The Connection Between Recruiting & Social Responsibility

Author Gretchen Weber makes the case that a socially responsible company can attract talent that is interested in more than just a wage.

"Researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, surveyed 800 MBA students from 11 leading North American and European business schools and found that 94 percent would accept a lower salary--an average of 14 percent lower--to work for a firm with a reputation for being environmentally friendly, caring about employees and caring about outside stakeholders such as the community."

- from her book, "The Recruiting Payoff of Social Responsibility"

Seems to me that it's just a part of your reputation, which always plays a role.

Read more thoughts on the topic at HRBlog

Retention: Keep 'em Once You've Got 'em

It costs more to hire a new employee than to hang on to a someone who is on the job and performing. Sometimes you can't find anyone else and the only option is to run shorthanded. Years ago a peer calculated that it cost about $2,000 to replace an employee in mid-season. She attempted to factor in lost productivity, the recruiting process, sourcing, training and waiting to get the new person up to speed while the operation is running at full tilt. Anyone have any thoughts on what that number might be today?

We think it starts with hiring. You know it's possible to lose a good hire before they even show up. Keep in touch after the offer is accepted, offer help with travel plans, provide good information to get them ready for the job and the lifestyle. SET THE TONE as soon as you can and reinforce it all the way through the season. Hiring is only the beginning.

The folks at About.com have collected some good thoughts on retention. Among them:

• Make expectations clear.
• Quality of supervision is key - even more so in a seasonal operation
• Ability of the staff to speak their mind

Read on at About.com

Drug Testing Declining?

A study by the American Management Association shows that the percentage of employers testing their workers and applicants for drug use declined from 81 to 62 percent between 1996 and 2004.

The Indianapolis Star reports that privacy concerns and cost are driving the trend.

Read more at HR.BLR.com

Web job boards important source of applicants to company Web sites

According to a CareerXRoads/CareerJournal survey, Internet job boards are among the prime sources of job applicants to company web sites. 92% of respondents said that they are likely to visit a company's website after they've seen a job for that company posted on a job board but before they apply. Once at the company website, 94% say they check out other jobs available there and 64% will apply for jobs there without returning to the commercial job board that led them there in the first place.

 

First Impressions in the Time it Takes to Blink

It's been drilled into all of us how important first impressions are. In Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking", he suggests that first impressions happen even faster than we thought - in 2 seconds or instantly.

This is a big deal for those making hiring decisions. Read about the book and theory at About.com or check out the book at Amazon.

Twenty Dumb Things Organizations Do to Mess Up ...

This is from the good folks at About.com. A couple of excerpts:

• Add another level to the org chart because people aren’t doing what you want them to do. (More watchers get results!)
• Make a decision BEFORE asking for feedback

Read the article by Susan M. Heathfield at About.com.

In Trouble with DOL for Rounding Hours

A casino in Washington ended up paying almost $400,000 in back wages after the Department of Labor accused them of violating overtime laws. Investigators say the system used for rounding worked against the staff.

Read more at Hr.BLR.com.