Develop a More Efficient Hiring Process By Checking In with Previous Candidates - Spark Hire

Develop a More Efficient Hiring Process By Checking In with Previous Candidates - Spark HireAn efficient hiring process is crucial for companies looking to avoid having empty positions for weeks or even just a few days. A study by the Society of Human Resource Management found that it typically takes between 29 and 43 days to hire a new employee. This is far too much time to have roles go unfilled, especially if you need a rockstar new team member right away to help your company grow.Achieving an efficient hiring process can be as simple as referring back to candidates that you previously connected with and determining their fit for a current job opening. Checking in with previous candidates that left an impression on you will save you the trouble of having to search for completely new talent to connect with and bewerbungsinterview extensively.Utilizing video interviewing technology gives hiring managers and recruiters the ability to easily reconnect with previous candidates and save time. Perhaps a candidate impressed you in their initial interview with your company, but ultimately you made the decision to hire someone else. Video interviews, particularly a one-way interview, can help you to quickly connect with that candidate again to assess their personality and skills for a different role.In a one-way video interview, candidates answer pre-set questions from hiring or recruiting professionals and are given the option of re-recording if needed. This interview can serve as a sort of refresher to help re-familiarize you with the candidate. If a candidates responses or behavior in the one-way interview arent what you are looking for, no significant amount of time or resources were wasted as would have been the case had you invited them to your office.If youd like to reconnect with a candidate in real-time, but are unable or prefer not to have them come to your office, a live video interview is a great option. You can meet virtually with the candidate from where ver you are via webcam (or mobile device, depending on the video interviewing provider) and reevaluate the candidates personality and verbal skills.Furthermora, implementing video interviews into your companys talent acquisition strategy may be something you want to consider to enhance the hiring process for the long-run. Most video interviewing platforms are cloud-based and enable companies to access their candidates completed interviews whenever needed. Having this digital library of talent means that you will already have top talent to take into consideration when you have more open positions in the future.Download your copy of our whitepaper, Tips for Streamlining Your Hiring Process Maximizing Time With Video Interviewing, for more strategies to help you make faster and smarter hiring decisions.Image AlexOakenman/BigStock.com

Compliance Careers Show Promise for Legal Employment Legal

Compliance Careers Show Promise for Legal Employment LegalCompliance Careers Show Promise for Legal Employment LegalCorporate legal departments across the nation are facing increasingly stringent government regulations, which means legal hiring managers are on the lookout for befolgung specialists.According to Robert Halfs Legal Salary Guide, befolgung specialists at a sortiment of different levels are in demand for legal employment. These professionals conduct research on regulations, identify potential issues and develop compliance policies and procedures.Legal employment opportunities for compliance specialistsDo you have what it takes to join the growing legal field of compliance? Depending on your level of experience, here are four hot compliance careers you might consider1. Compliance directorThe compliance directors job is to minimize compliance risk by ensuring the corporation complies with government regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank and the Affordabl e Care Act. The corporate compliance director may also be responsible for developing and maintaining the companys code of ethics. Depending on the size of the organization, the compliance director may lead a full compliance administration team, which might include a compliance manager and one or more compliance analysts.According to the 2015 Salary Guide, a compliance director with 10 or more years of experience can expect a starting salary between $107,000 and $135,750. Thats a 5.2 percent increase as compared to 2014.2. Compliance managerSimilar to the compliance director, a compliance manager is tasked with ensuring the company complies with federal, state and industry regulations and standards. Additionally, the compliance manager often develops, communicates and regulates the companys standards for legal and ethical conduct. This might include staff training and internal communications, as well as pinpointing possible areas of compliance risk. A compliance manager may also lead one or more compliance analysts. The 2015 Salary Guideshows that compliance managers with seven to nine years of experience can expect to earn a starting salary ranging between $91,750 and $110,000 - a 4.8 percent increase over 2014.3.Compliance analystIf youre relatively new to the compliance field, you might consider exploring a career as a compliance analyst. These specialists are generally responsible for researching compliance rules and regulations, identifying potential compliance issues and weaknesses at the company and collecting and analyzing relevant information. The compliance analyst usually reports to the compliance manager or director.Compliance analysts with one to three years of experience can expect a starting salary between $52,500 and $71,250. Thats a 3.8 percent increase over 2014 starting salaries. Analysts with four to six years of experience can expect a starting salary between $67,000 and $84,500, a 4.7 percent increase as compared to 2014.4.Compliance para legalIf youre currently a paralegal or legal assistant, you might consider exploring a paralegal career in the compliance field. According to the 2015 Salary Guide, companies are actively seeking paralegals with experience in compliance, and paralegals with specialized compliance knowledge are commanding higher starting compensation and receiving multiple offers. If you take on a paralegal career in a corporate compliance department, you can expect to support compliance managers and analysts by ensuring the company meets various mandates and regulations.Legal hiring trendsIts no wonder these and other compliance careers are in demand right now. In the Association of Corporate Counsels Chief Legal Officer (CLO) 2014 Survey, respondents identified ethics and compliance as the most critical issues they face. CLOs flagged regulatory/governmental changes and information privacy as the next most important areas of concern. In many organizations, these disciplines all fall under the compli ance umbrella. So corporate legal hiring managers are actively seeking compliance specialists across the board.What legal hiring trendshave you noticed in the compliance field? Share your comments below.

