Download the PowerPoint 
You may decide to use a recruiter when looking for that perfect job candidate, but why limit yourself to one recruiter when you may be missing out on a huge talent source? Ascendify takes the recruiter/hiring manager relationship to a new level with their social platform. Instead of a limited amount of static listings, Ascendify can offer your company a higher number of quality candidates, increased participation in employee referrals, greater efficiency in screening and more understanding of your brand for potential new hires. The platform makes it easier for candidates to understand your corporate culture, your benefits and special programs that make them want to work for your company.
Google+
For more information and charts about Small Business Mobile:
and See Key Highlights from the Web.com Small Business Mobile Survey
Search Articles
Most liked posts
Popular Tags
accounting and taxes blogging blogs Branding Business Development business travel Capital Access Compliance Customer Service ecommerce Email marketing entrepreneur entrepreneurship Facebook Generational Marketing GrowSmartBiz Conference Grow Smart Business lead generation LinkedIn Marketing michael dougherty mobile marketing networking online marketing Raising Capital Resources retail sales sales process SBSI Search Marketing seo small business small business accounting small business hiring small business loans small business marketing small business resources small business technology Small Business Trends social media Technology Twitter Web Design WorkforceCategories
- Categories
- Advanced Degrees
- Allison Kapner
- Best Of…
- Business Development
- Capital Access
- Carol Roth
- Compliance
- Cover Letters
- Customer Service
- Dating
- Email marketing
- Entrepreneurs
- Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship
- Etiquette
- Etiquette
- Events
- Innovation
- Interviewing
- Interviews
- Jennifer Nycz-Conner
- Job Search
- Life Transition
- Lunch with Entrepreneurs
- Marketing
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Networking
- Patrick Madsen
- Patti Nuttycombe Cochran
- Personal Brand
- Recruiters
- References
- Resources
- Resumes
- Robin Ferrier
- sales process
- Sarah Morgan
- Small Business
- small business
- Small Business Success Index
- social media
- Technology
- Thomas Madrecki
- Tweetchat
- Uncategorized
- UnintentionalEntrepreneur
- Videos
- What's next Gen Y
- WhatsNextGenY
- Workforce
- Working World
Posts Tagged ‘small business hiring’
Web.com Small Business Toolkit: Ascendify (Social Talent Acquisition Platform)
February 1st, 2013 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichHow to Tap Your Ex-Employees as a Hidden Hiring Resource
January 10th, 2013 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichBy Maria Valdez Haubric
Is your small business looking to hire this year? One resource you may not have considered when you’re wondering where to find qualified candidates is your roster of former employees.
Big companies have long used this tactic, sometimes creating official networks of ex-employees they tap into when they need to fill an open slot. But for a small business, this concept makes even more sense (and is even easier to execute). Unlike a big corporation, where ex-employees may be completely unknown to the hiring manager, in a small company you, the owner, undoubtedly remember everyone who’s ever worked for you. You know their good and bad points, their skills and experience—and you know whether you’d like to have them back on your team or not.
So how can a small company stay connected with its former employees to ensure you can reach them when you’re looking for new employees? Here are some steps to make it simple
Capture their data. If you have to lay off a qualified employee or if someone leaves for a different job, make certain you have all of their contact information, including phone numbers, address and emails.
Use social media. If you don’t already have connections with your team on social media, make sure to connect with former employees on LinkedIn (or make sure someone at your company who was close with them does). That way, you can stay up-to-date on their career and the new skills they’re gaining, and will have a better sense of whether they’d be open to coming back to your company if a position opens up that seems like a good fit.
Stay in touch real-world style. Social media is great, but in-person meetings are what really keep connections alive. Think about inviting former employees to workplace events such as happy hours or get-togethers once in a while. I have one colleague who holds an annual “reunion” for current and former employees of her business at her home every year. It’s a great way to keep connections current, and also to find out what people are working on in their jobs and what opportunities exist to work with other people’s companies.
The benefits of building a former employee network are many. Even if you don’t have a job opening, you may be able to use former employees as freelancers or contractors in your business. Or you can refer them to colleagues who need their skills. In this way, you’re enhancing your relationships and strengthening your network for the time when you do need to hire.
