Michael Overell
Posts by Michael Overell:
Recruiting Secrets LinkedIn Probably Doesn’t Want You to Know
Recruiting and job seeking have become significantly more challenging as offers are given out only to candidates who meet all requirements without fail. Sahat Yalkabov, a software engineer at Yahoo, was rejected multiple times and describes this trend in his post “F*** You, I Quit — Hiring Is Broken.” I empathize with Sahat and others out […]
9 Tools To Help You ‘Stalk’ Candidates (in a non-creepy way)
When you’re ‘stalking’ a candidate online, be sure to stay within the bounds of propriety, and don’t be too quick to judge. Look to their online presence to let you know whether they know how to manage an online brand, or look at whether they’re a culture fit. You can even use your ‘stalking’ to validate their claims.
5 Facts Employers Need to Know About Psychometric Testing
While carefully crafted interview questions certainly play a role in candidate selection, more and more companies are adding psychometric testing to their assessment processes.
8 Questions Every Startup CEO Should Ask Before Adding a New Role
It doesn’t matter at what stage your business is expanding; deciding to bring on a new employee is a monumental decision – particularly if you’re a growing startup. Bringing on a new employee not only changes your bank balance, it affects the day-to-day culture of business activities and the future direction of your team.
Why Talent Management Isn’t the Sole Responsibility of HR
There are many reasons why talent management should not be the sole responsibility of HR, and why successful talent management strategies require a much more holistic approach.
5 Personal Goal Setting Tips For Business Owners
Now is as good a time as any to set some intentions on how you are going to feel fulfilled at work as a business owner. Instead of making resolutions that we all know in our personal sphere we never keep for more than a few days or weeks, let your work intentions be something […]
5 Ways to Get Your Company Culture to Thrive
Learn the importance of a thriving organizational culture in businesses with these tips for building a strong company culture, including employee engagement, establishing trust, promoting open communication, and proactively defining the company culture.
7 Tips to Researching Your Potential Candidates
Here are 7 tips to help you quickly learn about the best practices in researching your potential candidates on social media.
6 Ways to Tweak Your Job Descriptions to Attract Better Talent
Ensure that you attract the best candidates by writing clear and relevant job descriptions. Here are 6 ways to do just that.
17 Qualities of the Perfect Early Startup Hire
Finding the perfect early startup hire is no easy task. Here are 17 qualities to look for in the perfect early startup hire.
6 Reasons Why There’s a Place for Mature Workers in the Workplace
If you are keen to make your organisation mature-age-worker friendly, here are 6 reasons to consider recruiting a mature worker into your team.
8 Recruiting Strategies To Attract The Best Candidates
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Michelle Deery. Michelle is a content writer for Heroic Search. Her opinions are her own. Hiring new employees is one of the most challenging parts of running a business. Every new hire can have a huge impact of a business’s culture and performance, so the stakes are high. […]
5 Ways to Put Values Into Action and Action Into Values
There are many ways in which organisations can express their values and it is important for managers to ensure that the values are actively flowing throughout all aspects of the business on a day-to-day basis.
What Is Total Quality Management and How To Use It
In this post, guest blogger Norberts Erts takes a close look at Total Quality Management, the components it covers, the impact HR has on the propagation of a quality conscious culture, plus a few quick steps around implementation.
How to Use Pinterest in Your Recruitment Strategy
Nowadays, it feels like everyone is incorporating social media in their recruitment strategy - from LinkedIn, to Facebook and Twitter. In this post, our author explains one potential social media tool your business is perhaps ignoring to attract candidates: Pinterest! Read below to learn how to use Pinterest to your advantage!
Can Replacing Monetary Benefits With Health Benefits Work For Employees?
While cash bonuses used to be the norm, many employees are now preferring other forms of benefits. One of the most-wanted perks is health benefits. Check out this guest post by Nathan Sharpe which highlights why it’s not always about the money.