Why Boomers have Millennials to thank for remote work

Why Boomers have Millennials to thank for remote workWhy Boomers have Millennials to thank for remote workFor many people, the thought ofa company that prioritizes remote workinspires a certain type of vision- and, its probably something like this young people tapping away on their laptops in trendy coffee shops, with their headphones over their ears and steaming lattes by their sides.Yes, Millennials have definitely become the face of remote work, and for valid reason.The younger generation has a strong desire for improved work-life balance, which has led them to seek employers that provide the freedom to fit work into their lives, rather than the other way around. In Deloittes Millennial Survey 2018,flexibility ranks as the third most important thing Millennials consider when evaluating an employer- behind only pay and culture.Needless to say, in order to stay competitive and attract the young talent they really want, companies have had no choice but to meet that growing demand.Tha ts right- boomers (and all of us) have millennials to thank for remote work.But, heres the question that still loomsDo boomers really feel all that appreciative of the remote work phenomenon?Arent boomers the generation who prefers to clock in and clock out at a traditional office day after day?Thats the perception, but the reality might surprise you. Studies show that its actuallyolder employees who work from home the most.According to our FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics report, The State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce, the average telecommuter is actually older than the average employee.In fact, the older an employee gets, the greater the chances that they opt to telecommute. Our study shows thatemployees who are 65 or beyond are 1.7 times mora likely skip the office and telecommutethan an average employee is.Baby boomers generally have far less to prove, may be less focused on career advancement, and dont see any great benefit to putting in more face time than necessary- especially if it means they have to sit in rush-hour traffic or wear uncomfortable shoes to get there, explains Ann Brenoff in anarticle for the Huffington Post.So, it seems that while millennials might have been the ones pushing and advocating for remote work options, its the older generations who are enjoying it most.Regardless, one thing is for sureremote work brings along of heap of benefits that apply to all generations.From reducing distractions andboosting productivityto increasing engagement and curtailing turnover, we think perks like these are enough to convince employers that remote work is here to stay.Seriously, thanks for that, fellow millennials.This article was originally published on Flexjobs.com.