Image by Flickr user Sean MacEntee (Creative Commons)
Google+
How to Reward Your Employees the Right Way
June 15th, 2012 :: Rieva Lesonsky
By Rieva Lesonsky
Your employees work hard for your business, and for the past few years, they probably haven’t gotten much in the way of financial reward. If you can’t afford to offer your employees raises, bonuses or other monetary thank-you’s right now, it’s more important than ever to reward them in other ways. How can you make sure your rewards are effective?
Understand what motivates employees. You can’t create effective rewards otherwise. Different types of employees generally care about different rewards. For instance, young, single employees might be motivated by a Friday afternoon kegger or happy hour; older, married employees would probably be more motivated by getting off an hour early on Friday so they can get home to the family.
Know each person. Beyond these generalizations, you also need to know something about individual employees’ interests so you can tailor rewards accordingly. A small gift can have big results if it’s really in tune with the person’s hobbies and interests. Without this knowledge, you might end up, say, giving a teetotaler a bottle of wine.
Say “thank you.” Rewards don’t have to be tangible. Thanking employees for a job well done is something most of us don’t do often enough. For best results, make sure you do so in front of the whole team. And never combine praise with criticism (such as “You did great on the Warner project, but next time, let’s do such-and-such…”). Want to really make someone’s day? Write a little thank-you note. You’d be surprised how meaningful this can be.
Be detailed. Vague praise like “Great job” won’t have as much impact as specific statements like, “That infographic you created boosted our Web traffic 300 percent. Great job!” Whenever possible, state exactly what you appreciate about the person. This not only makes your praise more meaningful, but also gives employees guidance about what matters to you, shaping their future behavior.
There are plenty of ways to show employees praise and recognition. What works for you?
Image by Flickr user John Morgan (Creative Commons)
Google+Is Your Small Business Hiring Still in a Holding Pattern?
June 14th, 2012 :: Karen AxeltonBy Karen Axelton
The most recent federal unemployment figures released June 1 were disappointing, to be sure. But what’s the state of small business employment in particular? The SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard, which surveys more than 35,000 small businesses nationwide on hiring and pay levels, isn’t as negative as the federal data, but still shows small business owners stuck in a “holding pattern” in terms of hiring.
First, the good news. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of small business owners are optimistic about the future of their businesses. This is nearly twice the figure who were optimistic in September of last year (33 percent). What’s more, this optimism isn’t just due to rose-colored glasses: 50 percent of respondents are experiencing increased revenue and growth in their businesses.
The bad news—at least for employees, the economy in general and those who look to small business owners as job creators—is that for most small businesses, productivity is outpacing the need to hire.
“We’re seeing small businesses circling the runway right now. They’re not sure when and where to land,” said SurePayroll CEO and President Michael Alter in announcing the results. “Small businesses have made themselves more efficient through technology during this recovery, which is a good thing for them. However, it creates a holding pattern situation for the economy where increased hiring is not yet necessary.”
Month-over-month SurePayroll Scorecard data shows hiring just barely negative (-0.1). Month-over-month regional hiring was down except in the South, where it was up 0.2 percent. Year-over-year, nationwide hiring is down just 1.5 percent.
Paychecks overall are also barely negative (-0.1). Regionally, pay is up slightly in the Midwest, flat in the South and West, and down just slightly in the Northeast (-0.4 percent).
Where is the picture rosiest? In the South, where year-over-year hiring is up 1.7 percent and paychecks up 0.5 percent. Where is it bleakest? In the West, which has suffered the steepest hiring decline at 5.3 percent.
You can view more detailed SurePayroll Small Business Scorecard data and results for the top 35 MSAs at www.SurePayroll.com. How do these findings reflect your situation? Do you see hiring in your future?
Image by Flickr user Dita Margarita (Creative Commons)
Google+
Small Business Hiring Is Up, Study Shows
April 19th, 2012 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichBy Maria Valdez Haubrich
Is your small business getting ready to hire? Looks like plenty of them are. Small business created about 65,000 new jobs in March—the highest single-month growth rate in more than two years, according to the Intuit Small Business Employment Index, which measures employment trends among businesses with 20 or fewer employees.
