Why Ethical Interview Practices Are Crucial for Your Business

Why Ethical Interview Practices Are Crucial for Your Business Maintaining high ethical standards within the workplace is crucial for the success of a company, and this starts from the moment a candidate walks into the interview room. Any unethical treatment of workers can severely damage your business reputation and, by extension, its profitability. The public is becoming ever more aware of what unethical practices in business look like. As such, it is not shy to blow the whistle on perceived unacceptable behavior. A recent controversy led to a PR nightmare for one software company when the CEO was accused of bullying by a candidate in an interview. The candidate shared her experience online in a post that was liked and shared tens of thousands of times on social media. The incident ended up being reported by several news sites, including the BBC. Whilst an exaggerated example of the pitfalls of poor interview etiquette, the ease with which this one story went national shows that an alleged misstep in the interview room can have far-reaching ramifications for your company. In this article, we’ll look at ways your business can address the issue. While working with recruitment consultants will help you start with a highly-suitable candidate list, it’s then up to you to ensure you hire the right person for the correct reason. Do you keep up with the latest discrimination regulations? Negative press is just one consequence of not following ethical interview practices; there may be legal penalties if your company is not across the latest rules and regulations surrounding the treatment of your employees. There are clear government guidelines around discrimination in the workplace that apply from the interview process onwards. A fundamental tenet of ethical interviewing is to ensure that you comply with these regulations. For example, it is essential to make sure that you do not base any employment decisions on a bias against what the government terms a “protected characteristic”. Protected characteristics include the candidate’s age, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, parental status, and marital status. If challenged, you must prove that a candidate was not turned down based on one or more of these characteristics. If you cannot, you may find yourself on the wrong side of the law. An example of unethical interview practices and a form of direct discrimination would be to not hire a young married female candidate, despite her being the best fit for the job, on the assumption that she would soon leave the company to have a child. In this scenario, the fictional candidate’s gender, a protected characteristic, is being held in bias against her and so falls short of ethical interviewing standards and the law. What is indirect discrimination during interviews? In many cases, direct discrimination is an obvious pitfall to avoid. Not hiring a qualified candidate based on their religion, skin color or nationality is blatantly unethical and illegal. What may be harder to spot is indirect discrimination. Indirect discrimination typically applies when a blanket rule is implemented that unfairly disadvantages those with one or more protected characteristic. Some examples of indirect discrimination would include a rule that states all candidates must hold UK qualifications when this would be immaterial to the job role. Whilst this rule would apply to all candidates, it would indirectly discriminate against some based on race and nationality. What about unconscious bias? Harder still to identify than indirect discrimination is unconscious bias. Unconscious bias is a phenomenon where people tend to gravitate to others with similar characteristics and backgrounds. This can include characteristics such as accent, age, and appearance, right down to insignificant details such as personal style and interests. At its most severe, unconscious bias could unintentionally present the same problem as direct discrimination. It could land your company in hot water through a discrimination case. In a more nuanced scenario, unconscious bias could be standing in the way of your company hiring the best candidate for the role. To operate to the highest standards of ethical interviewing it is important to recognize the impact that unconscious bias might have on the hiring process within your business. This is a difficult topic to tackle with the staff because no one likes to be told they may succumb to unconscious prejudice. Instead, try increasing the number of employees active in the recruitment process. Adding more staff with a say in recruitment can ensure your company is conducting itself to the highest ethical standards. Unconscious bias is often down to personal experience, by including multiple personnel in the recruitment process you can provide checks and balance on any one individual unconscious bias. What else can businesses do to improve methods? Other key ways to ensure high ethical standards are maintained within your business include the education of all staff members. Ensuring that all employees, mainly those responsible for recruitment, are up to date with the latest information on ethical standards, including the 2010 Equality Act, is one sure-fire way to protect your company against allegations of unethical behavior. Creating a central document that outlines the key points of the Equality Act and gives practical pointers to staff is one way to keep them on track. It might also be a good idea to hold seminars on the subject, especially if you are anticipating a recruitment drive. As an additional measure against discrimination and unconscious bias, an element of standardization could be incorporated into your interview process. By creating a template of interview questions and a points-based system to score candidates on their answers, personal bias can be further excluded from the interview process. Practical tests applicable to your industry could also be an option to compliment a standardized interview format, creating an overall scoring system to identify the most suitable candidate for the job. Quantifiable testing can help you to uphold the highest ethical standards as it helps those responsible for hiring employees to focus purely on the skillset of the candidate. While this approach may seem a little impersonal, it can help to structure the interview procedure and level the playing field for all candidates. Protect your business today A reputation as an ethical employer is an accolade that should not be undervalued in the current climate. It will help you to attract the best talent in addition to boosting your company’s reputation. By taking note of the steps addressed in this article, you’ll be in a better position to achieving best practice. About the author: Rob Scott has specialized in technical sales recruitment, particularly engineering and electronics sales recruitment, and has over 12-year operational and commercial management experience.   During his corporate life, Rob won the coveted best-performing manager award 2004 for profitability (out of 315 group managers) and won numerous other group Awards for both achievements and excellence.   Since setting up  Aaron Wallis  Rob has steered the company to enjoy double-digit growth year-on-year through turbulent economic times by maintaining clients and making a difference.

