The Employer Brand Catch 22

The Employer Brand Catch 22 Sponsored by SMRS There was an interesting detail in the LinkedIn 2017 Global Trends survey, recently released, around the disconnect between what’s desirable and what’s doable. Among the recruiters surveyed, when asked to name one thing they wanted to spend more budget on, number one was employer branding. In fact, if money were no object, 53% would invest in employer branding, ahead of new technology (39%) and better sourcing tools (38%). And yet it doesnt happen. According to the same source, only 8% of recruiters’ budgets are spent on employer branding. This is nearly one-third of the amount they spend on recruitment agency costs, revealing something of the ‘distress purchase’ nature of a lot of recruiters under pressure to hire. So, why the reluctance to invest in an Employer Brand? Surely the days of employer branding being deemed the plaything of budding marketeers in the recruitment team are behind us? And yet there still remains a whiff of suspicion about the ROI you’ll get. Key to overcoming this is making the link between defining an employer brand, setting out its aims and then being able to apply this throughout an organization, which is the Best Practice vision of the CIPD. Over 80% of leaders in the survey acknowledge that employer branding has a significant impact on their ability to hire talent. And plenty of studies can prove the effectiveness of employer branding: Attraction of more talent:  Organizations with a good employer brand are 250% more likely to rate their overall talent acquisition efforts as highly effective, according to  Glassdoor. Attract better quality candidates:  In its 2014 report,  CEB  states that employers that invested in employer branding reported a 54% increase in high-quality candidates. Higher levels of  employee engagement:  Those who invest are 130% more likely to see increases in employee engagement, according to a Gallup survey. LinkedIns research found that 83% agree an employer brand has a significant impact on the ability to hire talent, reduce staff turnover by up to 28% and is twice as likely to drive job consideration as the company brand. According to the Harvard Business Review, a minimum 10 percent pay increase was necessary to convince a candidate to take on a job at a company with a poor employer brand. So why does Employer Branding still receive so little investment? Perhaps because it’s not a defined, tangible, quantifiable thing that can be easily, and objectively, measured. Also, a company’s employer brand is now usually a shared responsibility between HR, talent acquisition, marketing, communications, operations or a combination of those functions. In fact, from 2009 to 2014, HR ownership of employer brand dropped from 46 percent to 38 percent, according to Employer Brand International. According to  LinkedIn, 59% of organizations are planning to invest more in their employer brand, year on year. But, until recruiters are given the chance to focus on these longer-term strategies rather than rely on fire-fighting tactics we may continue to observe this paradox. Reaping the rewards of an effective Employer Brand At SMRS we have seen the benefit of an effective employer brand first hand, through our work with clients in this area, and we know it doesn’t matter which field you are in or the size of your organization, from a multi-billion £ business like Kerry Foods though to a national charity like Mencap. And we’ve learned a few tips along the way: Understand why you are doing it and what you want to get out of it. A clear understanding of the business problem it is helping to solve is vital to ensure you make the most of the exercise Buy-in is driven from the top â€" ensure the leadership are not only fully behind the project but are visible behind it Include stakeholders from all parts of the business, not only to ensure a rounded view but to drive take-up through identifying potential ambassadors for the new brand Ensure the agreed final outputs are fed into all parts of the organization so it becomes a living, breathing part of your business, from recruitment attraction, through PDRs to staff engagement forums. About the author: Mike Hoffman is a Client Partner at SMRS, an employer marketing agency, specializing in employer branding and attraction marketing.  