The March Index showed small business employment increasing at an annual growth rate of 3.8 percent. The average monthly hours worked also rose by 0.5 percent, or 36 minutes, and average monthly compensation increased by 0.7 percent, or $18 per worker, to $2,785 in March or about $33,400 per year.
“This is the strongest small business employment report we have had in a long time,” said Susan Woodward, the economist who works with Intuit to create the Index. “Yet at the same time, the hiring rate has remained flat at just above 5 percent since May 2009.”
Woodward says this indicates that small business employees are staying with their current employers, rather than leaving for bigger firms. In the typical economy, the turnover at small firms is higher than at larger ones because small companies usually pay less. But Woodward says the turnover rate is still lower than normal, indicating “we are not out of the woods yet.” The compensation figures, too, indicate many employees at small businesses are still working only part-time.
Still, the positive numbers continue a trend that Intuit has been seeing for several months. February’s small business job growth rate was 0.4 percent, or 75,000 jobs added at small businesses that month, and January also saw 0.4 percent growth. In fact, jobs, hours worked and compensation have all been climbing steadily since last July.
Overall this month, job growth was strongest in the Mountain, West South Central and East South Central regions of the country, along with the Pacific Northwest. Woodward says hiring is also beginning to pick up in New York.
Image by Flickr user bpsusf (Creative Commons)
Google+
Small Biz Resource Tip: JobPoacher
February 21st, 2012 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichSometimes the best employees for your small business are already working somewhere else. They may be looking to get out of their current job situation but don’t want their boss to know. Now you can find them (and they can find you) through the JobPoacher website. Job seekers can post their job skills and resume information without exposing their identities, and you can list your job openings (free) with a simple format that covers what you have to offer, where the job is located and what you’ll pay. That cuts down the search time and effort for both parties. JobPoacher also monitors the listings for any inappropriate postings.
Google+
Small Biz Resource Tip: Jobvite
January 25th, 2012 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichJob recruiting by social media is the latest trend, and social media tool Jobvite allows you to source and weed through referrals, social networks and the Web to find your perfect candidates. The Web-based structure also allows you to do things such as check and track referrals from your smartphone so you don’t miss out on a prime prospect. Search hundreds of sites for potential employees, post job openings on your company’s Facebook page, and make it easy to allow current employees to refer their friends and associates. Then check your personalized dashboard to see what recruiting methods are working the best for you.
Google+3 Tips for Internship Programs That Work
December 1st, 2011 :: Maria Valdez HaubrichBy Maria Valdez Haubrich
Does your small business need more hands to handle all the work coming your way, but you don’t want to hire a full-time employee and deal with payroll taxes, paperwork and all the red tape that goes with it? Or maybe you don’t have the budget for a full-time worker, but you still need help. One option is hiring a student intern.
Hiring interns can be complex, however, because there are a variety of laws regulating internship programs that vary from state to state. To help small businesses create internship programs that work for all involved, the National Association of Colleges and Employers has put together a list of tips for creating good internship programs. Here are some that I thought were especially interesting and useful for small business owners:
- Offer flexible hours or other nontraditional opportunities. Many surveys in recent years have shown that young people want, and expect, flexible hours, the ability to work from home and other perks that help them balance work and life. College students definitely have the tech know-how to work virtually, so if you’ve got tasks they can handle at home, why not let them go for it? You’ll make your internship more appealing.
- Involve younger workers on your team. NACE suggests holding brownbag lunches or other gatherings where the newest hires on your staff talk to interns about their experiences at your company and their backgrounds. A small business may not have that many new hires, but it’s still good practice to let entry-level employees on your team mentor the interns and show them the ropes.
- Expose interns to senior management. One big perk of an internship is the chance to learn about a business from the inside out. At a small business, that’s easy. Take the intern/s out to lunch or set up some other informal session where you and the key members on your team talk to them about the business. How did you start it, how did you grow it, what are your goals? How can the intern play a role?