How to Earn Extra Money as a Secret Shopper

How to Earn Extra Money as a Secret Shopper How to Earn Extra Money as a Secret Shopper A secret shopper, or mystery shopper, gets paid to visit certain businesses and evaluate them on their performance. You wont rake in a six-figure salary as a secret shopper, but the flexible schedule and being able to choose your assignments make this opportunity a good fit for many stay-at-home moms who want to make money. Find out how to earn extra money as a secret shopper and how to get started from a secret shopper whos been there / done that. What Is a Secret Shopper? Youre a customer. You happen to be getting paid as an undercover shopper.A secret shopper reports on everything from how long it takes an employee to greet you to the quality of the product. Secret shoppers are given a list of items to assess as they complete their shopping trip. You then file a full report on your shop to complete the assignment. Can the Kids Be Involved? As long as you can pay attention to the details of your assignment, your kids can tag along to most shops. For example, restaurant assignments may allow you to spend a certain amount of money on food. Your family can eat out together while you evaluate the services and your meal with some of it being comped! Investment Required None. Do not pay a fee to become a secret shopper.Businesses pay secret shopping companies to send secret shoppers to their stores. Companies that ask you to pay to become a secret shopper are making money off of you, not legitimate shopping opportunities. Secret Shopper Payment A majority of your assignments will be a flat fee, not an hourly rate. Pay will vary based on the assignment. A restaurant shop may pay you $10 to complete the shop but also give you a $30 allowance on food. A shop at a convenience store may pay under $10. More involved shops can pay $100 and up. Fees typically depend on the companys estimate of how much time it will take you and how involved the shop evaluation will be. If you have a long list of items the company wants you to check, for example, youre usually paid a higher rate than for an assignment that will take you 10 minutes to finish. Youll know how much time each assignment will take, whats required for you to complete it and how much youll be paid before you accept any shopping job. Youre paid after you submit your receipt(s) and send in your shopper report. A Day in the Life of a Secret Shopper Most assignments are arranged online. You log in to your secret shopper account, browse the available shops and the details. Lets say you found a restaurant shop you want to complete. You accept the assignment and have 72 hours to shop the location and submit your report.Youve been given a list of questions youll have to answer on your report: How long did it take for the hostess to greet you at the door?How long did it take for the waiter to greet you at the table?Did he tell you about the daily specials?Did he ask if you wanted to buy an appetizer?How long did it take for your food to arrive?How would you rate the cleanliness of the restaurant, the silverware, the dishes, your table, the floors, the bathroom?Did the waiter offer you dessert after you finished your meal?What did you order?How would you rate the quality of your food?After you finished your meal, how long did it take for the check to arrive? How would you rate your overall experience? You go home to file your report and submit your receipt. Once you login to your secret shopper account, you answer all of the questions from your shop. Many companies do not ask for details on each question. They simply want yes/no answers. The assignment is complete after your report and receipt have been submitted. Payment generally arrives within 1 to 8 weeks. Getting Started as a Secret Shopper Start with the mystery shopper jobs directory to find companies looking for secret shoppers. Investigate each company before committing. Because of the appeal to be a secret shopper, many work-at-home scams have popped up. These scams try to lure people into paying money upfront with promises of getting them secret shopping jobs, charging application fees or telling them they must pay for certification to become a secret shopper. Legitimate secret shopper companies do not ask you for money. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) requires its member secret shopping companies to undergo an approval process before joining. The organization holds these companies to certain standards for them to remain members. There are companies that dont belong to the MSPA that are legitimate, but MSPA member companies are a good place for newcomers to turn to when researching secret shopper opportunities.

