It’s scary to think that your personal information is being compromised. If you have a problem with your privacy being invaded, it seems like the smartest thing to do is delete your Facebook. But what if you are using Facebook to network?
Hopefully, the business you are interviewing with will make their hiring decision based on your skills, knowledge, and potential fit within the business. However, some companies like to look at social media sites to see who you are outside of work.
If you choose to network using your Facebook account, consider the following:
Keep it professional: Check your Facebook for red flags that potential employees might see when looking at your timeline. Look through your photos, videos, and comments to make sure you look professional. Ask yourself–what do I want my future employee to see? Delete what you don’t want them to see, and make sure in the future to avoid posting that content altogether.
Make your posts relevant: Post comments, links, and share articles that are relevant to your interests and potential jobs. Engage with others who are talking about relevant issues in your area of expertise. Share your knowledge.
Consider your networking options: Facebook is known more for social networking, but professional networking sites like LinkedIn exist and might be a better fit for your networking.
Change your privacy settings: As said above, Facebook’s privacy is lacking, but you should still make use of the privacy settings that Facebook does have. You can choose to not let the public see your tagged photos and posts on your timeline. You can also make your entire profile unsearchable. If you choose to do this, you will have to find and add potential employees as friends to connect and network.
Social media sites are useful for networking and can help you keep on top of trends and news, can help you find jobs and internships, and allow you to expand your network. Just keep an eye on your privacy.
For those of you who use Facebook (and other social media sites) to network, what are your thoughts on these privacy issues? Something you’d like to add? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn.
This post is part III of a three-part series about hiring. The last two weeks, we covered what to look for when hiring and how hiring affects your business. You can find part I of the series hereand part II here.
The last two weeks, we’ve been focusing on the company’s side of the hiring process. This week, we’ll take a look at how the interviewee can stand out.
Here are a few things to remember during the interview process as a job seeker:
Revise your resume: Your resume should show your accomplishments, not just tasks you perform. Reviewing and updating your resume can remind you of your strengths and weaknesses; it also lets you see what you’ve accomplished at your current job.
Research the company: You can never be too prepared when it comes to researching the company you are interviewing with. Know the size of the company, their target audience, the products they sell, and other companies that they work closely with. Knowing about the company will impress who you’re interviewing with. It also shows that you are willing to work hard in order to be prepared.
Remember why you are there: The interview should be about much more than landing a job or a paycheck. Ask yourself: Am I a fit for this company? Will I be challenged enough? Will I like my job? It’s important to really think these questions through.
Be ready with your own questions: Don’t underestimate just how important it is that you can see yourself fitting in to the culture of the company. Go to the interview ready with a few questions to help you judge your compatibility. Not having any questions at the end of the interview can make you come off as uninterested, unprepared and unengaged.
Don’t settle. Don’t take the job if you have concerns about your compatibility. Make sure you can see yourself at this company in five, ten, even twenty years from now, working your way up and establishing yourself as a member of the team.
It’s important not only for you, but also for the company you are interviewing with. You don’t want to waste your own time, nor theirs.
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel down to Orlando, Florida for this year’s SAP SAPPHIRE NOW + ASUG Annual Conference, which took place from June 3rd-5th, 2014. This wonderful conference brings together thousands of people for a great business technology conference by SAP and an information-packed American SAP Users’ Group conference, and I’m very glad I was able to attend.
Like I did after this year’s HR 2014 conference, I wanted to take a moment and run through some of my biggest takeaways from 2014’s SAPPHIRE NOW + ASUG Annual Conference. Have a look below for a few of my biggest takeaways, day by day:
Tuesday
Tuesday kicked off with a keynote by SAP CEO Bill McDermott, titled “Simplify Everything. Do Anything.” ‘Run Simple’ is a new mantra that SAP is using, and that was the key message during McDermott’s keynote and really, throughout the whole conference. Many SAP know-how processes currently aren’t that simple, and we’re all hopeful (but skeptical) of what it will take to make running simple a reality.