How to Best Incorporate Twitter Hashtags in Your Recruitment Process
The people that you hire determine the performance and future of your business. Acquiring the right talent at the right time cultivates the success of your company. Technology has made recruitment easier for you as an employer and one of the most effective ways of hiring is using twitter tags. Twitter is a micro-blogging and […]
How to Manage Millennials Effectively and Keep Them Engaged at Work
Times have changed. Workplaces are fast becoming (for some) a vehicle for earning more money to pay for a lifestyle of smashed avocado and green smoothies, investment properties whilst living at home with mum and dad, holidays to Bali and Byron and buying the latest sports car. We are less settled and flexible around our […]
8 Savvy Ways to Perk Up Performance Appraisals
The idea of having performance appraisals can make team members feel all sorts of emotions. Some feel fear and anxiety, others may feel neutral or excited, or even entitled. As the time for performance appraisals approaches, here are 8 areas management can review in helping upcoming appraisals to be more valuable, insightful and inspiring. 1. […]
5 Ways to Tackle Workplace Stress and Encourage Employee Efficiency
In any workplace, productivity, innovation and efficiency go hand in hand. If you are an ambitious entrepreneur, you would want to cultivate these factors at your workplace. Fair enough! But is your workforce sufficiently productive and efficient? Consider this: Your employees energetically start their day stay laser-focused and at the end of the day somehow […]
4 Surefire Ways to Attract Stellar Talent
While recruiting in this hyper-connected world gives HR teams the ability to find candidates from across the globe, the workplace is still suffering from a severe talent shortage. An alarming four out of every ten companies are unable to connect with candidates that possess the necessary skills and talent to fill available job positions. The […]
12 Video Marketing Trends That Will Skyrocket In 2018
The evolution of video marketing isn’t likely to slow down during 2018. We can expect to see more captivating content than ever with the current rate of creativity and technological innovation. Marketers are putting more time and effort into their video content from live streaming to virtual reality. Consumers can experience both the real world […]
Women in Leadership at Traditionally Male Companies
More and more women are stepping into top leadership roles at traditionally male-dominated companies, which is adding value to every industry embracing this trend.
How to Hire a Professional Content Writer for Your Business
We are all familiar with the phrase, "content is king". This post contains a list of tips and tools that can lead you to content writers of the highest calibre.
5 Things We Can Learn From The Harvey Weinstein Case
The ‘Harvey Weinstein syndrome’ has far-reaching implications across all professions. Here are 5 ways we can address sexual harassment in the workplace.
5 Team Building Tips for Leaders
To become a successful entrepreneur and a full-fledged leader you may have to work on yourself. In this post, you will find tips on how to become a great leader while building a team of true professionals.
5 Ways to Build Resilience During Tough Times
Based on a recent workplace investigation, here are 5 tips on how to build resilience in difficult times.
What’s Different About Hiring Recent Graduates?
Hiring graduates into your organisation is a smart business move in today’s competitive climate. Here are a few tips that will help you in the process.
6 Ways to Take Charge of Your HR Processes
Now is a great time to review your HR processes and take a closer look at your business to make sure everything’s on track.
12 Questions You Should Consider Asking a Candidate During an Interview
In this post we highlight 12 questions that you should ask in an interview to obtain the necessary details that will allow you to choose the best candidate.
6 Ways Recruiters Can Use Resumes and Cover Letters
Candidates will often stretch the truth when applying for jobs. Here are 6 ways that you can validate a candidate's resume and cover letter.
Why Workplace Flexibility is Good For Business
More and more job seekers are choosing a flexible role over one with more money because of the quality of life that it provides them. What’s stopping you from offering workplace flexibility?
10 Ways to Re-energise Your Team for 2017
Now is the perfect time to ensure the team is back into the swing of things. Here are 10 ways to re-energise the team to help make 2017 the best year yet.
3 More Reasons SMBs Should Engage an External HR Specialist
Here are 3 more common scenarios where an external HR specialist can help your business overcome unnecessary workplace obstacles.
3 Reasons SMBs Should Engage an External HR Specialist
Here are 3 common scenarios where an external HR specialist can help your business overcome an obstacle.
