Category Archives: Companies

Is it possible to use social media other than LinkedIn to recruit new employees? The answer is yes! We have put down the platforms and tools you can use in your recruitment and information about how recruitment companies use social media. 

Everything you can find is searched for!

The most effective tool for the search and selection process in recruitment is search strings. You can use search tools to find the right candidate for a role, by entering the most important information into a search engine you will find candidates with the desired qualifications. Whether you are on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or similar. Boolean search strings is a great way to find qualified candidates and is the most preferred process when searching for candidates for recruitment.

If you are a recruiter, this method is often your starting point. It is a great way to get an overview of how many people match the job description and where they are located geographically. It is also a great way to create a quick list of relevant candidates you can contact. Who knows, maybe you can close the recruitment process quickly. At the same time, as a candidate, you need to make yourself attractive on LinkedIn for potential employers to recruit you. It is important to update the profile with relevant information and keywords to increase your visibility. You can read more about how to optimize your LinkedIn profile here.  

Recruitment on all digital platforms

LinkedIn is the preferred platform for recruitment. Everyone is using LinkedIn today. This is the platform where all recruiters and HR managers operate when looking for candidates they want to recruit. You may have noticed that people working in HR or recruitment have looked through your profile every now and then, or you may have been contacted by someone with an exciting job offer. But LinkedIn is not the only digital platform recruiters use when looking for the right candidate. 

Some recruiters also use Instagram or Facebook, especially when searching for a candidate within a specific industry. Facebook has countless of groups and pages of which recruiters and HR managers are members. Typically, recruiters place job postings in the group and thereby reach relevant target groups. Instagram is an effective tool for recruitment companies to develop their brand identity, authenticity, and trust. Some recruiters might also use Instagram to search and select candidates for roles within specific industries. 

Take advantage of recruitment on social media

So, if you are a recruiter there is no reason to limit yourself. Instead use all the opportunities on the different social media platforms. Do not expect that the right candidate will come from one single job post, instead search for candidates yourself and post the job in different groups. In this way you can be lucky to close the recruitment process in a short amount of time. 

If you are a job seeker, make sure to optimize the relevant digital platforms and use the right keywords to create more visibility. You may not see the result in one week, but in the long run it will make a difference. There are no restrictions when it comes to recruiting on social media and you can go a long way by recruiting or applying for jobs in a different way than everyone else!

Starting a new work in a new environment and with new faces, can be nerve wracking. But the changes can also be exciting, especially when you know how to tackle new challenges and learn more skills. 

Plan the day 

The first and most simple tip, is to make sure to plan the day. To avoid a stressful and frustrating morning, you can plan your outfit, the night before the first working day. It is also a good idea to check the route for your workplace and find out how to get there and how long it takes depending on the traffic. Perhaps you can drive earlier from home, which gives you a little extra time if there are traffic jams and you avoid getting stressed. In this way you are sure to arrive to work in time with a peaceful mindset. 

Do not come to work empty-handed 

If you haven’t been giving any instructions for the first working day, it is always a good idea to bring your own computer. Even if the company will give you a work computer, you never know if it has been delivered for the first working day. It is also a good idea to bring a book to write down notes and any documents about the company or employee manuals you have received from the company. 

Practice how to introduce yourself

One of the most important things to practice for the first working day, is how to introduce yourself. On the first working day, you will meet and talk to your new colleagues, and you will probably be asked a lot of questions. A good work environment between colleagues is very important, therefor it is essential to make a good first impression. With a little preparation, you are ready to answer all the questions your new and curious colleagues ask during the day. 

Listen and ask questions

When starting the first working day, it is important to listen and learn from your colleagues. You most likely don’t know everything about the company, the systems, and the processes, which is why you must be humble, instead of having a “I know everything” attitude. Pay extra attention and write important information in your notebook. Ask questions about everything from the system and tools to colleagues’ projects and experiences. 

Be yourself

You made it through the recruitment process by being yourself, so why start being a different person now? It is normal to be nervous the first working day, but do not doubt yourself. Remember that they chose you for a reason and you are the right person for the job. Therefor the last tip for the first working day is to be yourself when you talk and interact with your new colleagues. Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

The recipe to attract and retain good employees is simple. Your future employees and current employees needs to be happy and motivated. Employees who are happy and motivated with their jobs stay longer in companies and they are the key to a healthy and successful company. 