SAP integration has always been a big selling point, but how integrated are things now with other things moving towards the cloud, like SuccessFactors? SAP is working quickly to make the cloud, hybrid, and on-premises systems work together, but the people working with these systems know that full integration still has a ways to go. I’d like to see SAP taking a little more time to let the kinks get worked out.
Security is also an ongoing concern. Polls of what SuccessFactors modules are being utilized often show that many modules contain sensitive employee data, like social security numbers. Being comfortable with this security will take time, and I see most companies easing into the cloud as such.
Let’s just hope that ‘Run Simple’ stays simple.
The inaugural day continued on with the ASUG Keynote from Capt. Chelsey (Sully) Sullenberger, whose keynote was very inspirational; Capt. Sully referenced experience over and over again. Over time, things evolve, and keeping up to date with the latest evolutions is crucial. Even so, having experience of what came before can provide insight on how to handle challenges. My biggest takeaway? Don’t fight change—embrace it and stay closely involved in using change to your advantage.
Mari Braybrooks, Capt. Sully, and me after the keynote.
Tuesday didn’t stop there. I volunteered on Tuesday and Thursday morning at the ASUG Hub to help people create and update ASUG.com profiles. The experience was wonderfully rewarding, and the points that conference-goers were able to receive for performing certain tasks with their profiles culminated with some great ASUG swag that was given out. (My personal favorite was the ASUG USB charger that came in handy when my phone was about to die.)
My time on Tuesday—which was probably my busiest day—finished off with a handful of ASUG sessions. ASUG provided many in-depth HCM-related sessions this year that were very educational, and the take-homes were many. To me, the best part of ASUG’s sessions is how easy it is to network with other companies looking at similar functionality. Being able to discuss what you want to do with other companies going through similar processes is very valuable and can help streamline the entire process.
Tuesday was a packed day, but was a great indicator of how valuable the conference as a whole would end up being.
Wednesday
Wednesday started off early with ASUG’s volunteer breakfast. ASUG did a great job of recognizing many volunteers, and even gave out awards to those who went above and beyond in their volunteering efforts. This year’s volunteer breakfast proved to be a fun time with many great networking opportunities. I can’t say enough about how beneficial it’s been for me—personally and professionally—to volunteer with ASUG, and it’s also just a great way to meet new people.
This year’s ASUG volunteer breakfast.
The keynote speaker later in the day was Dr. Hasso Plattner, who discussed HANA and how it’s disrupting the use of SAP software, while also opening up much more powerful functionality due to significant speed increases. While SAP HCM is seeing speed increases already, things should only continue to improve as the platform matures and we see better optimization for HCM.
After Dr. Plattner’s keynote, I moved to the ASUG Midwest Central Chapter networking event. We had several participants in our networking event, and had a great discussion about how our local ASUG Chapter can help companies fully understand and utilize their SAP software. We were also very excited to announce our ASUG Leadership 2.0: Change Management Meeting that’s taking place on Monday, July 21 at Hallmark in Kansas City. (The meeting on Friday, September 18th will also be at Hallmark, but content is still being determined and we’re looking for speakers and sponsors.)
Wednesday night saw a serious change of pace with Jon Bon Jovi, who played in the evening and, I think, really had the place rocking. I wish he’d have played more of his hits, but the evening was still very enjoyable and it was fun seeing so many people let loose. This great concert wrapped up another great day at the conference.
Jon Bon Jovi playing on Wednesday night.
Thursday
The late evening with Bon Jovi made for a tough morning start, but Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon, and Dana Carvey were still able to get a tired audience going with their Keynote. The crowd had thinned noticeably since Wednesday, but the ASUG educational sessions throughout the day continued to provide outstanding information nonetheless.
