January 5th, 2011
Good news on the jobs front for a very employment-challenged (11.9 percent jobless rate) Florida. We are looking a lot stronger in job growth than most parts of the country.
Just a brief word of caution. Any job growth shown by “percentage” will look better when you’re starting so low in the jobless hole. But let’s take what we can get– let’s go with the flow and see what happens.
Just so we know what time frame we’re talking about, the forecasted job growth for the year ahead is from the third quarter of 2010 to the third quarter of 2011.
Florida jobs are expected to grow 3 percent in the coming year compared with 1.1 percent for the nation. That may not sound like a tsunami of hiring but Florida’s job growth is expected to be faster than any other state in the entire country in the coming year. Here’s a break down of that job growth in Florida over the next 12 months or so.
* Construction: Up 26.7 percent (given the slaughter of construction jobs in recent years, that’s a hopeful turnaround).
* Educational and health services: Up 3.1 percent (still good since this is the one sector that’s managed to keep adding jobs during the Florida recession).
* Financial activities: Up 0.2 percent (still positive).
* Government: Down 0.8 percent (a loss and I’m guessing this may become a bigger loss as Gov. Rick Scott arrives in Tallahassee and starts shrinking government.)
* Information: Down 0.3 percent (off slightly).
* Leisure and hospitality: Up 3.4 percent. (Bring on those tourists!)
* Manufacturing: Down 0.1 percent (Not much change. It’s never been Florida’s forte so good to see it’s not slipping further).
* Natural resources and mining: Up 4.6 percent (think phosphate and trees).
* Professional and business services: Up 3.5 percent.
* Retail: Up 0.9 percent (I guess Floridians are starting to buy more stuff).
* Transportation and warehousing: Up 2.8 percent.
* Utilities: 0 percent (flat).
* Wholesale trade: Up 2.2 percent.
And what can we expect from the different areas within Florida? Here’s a key finding.Orlando jobs will increase 3.4 percent in the coming year, that 3.4 percent growth is faster than the state as a whole. And it’s ahead of such other Florida metro areas in job growth as Fort Lauderdale (up 2.6 percent), Jacksonville (up 2.9 percent) and Miami (up 1.7 percent). And it’s on par with Tampa (up 3.4 percent).
We’ve got a long, long way to go. But these are very promising numbers, especially when compared to the rest of the nation.
Daytona Employment (www.daytonaemployment.com) has served Volusia, Flagler, Seminole, St. John’s and Brevard counties the past 90 years as a complete hiring solution for all major industries. Our services for Staffing, Recruiting, Payroll Administration and Employee Screening represent an excellent value-added solution for companies by focusing their valuable time and resources on accomplishing their true business objectives. Thanks to Daytona Employment’s large database of highly qualified candidates, we can handle “any job – any where – any time”.
Tags: Central Florida Jobs, Daytona Employment, Recruiting, Temporary Employees, Unemployment
Posted in Daytona Employment, Employee-Focused | Comments Off
January 3rd, 2011
It is a question that naturally occurs to each and every business owner at some point in their company’s lifespan: Do I hire a Temporary/Contract Employee or is it time to consider a Full-Time Employee for our current needs?
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as simple as it once was.
Today’s labor economy is more transparent, more flat and more competitive than ever before.
With an increase in the amount of highly qualified professionals with Bachelors (and Masters…) degrees and several years “real work” experience under their belts currently available in the labor pool many business owners and human resource managers are taking a second look at the time tested balance of employees versus contractors. This fundamental change to the way that businesses shall be structured going forward, whereas comps previously were 70/30 percent full-time to temporary/contract workers, Daytona Employment proposes it shall be closer to 30/70 (respectively) in the future.
Temporary/Contract Employees allow a business to remain flexible, even nimble, by scaling a workforce up and down based upon how much work actually needs to get done. You may not need every seat in the company to be filled every single day. Call in a Graphic Designer when you need a new logo or some basic website design work done. Bring in some telemarketers to execute a client appointment setting campaign. As your business continues to grow and change, you will find that having specific needs that extend outside your full-time workforce’s areas of expertise, that bringing a temporary/contract specialist is often more time and cost effective solution.