7 Advantages of Using the Social Security Loan Program

7 Advantages of Using the Social Security Loan Program There are different disabilities that can make it impossible for many Americans to work.    Some people suffer from back pain, mental illnesses, and heart diseases that keep them out of work. Others have neurological disorders, respiratory diseases, and injuries that stick them on the sidelines.   If you ever find yourself in this unfortunate position, you could be entitled to disability benefits. About 15 million Americans collect them every month.    You might also qualify for a Social Security loan program that will help you get your hands on any extra money you might need. There are loans for people on disability that can help them in a variety of ways. Check out seven of the biggest advantages of using a Social Security loan program below. Covers You While You Wait to Get Approved for Disability Those people who cant work due to a debilitating injury or illness can often get approved for disability. This allows them to collect money from the government every month in place of their normal income. The problem for many people, though, is that there is usually a period of time between when someone stops working and when they start collecting disability. Many times, theyll face huge financial hardships during this gap. A Social Security loan program can make the financial aspect of life more manageable for those people trying to get approved for disability. By obtaining disability loans, they can keep themselves afloat until disability checks start coming in. Prevents Your Credit Score From Taking a Huge Hit An injury or illness can do more than just ruin a persons professional life. It can also ruin their credit score if theyre not careful. If youre not able to afford most of your bills after suffering an injury or illness that keeps you out of work, it wont be long before creditors come calling. Theyll want you to pay upor else. They may even report you to the credit bureaus before long. Itll send your credit score plummeting. With a Social Security loan program, you can avoid this. Youll be able to keep up to date on your bills and maintain your current credit score. Allows You to Retain Possession of Your House and Car One of the biggest concerns that people have when theyre on disability is losing their house and/or car. These are the two biggest assets that most people have, and without them, they would be lost. If youre concerned that you may lose one or both due to a disability, using a personal loan to pay for one or the other might be a great idea. You can ensure that you dont lose your house or have your car repossessed due to your disability. Continues to Put Food on the Table About 75 percent of Americans no longer eat three square meals a day. Many people are skipping at least one mealâ€"usually, breakfastâ€"on a daily basis. If you choose not to eat one of your three meals because youre too busy or arent hungry, thats your choice. But there are lots of people going without one or more meals per day because of a lack of finances. Eating should be a basic fundamental right for everyone. You should either figure out how to get on a program that will provide you with the food you needâ€"or see how a Social Security loan program might be able to benefit you. Itll continue to put food on the table for you at the end of every day even if youre struggling with a disability. Helps You Get Access to a Caretaker Not everyone who goes on disability requires a caretaker. There are plenty of people on disability who are able to function just fine on their own without the help of someone else. But there are some people who cant get around like they used to due to a disability. These people need to hire a caretaker to help them lead a life thats as close to normal as possible. Of course, a caretaker costs money, and its money that someone on disability might not always have. A Social Security loan program can provide you with the money you need to get access to a caretaker if you need one. Provides You With Money for Medical Equipment Is there medical equipment that youre going to need to manage your disability? You might need a walker, a breathing apparatus, or something else to help you deal with your health issues. In a perfect world, your health insurance company will cover the cost of the equipment you need. But if they dont, you could be on the hook for it. A disability loan will allow you to get whatever equipment you need quickly so that youre not stuck trying to make do without it. Makes It Slightly Easier to Deal With a Disability Dealing with a disability in 2019 is a lot different than dealing with one 40 or 50 years ago. There are ways for someone on disability to lead a long and productive life. But thats not to say itll be easy! Youll always have something to worry about when youre on disability, be it your health, your finances, or some combination of both. A Social Security loan program can put your mind at ease and let you know everything is going to be OK. Youll always have the option to get your hands on money should the need ever arise. Take Advantage of a Social Security Loan Program Today If youre having trouble making ends meet because of a disability, you dont have to let it keep you down. Taking part in a Social Security loan program will make it easy to get money when you need it. Itll also make it easy to pay a loan back. Would you like to see some of the other loans that might make money less of a concern for you? Work your way through our blog to see which loans might be a good fit.