Why Allowing Social Media At Work Can Help Attract Top Talent
When it comes to recruiting top talent, candidates are happy with fewer perks provided you allow them a reasonable amount of social media time at work.
Top 50 Female UI/UX Designers, Austin, Texas
In an effort to bring some more positive news to the issue of women in tech, and highlight the positive impact so many women are having in this space, last month we sourced the top female engineers in New York. This month we’ve moved to Austin, to source the top UI/UX Designers in tech.
Top 50 Female Full Stack Developers in New York City
n an effort to bring some more positive news to the issue of women in tech, and highlight the positive impact so many women are having in this space, last month we sourced the top female engineers in San Francisco. This month we’ve moved to New York City, to source the top full stack developers […]
6 Tools That Will Change The Way You Reach Out to Candidates
Time isn’t always on your side as a recruiter. Here are 6 tools that will change the way you can access candidates' contact information at scale.
Is a Recruiter Worth More Than Your Lawyer?
Recruiting is a professional service (when done properly). Like other professional services, hourly pricing can make complete sense.
HR At Jawbone: Earning a Seat at the Executive Table
Randy Knaflic, who leads 'People and Operations' at Jawbone, has 3 requirements for HR to earn a seat at the executive table: Philosophies first; Keep it simple; Be data-driven.
Where to Source Top Technical Talent
Sourcing technical talent, especially in areas where many software development companies are looking for the same skill set can be… challenging. When everyone is looking for the same thing, the playing field becomes so level there’s just no way to stand out anymore. There are other alternatives, though.
We have a confession to make: We hired our Head of Growth without ever looking at her CV. Were we stupid? Google searches and LinkedIn Profiles are amongst the first things many hiring managers look at. But have they really replaced the traditional résumé?
Your 10 Step Checklist for Getting New Hires up to Speed
The importance of professionally on-boarding every new employee cannot be underestimated. After all, a bad first experience can ruin a new job for anyone. Here are 10 best practices to ensure any new employees are made to feel welcome and are oriented as quickly as possible.
Life as a Startup Founder-Recruiter: Our First Key Hires
Hiring at a startup is hard and time-consuming. But it's your job as a founder. Here are the steps and process we followed to make our first 2 key hires at RecruitLoop.
Startup Stories: The ‘Rappa-Preneur’ Behind Vimily
If you’re a female tech entrepreneur or dream of becoming one, this interview with Kat Suess, founder and CTO of Vimily will inspire you to follow your dreams.
21 Ways To Be A LinkedIn Lemon
The success of LinkedIn is also its Achilles Heel. Because among the +300 million profiles, are a bunch of people who just don’t get it. Yep, it’s time to call out the LinkedIn Lemons.
7 Surprising Lessons on Hiring from Google’s Big Data Research
Google is breaking new ground in hiring and management, by analyzing hard data to objectively measure outcomes of recruiting decisions over a long period of time. Check out these 7 surprising lessons
Smooth Sailing Aboard the Intern-Ship
Internships not only benefit the interns, but employers and startup founders as well. You can certainly get more done, while the intern provides refreshing energy and unique insights and ideas. Milica Djukanovic, our own intern, shares some of her personal experiences.
14 Ingredients For A Killer Recruiting Presence On Facebook
We’ve studied the leaders in Facebook Recruitment to bring you the 14 ingredients needed for a killer recruiting presence on Facebook. See how to pimp your recruiting efforts on Facebook.
Finding Great Talent Without a Dedicated Recruiting Function
We hosted the first #hiringhacks event, with LinkedIn in San Francisco this week. It was a great turnout. Here are 11 hiring hacks you can act on today.
University Graduates: The Degree of Discouragement
Hiring a graduate with little or no experience isn’t a reckless decision. You still have the power over their work performance. Why not take a risk? You never know ... the next graduate you hire with little experience could potentially astound you and become your organisation's next best employee.