Specifically here in the United States, where National Unemployment Averages are hovering around 9.5% – 12.5%, it means that a significantly higher percentage of available professionals would be interested in testing this type of “as-needed” work scheduling. A company’s annual Workforce ISN’T around for the company’s annual Holiday Party. Which isn’t all that bad really, when you consider what happened that one time, with that one guy…you know who!
If an Employer needs work done fast, spending a long recruiting cycle for a full-time employee simply doesn’t work. By the time you made it through the job posting, the resume flood, the screening, the screening, the scheduling, the screening, the interviewing, the screening, etc. etc. you have already lost forward progress. When hiring a temporary/contractor, you’ll likely move more quickly through the entire process within a matter of hours or days, not weeks.
One of the additional benefits for an Employer is that having better employees available, for shorter amounts of time and for similar/lower costs, without the extra burden of continued health benefits, workers compensation insurance, or Long-Term Care. Benefits combined it means a significant savings to the Employer’s bottom line and will help to ease already tight margins due to the Great Recession. Who knows, we might actually start making money again soon!?
Oh, and if you were worrying about that Employee you are considering “letting go” back into the available workforce…don’t. No really, Don’t.
Here’s why; If an individual is keenly aware of their own unique skill sets, their capabilities and their proficiencies with technology then that individual can perform their own specific job…any where…any time… They are now in the business of themselves (see John/Jane, Inc.) and should recognize that they don’t need to strap themselves to the same desk, same office or even the same industry to do their job. They just need to know when someone needs THEIR job done and that is willing to pay THEIR price.
And as long as a free market system exists, people with money will give it to people with time (and desired skill). Now it is just a matter of determining what amount of money will get what amount of time from these highly qualified and experienced professionals. That’s where we come in!
By working with an Employment Agency like Daytona Employment an EMPLOYER can manage this NEW FT/Temp ratio more efficiently while reducing the exposure to Workers Compensation, and both State and Federal Unemployment Taxes. By working with Daytona Employment an EMPLOYEE can still have access to benefits such as Health & Life Insurance, Dental Coverage, etc. are provided through our own Payroll Administration provider (at employee’s cost).
So back to the original question: Do I hire a Temporary/Contract Employee or is it time to consider a Full-Time Employee for our current needs?
Tags: Daytona Employment, Payroll Services, Staffing, Temporary Employees, What employers can do, Workforce Planning
Posted in Daytona Employment, Employer-Focused, Payroll/HR Outsourcing, Staffing & Recruiting | Comments Off
January 3rd, 2011
The Center for Business & Industry at Daytona State College is offering the following non-credit Excel & Access 2007 courses at our Daytona Beach campus.
Registration
The deadline to register for each course is one week prior to the course date. Courses fill quickly! To register for these courses, contact Daytona State College at 386-506-4224 or parkerj@daytonastate.edu. We accept checks, credit card (MasterCard, VISA), purchase order or company billing for payment.
Fee
The fee for each course is $85 and includes a student workbook with a CD-ROM containing the lab files used in class. These are ‘hands-on’ courses and each participant will have their own computer. Courses may be canceled due to a lack of enrollment.
Time & Location
All courses are 8:30AM-4:30PM with a 1 hour lunch break and are held at our Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, Building 110, Room 248.
Course Schedule
Title: Excel 2007, Basic
Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Title: Excel 2007, Basic
Date: Thursday, January 27, 2011
Title: Excel 2007, Intermediate
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011
Title: Excel 2007, Advanced
Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Title: Access 2007, Basic
Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Title: Access 2007, Intermediate
Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Title: Access 2007, Advanced
Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Course Descriptions
Excel 2007, Basic: This course provides competency in the basic functions and features of Excel 2007. After an introduction to spreadsheet terminology and Excel’s window components, students will learn how to use the Help system and navigate worksheets and workbooks. Then they will enter and edit text, values, formulas, and pictures, and they will save workbooks in various formats. Students will also move and copy data, learn about absolute and relative references, and work with ranges, rows, and columns. This course also covers simple functions, basic formatting techniques, and printing. Finally, students will create and modify charts, and learn how to manage large workbooks.
