Human Resources Archives

Design Thinking in HR

Design Thinking in HR https://i2.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DesignThinkingBlog.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i2.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DesignThinkingBlog.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 20, 2019 June 6, 2019

What is design thinking?

Design Thinking is a methodology where a company uses empathy and experimentation to find creative solutions in order to tackle problems in a solution oriented mindset.

It can be used in any field of work and it is a user-centric way of resolving complex problems.

How does Design Thinking apply in the HR department?

The ideology of Design Thinking can be applied in most aspects of a company structure and in recent years HR has become increasingly interested in introducing Design Thinking methodology instead of a purely analytical process.

When companies find themselves in front of complex problems, Design Thinking can be an optimal approach to simplifying the problem and finding innovative and creative solutions.

Design Thinking in HR is used to better meet the needs of the customers and employees. In order to achieve an implementable and innovative solution ( as a HR manager, or in a similar position), you must enter the process with an open mind to new ideas, which might change the way things have been working up until this point.

Be acceptive, embrace original solutions and don’t punish failure. It’s all part of the process, and in many cases there is more to be learned from failure than success.

While tackling failure, you can take a entrepreneurial approach, where you try to overcome mistakes in order to reach success in environments of high uncertainty. In this case failure and innovation go hand in hand as a iteration, rather than failure being the end of the road.

Use a focused approach where instead of taking on one big project or one big problem, you divide it in smaller and more achievable projects, while keeping in mind the big picture.

Working with a smaller and more attainable tasks doesn’t end up being overwhelming and gets faster results.

Practical guide to Design Thinking in HR

Empathy

Here are some examples of questions you might want to ask yourself:

Do the employees:

feel appreciated and seen?
feel heard and taken seriously?
have a memorable employee experience?
feel empowered and are passionate about their work?

Start the process by writing down questions where you merge your internal weaknesses with the goals and visions you have for the future of the company.

These questions represent the key phase in the Design Thinking process, which is EMPATHY.

Empathize with the employees, their needs and start the process by looking at things from their perspective. By actively listening to them you can create value in their work and improve both their employee experience and their human experience. Subsequently the benefits that come from this change in the company will, in time, improve ROI, create a stronger brand (through the employees that become brand ambassadors) and set an environment where people are happy and proud of their jobs.

In order to gather the necessary information whilst remaining objective you can choose a simple tool such as an organized brainstorming session with the employees, or you might choose to do other things such as interviews, a journey map or develop personas. It is up to you and your needs to decide how much time and energy you want to invest in this phase.

In cognitive thinking there are are two thinking processes. Divergent and convergent thinking.

Divergent thinking refers to the creative way where way you come up with ideas and explore different possibilities without being analytical about them.

Then comes convergent thinking which is all about analyzing the ideas, improving them and taking decisions about the applications of the idea.

The empathy phase in Design Thinking is to be tackled with a divergent thinking approach where volume is key.

Define

Now that you have a good understanding of the needs of your employees, and have gathered a vast amount of data, you can start to think about a way to simplify their work lives by defining a core problem.

This phase can be done by analyzing and synthesizing the data with a convergent thinking approach resulting in a human centered problem statement that you can use further in this process. Aim for a problem statement that is rooted in human relations and putting people above process and monetary returns.

What to do if the results of your analysis culminate in a complex, nearly unsolvable problem?

You are precise in your statement, and if it seems like the problem is simply too complicated you break it down into smaller pieces. Take one step at a time and remember that this is an agile process where you can always come back to your data and redefine your problem statement if down the road your findings lead you in another direction.

Ideate

You made it this far! You have gathered data and defined your problem in a human centered form and now it is time to free your creativity and ideate.

Think in a creative problem solving manner, allow yourself to be prolific and think outside the box and outside of traditional approaches.

Take a divergent thinking approach and you will end up having several ideas which may as well be very different and original. This is a good thing! Do not limit yourself and your imagination!

The process can be kickstarted with several techniques such as Brainstorming, Braindumping, Worst Possible Idea, SCAMPER or Gamestorming.

When you aim to think outside of the existing parameters and do it with the help of one or more of these tools you end up using both your rational mind and your imagination.

Have a diverse team working on this and let them be empowered to find solutions and be part of the organization in a proactive way.

Give room to creativity and innovation and be prepared to design the innovative system of the future. This can be accomplished by allowing creative freedom and not focusing on boundaries, the way you are used to do things and maybe the most important, not punishing failure.