Hey SMBs, LinkedIn Wants More of Your Business
LinkedIn held the first 'Hire Smart' event in partnership with Intuit over the weekend. Targeted directly at small business, it was the first major attempt to reach out to a segment that makes up a small but growing proportion of revenue.
Hiring at a startup can be a challenge: it needs to be fast, incredibly high quality, and low cost. Here are 88 practical, actionable ideas that have worked for us (or someone else).
4 Rookie Recruiting Errors That Let Clint Eastwood Ruin A Run for President
Clint Eastwood made a rambling speech at Mitt Romney's campaign launch that was widely ridiculed. 4 rookie recruiting errors made it possible.
Can you refuse to hire someone because they smoke, or are you risking a discrimination case?
3 Great Ways to Improve Staff Productivity
Is your team productive? It’s one thing if morale is high. But are they really performing at an optimum level? While everyone works at a different speed and level of efficiency, there are some basic things you can do to increase your overall team productivity.
Going grey can be good for business
There is a lot of information out there for mature aged workers, advising them on the best ways to transition out of their corporate roles and how to plan for their coming retirement. But not all of the mature age workforce wants to or can afford to retire and there are some very good reasons […]
Are You Really Adding Value to Your Customers?
The phrase “value add” is over-used in business today. You’ll read it on company websites, hear it used in meetings and even find whole sections dedicated to it in tender documents and pitch presentations. But what you might consider a “value add”, is often something your client expects as a natural part of your service.
the recruiter honeypot: The best recruitment post I have ever read
the recruiter honeypot Elaine describes her dire struggle to find Javascipt engineers in Silicon Valley over the past 2 years. And how she created a fake persona – a self-described ninja – called Pete London in an elaborate 2 year experiment. The goal: to attract most innovative recruiters. A ‘honey-pot’ manoeuvre, to find the best […]
A flexible workplace: How low can you go?
A popular talent-retention strategy used in business today is to allow people to work more flexible hours. Whether it’s a nine-day fortnight or four days in the office and one day working from home, it’s becoming the norm to never actually have an entire team in the office at the same time. Naturally, there’s a […]
Who’s next in line? Always know how to replace yourself
Is there someone you would feel comfortable handing over the reins to, or would you need to look externally? Succession planning is an important business strategy. Identifying those within your organisation who you feel have the potential to assume key roles and then grooming them to fill those roles is vital for the future success […]
11 Ways To Find The Best Candidates On Seek
With over 14 million visits a month, seek.com.au is Australia’s leading job site, offering recruiters and hiring managers a huge pool of potential candidates. But these huge numbers come at a price. Most employers advertising on Seek will have experienced the tsunami of applications that follow. It’s like a firehose of unqualified, unsuitable and ineligible […]
Don’t be a Yahoo! Candidates lie.
The recent departure from Yahoo of CEO Scott Thompson for claiming a bogus degree on his CV highlights the need for background checks on candidates at every level. Thompson was accused of lying on his CV by declaring he had a Computer Science degree from Stonehill College near Boston. An opponent of Thompson’s, Daniel Loeb, […]
10 No-Brainers for Every Business Using LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a great way for SMEs to promote themselves and attract potential employees to their business. We attended a recent event hosted by LinkedIn, and according to the experts themselves, there are 10 no-brainer steps every business must take to ensure maximum effectiveness and exposure:
5 Creative Ways To Make Your Job Ad Stand Out
Put in the effort to write a great job ad and you’ll reap the benefits.
15 Online Tools Making Recruitment Faster And Cheaper For Any Business
very business needs new staff at some point. But recruiting them can be expensive or painful. Both if you’re unlucky. There’s good news for employers: The internet is ‘democratising’ the recruitment process. Tools that were once a trade secret of expensive recruitment agencies are now available to anyone online – at a low cost, and […]
Personal liability in the workplace: Should you be afraid?
I don’t want to be a scaremonger, but did you know that directors can be held personally liable for breaches of the Fair Work Act 2009? Perhaps more worryingly, the personal liability provisions are so broad you need not even be a director to trigger them. Staff could also be personally liable for contraventions, as could […]
Horror stories from the frontline of employment relations (VIDEO)
Hot on the heels of announcing our partnership with Workforce Guardian, I sat down with Managing Director, David Bates to learn more about the world of employment relations in Australia.