Excel 2007, Intermediate: This course builds on the skills and concepts taught in Excel 2007: Basic. Students will learn how to use multiple worksheets and workbooks efficiently, and they will start working with more advanced formatting options including styles, themes, backgrounds, and watermarks. They will also learn how to create outlines and subtotals, how to create and apply cell names, and how to work with lists and tables. Students will save workbooks as Web pages, insert and edit hyperlinks, and save a workbook as a PDF file. This course also covers advanced charting techniques, worksheet auditing and protection, file sharing and merging, and workbook templates.
Excel 2007, Advanced: This course builds on the skills and concepts taught in Excel 2007: Intermediate. Students will work with advanced formulas, as well as lookup functions such as VLOOKUP, MATCH, and INDEX. In addition, students will learn about data validation and database functions such as DSUM. They will learn how to work with PivotTables and PivotCharts, how to import and export data, and how to query external databases. Finally, students will learn about the analytical features of Excel (such as Goal Seek and Solver), running and recording macros, and sharing Excel data via the Web.
Access 2007, Basic: This course covers the basic functions and features of Access 2007. Students will learn how to design and create databases; work with tables, fields, and records; sort and filter data; and create queries, forms, and reports.
Access 2007, Intermediate: This course builds on the skills and concepts taught in Access 2007: Basic. Students will learn how to normalize data; work with Lookup fields and subdatasheets; create join queries; add objects to forms, print reports and labels; create charts; and use PivotTables and PivotCharts.
Access 2007, Advanced: This course builds on the skills and concepts taught in Access 2007: Intermediate. Students will learn how to query with SQL; create crosstab, parameter, and action queries; create macros; import, export, and link database objects; work with XML documents; work with Windows SharePoint Services; optimize databases; password-protect and encrypt databases; set Access options and properties; create hyperlink fields; and use Outlook 2007 to update data.
Tags: Daytona Employment, Employee Education, Training Scholarships, What employees can do
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December 27th, 2010
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is coming to the Space Coast, to make a dramatic change to one family’s life! And Daytona Employment is proud to announce that it has been selected as the Exclusive Volunteer/Temporary Staffing Provider for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s (EMHE) upcoming 187th episode.
“We were thrilled to be contacted by Extreme Makeover to be an Official Sponsor and coordinate all volunteer, VIP and media registration as well as helping to check-in thousands over a few short days,” said Daytona Employment President, Mark Venables.
Daytona Employment employees and representatives will work directly with the EMHE Project Coordinator team to manage their Volunteer and VIP Check-In tents on-site, hosting VIPs and Sponsors and personally meeting/greeting the thousands of volunteers that will contribute to this build’s success.
In order to guarantee the success of this incredible opportunity, Daytona Employment will begin accepting individual volunteer applications and corporate volunteer commitments from interested companies immediately. EMHE/Daytona Employment are recruiting for both skilled and unskilled volunteer labor, so any/all applications are encouraged and will be accepted. Please call Daytona Employment today at 386-253-3333 or contact the coordinators listed at the end of this post! We need all the help we can get to make this miracle happen people!
“Not many people understand the amount of people and man-hours that are put into an EMHE build, it is lost in the editing of the show itself,” said DE Operations Manager, Tyler LeCompte. “You will have several hundred skilled workers working on all phases of construction at the same time. Some things that normally are reserved for weeks/months down the road happen on the first and second days…it is truly amazing what Ty Pennington, his EMHE build team and the volunteer army can achieve for the benefit of a deserving family in only 7 days!”
In order for the build to be a success we need a few things: time, heart, and supplies. This is a community effort, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and LifeStyle Homes know that we can’t do this without the great people of the Space Coast. There are many ways to get involved with this project, just look below.
How to help?
Volunteer your time: General help is needed with staging, production, set-up, and other construction labor. These are unskilled positions, so bring a strong back, and a willingness to help with whatever is needed!
Volunteer your skills: From concrete to caulking there’s needs for volunteers with construction-related experience.