Here are 5 ways to attract and retain good employees. 

1. Create and sustain a culture of recognition 

When looking at ways to attract and retain good employees, a culture of recognition can be a considerable game changer. Such a culture engages and empowers employees, making them feel like the work they do has a meaning and purpose. But how do you create a culture that will make your employees eager to work in your company. The short answer is employee recognition. Focus on recognizing your employees and give them positive feedback. Most people respond positively to recognition, and it can provide them with renewed energy. Many people work even harder when their efforts are recognized by their manager, since they feel valued in the company. It gives the employers motivated and happy employees who think positively about their manager and the workplace. 

2. Make feedback a keystone of your culture

Creating an environment in which honest, open, and two-way feedback is supported and embraced is one of the most effective ways to cultivate a workplace culture that attract and retain good employees. Constructive feedback is one of the best things a manager can give to their employees. When feedback is delivered properly it can strengthen positive behavior and ensure a strong culture in your team. Feedback also involves in discussing growth opportunities. At companies where managers discuss growth opportunities with employees, the impact of retention is increasing. Employees consider growth as a core value and having opportunities for development may be a deciding factor in whether they will choose employment in your company. 

3. Give responsibility and trust your employees

Responsibility gives motivated employees. Most people want to develop professionally. It can be through new work assignments, new areas of responsibility or courses and certifications. Many people see promotion as an important factor for professional development and motivation. One thing is certain. The employers must create an environment where employees can have more responsibility and the professional motivation must be supported to keep efficient employees.  Responsibility and development is key if you are looking for ways to attract and retain good employees. If there are no clear signs of development within the company, the employees will be more likely to look for new opportunities.

4. Offer a flexible schedule 

A flexible schedule will allow an employee to work hours that may not correspond with normal working hours. Not all good employees will have the availability to work standard hours. There might be circumstances that cause conflicts with a standard work schedule. Therefore, having the possibility to be flexible will help attract and retain good employees. A flexible work schedule can include flexible work hours, compressed workweek, job sharing and allowing employees to work remotely. 

5. Treat your employees fairly 

Employees are the greatest assets in a company. If a company want to attract and retain good employees, the company should treat them well. When an employee knows that their company cares about them, they may be more willing to take care about the company. Motivational variables are different for each person, which is why it is important for the employer to understand what motivates each employee. Once the employer understands the motivational variables of their employees, they can start to create more retention benefits within the company. By making sure that you treat your employees fairly and equally based on their qualifications and efforts, you can improve employee satisfaction and retention. 

There are many ways to prepare for a salary negotiation and different ​​approaches, where the result depends as much on your preparation as the employer’s willingness to negotiate the salary. The question is just which way leads to a pay rise. 

1. Preparation is key

Regardless of the reason for the salary negotiation, you must always be well prepared for the meeting. Be aware of how much you want in salary for the job you perform or must perform – it is especially relevant to know when you are going to a job interview. 

There are several factors that help determine where you land in the payroll. The recruiter or your immediate manager also comes into the meeting with an estimate salary. The way to negotiate is a minor “mind-game” where you start high and then calmly and surely hit a number that both parties are happy with. 

Though it is not a good idea to start the negotiation with an amount that is incredibly high and completely out of the employer’s reach. It can, if it goes completely wrong, end up with both parties leaving the meeting with a negative impression of each other – which must be avoided. 

2. Compare salaries for your position

If you do not have much knowledge about your expected salary, you can research what others in the same position earn. There are so many resources available online to find the average monthly salary for a given position based on seniority, geography, and other parameters – you can find statistics on everything from software developers to key account managers. Once you have an overview, you can put your work tasks and results in comparison and in the end, you will have an idea what salary you can expect. 

3. Get an overview of your results

Now we mention results again, because in the end the results are the ones you are measured on. It is very important that you are aware of your results in your previous or current company since this is your selling points. You must clarify what value you have added to the company over the last year, and it makes you significantly stronger during the salary negotiations.

4. Talk about salary with colleagues

It is still a controversial and sore point when the theme falls on salary in companies. Some people might say that it is allowed while others will say it is forbidden. But it is always a good idea to get an understanding and an overview by talking internally with colleagues or externally across organizations about salary conditions. The knowledge you gather can ultimately help you get a higher salary than you had expected. 