Prototype

You have now developed many ideas that can help you solve your problem. Think of it as

divergent approach when finding ideas and convergent when narrowing down through the multitude of choices and finding out which ones are feasible, implementable and offer an answer to your problem definition.

Now it’s time to filter the ideas until there are only a few or even one solution left on the table. When you have gathered the solutions it’s time to take action!

The solution/solutions should be implemented/tested at a small scale. This can be done in a small team, a small target group or with a small number of employees.

It works as an iterative process where the solutions are designed in order to better suit the defined users needs. Be creative and make this a fast and inexpensive process. It doesn’t have to look or work perfectly, it can simply be done with the help of rapid prototyping techniques such as paper prototyping, sketching or storyboarding.

Test

In the final stage of Design Thinking, the testing phase, you get to test the prototipes. Here the designs are to be tested and refined until you reach a satisfactory result. Make sure to not interfere of influence the test persons, but merely observe their natural interaction with your prototype.

The test team validates or disputes the assumptions from the prototyping phase (based on your core problem) and start prioritizing the feasible solutions. The initial prototype is upgraded or perhaps mixed with other prototypes in order to make a more defined and clear solution.

Upping your game, the new HR solution should be tested on a bigger scale with a more thought and perfected prototype. Be open to constructive criticism and receive it with a mindset in which there is always room for improvement. When that happens, improve and adjust product in order to be as close to a perfect solution as possible.

A good solution will be easy to implement because if it serves as a real help for your core problem it will develop organically.

Sum up

Iteration is the key word in Design Thinking.

Make sure to include the Empathy phase, which is the core of the process. Everything else is relative and depending on your needs.

Keep the process as easy as possible and remember to be proactive and fast in taking action. Move away from the more traditional approach where all the stages take a long time and effort. In the Design Thinking methodology is important that you define your problem and when you have a good idea, get creative in a fast and inexpensive way of testing your solutions.

Hacking the candidate journey

Hacking the candidate journey https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/HackingTheJourney.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/HackingTheJourney.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 19, 2019 June 6, 2019

Redefine your recruitment strategy and take an omnichannel recruitment approach in order to create a memorable candidate journey.

The process of filling in a new job opening can be costly in terms of time and money. Recruiters have the challenge to find a candidate that masters the required skills while fitting in the company culture, and on the opposite side, candidates have challenges in finding the right fit for their career.

On the flip side, there is nothing more gratifying than the moment the process ends with a good match for both, recruiter and candidate.

The candidate journey

The candidate journey describes the road taken by a candidate that applies for a job.

As a recruiter you want to take into consideration all the touchpoints the candidate comes in contact with and make sure you respond with consistency in all of them.

It starts with the process of making the candidate aware of your company and your job openings. This stage is tricky to define because the active candidates might take the action to apply the moment they come in contact with your brand, and for other candidates, typically passive candidates it might take a lot of time and research before they make the decision to apply.

As a company you are not in control as to which touchpoint the candidate first comes in contact with, but you can optimise you channels so they are interconnected and your brand is omnipresent.

Delighting the candidates and giving them a good and smooth candidate experience from the get go will let you develop relationships with your future candidates long before you will need them to apply for a job.

According to The Future Of Recruiting Study made by CareerArc, 64% of job seekers with a poor candidate experience would be less likely to make a purchase from that company, so the bad experiences are not only influencing the candidates in the present moment, but are also influencing their future consumer behavior.

Now that we are looking at how bad experiences affect the candidates, the same study shows that 55% of job seekers that have read a negative review on the company decide to stop applying for the job. Having this information lets you take charge of your reviews and the way you respond to them.

The second phase in the candidate journey is the consideration / interest phase where the candidates get converted into applying. During this phase the candidates have multiple interactions with your brand and employer brand.

Not all candidates will spend time to check you out and understand you company, but around 69% of active candidates will take their time to do so. The candidates that are really interested in your company will do their research and try to grasp your culture from the information they have available. You want to meet them prepared and let your Employer Branding strategy charm them into taking the action of applying.

The final phases in the candidate journey are application and hiring. The hiring process ends with these two phases. All the efforts taken in the initial phases will pay off when candidates need to take action and apply for the job.

All the previous phases will also determine the way they will apply. If they have a high interest in you, they will put an extra effort in their application, showing you how they are the best fit for your company.

For the candidate journey to be a successful and positive experience for all involved parts, you as a company can put in place a recruiting strategy.

