Question 1
Sourcing, a part of the larger recruiting process, is the process of identifying potential places from which a firm can hire its recruits from. It involves examining the internal and external sources whose recruits are able to meet the specific requirements or needs of the firm. There are several determinants that influence the source from which a firm will recruit applicants from. First and foremost, the particular source should be able to provide recruits that meet the firm’s requirements. For example if a company wants experienced employee, it can recruit those who have been laid off by a similar company as in the case of how Apple recruited employees laid off by Blackberry. If a company want to recruit people who are familiar to its operations, it can recruit from within.
The job task is also a determinant of recruitment sources. Most CEO’s and CFO’s are recruited from outside the organization while managers of departments such as marketing, sales and human resource are recruited from within the company.
Question 2
When using social media websites such as Twitter it is important to keep a professional profile. Twitter can be used to find a job where one has identified a specific company that he/she would like to work for, say, a research assistant at Holden Research Institute. After identifying the target company, it is important to constantly interact with the employees and the recruiting managers of the company by; following them, retweeting their posts and sending them direct messages. One can also use Twitter’s Job Deck www.twitjobsearch.com to easily find job openings. It is also important to attach the trending hashtags to your job posts to reach a larger group of people.
When using Pinterest, it is important to follow trends and hashtags of jobs that may be of interest to you. Unlike Twitter, Pinterest can be used to find a job when one has no target company in mind but a particular job task say, teacher, museum curator, photographer. Maintaining a professional profile is also important when using Pinterest to find a job. One can also post a blog and indicate the specific requirements that he/she is looking for in a company. This may be of great help for recruiting managers to finding them. Just like Twitter, it is also important to attach the trending hashtags to your posts (indicating that you are seeking for employment). This will enable your post to reach a wider geographical area and many people who might include recruiting managers.
Question 3
As a college senior who will soon be looking for a job, I would advise my sister to maintain a professional persona while online. I would advise her to refrain from posting photos and posts e.g. indecent photos, use of abusive and cursing language that might paint her as unprofessional individual. Since most human resource managers usually run a background check on their applicants, it would be important for them to find a dignified ‘online version’ of my sister when they run the check. I would also advise her to use professional social media websites such as LinkedIn often. Such social sites would help her to build connections and engage with like-minded professionals who would go a long way in helping her secure a job.
Question 4
The millennial generation i.e. people born between 1985 and 1995 is characterized the need for freedom, outspokenness and diverse cultures within it. In order to attract these applicants I would offer them jobs that have flexible time shifts and conducive work environments that support the needs of everyone including minority groups. This generation is also known for its major online presence. I would, therefore, use internet sourcing sites such www.linkedin.com, www.jigsaw.com and other social media sites such Facebook and Twitter.
Examples of non-traditional workers include; people with disabilities and elderly people. Although termed as non-traditional and usually overlooked, these employees are very reliable. A study conducted by Walgreen distribution centers found that people with disabilities have a lower turnover rate and lower medical and time-off expenses. Older people are also very committed to the job and have a long period of experience. I would use the Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy’s database to find people with disabilities from whom I can recruit from. I would also carry out a recruitment exercise in senior center to find older recruits who are willing and able to work.
Question 5
Recruitment is the process of number and types of applicants who will join the organization workforce, extending job offers to the successful applicants and influencing these applicants to accept the job offers from the company.
Employer brand is the perception that the work force and labor market has on you as a company. Does the labor market think the company is a good place or bad place to work in? If a company has a positive employer brand and is recognized as a good place to work in, it will attract the most talented applicants during the recruitment who will ensure the success of the company.
The four elements of branding include;
Product- this is the actual job that the company offers. Job branding will involve the positive benefits an applicant will accrue from the job and the unique characteristics of the job e.g. promotions for hardworking employees
Price- this is the compensation that the company will give to the job applicant i.e. the salary, benefits and other remuneration.
Place-this is the actual job location where the applicant will be working from i.e. home, company headquarters, the field and manufacturing plant.
Promotion- these refer to the strategies that a company will employ in order to create a positive employer brand. These strategies may include; marketing campaigns and advertisements in the media.
In order to create a positive employer brand, I would implement the following for steps;
Research- conduct a study why people want to work or not work for the company. This study will be conducted both within the organization and outside the organization.
Developing an employee value proposition- this would involve coming up with a statement of how the company views its employees and the kind of relationship the company would want to maintain with its employees.
Communicating the employee value proposition both within and without the company.
Finally, I would measure the success of the employer branding strategy by evaluating the impact of the employee value proposition both within and without the company.