The secret to employee productivity and happiness is according to research, as simple as trusting your employees. Trust in the workplace can have far reaching benefits on everything from performance to the work environment in the workplace. 

1. Better performance

When trusting your employees, they are more likely to work their full potential and perform better. If the management is not trusting the employee, it hurts the employee morale, which will turn into lower productivity. Which is why the hiring process of hiring an employee is very important. Whether you do the recruitment yourself or through a professional recruitment agency. You must ensure that you choose the right people to grow your company and to make a positive impact. It is up to the management to take a step back and show confidence in the employees that they have hired. 

2. Independent employees 

Micromanagement is harmful to both employees and managers. Managers will waste a lot of valuable time on supervising, instead of spending time on leading the employees. In the same time the employees lose their productivity and they start to believe that they need the management approval for every activity. Making them unlikely to think of any creative solutions to problems by themselves. If you trust in your employees, they are more likely to be more independent, creative and bring better value to the company.  

3. Improved work environment 

One of the last reasons to trust your employees is that you will create a better and improved work environment. Managers who give their employees the opportunity to work independently will create more productivity and a happier atmosphere. Trusting your employees creates a better sense of community and it helps building a better team spirit. That is important for your team to be successful and for your company to grow. Finally it will automatically give your company a good reputation. Since your employees are positive and you have reduced the employee turnover.

1. You skip the preparation

Perhaps your company is growing or one of your employees have resigned and you suddenly need to find a skilled replacement. Maybe you can already post the job description this afternoon if you just create one quickly or reuse an old job description? But it is right here you must take a step back and take yourself time to find the right candidate. Because it requires a longer process to hire the right employee.

It is important to make a thorough job analysis and a competency profile, so you know exactly what person you are looking for to join your team. In the job description you must describe what the job is about and what competencies the position requires. When the job description is accurate, it also becomes much easier to find the right person for the position. 

2. You do not include relevant employees 

When looking for a new employee, it is important to include relevant employees in the decision making. They might not have the final decision, but they can be a great support when trying to find the right fit for the team. Perhaps the employees have some important requirements for the candidates’ personal profile and working profile which you have not taken into consideration. 

Perhaps the current employees can be helpful when it comes to creating the right job description and when creating the job advertisement itself. The job advertisement can pose many challenges that require time and careful consideration, both in relation to the template and where the job advertisement shall be posted. 

3. You talk more than you listen

Now you have finally received a lot of applications and have decided which candidates who are suitable for your company. You have also prepared a lot of questions, that you are looking forward to asking the different candidates for the job interviews. On one hand it is good to be prepared, but on the other hand it would be wise to just be quiet. 

One of the many mistakes you should avoid when hiring is to talk too much, which is a mistake too many interviewers make. Your primary role is instead to listen carefully and ask questions to what the candidate has to say. 

4. You do not check references

The last point of the 4 mistakes to avoid when hiring, is to avoid to not check the references. Perhaps the candidate looks perfect for the role on paper, and she did great to the job interview. But is she really who she pretends to be? To be sure that you find the right candidate to join your team and to grow your company, it is important to secure references from others who have previously worked with the potential new employee. 

When contacting the reference person, you should only ask questions that have a significant impact on the applicant’s ability to hold the current position. It could also be an idea to work with a recruitment agency, who can help you verify the specific candidate or help you through the entire recruitment process, so that you ensure that you find the right candidate for your company. 

Trusting your employees can bring a lot of benefits for your company and for the work environment. Therefore, managers and executives invest a lot of effort and time building trust in their teams at work. Both establishing trust in their employees and ensuring that their employees trust them in return. But still many employees say that they do not feel trusted by their managers. When employees do not feel trusted, the productivity at the workplace and the motivation often suffer. It is the managers responsibility to signal trust in their employees in thoughtful and consistent ways. So, how to build trust in the workplace? 

Flexible Working Structure 

One of the best ways to build trust in the workplace, is by trusting your employees. Managers must establish routines with their employees that enable them to keep up with their work without micromanaging. A weekly or monthly routine of check-ins will give the manager the opportunity to stay informed. A flexible working structure improves the employee satisfaction, as well as increasing the organisations productivity. However, without trust from the managers, this type of working structure cannot be successful. 

Improved Communication 

When you learn how to build trust in your employees, it can improve the communication in the company. If you show trust in your employees, they will show their trust back to you, which will result in a flow of honest communication between employees and employer. Trusting and empowering your employees to give honest feedback can also be a great way to increase employee engagement in the company. 

