Posted by Rebecca McDaniel
How transparency in HR leads to hiring the right employees
By Mark Campanale, Marketing Manager and New Media Trainer
No phone calls please.
It is the swan song, the signature sign-off, of most job postings. To some extent, I totally understand; I work very close with our HR folks that receive more that 400 resumes a week for the 7-8 job openings we currently have. I could not imagine getting that many phone calls, never mind speaking to half of them. But what about the HR departments who don’t encourage any contact? Isn’t it human nature to want to know the status of the job or to be sure that your resume was received?
Which brings me to Triumvirate’s Career Center – a department that encourages open dialog between HR and potential hires. It may not always be via phone, but AnnMarie Blunda, HR Generalist & Mike Spinale, HR Manager are both bloggers that write on Triumvirate’s Career Center Blog; are available to speak with via Live Chat on our website; and are on LinkedIn as active members of several groups. Mike Spinale is also active on Twitter (You can follow him @MikeSpinale).
First, they blog. They blog about current HR topics, share professional development tips and review many career-oriented books, websites and other media.
They chat. Yep, both AnnMarie and Mike talk to potential hires from the Live Chat feature in the Career Center section of the website.
They interact: In the groups they belong to on LinkedIn, they join in the conversations and answer posted questions and have started to post some of their open positions through their profiles on LinkedIn and have found great new team members.
So, in essence, the Triumvirate Career Center exceeds expectations. Where other companies are hiding behind a job posting and a catch all e-mail, Mike and AnnMarie show their expertise, share their contact info and even their pictures! You can follow Triumvirate’s Career Center on Twitter @TriumvirateHR.
What other ways can an HR department be transparent in order to attract potential candidates?
Posted by Mark Campanale
by Lindsey Swanson, Marketing Intern
When most people hear the words "unpaid" and internship" back to back, they usually picture a timid student juggling seven different orders of coffee and mindlessly filing stacks of folders while being either ignored, barked at, or repeatedly addressed by the wrong first name. To be honest, when I agreed to accept an unpaid internship at Triumvirate Environmental, that is more or less the fate I had mentally prepared myself for.
Considering this, you can imagine how surprised I was when my boss asked me--on the first day-- what I wanted to do. He asked me what I liked and didn't like, and what I wanted to get out of this experience. This was the first instance (of many) where Triumvirate thwarted my expectations by showing that I meant more to them than free labor. They treated my relationship with the company as if it were based on reciprocity and gave me a voice in this dialogue.
Soon after this conversation with my boss, Marketing Mark, I left to my cubicle feeling comforted and a little empowered. I began my first task of researching "hot environmental topics" when a man who I had never met before popped his head into my cubicle and said (not asked) "how many". When I failed to answer, he elaborated "how many followers" and proceeded to walk away chuckling to himself, leaving me to ponder whether the question was about Jesus or Scientology. I later learned that this man was the President and CEO of Triumvirate, and that by "followers" he meant people following him on twitter, since he had made it a personal goal to have more followers than Ashton Kutcher.
That brings me to the next reason Triumvirate is a great place to work: there is an impressive lack-of-caste in the workplace. The CEO will mingle with the unpaid marketing intern without condescension. Not only are all of the employees welcoming, but also, they are respectful-remembering my name, asking with genuine care about my life, and always offering help. Just add walls made of chocolate and a fountain, and you have every person's ideal place to work. I guess what I am trying to say is: thanks.
Posted by Mark Campanale
by Mike Spinale, PHR, Human Resources Manager
Those of you who follow my blogging have seen me blog about Jack Welch before. His matter of fact style, intelligence, and success have been inspirational to me. When I signed up for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference this year, I was elated to see he was going to be the key note speaker. He did not disappoint.