Omnichannel recruiting strategy

Whether we are aware of it or not, omnichannel marketing is all around in our interaction with brands. This terminology is typically used in a marketing or retail sense, but why not be an innovator and apply this to the HR department?

The terminology omnichannel marketing means mixing all the touchpoints a customer goes through, digital and interpersonal interaction and giving them a continuous experience.

Give the candidates a personalized and memorable experience across channels and devices, that align with your goals and culture in a form of flow of convenient interactions.

In a practical sense it means that no matter the channel or touchpoint the candidate comes in contact with, their experience continues, rather than start over.

Think of it as of watching a movie on Netflix from your tv and then when you open the app on your phone, you get the same experience and you can continue watching where you left off. This is exactly the kind of customer-centric approach you can use so that your company’s candidate journey is as seamless as possible, while allowing companies to deliver a consistent and effective brand message, thus aligning your recruitment strategy with consumer behaviour.

Consumer behaviour is influenced by a number of factors including marketing strategies, economic conditions, personal preferences and group preferences. Recruiters can tailor the recruitment strategy to optimise the reach of qualified potential employers and create a strong talent pool.

To sum up, think of all the touchpoints you have with your candidates and design a consistent communication flow in order to give candidates a great candidate journey.

Your brand consistency represents the pattern of expression that determines the way your company is perceived by the outside world, so putting a extra effort in the way you present yourself will improve the candidates perception.

Et citat der siger: "Harnes the power of social recruitment"

Harnessing the power of social recruiting

Harnessing the power of social recruiting https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/harnessing2.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/harnessing2.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 16, 2019 June 6, 2019

Social recruiting is extremely powerful for the current and future state of your company! Want to get a clear understanding on how to use social recruiting in your recruitment process in order to reach the best candidates, may they be active or passive?

Then this article is for you!

Online content gets consumed in increasing numbers each year. Actually, multiple social media platforms at once. With that in mind, one of the questions in HR-ON’s “Meet the team” section is, “What are the top 5 most-used apps on your phone?”. You will be able to see in the future posts that most of the people answering will choose them to be mostly social media apps.

Thinking about it, you can likely name 5 social media platforms without difficulty. The permanent usage of social channels has changed the way we interact with each other and has had a profound impact on the way we approach the job search process.

Job searching and recruiting continue to evolve alongside of numerous trends in the HR departments. Technological advancements, results from previous campaigns, competitor’s campaigns and predictions for the future are only few examples of influential factor in HR development. These are the factors that will mold the recruiting systems in the future years.

Progression changes direction and new innovative solutions might replace all the recruitment efforts we are working on today. Now, I am not saying it’s not important to be up to date, relevant and appeal to the different generations, but remember, to take a breath and find your own online voice and be genuine in doing so.

Looking back in time we see examples of influencers that were dead wrong about future trends. In 2007, when Apple was just in the beginning of developing a phone that acted as a computer as well, Steve Ballmer (CEO of Microsoft at the time) said ”There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. ”

Going mobile

The time for websites that are not responsive is ending. Small and medium sized companies are getting on board and reaping the value of user centered designs, a trend which seems to increase every year.

Not to mention, a report made at Cisco that predicts that mobile data traffic will increase sevenfold between 2017 and 2022. Besides that, if looking at the accelerated evolution within the past years, the development doesn’t seem to stop at 2022.

According to Statista there will be nearly 2.9 billion users of mobile devices by 2020 so not having a responsive website will end up costing customers in the long run.

Interact with users and participate actively in conversations

People like to form a connection and get in contact with companies through dialogue. LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs and all other social channels serve as a way to peek into the lives of possible collaborators and future candidates for your job openings. Participating actively in meaningful and related conversations gives you access and can awake interest in passive candidates.

Passive candidates

Now that we are talking about these specific candidates, what exactly is a passive candidate?

A passive candidate is a person who is not currently looking for a job, but has the potential of being the perfect fit for your company. They represent a big percentage of the workforce, in fact 92% of candidates would consider switching jobs if a company with an excellent reputation offered them a position. That alone should be a incentive to be proactive and start building a good brand reputation!

The passive candidates already have the stability of a job, though, so you will need will need to charm and make them want to join you.

You can do that with your social media marketing strategy and a focus on employer branding.

This is a significant and effective gateway in the pursuit of the passive candidates. A lot of magic comes with this buzzword and there is more to come. The influencer market has become quite saturated, and social media channels are battling fake accounts and people faking their real influence, so employer branding is becoming an increasingly relevant method of establishing a credible and trustworthy brand.