Increased Productivity 

To build trust in the workplace is an important factor if you want to create more productivity in the company. When you build trust in the workplace your employees will get on with their work and be more productive, instead of the manager requiring constantly to check in with the employees. If you have an effective HR department or have worked with a professional recruitment agency, you can be confident that you have hired the right person for the job and you trust them to do well, instead of wasting time micromanaging people. 

Build Team Spirit 

Companies who know how to build trust in the workplace and gives their employees the space to work independently will create a healthier atmosphere and more productive team. When there is a high trust level in the workplace the employees feel more confident in themselves and each other. This means that the employee will feel more innovative and takes more risks, because they don’t feel like the manager is looking over their shoulder. This gives the employee a greater opportunity to learn and grow, which will reflect on the company. 

Focus on marketing 

Some companies are having a good and solid reputation, and they do not think it is necessary to spend money on marketing. While other companies do not understand the importance of marketing and especially not digital marketing. Unfortunately, in the world we live in today, marketing is key if you want to create knowledge about your company and if you want to keep your solid reputation. Therefore, one of the first tips will be to market your business. In this way, you can measure and create more knowledge about your target group as well.

Make it attractive to stay in the company

If the employees are happy it will reflect on the company. Since this means less sick days, less replacement and just in general a better environment in the workplace. Having competent employees who have been in the company for a long time has a strength in any company. The key employees contribute to a better work rhythm, as they know the company well. A high turnover of employees is expensive for the company, and does not look good on the outside.

Use resources and time to create an environment and a work culture that keeps employees in the company. It can, for example be to create a better social environment, or to give the employees more credit for the work they are doing. 

Update company systems

If a company has existed a long time, it could be that some areas needs updating. Many companies are getting use to specific systems, which means that they do not discover new and more effective systems in time. It is always a good idea to think about ways the system could be optimised and updated, to ensure a more effective work environment.

Create more revenue

Creating more revenue is, of course, something that every business dreams about. It is important that you seek stable, reliable, and recurring revenue, from loyal customers. But how do you make customers loyal? Look at your competitors and figure out how you can make a difference for your customers. Figure out what makes you better compared to your competitors and if you lose any customers, figure out why and make sure to learn from your mistakes.  

Create a long-term plan

Make a long-term plan for how your company will function in the future. What goals do you have for your company? Where do the future earnings come from and what direction do you want to go? It is important to keep an eye on the details and have a long-term plan laid out. This will create value for your company in the long run, since the company and the employees have a goal to work for.

But what characterizes a good working environment? And what can you do yourself to fix a bad work environment?

You can get answers to this here, where you can find out which signs you need to keep an eye on in your workplace and what you can do yourself to create a better working environment.

5 signs of a poor working environment:

• There are many sick leaves at your workplace
• There is no community between colleagues
• There is a large turnover of employees 
• You experience that the needs of the employees are not taken into account
• Management does not listen when problems are pointed out – both mental, physical and social

How to recognize a bad work environment?

A bad working environment can be seen both mentaly, physicaly and socialy. And no matter what creates the bad working environment, being a part of it can be hugely exhausting. It is harmful both for you as an employee and for you as a manager – because it becomes expensive in the long run when absence increases and efficiency decreases.

How do you recognize a bad work environment, and what can you do improve it?

A bad working environment can be anything from bullying to poor physical conditions. Overall, the work environment is conditioned by the relationships and conditions you encounter in your workplace. A badworking environment can therefore arise if the management does not listen to the employees, or if the office chair is outdated, so you get back pain. But a bad work environment is not a motivating work environment, and therefore it will ultimately also affect the management.

What should I do if I have a bad work environment?

If you come home from work every day and feel drained, depressed and completely out of energy, this is some of the many indications that it is time for changes to take place in your workplace. But it can be difficult to know where and how to change the bad work environment. 

If the work environment is bad due to social or psychological reasons, it can be difficult for one person to create a solution. If you experience problems such as stress, bullying or other factors that create an unpleasant atmosphere, it is the responsibility of the management and the workplace to ensure that the problems are rectified.

No two cases are alike, and whether it’s a single person or an entire group experiencing it, it’s important that the issue comes to light. Talk to your occupational health and safety representative if you have one. It is the responsibility of this person to take care of the mental as well as the physical work environment. Also talk to your colleagues about what you all can do to improve the work environment.