Welch has been a long proponent of the HR function in organizations. He repeatedly states that the HR leader should command the same level of respect and importance in an organization as the CFO. When asked why many other CEOs don't get it, Welch stated sternly that HR professionals need to deliver: "You gotta have the guts to make sure you're important in the organization...get out of the picnics, birthdays, and insurance forms business and [focus on] developing people and building confidence".
Welch started off the conversation, which was moderated by Claire Shipman author and correspondent of ABC News, stating that it is important for HR to establish trust. So how does HR build trust within the organization? According to Welch, it's pretty simple: "listen to people, keep confidences, and tell it straight, communicate like hell, and get out of your damn cubicle and walk the floor". Welch stated that "if [employees] think HR people are there to truly get them to grow, they will trust them.".
I sat in the audience amazed at this man giving tough love to an audience of 10,000 human resources professionals. Welch knows how to run a business and he recognizes that having the right people in the organization is what leads to success. He also understands that it's HR that brings the right people in, and perhaps we could do a better job of making sure they are building themselves once there. About his candid advice, Welch said "I love ya, and I want ya to win".
I was fortunate to get the chance to shake his hand and have him sign my copy of Winning after the talk. An awesome experience indeed.
Posted by Mark Campanale
By Mike Spinale, PHR, Human Resources Manager
Yesterday, I participated in the 24th Annual AIDS Walk in Boston, to benefit the AIDS Action Committee (AAC). Thinking about my experience today, and having had a few conversations lately with people who didn't have much in terms of job experience; I came to the realization that while I wasn't getting paid for my participation in the event, I drew upon certain skills in the days leading up to it. First, I organized a team of people to walk. I recruited people from school and my personal life. Second, I had to fundraise, so I made calls and sent e-mails to my network. I also used social media like Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness for the cause and solicit donations. Thirdly, I had to motivate my team to do the same. Sure, the work involved resulted in a couple of people abandoning the team efforts, but all but a couple of people remained involved and made a nice chunk of change for the AAC.
When I was in high school, I volunteered at the City Library. I typed out cards for the card catalog (yes, there was a card catalog), organized the periodicals section, and helped patrons find reference materials. I was a Red Cross volunteer, where I learned CPR and First AID. I was a volunteer at the local historical association, where I learned historical record keeping, and computer data-entry.
The point here is, if you're an entry level job seeker, while you may not have much in terms of actual paid work experience, you may have participated in clubs, or volunteered your time to organizations. And while you weren't compensated, you did in fact have experiences that helped you develop various skills, that you can indeed relate to getting your first "real" job.
Good luck!
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Posted by Mark Campanale
by AnnMarie Blunda, Career Center Blogger
Deciding your major in college can sometimes be much more difficult than one would think. And, if not difficult, it certainly might be one of the most important decisions you'll make. Before making the big decision, consider the following:
- Where do your interests lie, and what subjects are you really passionate about?
- What majors are going to allow you to really impact the world around you when you enter the job market?
- Beyond the major itself, what job industries are surviving these hard economic times?
Be sure to do your research on this because you want to make sure you are setting yourself up for long-term success!
Posted by AnnMarie Blunda
As a recent graduate (or one graduating soon) looking to get into the environmental field, there are some key characteristics that recruiters and employers are looking for:
Know where to focus.
It's important not to get too hung up on not having enough experience to get into the field and focus your energy on some other attributes. After all, coming right out of school, employers are going to be considering you for entry-level positions, and there are many other qualities that take precedence over experience at this stage in the game!
Motivation and drive for success.
With the job market being as competitive as it is right now, recruiters are looking for candidates with the energy and enthusiasm to be the best they can be in order to become a true asset to the company.
Work ethic is extremely important.
Employers want to hire only hard-working candidates, and for recruiters, undergraduate GPA is a strong predictor of work ethic and work performance.
Show that you can LEAD!
Leadership experience or potential is another essential quality to possess, so don't be shy about selling yourself in this regard.
The ability to show confidence in your strengths as well as awareness of your opportunities for improvement are also among the key characteristics that will help you get called back in the door!
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