Online reputation

Ideally, your online reputation is flawless, you reach your audience with little effort, prospective clients and candidates can easily find and interact with your company and your best content. Now, the reality is that there is a long way to reach all of that and it is a work in progress.

Quality content that is tailored for your desired audience is a great way to start. Know your audience and optimise their online experience so that there aren’t any inconsistencies and confusing call to action in your digital footprint.

A 2017 study made by DemandGenReport shows that 75% of people said that the online content had a significant impact on their buying decision, so gaining their trust through quality content pays off in the long run.

Make a social media strategy that adjusts to your audiences behaviour so that you talk their language, without losing your brand identity.

Your presence on each social platform can differ, as long as your core values and identity is still represented.

It comes without saying that all the technical aspects need to work as in working landing pages, no errors and responsive design.

Use your employers networks

The chance is that you and your employees are connected through social networks to many potential customers and potential candidates. Tap into that potential and connect with the audience in a more organic way.

This can be included in your employer branding strategy, because your employers are your best asset and their networks may as well be a gold mine.

In order to have employers that are ambassadors of your brand, they need to be happy, satisfied and feel like they matter in your organization for their efforts to be genuine.

Empower them to be active socially, digitally and even encourage them to write about working with you on their blogs and give reviews of your company.

According to a 2018 study done by BrightLocal, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so covering both of those fronts gives you best exposure.

Make sure your employers know that you are open to them sharing and helping to fill in job positions and some even make it as an ERP -employer referral program- where there can come bonuses for referring to an excellent candidate that ends up being employed.

Show off your employees and your company culture, including that in your social media marketing strategy and on your website. Make visible the fact that you are proud of your employers and your work environment.

In this previous article we talk about the usage of video in recruiting qualified candidates and is a great opportunity in your employer branding and social recruiting.

Be mindful about utilising the power of social media, your own and your employers networks in order to get the best results in the recruitment process.

There is so much access to broad networks and information, so it is your and your company’s responsibility to use it to its fullest in your recruitment.

The business value of diversity and integration

The business value of diversity and integration https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ValueDiversity.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ValueDiversity.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 9, 2019 June 6, 2019

What is all the hype around diversity and inclusion? Is there an increase in focus on fewer opportunities for some, or equal opportunities for everyone?

What exactly is the meaning of diversity in the workplace?

Does it pay off from a business perspective to focus on diversity and integration?

These are some questions that might be on your mind when talking about diversity. Let’s break it down into smaller pieces.

Diversity

The employees have their own set of skills which are attained through studies and experience, as well as through their personal and professional background, all of which will affect their work perspective in certain ways.

On a personal level we are talking amongst others about ethnicity, country of origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or disabilities. The second level is the professional diversity that includes amongst others academic background, career path, industry background, personality type and thinking style.

All of these traits and experiences are accumulated over time and give candidates unique perspectives and skills that come in handy when the company wishes to increase creativity and develop innovative solutions. That being said, employers are not defined by their background, but rather enriched by it.

Integration

Integration can be designed as an ongoing process in which all the qualified bidders are taken in consideration and where the focus lies on giving everyone a fair, unbiased chance and not concentrating on excluding some or stop hiring and promoting the typical profile.

Inclusion is shifting attention towards bringing people in as a substitute for keeping people out.

A workplace that focuses on a culture that is accepting of diverse profiles and that includes everyone is on their way of designing the job environment for the future workforce.

This is done by designing a workplace where employers can all have lunch together, make company activities so people interact with each other beyond work tasks and be aware of the employers work-life balance.

Look beyond culture fit when hiring for new positions. By looking for someone who will compliment your work culture you end up having a fresh mindset that will improve and bring new insights to your team. Teams created by like minded employers with a similar cultural heritage and educational background tend to become homogeneous thus making growth and development a slow process.

It all starts with the leadership

Include training in cultural awareness, diversity and inclusion. Set guidelines that will ensure the implementation of processes that support and embrace diversity in the workplace.

Measure the progress of the inclusion efforts with the help of analytics. There are relatively easy options to help eliminate bias from inclusion and diversity processes. Analytics help identify and minimise unconscious prejudice throughout the HR departments.

The first step in combating bias is to be aware of it. Once recruiters become aware of this, they will be more likely to screen for a broader candidate base.