Donate money to the family build fund: Unfortunately, there are items we will not be able to get donated to the build. These funds will be used to pay for those items. Any remaining funds after paying expenses will be given to the family.
Donate materials: Check the list for an updated list of items. We are still in need of materials to build, furnish and decorate the home. We also need many supplies to support the build team.
Support the build team: Come out to the Pep Rally at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on January 3rd. Come out and cheer on the team during the week of the build. Spectators are welcome and encouraged!
Once you register to volunteer or donate, one of our volunteer coordinators will contact you to confirm your donation or schedule. Please do not register for the same time slot or item more than once.
For more information about sponsorship opportunities, donating food or other materials, please contact our coordinator partners at Benedict Advertising:
Page Perkinson – Sponsorships, Design Products, and Building Materials
386-236-2354
page@benedictadvertising.com
Kate Ellis – Food and Beverage
386-236-2357
kate@benedictadvertising.com
Daytona Employment is also proud to announce that we have been voted the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s “Best-Around Employment Agency” and “Best-Around Temporary Employment Service” annually since 1990.
Daytona Employment (www.daytonaemployment.com) has served Volusia, Flagler, Seminole, St. John’s and Brevard counties the past 90 years as a complete hiring solution for all major industries. Our services for Staffing, Recruiting, Payroll Administration and Employee Screening represent an excellent value-added solution for companies by focusing their valuable time and resources on accomplishing their true business objectives. Thanks to Daytona Employment’s large database of highly qualified candidates, we can handle “any job – any where – any time”.
Tags: Benedict Advertising, Brevard County, Daytona Employment, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, HonkFish, LifeStyle Homes, Space Coast, Volunteering
Posted in Daytona Employment, Employee-Focused, Employer-Focused, Events, Staffing & Recruiting, Volunteering | Comments Off
December 23rd, 2010
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, the most mentally demanding jobs produced job dissatisfaction at three times the rate of the simplest jobs. This means that the conventional wisdom that says hiring a person who’s “overqualified” for the job means they’ll be out the door at the first “challenging” opportunity…is wrong.
Often, a highly-qualified, highly-intelligent professional already has some reasons for seeking the “simpler” job — perhaps a lifestyle decision, a health issue involving a family member, an affinity for a particular field or brand or just the simple need for a steadier paycheck.
So who have you talked to/interviewed in the last 3 months that you classified as “overqualified”? Give them a call.
(NOTE: If you don’t have a highly-qualified, highly-intelligent professional that you need to call back, then you can call Daytona Employment at 386-253-3333 and we’ll send one right out to talk!)
Daytona Employment has served Volusia, Flagler, Seminole, St. John’s and Brevard counties the past 90 years as a complete hiring solution for all major industries. Our services for Staffing, Recruiting, Payroll Administration and Employee Screening represent an excellent value-added solution for companies by focusing their valuable time and resources on accomplishing their true business objectives. Thanks to Daytona Employment’s large database of highly qualified candidates, we can handle “any job – any where – any time”.
Tags: Daytona Employment, OVERQUALIFIED, Recruiting, What employers can do, Workforce Planning
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December 23rd, 2010
According to the Workforce Central Florida offices, the New Monthly Unemployment Claims for the Orlando MSA (Orange, Osceola, Lake and Sumter counties) have decreased over the past month and the past year. The Orlando MSA experienced an over-the-year employment gain or the fourth month in a row (+11,600 jobs, +1.2 percent) in November. In the Orlando MSA four-county area there are 990, 698 employed and 134,065 unemployed residents as of November 2010.