Guest Post Corporate America Myths Every New Graduate Should Know

Guest Post Corporate America Myths Every New Graduate Should Know Im pleased to report that I am soaking up sun on the beach for a few days.   Here is a link to a guest blog : “15 Corporate America Myths Every New Grad Should Know  written by Tim Handorf. New graduates are in a tough place this year (actually, for the last three years or so.) Jobs are scarce, and many of the corporations new graduates would normally consider have lost their luster after the financial meltdown.    Its not as simple as follow the money.   Read more from Tim Handorf here: http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2011/08/23/15-corporate-america-myths-every-new-grad-should-know/

How to Explain Gaps in Employment (With Examples) - Career Sidekick

How to Explain Gaps in Employment (With Examples) - Career Sidekick How to Explain Gaps in Employment (With Examples) Interview Preparation Resume/CV / https://www.edenscott.com/blog Explaining gaps in employment can be intimidating, but there are a couple of effective methods you can use.In this article, Im going to show you how to explain employment gaps in your interviews, resume and cover letter with word-for-word examples and sample explanations.Lets get started with the interview firstExplaining Gaps In Employment In Your InterviewExplaininggaps in employment is reallyjust about knowing what reasons are okay to share, and which ones you should tell a white lie about or not share. And then being upfront and comfortable with your answer.These are all good sample reasons for having a gap in employment:Caring for a sick family memberCaring for a young childAny medical or health issueTaking time off to relocate and find a job in a new state/cityPursuing further education or going back to schoolPursuing any other type of professional trainingTaking time off to travel, study, work on a solo project, etc.Trying to start a business or freelance careerYou were laid off, your former company downsized, etc and you had trouble finding a job afterYou were actively searching but had trouble finding a job (NOTE: Ill cover this in detail later but you need to make it sound like you were being selective in your job search and waiting to find the RIGHT fit. That sounds a *lot* better than saying, I was looking everywhere but couldnt find a single company that would consider hiring me!Once you have your reason prepared Here are the general steps to follow when explaining gaps in employment in the interview:Explain the situation clearly but briefly. They dont need a ton of personal details. Just give them the core facts.Show that the situation has ended or is no longer a factor, so they wont be worried youll have to take another break from working. If they hire you, they want to know youre 100% ready to work for them.Reiterate your interest in their position and bring the focus back onto this job interview and this position .ExamplesOf HowTo Explain Employment Gaps In An Interview:Sample explanation 1:Ihad to resign from my previous position to care for an aging family member. I did this for the past year. Since then, my siblings and I have hired a full-time caregiver so I no longer need to be present, and am fully available to work now and in the future. So Ive begun job searching and Im focused on finding a sales supervisor or manager position that will help me advance my career further now.Sample explanation 2:Iwas laid off nine months ago. Istarted my job search immediately after,and Im looking for sales supervisor or sales manager positions now to continue advancing my career. Ive had a number of interviews but havent found the right fit yet. One thing Im looking for is a chance to mentor and train team members, and manage a team directly. I saw that mentioned on the job description for this position can you tell me more about that?Two ThingsTo RememberWhen Answering:1. You need to sound like an i n-demand job candidateIf youre explaining a current gap in employment, you need to sound like youre being selective and that youre focused on makingsure you find the best fit for the long term, rather than just accepting the first job you come across.Thatll make a 6 month gap (or longer) sound a bit better.If youve been job hunting during your employment gap, youdon’t want it to sound like you haven’t had a single interview inthe last few months. Thats never a good idea.If your gap in employmentis related to health, travel, a family members health, etc. then its fine to say you havent had any interviews.2. Be upfront and honestGaps in employmenthappen, and good hiring managers will realize this. If youve made it into the interview, theres