Optimize the hiring process so it is based solely on merit and not cultural heritage, race or simply a name that sounds foreign, and continue with the career advancement processes in promotions and leadership development. Focus on these issues and give a fair chance to all candidates and therefore enhance employee involvement and give them a memorable employee experience.

Business value in diversity

There is revenue to be gained by D&I. The benefits are numerous, starting with increased creativity and innovation. A recent BCG study shows that companies with a diverse leadership have 19% higher revenue. This is the result of a diverse team that will inspire each other and come up with more diverse solutions to the company’s problems.

Creativity is broken loose, more innovative solutions come on the table, you get a competitive advantage and the employees are engaged and motivated to do their job knowing that their actions are acknowledged and they have a fair chance of advancement. As a result you get a positive reputation which enhances your talent pool.

–for those curious minds a talent pool is a database where hr managers keep all their top job candidates.–

The only offset is that it takes time and engagement to change the way things have been working out so far, and naturally the beginning might be rocky, so keep at it if you want to see results.

Future predictions

We are facing a accelerating globalisation and advancement in technology and access to education. Therefore the future of the talent pool is expected to grow in the future, in fact, according to The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

“the number of young people aged 25-34 with a tertiary qualification increased by nearly 45% between 2005 and 2013 in OECD and G20 countries and is expected to keep increasing in the coming decade”.

Though migration may make a difference in where the future workforce will come from, the OECD predicts that the individuals with a higher education in the working age population from the EU countries is likely to increase from 26% in 2015 to 34% .”

By 2030 more than 60% of science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM) educated young people will come from non OECD countries mainly India and China.

The Social Enterprise

The Social Enterprise https://i1.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SocialEnterprise-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i1.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SocialEnterprise-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 7, 2019 May 22, 2019

The social enterprise concept has regained momentum. In 2018, Deloitte published their Global Human Capital Trends stressing the importance of corporate citizenship. It is time we take a closer look at this concept.

What does ‘social enterprise’ mean?

The core of a social enterprise is defined by the term ‘citizenship’. Citizenship in its original sense grants an individual the rights of a person that is “born in a particular country” whilst fulfilling moral obligations that result from being a member of a society. So, in a business context, enterprises – as a member of society – are expected to behave in a responsible manner. Increasing stakeholder expectations, regarding the support of critical societal problems, demonstrate this trend quite clearly.

A social enterprise uses its influence on society in a positive way by addressing issues, such as global warming, diversity or gender equal pay. As you can see, topics that are usually tackled in the political domain are being transferred to a business context as well.

And how does it work?

According to Josh Bersin, who is part of the team that researched and published the Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2018, there are two main characteristics of a social enterprise: being a ‘networked organisation’ internally whilst having a high focus on the impact each member of the company has on its external environment.

This sounds all very well, but what are the benefits of a social enterprise, especially when a CSR program is already in place?

The difference between those two terms can already be found in their wording: a social enterprise incorporates responsible behaviour in all its actions throughout the entire organisation – from interns to C-suite. A CSR program on the other hand, is a plan that is put into place and does not necessarily impact the behaviour throughout the entire organisation.

Well, what are the benefits?

In the beginning a number of issues has been mentioned that are expected to be tackled by social enterprises, e.g. gender equal pay. The fact that these problems have become a matter of public discussion shows a trend towards transparency. A company acting with integrity can only benefit from being transparent.

Closely related to the trend towards transparency is the growing economic importance of the Generation Y. Millennials are informed and aware consumers that show a strong tendency to define corporate citizenship as a decisive factor in their decision-making process before purchasing a product. With millennials representing 35% of the workforce until 2020 and a spending power of nearly $15tn by 2020, this is a competitive advantage which shows great potential for future growth. A social enterprise serves customer and employer branding at the same time. Amongst others, this is a reason why an increased financial performance appears to be linked to corporate citizenship.

How can all this be put into practice?

A social enterprise focusses internally on supporting the well-being of its employees and reward systems can be put in place, for example. By allowing employees to further develop their skills, and thereby encouraging them to reinvent themselves, a pool of unstopped talent can be created. To serve the external world, company goals and projects targeting social problems do not exclude each other. All in all remembering that we are living in a connected world in which all technological advances cannot replace a human touch.

A person who is recording a concert on a mobile phone

Recruit the best talent through video

Recruit the best talent through video https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/video.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/video.jpg?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 7, 2019 May 22, 2019

The recruitment process is growing more complex as our thirst for development increases in tact with technological progression. It is no surprise that we are focusing more and more on video content seeing as studies show that in 2019, 80% of the world’s internet traffic will be driven by video. We are consuming more video material than ever before, making it only a matter of time before it becomes an increasingly popular way of recruitment.