In addition to these tips, I have one more: Seek interns through an official internship program at a college or university. These organizations can help you understand what laws and regulations govern internships, such as whether interns in your state can be unpaid, hours worked and more.
Need more help? The NACE even sells a guidebook on the topic that covers issues such as supervising and evaluating interns and how to measure the effectiveness of your internship program.
Image by Flickr user Bart Everson (Creative Commons)
Google+
Why Overqualified Job Candidates May Be Your Best Bet
October 27th, 2011 :: Karen AxeltonBy Karen Axelton
If you’re looking to hire employees right now, you’re probably finding a plethora of overqualified candidates in the job market. Before you throw away another resume, stop to consider the results of a new study that shows that overqualified candidates might actually be the best people for the job.
BusinessNewsDaily.com cites the study by Aleksandra Luksyte, a professor at the University of Western Australia, who found that giving overqualified job candidates challenging assignments can greatly benefit a business.
While past research has typically shown that overqualified workers are the most dissatisfied and are likely to seek other jobs as soon as they can, Luksyte found something different. She discovered that when employers gave overqualified employees assignments that allowed them to make their own decisions, coordinate projects, lead others, or be responsible for the outcome of their work, those employees were more likely to put increased effort into both their own performance and promoting the overall welfare of the business.
“When overqualified people are placed into challenging jobs, they seem to be motivated to utilize all their under-realized potential into becoming excellent employees,” Luksyte told BusinessNewsDaily. “Our results suggest that by placing overqualified employees in complex jobs, employers may be able to influence the most important work behaviors of their overqualified incumbents.”
When overqualified employees received challenging assignments, Luksyte found, they not only handled the jobs but also went above and beyond to assist co-workers with both work-related problems, such as helping with a heavy workload, and personal problems, such as making them feel better when they were discouraged.
Luksyte told BusinessNewsDaily that study suggests hiring overqualified people could actually give a business a competitive advantage. She suggests that overqualified workers could benefit from tasks such as mentoring other employees or leading teams. Any work given to them should allow for making decisions and taking responsibility for the outcomes of work.
Image by Flickr user bpfusf (Creative Commons)
Small Business Employment, Hours and Pay All on the Rise
October 19th, 2011 :: Rieva LesonskyBy Rieva Lesonsky
The small business hiring trend that started in October 2009 continued this past month. The most recent Intuit Small Business Employment Index found that small business employment grew by 0.3 percent in September, adding up to an annual growth rate of 3.3 percent. Hours worked and compensation increased as well.
Based on these numbers and revised national employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Intuit revised its previously reported growth rate for August from 0.18 percent to 0.3 percent, or 65,000 jobs added in August. Since October 2009, Intuit reports that small businesses have added 720,000 new jobs.
“After all the uproar over the threatened European financial meltdown, [this] good news is very welcome,” said Susan Woodward, the economist who worked with Intuit to create the index. “We have some distance to go to make up for growth that didn’t happen during the recession, but this is a good start.” Woodward believes the strong numbers could be due to increases in residential property prices for the past five months in a row. “There are all kinds of small businesses linked to property, such as construction contractors, real estate agents and brokers,” she notes.
The number of hours that hourly small business employees worked increased as well, to an average of 110.4 hours (or a 25.5 hour workweek) in September. This was a 0.3 percent increase from the revised August figure of 110.0 hours.
“In this recession, these smallest businesses have tended to cut back on employee hours rather than lay people off, so it’s good to see hourly people working more,” added Woodward.
In addition to hours, average monthly pay rose as well. Average monthly pay for all small business employees was $2,694 per month in September, Intuit found–a 0.3 percent increase compared to the August revised estimate of $2,685 per month. The equivalent annual wages are about $32,300 per year.
“Compensation is up by a healthy amount and equivalent to an annual growth rate of more than 3 percent,” said Woodward. “This is very good considering that over the last 30 years real income has grown at a rate of about 1.5 percent per year. We have some distance to go to make up for growth that didn’t happen during the recession, but this is a good start.”
The Intuit Small Business Employment Index is based on online employment data from some 70,000 small business employers with fewer than 20 employees.
Image by Flickr user Dave Bleasedale (Creative Commons)
Google+
