We’ve all seen the same statistic that approximately 80% of jobs are unadvertised. Some refer to this as the hidden job market.  Alternatively, we’ve also seen the statistic that approximately 80% of employers advertise job opportunities online either through their own website, a mainstream job board or a niche industry site. So, while those two statistics refer to separate measurements, they are somewhat intertwined and intriguing.

I frequently encounter content directed at…

The Houston Gulf Coast Symposium on HR Issues was this Wednesday and Thursday.  The sessions that I attended were excellent.  Thank you to the exhibitors for their financial support!  A couple of the presenters mentioned that in a recent survey, more CEOs interviewed sited Human Capital as their top challenge than any other concern.  HR expertise is more important now than ever and it is finally being recognized.  Recruiting, engagement, and retention are now key concerns on the minds in the…

Both mobile and social media skills are growing in demand for HR professionals. We thought it would be interesting to compare these 2 growing talents in the human resources space, their hiring trends, and which is more in-demand in the US. In April, there were just over 119,000 jobs for HR professionals in the US. Approximately, 4,000 jobs required social media skills, representing about 3.4% of HR hiring. In comparison, just over 2,100 HR ads required mobile skills – or about 1.8% of HR…

In the beginning of the year, WANTED Analytics reported that the number of job ads for HR professionals in Canada had steeply declined at the end of 2012. This could be a seasonal trend, since historical hiring shows declines in the last quarter of the year for HR jobs. Now that we are one-third of the way through 2013, we looked at more recent rends to see if…

Over the past 90 days, more than 14,000 jobs ads for human resources professionals specified that candidates would need either a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification or a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. This is an 8.5% increase in the number of jobs that specify this certification in their ads. However, this only represents about 7% of…

Webinar, May 1^st 11:30 PST (2:30 ET)

Register For The Virtual Conference

HR.com and The Institute of Human Resources have invited Emergent’s President Bill Inman, to host a …

You clicked to read about your idol Oprah, didn’t you? No, expecting some other big “O” content… Well, then you’re on the wrong website, buster!

Badge of honor, source of pleasure, reason for pride, satisfaction to scream about or maybe just something to accept quietly and celebrate contently in your own mind. The big O in all of its glory. Whether solo, with a best buddy or as a group, it’s something we’ll all experience - if we’re lucky to last that long.

What, you’re not…

Earlier this week I posted a few profile-enhancing tips on a LinkedIn discussion group frequented by active job seekers. One of the things I constantly notice when helping newcomers get up to speed on the essential functionality of LinkedIn is how poor they tend to be at populating their profiles with meaty, search-friendly information.

This is especially noticeable in the job seeker community. Rather than placing career relevant and recruiter magnet content, they fill their headline,…

There's a lot of buzz among recruiters about talent communities. The idea, from the recruiting side, is to build a talent community of dedicated professionals in a particular area. Professionals benefit by being connected with job opportunities and news in a particular area. Recruiters…

Plenty of explanations or excuses exist for why many in the recruiting industry decide to put minimal effort into creating a quality candidate experience. One of the most common gripes job seekers have is lack of follow up after they’ve applied for a position. Even worse, many applicants never hear any feedback whatsoever after interviewing. Or, the communication they receive along the way is vague, mystifying, and in some cases downright unprofessional.

The following are…

Recently, I spoke at a Recruiter Summit in Orlando, Florida and had a blast! The people were very kind and I was fortunate enough to learn a lot from the other speakers. My topic was "What can recruiting expect in the year 2013?" In my presentation I gave three predictions and backed them up with research, anecdotes and the occasional laugh. It was so well received that I decided to post a version of what I shared here. So, check it out and let me know what you think?

In a…

Okay, so you have recruited just the right candidate.   According to his resume his credentials are impeccable.  He has all the required skill sets and vital experience in dealing with all the disciplines the job will require.   His references provide you with glowing reviews.   You have conducted background checks as part of your employment screening process, and your candidate emerges squeaky clean.  Nothing that is noteworthy.

Or maybe there is some kid stuff type offenses on…

It isn’t every day that a vendor in HR is called “an emerging force to be reckoned with” by a top market analyst. But that’s exactly what happened when Workday, a maker of web-based HR software, raised $637 million in its initial public offering last Friday.

Workday soared on its open in early trading Friday morning, opening at $48.05 per share. The company is now is valued at almost $4 billion, 39 times its revenue over the past 12 months. The…

Memory Triggered:  When a credible candidate has worked in an absolute hell-hole where no one likes them, their organization or what they represent, guess what?  They’re probably going to kick #$$ in your company, because your piddly little troubles and drama actually look appealing to them.   They’re battle tested. They’ve been in the depths of hell, and your company’s not hell – it’s just El Paso in the summer.

Background: I used to be a Regional VP…

"HR, social media and background checks" is the topic of the day when Jim Stroud interviews Jim Andrews, the Director of Client Services for Social Intelligence Corporation.

We are here at last!  Moving.  The "M" Word.   Rule of thumb, whatever you think you have to move, multiply it by five.  And then allow for surprises.  But here we are in El Segundo.  

Corra Group has moved in to its larger office space in order to better service its growing list of clients. The employment background checking service is now headquartered at 201 Continental Blvd, Suite 107, El Segundo, California.

“We are in at last,” said Nick Gustavson, Co-Founder of…

Although processing payroll may seem as easy as printing a check. You should be aware of the many complexities that come with being an employer. The laws have become so complex that keeping up on the changing rules for each state requires extensive time and resources. The following are some of the areas that you need to be concerned with when processing payroll for your contingent workers.…

I was silently hoping that someone had finally sprayed enough insecticide on the pests that continue to propagate terrible job search advice. Alas, plenty of evidence of their insidious and obnoxious existence still emerges regularly.

There are a number of sources in my local area that sponsor workshops, seminars and other events directed at job seekers. From what I can tell, the vast majority of the sponsors and presenters have literally zero relevant background to justify providing…