Big companies like Microsoft, Apple and Deloitte have been using video in their recruitment processes for years now with great results, both in terms of building brand awareness and candidate attraction, and now it’s time for smaller companies to get on board or get left behind.

Start out with employer branding

Before you post a new job, you can work on your employer branding by marketing your company as a attractive workplace.

Define and write down the areas you want to show your uniqueness in and then build up your employer branding and recruitment marketing in pursuance of showcasing your values and culture. Determine the future candidates profiles and make a touchpoint analysis for the candidates journey.

Having a clear message in mind and a focus on the specific touchpoint interactions when starting this process will help you be more specific and precise in your employer branding efforts. It’s a trial and error process, highly adjustable and helpful in pinpointing the marketing efforts that have a positive effect on your employer brand and those that may harm your brands image.

The employees are a great asset and when they are satisfied with their workplace, have great employer experiences and believe in your values, they are willing to go the extra mile both in their daily tasks as well as in showing the whole world that they are happy about being part of the company.

You can encourage your employees to be active brand ambassadors by having a open policy where the individual is involved and informed about the happenings and direction the company is heading to, organizing company events, as well as instigating the employees to come up with new ideas and be a part of content creation.

Design your employer branding strategy to also accommodate the future generation of candidates–>millennials.

Direct your marketing efforts towards appealing to the younger generations and with a big focus on millennials. Being the generation that is taking over the workforce the job recruiting of the future need to accommodate the needs of the new generation. The visibility and branding efforts that you are planning now will have a impact on the perception the candidates will have about you and on which level you will appeal to them.

The type of content you want to share with the public is content that will be relevant and interesting for the candidates, in form of text, pictures and of course video.

Your social media channels, job postings and your career page are a great place to exhibit your work environment and attract candidates that will fit and flourish in you company.

Offer video applications

You can take the usage of video to another level by including it throughout the candidate application process.

One simple example is having a team member describe the job posting in person rather than a standard text posting. This gives candidates a sneak peak at what the job requires, who they would be working with, and what they can expect in such as role. This is far more engaging and a far more effective way of engaging with the millenial job seeker, especially if you are using social media as a distribution channel, as 75% of millennials watch video on social media daily.

Another example, and a long-standing feature of HR-ON, is allowing candidates to submit a video as the entirety of their application or in response to specific application questions. The majority of job seekers now days are browsing for jobs on their phones, with some even looking specifically for positions that allow for easy mobile submission without the need to deal with submitting via desktop. Give these individuals the option to record a quick video and you are more likely to have them consider the role rather than pass it right by.

While these are two simple examples of using video in the application process, there are sure to be others out there. Get creative! The objective here is to think like the candidate and make the process fun and engaging. In doing so, you will be on the right track to recruiting the best talent, building great teams, and telling the full story of what your organization is all about.

Can artificial intelligence elevate the world of HR?

Can artificial intelligence elevate the world of HR? https://i1.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AI_Article_Image-560x420.jpg?fit=560%2C420&ssl=1 560 420 HR-ON HR-ON https://i1.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AI_Article_Image-560x420.jpg?fit=560%2C420&ssl=1 March 7, 2019 May 22, 2019

Another year has come and gone and with it, a slew of new technological advances hit the market with bold promises to change our lives for the better. Unfortunately, and as to be expected, not all of them lived up to those promises – exploding Galaxy Note 7’s, rouge robotic suitcases, and less than spectacular snapchat spectacles were a few of the years not so fantastic moments that we can bury in the time capsule that was 2018. However, and thankfully for the sake of humanity and the HR profession, there were also innovations that turned heads for the right reasons, one of those being the advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Although the connection between AI and HR might not immediately ring bells for some, the truth is that there are many ways AI has the ability improve the HR function. Imagine a day where you are not chasing a never-ending paper trail but rather your systems are operating more efficiently, you’re making better decisions, and thereby, you have increased productivity and increased profits. Who doesn’t like the sound of that?!