Luckily more and more workplaces are succeeding in incorporating movement and exercise in the workplace to create a better environment and happier employees.

You can probably find all sorts of reasons for why an employee chooses to leave a company. But the fact is: Employees typically do not leave their jobs, they leave their managers. Therefor we have put down 9 important reasons why employees choose to quit their job, so that you can prevent it from happening.

You push your employees too hard

Nothing drives good employees down like work pressure. It is tempting to put the best employees on the majority of work tasks, and many managers fall into that trap. But when you pressure the good employees, itcan create confusion, since It makes them feel that they are being punished for doing a good job.

Working overtime and excessive pressure have the opposite effect on productivity. A study from Stanford University shows that employee productivity deteriorates markedly every time a work week exceeds 50 hours. If a working week exceeds 55 hours, the productivity of the employees decreases so much that in reality they no longer produce anything usable.

If you want to increase the workload of a skilled employee, it is also a good idea to give the employee credit for the effort. Talented employees will be happy to take on more and more challenging work tasks if they are rewarded with, for example, more freedom, and salary supplements or a promotion. If you simply change the workload because the employee is talented, the employee will seek another position where the personreceives what they deserves.

You do not recognize and reward the good work of employees

It is easy to underestimate the effect of giving an employee credit for their efforts. Especially when your employees are top performers, who are generally motivated without outside incentives. But everyone likes recognition, especially the employees who shows extra efforts in the workplace.

You need to find out what motivates your employees and gives them the feeling that they are valued. For one employee may be a pay rise, for another may be public recognition. Whatever the employees prefer, a good manager should remember to reward if the employees have done a good job.

You do not show interest in the employees

More than half of those who leave their jobs do so because of the relationship they have with their manager. Skilled organizations make sure to have leaders who can figure out how to balance combinations of being professional and human. It is precisely such leaders who remember to celebrate an employee when he is successful, but also have empathy for the same employee when he is going through a difficult time. This kind of leader can also figure out how to challenge the employee, even when it seems unmanageable.

If you are not interested in your employees, you will always have a higher staff turnover. It is almost impossible to have an eight-hour workday in a workplace where the manager does not get involved in the general well-being of the employees, but instead worries about results.

You do not act in accordance with an agreement

When you make an agreement with an employee, it is crucial that you comply with the agreement. If you keep the agreements made with an employee, you will be valued by the employees because you prove that you are reliable – which is a very important quality of a manager.

But if you ignore your agreements, you are hard to trust. It has the effect in the workplace that others also find it difficult to keep their agreements. Because if the manager can not figure out how to keep his agreements, why should everyone else do it?

You hire and promote the wrong people

Good and hard-working employees want to work with like-minded colleagues. When you can not bother to find and hire good employees, it seems demotivating to colleagues.

Giving a promotion to the wrong employee is even worse. When an employee makes a persistent effort at work, only to see another receive the promotion, it can feel like an insult. It can make good employees leave their position.

You do not let employees pursue what they are passionate about

Talented employees are often passionate, and giving them an opportunity to pursue their passion increases their productivity and job satisfaction. But many managers prefer employees to work in a specific area. These managers fear that productivity will fall if they offer the employee flexibility. Studies show that people who have the opportunity to pursue their passion at work generally are more productive than the norm.

You do not develop employee competencies

When managers don’t give their employees a lot of attention, it often means that the managers have trust in their employees, to work very independently. But this is not always the right solution. Successful managerslead their team, no matter how talented their employees are. They pay attention to the employees, listen and give feedback to them.

When you have a talented employee, it is your responsibility to find new areas where the employee can improve and develop his or her competencies. If not, the employee will start to get bored and start looking for new opportunities.

You do not encourage creativity

The most talented employees strive to improve themselves as much as possible. Taking away the opportunity for change and improvement because you are most comfortable with the state of things can cause your employees to lose motivation. Capturing the natural desire to create not only limits employees, it also limits yourself and your company.

You do not challenge your employees

Good managers challenge their employees to achieve goals that seem unthinkable at first. Instead of setting boring gradual goals, good managers set ambitious goals that push people out of their comfort zone. After that, the manager should do everything they can to help the employee succeed. Because when talented and intelligent employees do something that is too easy or boring, they start looking for other jobs that may challenge them in a more intellectual way.