obviously something they liked on your resume. So when it comes to explaining gaps in employment its best to be honest and upfront.You probably wont lose out on the job by explaining the situation. You will definitely lose out on the job by lyi ng or seeming like youre trying to cover something up.Explaining Gaps In Employment On Your ResumeOkay, maybe youre still writing your resume or having trouble getting interviews. How do you explain gaps in your employment on your resume so you can GET interviews in the first place?Here are a few ways you can explain (or hide) gaps in employment:List years instead of months for previous positions. (e.g. 2014-2016). Ive used this method in the past when I had a couple of small gaps between jobs (by a small gap, I mean 2-3 months maximum). This wont work if you have too many gaps though, or gaps longer than one year.If your gaps are longer or more frequent, considering providing a brief note on the resume listing your reason for the gap in employment. Just list it like any other job. Put your previous positions with the dates you held them. And for your gap, youd have dates there too, and a one-line explanation (I took a hiatus from work in order to care for an elderly family member i n need).If you use these strategies, consider going onto LinkedInand making the same changes there too.If these options dont work for you, write a cover letter! This is a good idea no matter what.In your cover letter, explain whathappened in detail and draw their attention to the gap so that you can tell them the full storyinsteadof allowing them to make assumptions (youre usually better off attacking controversial topics head-on).Thats how Id explain gaps in employment on a resume.Also, nobody can tell you with 100% certainty what will work in your industry, with the specific circumstances of your gap in employment (dates, length, reason for the gap, etc.)So TEST things out. Send out 10 resumes one way, and if nobodys responding, change something up. If its not working, you cant just keep doing the same things on auto-pilot. Thats how you end up not finding a job.Its usually better to be upfront than hide employment gapsI always give the same resumeadvice to candidates with gaps in their work history: Be straightforward rather than trying to hide dates or other pieces of information. Hiring managers are usually going to be able to tell if you’re hiding something.Your resume should feature a chronological work history on the first page that includes job titles, company names, key responsibilities for each role, and yes… dates of employment.No matter what you do, there are some employers out there who wont like the fact that you have a gap in your employment. Thats okayCompanies like thatarent worth your time.Were human. Things happen. And theres more to life than working nonstop for 40 years.So dont get discouraged if a few companies say theyre not interested, or just dont respond. I guarantee those are the same companies you do NOT want to work for anyway because theyre going to have horrible vacation policies, bosses who question you every time you take a sick day, etc.Note: These Tips and Sample Explanations Will Also Work on Job ApplicationsSometimes a job application will say, “please explain any gaps in employment.”The advice resume advice above also work for job applications. Follow the same “rules”, be clear and upfront, and you’ll be fine when applying for jobs.The one adjustment I’d recommend making on job applications (and cover letters):Be clear and direct, but don’t give too much information. The only goal of your job application is to get you into the interview.If they’re concerned about employment gaps, they can ask more in the interview. And that’s where you should be very honest/open and explain things further. That’s where you can gauge their reactions, decide how much to share based on their responses, etc. You can’t do this in a written explanation.So, by writing too much info on a job application, you might do more harm than good. It’s better to discuss this type of thing in person, solimit your explanation to 1-2 sentences for each gap in employment on your job applications, cover letters , etc.Final Advice on How to Explain Gaps in Employment:Don’t be apologetic about your work history. Taking time off is not something to be ashamed of. Not every company will want to interview you, but some will. Stand by your decisions and choices, present your skills with a straight-forward resume format, and be ready to answer questions and explain yourself further in the job interview.Related reading:What to do when you cant find a job in your fieldHow to answer Why did you leave your last job?