With these benefits in mind, many organizations are already taking steps to embrace the technology on their HR teams. For example, Flexport, a supply chain management company, is using AI to help streamline the sourcing of hard to find engineering talent. Consulting firm rloop is using AI to improve the experience and effectiveness of new hire onboarding. And these applications are only the tip of the iceberg of what AI can help achieve. Here are some additional areas where AI can help your HR team:

1. Automating business processes and administrative tasks

AI enabled application tracking systems have the ability to help in automating business processes and repetitive recruiting tasks such as sourcing and reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews and providing feedback, and identifying commonalities between the profiles of existing employees and incoming applicants. In automatting these tasks, HR leaders gain the opportunity to spend more time with their business partners and employees, one of the biggest challenges in today’s HR landscape. Additionally, recruiters and HR managers also acquire more time to focus on the strategic work that AI will most likely never replace and place more emphasis on the quality of the recruiting process.

2. Sourcing better candidates

We are all looking for the candidates that wow us – skills and experience to match the job qualifications, perfect fit for company culture, and just an all around good person. But the reality is, identifying these individuals can sometimes feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, sourcing candidates is one of AI’s most useful applications. AI enabled systems can help ensure that the language you use in your postings is bias-free which aids in attracting a diversified pool of candidates. It can also help narrow the talent pipeline by pinpointing the best resumes and providing suggestions on potentially well-matched candidates which can significantly speed up the top of the recruiting funnel process and help HR professionals make smarter decisions about who to bring through the door which ultimately increases the quality of hires.

Wish you could send every applicant, regardless of the volume of candidates, timely and personalized responses all throughout the recruiting process with feedback and updates on their candidate status? Or have someone answer all of the repetitive frequently asked question you get in your inbox and suck up so much of your time? That future is not far off with the help of AI enabled applicant tracking systems and chatbots. Combined, these technologies have the ability to help alleviate the dozens of emails and calls recruiters get with inquiries from candidates inquiring about everything from the recruiting process to their status and give back hours and hours of wasted time. Additionally, these improvements in communication can go a long way in creating a favorable image of your company and favorable candidate experience by ensuring applicants that their CV didn’t just fall into a black hole.

4. Staying compliant

Ever since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in May 2018, the word compliance has taken on a whole new meaning for many companies. There has been a race to upgrade systems, improve processes, and add on extra layers of security. While these are valid solutions, the organizations that are truly winning in the compliance arena are those who are looking to AI. With AI applications, you not only get the assurance that your data stays safe and secure, but more importantly, organizations have the ability to recognize patterns and inconsistencies and be alert to potential security breaches well ahead of time. These advances help to save precious time and resources, help avoid potential PR disasters, and most importantly, protect the data of your employees and customers – a win-win for everyone.

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An HR-ON perspective on a diverse workplace

An HR-ON perspective on a diverse workplace https://i2.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HR_ON_Diversity.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i2.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HR_ON_Diversity.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 7, 2019 May 22, 2019

Having a diverse workplace, as in our company HR-ON, can be an immense advantage, not only from a personal point of view, but above all business-wise.

In this article, we will list the positive changes that we have experienced by having colleagues from different cultures and with disparate backgrounds.

A continuous flow of great ideas
As you can imagine, in a diverse workplace, engaging in personal and professional experiences together can be like a volcanic eruption of brilliant ideas. Most of the new features of our e-recruitment system were born in this way!
A considerable ability to adapt
Many of our co-workers come from other countries than Denmark, and this means that they have had to adapt to life in another country, sometimes completely different from their own and therefore, adapting to a new and diverse workplace won’t be a problem at all. Actually, they will definitely spice up your working day!
An improvement in your company culture
Nowadays, it’s all about employer branding. You will have a powerful recruitment tool by setting up a diverse and talented team.
An enhancement to applicant variety
If a future applicant checks your company page and sees that the company is diverse, they will feel more encouraged to apply. This has even been the case with some of our colleagues.
A wider range of abilities
Every culture has many peculiar characteristics that can be translated to professional skills, but also personal abilities to use as an advantage for your company. Some of us are more structured and analytical and others are more “free-thinkers” but we managed to find the right balance and to learn a lot from each other.
Many new perspectives
Do you have a problem you just can’t seem to find the solution to? A different perspective is what you need! Ask your co-workers and you might find a solution.
An exciting boost to your productivity
When the employees are in a good environment, their productivity and commitment to the company increase considerably. Our developers couldn’t agree more!
More challenges to face
Working with similar people might seem more comfortable and easy, while a multicultural and diverse environment might seem more challenging, however, in the long run it will be more rewarding and exciting to work in such an environment.

WHAT DO OUR COLLEAGUES SAY?