How to Grow and Manage a Team

How to Grow and Manage a Team I got so many great ideas about growing and leading a team in todays episode. If you have a team now or want to have one someday, you are going to love this episode. Sarah Chancey FOUNDER and CREATIVE DIRECTOR www.chanceycharmweddings.com How to Manage and Grow a Team with Sarah Chancey Sarah Chancey is the FOUNDER and CREATIVE DIRECTOR of Chancey Charm wedding planning and design. Her and her team come alongside brides and take the stress out of planning! She serves wedding planners as they build a career they love and learn the ropes of the industry and thats why she’s in business. She believes it’s possible to find a creative career with freedom and flexibility to focus on what’s important: your faith and your family. Subscribe  on  your favorite platform below: iTunes Google Play Music Stitcher Radio TuneIn iHeartRadio Sound Cloud Some questions I asked: At what point do you feel like an entrepreneur has truly developed a healthy business where team growth might be something to consider? What kind of a mentality do you believe leads to a successful company culture where competition is replaced by a community? How do you stay in touch with your team on a daily and weekly basis, as you all work remotely? As someone building + training a team, sharing your business secrets and success, how do you protect yourself and your business from people leaving? What are the keys to success when launching a new location? How important are goals to the success of your team? In This Episode, You Will Learn: Team growth, culture, communicating and sharing goals with your team topic. Episode Resources: Sarahs website:  www.chanceycharmweddings.com Sarahs  free workshops for new + established entrepreneurs You may also like these episodes: The Top 3 Ways to Communicate More Effectively for Female Leaders Everything You Need to Know About Salary Negotiation with the Founder of Career Contessa

How to Make Yourself More Marketable

How to Make Yourself More Marketable Rumor has it that once upon a time finding a job was about picking the company for which you most wanted to work. That’s what my parents say, anyway. Today we job seekers are facing the exact opposite scenario. Instead of companies trying to woo us, we’re tripping all over ourselves trying to prove that we’re the best in our respective fields. It’s like the ultimate cage death match of employmentâ€"we’re looking for anything that will give us an edge over everybody else. Today, if you want to find a job, you need to make yourself as attractive to a company as possible. Here are some of the things that you can do to gain that edge over your fellow competitors, er, job seekers. 1. Stay in School Some say that the Bachelor’s Degree is the new High School Diploma. If you have the chance to but you’ve been struggling over whether or not to go to grad school, know this: having your Masters makes you almost universally more employable and at a higher rate. You can up your ante here by going to grad school in a field that is different than the field in which you got your Bachelor’s degree. In addition to going after a different degree, you can increase your marketability by attending a different school and even more so if that new school is in a different city or state. Seek out the school that is best for you based on the degree you’re trying to get, not the school that is convenient to you. For example, perhaps you’re finishing up your undergrad in nursing at UT Austin. Why not shake up your experience by looking for grad programs in business in New England? There are tons of programs in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. It’s okay if you don’t yet have the money to move, particularly to a place that is known for high living costs like New York or Boston. Cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are havens for grad students and people working with limited budgets. Remember too, grad schools are more flexible than most undergrad programs. You can even attend online grad programs now, which means that you can take advantage of graduate programs in Philadelphia even if you still live in Austinâ€"you can get your grad degree started while saving up to move to the city proper. This helps with a couple of things: one it shows that you’re willing to go where the best opportunities are (aka “willing to relocate”) and it helps you build contacts in a new city even before you get there. 2. Work on Your Communication Skills In a recent article for The Times Union, employers in Upstate New York lamented the lack of communication skills in their recent crops of applicants. This is particularly prevalent in fields like engineering where interpersonal communication and the ability to express one’s self properly and professionally isn’t a top priority in course curriculum. When you’re trying to find a job, the onus is on you to make sure that you are understood, not on your potential employer to try to read between your lines. If you’ve never taken a basic writing or public speaking course, now is the time to do it. It will help you learn how to communicate properly and can even add some juice to your resume. 3. Embrace Social Media It’s time to accept that your online reputation is going to be a factor in your “hireability”. It’s just a fact that goes along with living in the twenty first century. The good news is that for the most part, you can control what your potential employer finds. This means you get to play both offense and defense. First, the defense: make sure all of your profile privacy settings are turned all the way up. Remove any tags to photos or posts that might seem unprofessional or unseemly. Ask your friends and family members to refrain from tagging you without first asking your permission. Now the offense: if you don’t have social media profiles set up on portals like LinkedIn and Google+, now is the time to create them. While most people know how beneficial LinkedIn can be to the employment process, Google+ is still relatively new. Still, according to the Huffington Post, it’s becoming a front runner for helping employers to find you instead of you having to scramble after them. These are just three of the things that you can do to set yourself apart from your fellow job seekers. Do you have any tips or tricks you want to share? How did you land your current position? Share it with us by commenting below or tweeting @mscareergirl