In Volusia County, November 2010 Unemployment Rates equaled 12.8%. This is 0.8% increase over last month, a 0.6% increase over last year, and 4.7% increase over the last two years (since Nov 2008)
What Job Seekers Can Do in Today’s Unemployment Market:
- Visit WCF’s NEW JobVantage Offices (only in Orange Seminole Counties currently) – These smaller offices offer special services to professional level job seeker, and services are limited to employment assistance, job search activities and enhanced placement activities
- JobVantage – 1563 Florida Mall Ave, Orlando, FL 32809
- JobVantage – 2884 S. Orlando Drive, Sanford, FL 32773
- JobVantage – 4360 E Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL 32803
- Apply for Training Scholarships The Orlando Region’s Top 20 in-demand occupations such as administrative service managers, chefs, massage therapists, and computer programmers. For qualifications or to apply, visit www.workforcecentralflorida.com/job-seeker/job-seeker-services/training-financial-aid.html
- Browse Online Job Boards
- Research the Top Job Openings in your area – By knowing the most sought after candidates, you will know how to gauge a potential employers needs,wants and how to best present yourself against other candidates.
- Top 5 Job Openings in Orlando MSA (listed in all Central Florida Job Boards)
- Retail Salesperson (1,155 openings)
- Registered Nurses (1,283 openings)
- Physical Therapists (1,110 openings)
- Telemarketers (950 openings)
- Customer Service Representative (870 openings)
- NOTE: Online advertised vacancies in Central Florida were 37,134 in November 2010. This represented an increase of 9,227 jobs (+33 percent) from November 2009 and a 3 percent decrease from the previous month
- Apply for Unemployment -Contact your local Unemployment Office to find our more information about financial assistance should you currently be unemployed.
What Employers Can Do in Today’s Unemployment Market:
- Apply for up to $100,000 to train current employees – Workforce Central Florida offers Employed Worker Training Awards through a competitive application process to help pay half the direct cost of training an employer’s current workforce. In today’s economic crunch, this becomes helpful so that employers can stretch their budgets, cross train employees when they are faced with hiring freezes, and provide additional training to remain competitive in the market and/or to prevent a lay off. Apply Online at www.workforcecentralflorida.com/EWTAwards or call 407-531-1200 for more information.
- Apply for an Intern – WCF is connecting qualified job seekers wtih intern opportunities with local employers (non profits, government agencies, and for-profit employers with job oportunities in science, technology, engineering or math or one of the top 20 job categories in the private sector). WCF will pay interns up to $10-12 per hour. Interns will work up to 40 hours a week for three months. Qualifications and application online at:
Daytona Employment has served Volusia, Flagler, Seminole, St. John’s and Brevard counties the past 90 years as a complete hiring solution for all major industries. Our services for Staffing, Recruiting, Payroll Administration and Employee Screening represent an excellent value-added solution for companies by focusing their valuable time and resources on accomplishing their true business objectives. Thanks to Daytona Employment’s large database of highly qualified candidates, we can handle “any job – any where – any time”.
Tags: Central Florida Internships, Daytona Employment, Training Scholarships, Unemployment, What employees can do, What employers can do, Workforce Central Florida
Posted in Daytona Employment, Employee-Focused, Employer-Focused, MacData Advantage, Staffing & Recruiting | 1 Comment »
November 29th, 2010
The time is finally upon us. As owners/managers look to the end of 2010, and the beginning of 2011, they are all facing the same hard decision this year. Who to have man the phones during the annual holiday party?
If you were working with Daytona Employment, you would already know the answer to that question. But in case you aren’t already a DE client (and I would ask why NOT?) let me give you some hints as to the answer:
- This person doesn’t mind that they didn’t get invited…
- This person is professional and timely…
- This person knows their job is important, even with a party going on, and they do it to the best of their ability…
- This person is thankful for the opportunity to represent the company during this “down” time…
- This person will be happy to do the same thing on New Years Day, Valentine’s Day, April Fools Day, July 4th (and 5th if needed), Thanksgiving Day and leading into Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa…
Think you know the answer? What is it?
Correct! This person is a Daytona Employment Temporary Employee! All Daytona Employment Employees are pre-screened, skill-tested and referenced checked prior to working in any DE client’s offices, so you can be sure that your phones/offices are properly covered while you celebrate another successful year!
For more information about using Daytona Employment’s Services for your Workplace Holiday Coverage needs, contact us at 386-253-3333 or find out more online at www.daytonaemployment.com .