Birthe, Customers Support & Communication:

We are about 18 people at our office, and we represent eight different countries. I like the variety of the languages and cultures, partly because it’s nice to be able to practice my language skills. And partly because it gives a nice vibe to the office when we’re not all from the same country with the same traditions. We hear about other traditions and cultures – and we taste different food!

Bjorgvin, Brand Manager:

The benefit of working in a diverse workplace is that you get to know a lot of fantastic people, with useful and inspiring personal and professional trades that you can learn a lot from. It’s all about working together, finding our strengths and weaknesses and to develop as professionals in the most optimal way – “taking the best of both worlds”

Yelizaveta, Marketing and Sales Coordinator

For me it’s an everlasting source of learning from each other, which allows to solve issues in a faster and more effective way. Diversity keeps changing and improving crucial things around in a better way.

Ways to make good use of the quiet summertime

Ways to make good use of the quiet summertime https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BeachWork.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BeachWork.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 7, 2019 May 22, 2019

30 degrees. Summer. Colleagues are on holiday and work processes are slowing down. The months of July and August are considered slow recruiting months. Recruitment slows down in July, before accelerating at the end of August. Recruitment processes fall by the wayside because interviews are difficult to plan.

However, there are ways to make meaningful use of these quiet months.

For example, the summer season is the time of year when recruiters can reconsider their hiring strategy. Employees have high expectations of their workplace. Especially young graduates can not be satisfied with the usual advantages offered by a company. The coffee quality must be “fairtrade” and be served with a “homemade” piece of cake. A recruiter today has to find good arguments to make a company attractive to employees. If not, the best candidates will not be interested in working for the company. In the quiet summer months, the question then arises: what can the respective company offer and how can these potential benefits be sold to the potential employee?

But not only are fewer vacancies advertised also fewer applicants apply for these posts. In these relatively slow recruitment months, it might be worthwhile to look more closely at the few and, in the first place, perhaps not preferred applications. Also, examine old applications is an opportunity to fill open positions in the summer. Applicants with a non-100% CV but impressive employment history might be well suited to open positions. For example, a woman who wants to return to work after maternity leave.

In addition, July / August is the time of the year in which graduates complete their studies and leave college and university. It is therefore the best time of the year to occupy entry-level positions. Smart recruiters use this time to engage young professionals before entering into contracts with competitors.

For this reason, make use of the quiet summertime to prepare well for the coming months.

7 easy tips for dealing with stress in the HR department

7 easy tips for dealing with stress in the HR department https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Dealing_W_Stress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 1200 628 HR-ON HR-ON https://i0.wp.com/hr-on.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Dealing_W_Stress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1 March 7, 2019 May 22, 2019

It is hard to give the HR department the reward they deserve. Just because they are not in the position of creating revenue to the company, does not mean that their work is less important than the other departments in the company. Actually, it is probably one of the most important and therefore, they might be stressed and exhausted.

Think about it, they are always in contact with many people and, if they make the wrong choice, they will be the first ones to be blamed. There are many stressful factors in their working routine, and we will go through some of them, in order to find a proper solution.

Stress factors in HR:

The HR department has to deal with a fast changing environment, where the tasks are extremely different, from recruiting to reorganizing the company structure.
They need to be always objective and to be the link between the management and the employees: problem solving is essential.
For them, it is really important to be informed and updated about changing policies, laws and technologies.
Time is money, and for them it is just another reason to stress.
Their tasks and roles are most often overlapping: mediator between management and employees, recruiter, reorganization ambassador, policies connoisseur and so on.
They need to deal with people, who might have completely different backgrounds, cultures, dispositions, and attitudes. When the employees are in conflict with the management, they might be irritated and HR personnel needs to mitigate the situation.

So, do you still think they have an easy job?

We do not.

In order to avoid dissatisfaction from their point of view, it is possible to act in several ways:

Time management is essential and there are many courses that the HR personnel might attend in order to be more practical with it. This can already solve most of their sources of stress.
Independence must be encouraged by setting boundaries and delegate some tasks. They are not superheros, remember this.
Working close to the IT department and be informed and helped in case of changes in the technologies used.
Specialists and consultants can be essential to help in re-organizational change: the employees might have to deal with anxiety and many other issues that should not be underestimated.
Stay human: objectivity is important but losing the human touch is not productive.
Do not be afraid to organize another team meeting. It is simply the best way to delegate, to be updated, and to solve problems.
BREATHE AND RELAX.