This year’s SAPPHIRE NOW + ASUG Annual Conference was, as usual, absolutely packed with great information. If you were unable to attend (or even if you did attend) and are looking to recap the event, take a look around the conference’s website, which is loaded with recap videos (including keynotes), follow-up information, and information about next year’s conference. I attended and I still find the resources on the site very valuable, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
Next year’s SAPPHIRE NOW + ASUG Annual Conference happens on May 5-7, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. I highly encourage anyone interested to register. And to keep up to date in the meantime, you can get involved with your ASUG Chapter or a Special Interest Group (SIG); you should find benefits almost immediately. Getting to know and understand what other companies are going through, and ideas on how they’re approaching those situations, is invaluable if you’re about to start the journey.
I’m very glad that I got to attend this conference this year, and can’t wait to see what 2015’s conference holds.
This post is part II of a three-part series about hiring. Over the coming weeks, we’ll cover several different aspects of the hiring process, from how hiring affects your business, to what an interviewee can do to stand out from the rest. You can find part I of the series here.
On the surface, it seems obvious how hiring affects your business. But we need to dig a little deeper in order to understand just how important the hiring process is.
It’s estimated that as much as 80% of employee turnover is due to bad hiring decisions.
As we mentioned last week, it’s important to find employees who will be integral parts of your team. More importantly, it is how your new hires will fit in with your team that is crucial to the success of your business.
Remember–when you are interviewing potential employees, make sure you can see them interacting positively with your clients, because it’s your employees who are with your clients on a daily basis. Your team has the opportunity to make a lasting impression on them–either positive or negative.
Not only must you consider how your employees affect your clients; you also but need to consider the effects of employees on other team members. In an article on Forbes.com, Micah Solomon looked into the power of peer pressure. He explains that employees bestow peer pressure on other team members who then interact with your clients.
If the peer pressure or attitude of one employee is negative, it has the power to bring your whole team (and potentially your clients) down. However, if the employees you hire are a fit with your business, they have the power to affect future employees positively.
Solomon calls it a snowball effect; when you hire employees who thrive in your business and share similar goals, future employees will learn from them and continue to build the team up.
A business can’t afford to make hiring mistakes. Replacing a team member who didn’t work out is costly, both financially and on your team’s confidence level. That is why going through the hiring process carefully and precisely is so important. It’s not just about which candidate is perfect on paper—it’s about which candidate is a correct fit for the culture of your business.
Be sure to check back next week for part III of our series. Until then, if you have any questions on our series on the hiring process, feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn.
This post is part I of a three-part series about hiring. Over the coming weeks, we’ll cover several different aspects of the hiring process, from what to look for when hiring, to how hiring affects your business, and what an interviewee can do to stand out from the rest.
The hiring process may seem to be a tedious task on the surface, but having a driven, dependable team of workers is the best way to invest in your business. So how should you go about finding the right candidate for the job?
We’ve read it before: the top traits to look for in a potential employee; the questions to ask; and the key words to look for on resumes. These are all important things to keep in mind, but hopefully, you will have multiple candidates to choose from who all possess good traits, good skills, and know how to answer the tough interview questions. When this happens, how do you choose which candidate to hire?
Here are a few things to consider when hiring:
Pay special attention to the first impression: Does the candidate present him/herself as a professional? Professionalism can be measured by the clothing a candidate wears, his/her handshake, and even the way a person stands and carries him/herself. Not only are these things a sign of professionalism, they are also an indicator of confidence. Looking for a confident, professional candidate, sounds basic, but it is overlooked; confidence ranks highest on the list of skills that companies think employees are missing most.
Be specific with your questions: A good candidate will have researched your business before the interview, and will likely have a good idea of what typical questions to expect. Don’t be afraid to ask tougher, more targeted questions. You can always ask the candidate to be more specific with their answers. Nathanial Koloc has some excellent tips on how to uncover certain traits of your candidates by asking more pointed questions.
Can you see this candidate as part of your business? This might be the toughest question you have to ask yourself. It’s hard to judge whether or not a candidate will fit in based solely on an interview, but that is crucial to the hiring process. Was the candidate sociable? As Victor Lipman suggests in an article on Forbes.com, the importance of a candidate’s cultural fit shouldn’t be underestimated. Talented people sometimes don’t work out simply because their personal style clashes with the business’ expectations.