Five Top Tips for Boosting Your Self-Esteem

Five Top Tips for Boosting Your Self-Esteem The majority of us will suffer issues with self-esteem at some point in our lives. It’s easy to compare ourselves with other people that we perceive are more beautiful, adored, or successful than us. But it’s not a healthy practice. Problems with self-esteem can dent confidence, place pressure on relationships, and lead to mental health issues.   We’re here to help! In this article, we’ll explore five top tips for boosting your self-esteem, that you can start today! Take a social media detox Love it or loathe it, social media has become a part of everyday life for most people. Scrolling through a timeline can be a fun way to catch up with friends, or simply pass the time, but its intensity can also have a negative impact on self-esteem. People tend to present only the best versions of themselves, which can make you feel pretty lousy on the morning commute. Why not take some time off? Your loved ones have your number if they need you. Ditch the highly-filtered unrealities and unwind in the real world! Spend time with friends There’s nothing better than spending time with the people you love. They have the ability to boost your mood, even when you’re in the deepest funk. If you’re feeling a bit low, arrange dinner, dancing, or simply coffee with your best friends. The simple act of getting out and socialising can be great for your self-esteem, and it gives you the opportunity to share any worries with people who will understand and give you a fresh perspective. List the things you like about yourself We tend to spend a disproportionate amount of time criticising ourselves. Whether it’s a test at school, and appraisal at work, or simply standing next to someone we determine to be more successful, the constant critique can be wearing. As silly as it sounds, there’s a considerable boost to be found in simply listing the things that you like about yourself. Whether you have a finely-tuned skill, a natural talent, or just a fantastic sense of humour, it’s very helpful to acknowledge these things. Committing your positive attributes to memory can also be useful when you’re under a lot of pressure. Practice self-care There’s nothing selfish about self-care. We spend a great deal of time tending to the needs of others; whether that’s caring for children, making dinner for a partner, tidying the home, or listening to other people’s problems, there doesn’t always seem to be a lot of time for looking after oneself. Run yourself a bath. Grab the book that’s been waiting on your shelf for months. Treat yourself to a trashy magazine. Binge that TV series everyone’s talking about. Shut off the world for an hour and simply indulge yourself. Confront your issues head-on If you have a specific issue you think may require the assistance of a professional to resolve, don’t be afraid to reach out to them. Talking to a therapist can be extremely helpful. If you are struggling with a precise area of your body, there may be surgical procedures that correct it. A consultation with a surgeon has no obligation, and it may provide the first step on a journey toward higher self-esteem. . Main image credit.

Resume Writing - How to Write a Resume For a Writing Position

Resume Writing - How to Write a Resume For a Writing PositionWriting a resume for a writing position is not as simple as it sounds. It is indeed important that you include the correct information in your resume. However, this will not be easy for you to do since there are some areas that you will need to cover up. This article is designed to address these problems so that you can better take care of them.First, let us start with the most basic problem that most people face when writing resumes. And that is that they simply don't know where to start. Before you even begin to read your resume, you should already know where you want it to go. You have to know how you want to see your name, and how it should be formatted. If you don't know this, you can get started on revising your resume by simply going through it one more time.If you want to use an electronic version, your job seeker should make sure that the spelling of the names and the abbreviations are correct. Your resume also nee ds to be clear and precise, so try to come up with a format that is similar to what your job description or the employer has already set up. In other words, it will look too rigid to be used.The next thing that you need to deal with is how to format your resume. The first thing that you should do is write out the entire information about your past work experience. Also, keep in mind that the resume has to be unique to you. If you are applying for a position that is very similar to the one you have now, you will be considered an imposter. So, try to avoid doing this.After you have written out the details of your past work, it is time to format your resume according to the current job description. Remember that the company that will be reading your resume has their own style and not everyone has the same way of writing. So, if you are not sure about how you should format your resume, you can send it to a professional resume writer to help you with the job search.You also need to get t he grammar right; do not forget that the employer has a letter in front of them. Since they want to get an idea about your personality, you should try to make your letters flow naturally. You should also remember that the employer expects a well-written resume that comes with a clear and concise job description.The last thing that you need to consider is the format of your letter. Keep in mind that if the employer had asked you to write a letter, then the letter format is going to be much different than if they were just asking you to apply for a job. Therefore, you should try to be formal and professional when writing your letter.Lastly, remember that your resume is going to be reviewed before you even get the job. If you don't look professional enough, chances are that the employer will not hire you and then, no one else will get the job. Therefore, make sure that you make your resume look professional only.