Happy Holidays from Daytona Employment
Tags: Daytona Employment, holiday coverage, Temporary Employees, Workforce Planning
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November 18th, 2010
Health care reform requires employers to calculate and report aggregate cost of applicable employer-sponsored health insurance coverage on employees’ Form W-2s. Although the new rule applies for employees’ tax years beginning after Dec 31, 2010., payroll systems need to be updated for this change by January 2011. This deadline is imposed because employees are entitled to request their Form W-2 early if they terminate employment during the year.
As a result of this requirement, most Form W-2s for tax year 2011 will be issued in January 2012. Form W-2s reflecting the new health insurance information must be available no later than Feb. 1, 2011, in the event that an employee requests one.
Plans for which coverage costs must be reported under the new requirement include:
- Medical Plans.
- Prescription drug plans.
- Executive physicals.
- On-site clinics if they provide more than de minimus care.
- Medicare supplemental policies.
- Employee assistance programs.
Coverage under dental and vision plans is included unless they are “stand-alone” plans. However, the cost of coverage under health flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts and specific disease or hospital/fixed indemnity plans is excluded from the reporting requirement.
If your business has questions/concerns about the new reporting requirements, or if you are looking for some alternative solutions to directly providing insurance coverage and benefits to your current employees, then contact Daytona Employment at 386-253-3333 to see how we can help.
Posted in Daytona Employment, Employer-Focused, Health Care Reform | Comments Off
November 17th, 2010
When interviewing candidates who have been out of work for extended periods of time, a human resources manager will almost always ask this question: “Why have you been out of work so long?”
Just as often, they find the candidate on the other side of the desk baffled by the question and ill-prepared to respond. They look like they’re on trial, sitting in the witness stand during cross-examination, worried that the jury and onlookers will make the correlation that silence equals some form of guilt. At the very least, we must assume you are not prepared for the day’s events. It’s the same whether you are doing a phone screen or in-person interview with a hiring manager. Job seekers, listen up: If nothing else, please have a response to this question — “Why have you been out of work so long?” Here are some viable responses:
- I decided to start a business
- I am an officer of XYZ organization
- I took some college courses to stay current in my career
- I am currently researching XYZ subject (ensure that it has business relevance)
- I volunteer at a local mission
- I started a networking organization to help those out of work
- I decided to coach a season of my child’s baseball league
Also consider something more specific such as a human resources manager who might volunteer with an organization that helps others get their resumes up to par, and assist other job seekers with interviewing skills. If you work in finance or accounting you might help folks at your local church prepare their income taxes, work out a problem with back taxes or establish a family budget.
Whatever you do, say something to demonstrate you know enough about the hiring process to have expected this question. Whatever you say, don’t answer, “Looking for a job.” That’s the wrong answer.
When asked this question if your only response is that, “I’ve been looking for a job,” and it’s been one to two years and you still have not found one although your only focus has been on finding a job, this leaves the hiring manager wondering, well, what is wrong with this candidate? Armed with this type of response, you can be almost certain that they will not select you as their new employee.
Wherever you are in your career, there’s an opportunity to utilize your skills regardless of whether or not you are getting paid. Hiring managers look on such activity as creative, innovative, philanthropic and energetic. If you can answer that you have taken your expertise and applied it to the betterment of others who might be in a rough predicament, it not only humanizes you to the hiring manager but shows that you are not solely focused on yourself or money. Now, who doesn’t want this type of employee on their team?
Posted in Daytona Employment, Employee-Focused, Staffing & Recruiting | Comments Off
November 17th, 2010
Original Post: http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2010/08/21/how-35-percent-of-companies-are-using-social-media-and-what-turns-workers-on-and-off-to-companies/
What have companies been doing in response to tough economic times? Eating their feelings with lots of ice cream. Well, believe it or not, many companies have been busy digging into social media — and some are finding hidden treasure. According to a new CareerBuilder survey of more than 2,500 employers and 4,400 workers, 35 percent of companies have been using social media to promote their company in some way. Let’s take a look!
Of this 35 percent of companies:
- One-quarter (25 percent) of these employers said that they are using social media to connect with clients and find new business.
- 21 percent are using it to recruit and research potential employees.