Hiring can be a difficult process, but it’s important to remember the end goal: finding someone who will strengthen your business and will be an integral part of your team.
Be sure to check back next week for the second post in the series. Have any questions or comments about anything we discussed today? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.
Some customers took to social media sites and made light of the situation by asking if Shutterfly knew something that they didn’t; many others were offended.
Let’s take a look at how Shutterfly responded and what we can learn from their crisis management via social media:
Respond ASAP: One of the nicest things about social media is that it is a platform that gets information to customers right away. Shutterfly chose to respond quickly and efficiently by apologizing through company tweets, Facebook comments, and an email.
Admit to your mistake: People like receiving an apology, and when a company admits to a mistake, customers will be more likely to understand and forgive. It’s important to view mistakes and negative comments as an opportunity to create a relationship, and not a bad mark on your brand.
Let your customers know that you care: Shutterfly took a large chunk of time out of their day replying to customers’ individual tweets. They didn’t ignore their customers’ feelings and messages, and instead, met them head on.
A mistake like Shutterfly’s is forgettable and forgivable, especially when handled as responsibly as it was. It wasn’t huge compared to company breeches in security or cyber attacks (take for instance, this past week’s attack on EBay), but it was a mistake nonetheless that warranted an apology.
These tips are important to consider whenever an error is made, whether online or in-person. Social media may be a strange world to some people, but it’s also given businesses new opportunities to reach out to customers and make things right. Your co-workers and clients deserve an apology when a mistake has been made. It is easier for a mistake to be forgiven and moved past when it is acknowledged.
Humans make errors—it’s how we respond to our mistakes that shows our clients what kind of person (and business) we are.
Sounds pretty easy, right? Except thinking honestly, many of us know that it really isn’t. There are so many things going through our minds during a work day that actually listening to a person talk doesn’t always happen. We hear half of it, or perhaps none of it at all.
Actively listening is something you can do every day. It doesn’t take research. It won’t take up your entire day. But it is a simple way to make your employees feel like they belong and are valued members of the group.
Specific things to listen for:
Complaints: Field your employees’ complaints. This is the best way to continually learn about your company and what needs fixing. By listening to complaints, your employees know that they can come to you with any questions or problems that they come across.
A job well done: Know what is going on in your business. Validate those who have gotten the job done well. A simple “nice job” can go a long way in letting your employees know that you care about their work and can see their progress (though of course, more substantive feedback is always recommended).
Recommendations: One of the easiest ways to make an employee feel valued is to let them make recommendations on how to further the business. Not every recommendation will lead to something new (and of course, make sure to look into the information given to you), but it’s a good way to generate ideas on how to better your business from within.
Their lives outside of the office: Remember that your employees are people, too. They have spouses, children, pets, and lives outside of work. Connecting with your employees on a personal level can make it easier for them to come to you with questions, concerns, and ideas.
Not only should you listen to your employees—you should also listen to your clients. Really listening to your clients can help establish yourself as the master of your business; when you know exactly what the clients want, you can easily deliver.
While listening—to both clients and employees—seems obvious, too often it goes ignored in the workplace and beyond. By listening to employees and others, you can help strengthen your team, and make your employees feel valued—a great way to strengthen your overall business. Listening won’t solve all your problems, but it’s certainly a great place to start.
Have any questions about anything we discussed today? Or, have something you’d like to add? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.
In recent years, there’s been an increase in people speaking out against certain types of technology and our dependency on the Internet, smart phones, social media, and iPads (to name a few). In March, there’s even a National Day of Unplugging that asks people to pledge against using their phones, social media, and the Internet for twenty-four hours.
Spending a weekend, a day, or even a few hours away from technology might be a good way to rejuvenate ourselves. It’s possible that unplugging can also help us to embrace technology for its endless benefits. When we force ourselves to stay away from technology, we are also forced to see how our lives are changed (for better, for worse) by technology.
Unplugging doesn’t have to mean disregarding your job duties. It can be something as simple as putting the phone down during dinner or limiting your social media checks throughout the day.