Nanomaterials Transform Manufacturing

Nanomaterials Transform Manufacturing Nanomaterials Transform Manufacturing Nanomaterials Transform Manufacturing Nanomanufacturing is the production of nanoscale materials, devices, and systems, which are then used in manufacturing to produce high-performance, innovative, next-generation products. Manipulating materials precisely at the nanoscale can seems hard to believe. Nanotechnology researchers typically operate in the range of 10 to 100 nanometers or less (in comparison, a human hair is about 100,000nanometerswide). At this scale, materials take on new physical properties that can greatly enhance the performance of manufactured products. Nanomaterialscan beengineered to improve properties such as strength, flexibility, durability, and lubricity and also be resistant to numerous environmental conditions, including extreme temperatures and corrosion. When combined with their lighter weight, these materials can be ideal for automotive and aerospace applications. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a federal program established in 2000 with the goal of making the U.S. a global leader in nanotechnology, there are two types of nanomanufacturing: top-downorbottom-up. Top-down fabrication starts with a block of original material and systematically reduces it to the final nanoscale product. With the bottom-up approach, products are created by building them up from atomic- and molecular-scale components, which gives engineers more manufacturing methods from which to choose. One of these methods is roll-to-roll processing, which manufactures nanoscale devices on a roll of ultrathin plastic or metal in high volumes. This is a popular method for next-generation consumer electronic devices, especially wearables. Korean scientists have recently developed highly productive roll-roll-process technology that can continuously transfer and package a range of large-scale integrated circuits (LSI), a breakthrough that could help realize the next generation of flexible electronics, including application processors, high-density memories and high-speed communication devices, writes Laurie Donaldson on sciencedirect.com. Possible future flexible consumer electronics made with roll-to-roll computers, wearable smart devices, and implantable biomedical devices. Automotive and Aerospace Nanomaterials are critical for improving product performance and creating new, innovative products that enhance manufacturing. For example, an inexpensive nanotechnology process increases the strength of metals such as steel by as much as ten times, making it much more resistant to corrosion. Announced in 2015 by Seattle-based start-up named Modumetal, the process uses electroplating to create a multi-layered coating, where each nanolayer is only a few nanometers thick and made from a different material. The final coating greatly increases the life span of the original steel, making it ideal for oil and gas equipment, bridges, and other major infrastructure. Nanomaterials are especially in demand in automotive and aerospace, with top applications being lightweighting vehicles and spacecraft. According to NNI, reducing the weight of a commercial jet aircraft by 20 percent can reduce its fuel consumption by as much as 15 percent. A preliminary analysis performed for NASA shows the development and use of advanced nanomaterials with twice the strength of conventional composites would reduce the gross weight of a launch vehicle by as much as 63 percent. Not only could this save a significant amount of energy needed to launch spacecraft into orbit, states NNI, but it would also enable the development of single-stage to orbit launch vehicles, further reducing launch costs, increasing mission reliability, and opening the door to alternative propulsion concepts. Carbon nanotube sheets are being used in next-generation air vehicles, where their light weight and conductivity makes them ideal for applications such as electromagnetic shielding and thermal management. Other nanoscale products in the automotive industry include high-power rechargeable battery systems, thermoelectric materials for temperature controls, tires with lower rolling resistance, high-efficiency/low-cost sensors and electronics, thin-film smart solar panels, and fuel additives for cleaner exhaust and extended range. Communication and the Internet of Things The Internet of Things is based on communication between machines and devicesthis requires sensors to collect, transmit, and manage/analyze data. Advances in nanoscale sensors and devices continue to improve the monitoring of equipment, leading to higher productivity. Nanotechnology has also greatly improved computing and electronics, leading to faster, smaller, and more portable systems that can manage and store larger amounts of information. For example, transistors have been greatly reduced in size through nanotechnology. At the turn of the century, states NNI, a typical transistor was 130 to 250 nanometers in size. In 2014, Intel created a 14-nanometer transistor, then IBM created the first seven-nanometer transistor in 2015, and then Lawrence Berkeley National Lab demonstrated a one-nanometer transistor in 2016. Nanoscale sensors are also critical for flexible electronics, especially those embedded in wearables. NNI reports that other nanomaterials like graphene and cellulosic nanomaterials are components in flexible electronics that enable wearable and tattoo sensors, photovoltaics that can be sewn onto clothing, and electronic paper that can be rolled up. Making flat, flexible, lightweight, non-brittle, highly efficient electronics opens the door to countless smart products, states NNI. Limitless Potential Nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing are revolutionizing many manufacturing sectors, including information technology, defense, medicine, transportation, energy, environmental science, telecommunications, and electronics. Perhaps the most intriguing intersection of technologies will be 3D printing and nanotechnology. Nanomaterialsfor example, carbon nanotubesare being used in 3D printers. And 3D printers have already printed objects as small as a few microns. In an interview posted on gereports.com, Ray Kurzweil, a noted entrepreneur, engineer, and Google executive, states he believes that the exponential breakthrough in manufacturing will happen around 2030, when nanotechnology and 3D printing are fully integrated. The ultimate revolution will take place when we start printing designs fabricated from individual atoms, says he says. Exponential growth is always surprising. Its going to keep happening and its going to be delightful. Mark Crawford is an independent writer. For Further Discussion Exponential growth is always surprising. Its going to keep happening and its going to be delightful.Ray Kurzweil, Entrepreneur