- 13 percent are using social media to strengthen their employment brand.
And it’s not just those Fortune 500 companies getting into social media, either. Businesses of all sizes and industries report using social media to promote their companies:
- 29 percent of organizations with 500 or fewer employees
- 38 percent of companies with 501 to 1,000 employees
- 44 percent of companies with more than 1,000 workers
- The leisure and hospitality industry topped those surveyed, with 57 percent in that industry saying they use social media to promote their business. Leisure and hospitality was followed by 48 percent in the IT industry, 43 percent in the retail industry, and 41 percent in the sales industry saying the same.
Managing your company’s social media strategy
So, a lot of businesses — of all sizes — are trying their hand at social media. The bigger question (and the one some of you may be asking yourselves) is, how are businesses managing all of this? We know involvement in social media doesn’t happen magically; it takes people and time and dedication. And, judging by survey results, there’s no one way of doing it:
- 43 percent of employers report that their marketing department handles social media outreach
- 26 percent say public relations handles it
- 19 percent report that human resources does it.
How many people are involved? (Enter “How many social media experts does it take to fix a light bulb” joke here):
- One-quarter (25 percent) of employers have 1 – 3 people communicating on behalf of their organization.
- 11 percent said that more than six people communicate for their company via social media.
- 7 percent report that 4 – 5 people handle the work.
The most troubling stat? A whopping 57 percent said they didn’t know how many people were involved in managing their company’s social media strategy (and I’m guessing many didn’t know who was doing it, either). While this may be common, it’s important for companies to have a plan before they jump headfirst into social media (and if you’ve already made that jump, it’s never too late to clean up your process). You might want to check out our social media e-book that covers the A to Zs of social media for businesses, and then, when you need a quick refresher, read about best practices for using social media for recruitment.
A word on risks and guidelines
Some businesses are avoiding social media altogether because of potential risks involved, but as research has shown, the perceived risks don’t outweigh the proven rewards — and people are going to talk about your company whether you have a social media presence or not (hint: it’s better to be involved in social media so you can listen, participate and respond). If you have a plan, set realistic goals, and create social media guidelines, you can minimize those risks even further. Social media guidelines not only help you set up and communicate company expectations of social media use to your staff, but also encourage learnings and knowledge about best practices. There’s a full list of companies’ social media policies here for you to reference.
What do workers want?
Workers report that they’re using social media to do more than connect with friends; they’re also using it to research jobs and companies. Want to get inside workers’ heads to find out what they don’t like about your social media use — and what will make them flock to your company’s pages on social media sites? You’re in luck: CareerBuilder’s survey talked to more than 4,400 workers and got all the juicy details:
What workers most want to see on a company’s page on social media sites:
- Job listings (35 percent)
- Q&A or fast facts about the organization (26 percent)
- Information about career paths within the organization (23 percent)
- Evidence that working at the company is fun (16 percent)
- Employee testimonials (16 percent)
- Pictures of company events (12 percent)
- Video of new products/services (10 percent)
- Company awards (9 percent)
- Research or studies that the company has conducted (9 percent)
- Videos of a day on the job (8 percent)
Workers’ biggest turnoffs when encountering a company on social media sites:
- Including the company’s communication reading like an ad (38 percent)
- Failure to reply to questions (30 percent)
- Failure to regularly post information (22 percent)
- Removing or filtering public comments (22 percent)
What can employers take from this?
By knowing what the people potentially interested in your company want, you can start making your company pages more engaging and interactive (some great tips here).You might get some great inspiration by reading about what companies like Old Spice did to engage social media users, or you might take a closer look at your own company story to find a unique way to speak to job seekers on their level and tell your story.
It may also be wise to read up on social media recruitment etiquette to learn how to play nice with other businesses, stay away from the social media traps many businesses fall into, and avoid backlash from candidates and even your own employees (ahem, avoid being one of those businesses thought of in the “workers’ biggest turnoffs” above). It’s clear that workers don’t want to talk to a boring, “corporate,” faceless brand — so use the information above to hear what they’re saying and inject a little extra personality into your online brand.
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