Prioritization 101 How to Decide which Tasks to Tackle First CareerMetis.com

Prioritization 101 How to Decide which Tasks to Tackle First â€" CareerMetis.com Whether you are a professional working for a large corporation, a college student, or a freelancer, you have plenty of work to do. Trying to balance everything can be overwhelming.You need to remember tasks, when each needs to be done, where you need to be and when you need to be there. Just keeping track of it all is chaotic, not to mention the panic you feel when you remember how much needs completing in the next 24 hours.evalSo, how are you supposed to manage your life without going insane?1) PrioritizationevalYou need an organized approach. This will help you coordinate everything so that you can stay on top of it without getting overwhelmed. The right process will help you feel confident that things will get done on time and make you more productive.2) Choose a PlatformEveryone has their preference of organizational platform, whether it’s paper or digital. It’s important to choose a platform that you are comfortable using since you will be working with it regularly. This is ultimately what will keep your projects and tasks together. It makes them easy to access and coordinate since they are all in a central location.Some common paper forms are a day planner, whiteboard, or wall calendar. The most widely used digital forms are apps and online systems like Trello, or if you are up to it, you can create a bot that is specific to your needs. You may need to experiment with each platform to figure out what works best for you.3) Make a ListCome up with a list of every project you need to complete, whether you think it is essential or not. Within each project, you should make a list of individual tasks. Each task functions as a sub-project or step that contributes to the project. Each job should be something that can be performed independently as its unit of work, but still play a part in the big picture. For example, if you need to write an article, the project might be named “Write [article title]” and the tasks for completing the project could be:Resea rch article topicCreate an outlineWrite copyEdit and reviseBreaking down the project into smaller parts makes it easier to put into perspective and set a realistic timeline.4) Estimate TimeAssess each project and make a realistic guess of how long you think it will take to complete. Then, allocate the project time to each task within the assignment. For the “Write [article title]” project, you might guess that it will take four hours. You could divide the time in the following way:Research article topic = 30 minutesCreate an outline = 30 minutesWrite copy = 2.5 hoursEdit and revise = 30 minutesevalWhen you know approximately how long each task within a project will take to finish, it will help you maintain a workflow. Going along with the above example, you may not have four uninterrupted hours to sit down and complete an entire project.But, you might have an hour that you could use to research the article topic and create an outline. When you have the chance to come back to the project, it will be easier for you to collect your thoughts and dive back in where you left off.Creating a time estimate shouldn’t limit the amount of time you spend on tasks. If you allotted 30 minutes to a task, it doesn’t mean you should stop and move on once you’ve worked on it for a given period. Instead, the time estimates should help you put your timeline into perspective so you can stay organized.eval5) Establish DeadlinesEach project needs to have a set deadline. If there is not a hard due date that you need to stick with, then make one for yourself. You should also set separate deadlines for individual tasks that are consistent with the project as a whole. Let’s say the “Write [article title]” project needs to be completed by January 10. The tasks leading to this deadline could be:Research article topic: January 5Create an outline: January 5Write copy: January 8Edit and revise: January 9evalMake sure the deadlines you set are reasonable. Sometimes you depend o n other people or know that things could go wrong. If that’s the case, take it into account and leave a little room for error.Some deadlines may be more flexible than others, and some may need to be outright changed. If there are too many tasks due on the same day, take a step back and look at which ones are more important. Re-assign the deadlines for less-important functions if you need to. Don’t beat yourself up if you are slightly behind on a task. Just re-calibrate and set a new deadline that will still be consistent with the project due date.6) Arrange a Task TimelinePut your tasks (not just entire projects) in order based on the deadline. Depending on the platform you choose, this can be done using various methods. The most common are lists and calendars. In list form, keep the nearest date at the top of the list and the later dates toward the bottom. In calendar form, just put each task on the date it is due.Within the timeline, look at the importance of each task. If the re are 3 task deadlines on the same day, put the most urgent or important work at the top of the list. If you are a little behind and didn’t get to a task or two one day, make sure they are at the top of the list for the next day.7) Look AheadOnce you organize your projects and tasks on a timeline, it’s up to you to continually look ahead. This will help you monitor deadlines and avoid procrastination and anxiety. If you fail to keep track of upcoming dates, it can cause stress and panic when you realize there is a deadline you will not meet.