It all comes down to balance.
It’s important to remember that technology was invented to help us connect. It has the power to help us maneuver our busy lives and alleviate certain pressures of the business world, and it’s all at our fingertips. Whether or not you unplug is up to you, but there’s certainly something to be said about urging people within your business to be away from technology every once in a while.
Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. Have any questions about SAP? Feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.
In February, we talked about how HR can effectively use social media. A blog is an extension of social media, and in many ways can do more for your business than what Facebook or Twitter alone can. Blogging can be a great tool for HR departments, especially when trying to drive potential clients to your website.
Here are a few examples of how a blog can be a great addition to your business:
Accountability: In order to write an efficient business blog, you have to stay active and up-to-date with technology and news happening in your industry. By knowing what is going on in the world of your business and your industry, it becomes easier to answer any client questions that come your way.
Connection: Blogging brings an audience, some that are familiar with your business, and some that aren’t. When a blog is posted, it can be shared on multiple social media sites, which exposes your business to people that might not have found your website otherwise. Building a connection between your business and potential clients is one of the most important relationships you can establish.
Traffic: When it comes to blogging, one of the most important things to keep in mind is how it can work to bring new visitors to your site. Blogs generate buzz, especially when done correctly. And after reading an excellent blog post, many people will click around your website to other pages that establish your business and let the audience know what your company has to offer.
Truthfully, a post might be the easiest way to get a potential client to your website. We don’t mean to say that blogging is easy; it’s hard work, but once you’ve established your blog, your content can bring countless visitors to your site when executed correctly.
A blog is a great first step in getting your business noticed. Is your business interested in starting a blog for your business, but you aren’t sure how? Check out Hubspot’s article on how to write an effective blog post.
At Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development, and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. We believe in an all-encompassing approach, and if you have any questions about SAP HCM or Human Resources, feel free to contact us via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you.
Corporate wellness programs have been gaining in popularity for some time now–many companies offer a corporate wellness program, offering cheaper insurance and other benefits to those who enroll.
Corporate wellness programs offer many benefits, including some of the following:
Cheaper insurance costs: Many insurance companies offer lower insurance premiums for companies that offer employee wellness programs; more fit employees are less at risk for health problems. Today, many businesses are finding that wellness programs have been great sources of decreased costs–and some have even reported significantly fewer sick days since starting their programs. Wellness programs can be a great way to lower costs in an otherwise expensive space.
Increased productivity in the office: When you invest in a corporate wellness program, you’re not just getting healthier employees–you’re getting more productive ones, too. Employees “who are thinking about improving their lifestyle on a regular basis” are more likely to succeed in the office than those who aren’t. The more that the office can be perceived as a healthy environment rather than one that causes stress, the better.
Better recruiting and company culture: Finally, corporate wellness programs often have benefits in terms of company culture and recruiting. Especially for millennials, who place a high value on corporate culture (and not just the work itself), programs that promote a healthy culture can lead to better recruiting. While this is less of an issue for more experienced workers, companies seeking to build a strong culture and recruit young talent should put this into consideration.
Corporate wellness programs aren’t a problem-solver for everything you’ll encounter in the workplace, but they can help tremendously in crafting a sustainable culture, and yes, even increasing profitability for the company over time thanks to money saved on insurance and increased productivity by employees.
If your business is thinking about offering a corporate wellness program, now is as good a time as ever to get out there and start weighing your options for helping encourage better health amongst all of your employees. Better health is hardly ever a bad thing!
Here at Integrated Consulting Group, we specialize in the design, development and customization of SAP Human Capital Management business software for leading edge North American companies with global reach. We believe in an all-encompassing approach, and would love to answer any questions you have about SAP HCM or Human Resources. For any questions, feel free to reach out via the contact page of our site, or on Twitter or LinkedIn.
If you have a Facebook timeline, you might have noticed recently that the advertisements on your homepage have been suggestions based on what you have been looking at on other sites. It’s a bit creepy, right? This isn’t the first time that Facebook has been accused of taking away people’s privacy.
