they feel comfortable with their job tasks and maintain seamless contact with clients, partners, and suppliers. When returning to the office it is essential that employees are encouraged to seek help with any new systems – whether that includes training programs or open dialogue with co-workers or supervisors.
The next step is further developing cognitive skills for redesign and innovation. With remote work as the reality for over a year, HR managers were forced to demonstrate these skills in an autonomous environment. Keeping employees retained was a project in itself, now organizations have to re-think all their previous strategies to remain innovative. It’s imperative that companies remain creative by adjusting their problem-solving skills to manage projects if some employees or clients are still working remotely.
Social and emotional skills are next on the to-do list. Companies have to maintain their professional ties and grow new client relationships – all while supporting their employees in the process. The HR department, as well as organizational leaders, in particular, might need to develop their skills moving forward. Communication and interpersonal skills need to be worked on, making sure that empathy is at the top of the list. Our economy might be struggling, but we’re all in this together. Leading with sympathy and compassion might restore any hope lost during the pandemic.
The biggest skill to consider is the ability to adapt and be resilient during COVID-19 and beyond. Organizations should use the last year as a source for learning on building self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-reliance. Be transparent with your staff, let them know that you are aware that certain practices can be enhanced and that the company will support each other through the process. Managing time, boundaries, and mental space could use room for improvement in the upcoming year.
As for the HR department, the months to follow should focus on workforce planning strategies. Taking a look within can help companies redefine their purpose or mission, outline their future potential, and shift their perspective to move confidently into the future. The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic might be a long one, but we’re almost there!!! Challenges keep life exciting, after all. Reflect, recommit, re-engage, rethink, and reboot – let’s get through these next few months and continue to thrive. Good luck.