RHUB: Highlights from the Recruiters Hub Conference (Day 1)
The Recruiters Hub Conference (RHUB) kicked off today in Sydney. It’s a 1.5 day conference, with a smashing lineup of speakers. Day one featured just over 100 attendees – mostly agency recruiters – and was very ably moderated by Ross Clennett. Here is a quick summary of speaker highlights, for those who couldn’t make it. […]
Using LinkedIn for Recruitment: 5 Tips for Beginners
inkedIn has been a key tool in the recruiter’s toolbox for many years now. But more and more, employers are wising up to the benefits themselves. Using LinkedIn for recruitment is no longer reserved for the experts or Boolean Geeks. Here are just a few simple ways that regular ol’ employers can start sourcing great […]
Statistics and damn lies: Online job ads
Job ads in Australia increased 6.4% from December to January, according to recent data. This was the biggest monthly increase since 2010. Commentators wet themselves in delight: ‘Job ads hit 2 year high’. Politicians even got in on the game, with the federal Treasurer claiming this as a reminder that our economic fundamentals are strong. […]
Hire a graduate: 3 ways to inject new blood to your business
Graduates are a breed unto their own and hiring a talented graduate is a great way to inject new blood into your business. These new recruits will often offer a fresh perspective and provide your organization with a much needed boost. The graduates of today (the Gen Y or millennial grads as they are also […]
Small employers, regulation and a declining middle class?
A friend who runs an IT consultancy shared a story over the break. After reading a few stats and articles over the weekend, it really got me thinking. His company has been growing like crazy, and we were talking about his hiring plans. You know what? His first and preferred option was to look outside […]
Facebook wants to know everything about you. Should employers as well?
We recently heard from Facebook’s Head of Recruitment – Richard Cho – at a social media conference. His dream is that in the near future, candidates will be recruited for who they are as people, not just a history of job titles. Sounds like a simple aspiration: We’re obviously all more than a combination of […]
Reference checks and social media: On shaky ground?
With all the social media sites available today, it is still critical to verbally validate a potential employee’s past experience with a previous employer. There’s no denying, however, that a lot can be deduced about someone from a bit of quick searching in the public domain. Facebook, Twitter, and personal blogs can show the entire […]
Running a Smooth Exit Interview [Infographic]
If you’ve been following the RecruitLoop Blog, you may have noticed we’re fans of ‘infographics‘. Why? Well, we love data… but data can be boring. With a bit of creativity and flair, the most boring analysis can become a wonderful picture of insight, easily digestible at a glance. For example, we could have written a […]
Employer branding: Be bacon, not white bread
Employer branding. What’s all the fuss about? It sounds complicated. Something best left for multi-nationals and large professional service firms with even larger marketing budgets. But, if you believe the experts, building a strong employer brand can make all the difference in attracting top talent in a tight market. So where does that leave the rest of […]
7 Benefits to Attract Top Talent to your Smaller Business
If you’re a small business owner you’re in good company. Recent (US) data from the Small Business Administration shows some impressive results. Small businesses: Account for 99.7% of all firms that hire new employees Employ over half of all employees in the private sector Contribute 44% of total private sector payroll Obtain 13 times more […]
A Struggle to Find Skilled Staff is Not a Skills Shortage
75% of Australian SMEs and large businesses are struggling to find skilled staff, according to survey results released this week. An immediate reaction to these figures might be to blame the Great Australian Skills Shortage. Plenty of research has shown a skills shortage does exist, in certain sectors. But results like this don’t prove it. […]
5 Warning Signs to Save Time When Screening Resumes
The resume provides a first snapshot of your potential new employee. It won’t tell you if someone’s right for the job. But it’s a good way to screen the applicants that clearly aren’t. As a hiring manager, use this to your advantage to save time in the initial screening. Look out for warning signs rather […]