If Youve Never Been Laid Off, You Will Be

If You've Never Been Laid Off, You Will Be If You've Never Been Laid Off, You Will Be If You've Never Been Laid Off, You Will Be Early in my career, I believed that only poor performers got laid off by their employers. Since I thought I was a top performer, I assured myself that I would never be released involuntarily. However, the job market soon proved me wrong and taught me some valuable lessons. For instance, you may just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Layoffs are the fastest way for any company to reduce expenses and show quarterly profits (so fat-cat executives can get their bonuses and stockholders can reap dividends, but that's the subject of another blog post at another time). What I learned from being fired: Almost everyone gets laid off or fired at some point in his or her career. Getting laid off usually has nothing to do with performance or competence. Most of us are classified as employees at will and can be released with or without cause. In other words, they can fire you for any reason or no reason. On the other hand, most of us are voluntarily employed. We choose to invest our energy in our current employers in exchange for compensation. But we are free to walk away at any time, and to work for anyone else we choose. The best way to insulate yourself from the changing fortunes of any one employer is to have multiple sources of income. For instance, if you're a copywriter for an advertising agency, you could freelance other projects on the side for extra income. Your job security may be related to your current employer (which is not within your control), but your income security is directly related to the demand for your skills (which is within your control). The fact is, you probably will get fired or laid off at some point in your career (assuming you never have up until this point). But it probably won't be due to poor performance. Many more people are released for reasons not related to their competence.With the continuous changes we see in the need for certain goods and services many employers - especially in industries that are under stress - may feel the need to let some people go.

6 Priceless Lessons Entrepreneurs Learned From Their Earliest Jobs

6 Priceless Lessons Entrepreneurs Learned From Their Earliest Jobs 6 Priceless Lessons Entrepreneurs Learned From Their Earliest Jobs Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers! Have a question you’d like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QA! Todays Question: What job did you have early in your career that taught you the most? What were the important lessons that you learned? The answers below are provided by members of FounderSociety, an invitation-only organization comprised of ambitious startup founders and business owners. 1. Be Ready for Anything I started my career working for a startup as an analyst. When youre part of something new and innovative, youre surrounded by opportunity. With opportunity comes flexibility and spontaneity. One of the biggest lessons Ive learned is to welcome change. Be open to changing direction in this ever-evolving world, and be willing to adapt to your culture and surroundings. - Nadia Hansen, Result Logix 2. Customer Happines Is Your Bottom Line I worked as a guide in Alaska prior to launching Salty Girl Seafood. I spent days with my customers during their trips and learned about the importance of customer happiness and how to tailor the same product/service to different needs and interest levels. The bottom line is making your customers happy and aligning your companys objectives with achieving that happiness 100 percent of the time. - Laura Johnson, Salty Girl Seafood 3. Throw Yourself Into a Competitive Market I worked for R.H. Donnelley (now Dex Media) for about four years, and it was the best experience possible. I got exposure to â€" and discovered my passion for â€" digital marketing and SEO, and I was put into some of the most difficult situations in my career. I learned what it takes to succeed in a challenging work environment in Chicago, which has an extremely competitive market. This was an invaluable experience. - Christopher Rodgers, Colorado SEO Pros 4. Never Be Satisfied As a teenager, I worked for a light manufacturing operation near my house. I hated how mundane the work was, so I spent any downtime I had trying to create more efficient processes. Within a few months, I had tweaked the procedure and became the top producer. It taught me that just doing satisfactory work is the trap that prevents most of us from doing incredible work. - Tony Banta, Live Mercury, Inc. 5. Systematize as Much as Possible I worked in a very unorganized warehouse a few summers in a row and learned that everything can be done more efficiently if you can systematize it. It took a few months, but once we got a system and schedule in place, we literally had about half the work to do, compared to the amount we had to do before the system. We systematize everything we can now, and it helps just as much as it did back then. - Ben Walker, Transcription Outsourcing, LLC 6. Make the Most of the Situation Youre In I was laid off from Microsoft, my first job out of college, during the financial crisis in 2010. This life event knocked me off of the stable corporate track. Ive been pursuing my entrepreneurial dreams ever since, and its the best thing that ever happened to me. - James Hu, Jobscan