Building Your Reputation Part 1 LinkedIn

Building Your Reputation Part 1 LinkedIn Your reputation on LinkedIn matters a lot! Its time to give some thought to your profile.   This is the first of a four-part series to help you understand how really easy it is to begin to build the right reputation for the work you do. [Updated to reflect changes to LinkedIn] Hopefully, you can begin building this before you need it, in other words, while you are still employed. I know how busy you already are keeping your job.   However, this is your career insurance.   Building it now will certainly pay off. If you are not working, starting this now gives you the opportunity to teach yourself new things and interact with new people! Step 1: Answer these questions: What is it you want to be known for? How do you want people to perceive you? What makes you unique? What problems have you solved in the workplace? What are the keywords associated with your occupation and industry? Got it! Step 2: Now, log into your LinkedIn account and make sure this message (the answers to those questions) is coming across in your SUMMARY and within your work experience too.   YES, you must have a summary on your LinkedIn profile.   Use the right keywords in your summary and throughout your profile. Step 3: Collect samples of your work. Think about the projects you have worked on, especially those you reference within your resume.   Find visual representation of your work. A presentation you gave Letters of support from customers or clients Newsletter or report you created Screenshots of websites you worked on Step 4: Depending on your work samples, you may want to use SlideShare or Box or BOTH, to capture and share your work. You have to create your accounts first before you can sync them with LinkedIn.   These are free and dont take much time to log in to. Box allows you to upload a variety of different files (Word, Excel, .PDF, Powerpoint) and the bonus is you can access these files from the web anywhere, just in case. Slideshare is public/searchable which makes it a great solution for building your reputation! Use the right keywords to describe your presentations so it will be found! Step 5: Integrate the best files within your LinkedIn profile. Feel free to get creative and create a LinkedIn profile that really demonstrates and SHOWS what you are all about and why you are great at what you do! Just because you build it doesnt mean they will come. The next phase is sharing these samples. You now have digital terrain!   You have a sharable resource online!   Use this link! Include a link in your email signature Add it to other social profiles (especially Google+) Share it with friends Part 2:   Blogging and commenting on blogs Part 3: Be A Tweeter! Part 4: Facebook for Job Search

As Competitive as You Can Be Which Professions Can Greatly Benefit from IT Training - CareerAlley

As Competitive as You Can Be Which Professions Can Greatly Benefit from IT Training - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. To gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, especially in the field of Information Technology (IT) there are many options to choose from. In fact, the outlook for IT professions is quite positive. According to data gathered by BLS.gov, employment in information technology and computer occupations is forecasted to increase 13 percent starting in the year 2016 and to continue to the year, 2026. BLS.gov noted that with greater importance placed on things like information security, cloud computing, and big data storage and collection, 557,100 new positions would be added. For those who are looking to change to an IT-related profession, or are looking to update their skills, here are five professions that can benefit profusely from IT training: source Information Security Analysts Information Security Analysts: The role of the information security analyst is to have security measures in place to protect the computer networks and computer systems of a company or an organization. The roles and responsibilities of IT people are ever evolving based on increasing cyber attacks and other security-related trends. Receiving certifications and training in new methods of information security, especially, cybersecurity can be very beneficial to the enterprise or organization these technical people work in. Photo by Thomas Jensen on Unsplash Computer Network Architects Computer Network Architects: The architect can build and design can build networks that transfer data. These network topologies include metropolitan area networks (MANs), local area networks (LANs), and wide area networks (WANs) as well as intranets. Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash Network and Computer Systems Administrators Network and Computer Systems Administrators: The administrator plays a crucial part for every enterprise and organization because they are important individuals for supporting the daily operations of the computer network and computer systems as a whole. CISCO certifications and Microsoft Certifications can benefit those interested in this IT profession. If you are looking to sharpen your IT skills with engaging video content, sites like itpro.tv have CISCO courses. A network administrator manages an organizations computer networks. He or she may alternatively be known as a systems or system administrator; IT manager, director or specialist; or LAN administrator. His or her areas of expertise include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and intranets. Network administrators organize, install, and provide support for these systems. thebalancecareers.com Computer Support Specialists: Benefitting from the latest Mac, Windows or Linux operating systems can benefit those working as a computer support specialist. They support computer networks and respond directly to the computer user. Web Developers: Developers can benefit from IT training using web development code like (HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python) to build websites. Studying methods like responsive web design (RWD) can also be beneficial. Digital skills are becoming more sought after as our lives become increasingly more reliant on computers. If youve got a digital talent, here are just a few of the major careers that could be applicable to you. Tweet This As more people feel comfortable with using video tutorials as an efficient way to learn more sophisticated subject matter like IT, those who work in cybersecurity or security analysis, Big Data analysis, web development, computer network engineering, and computer architecture can learn on the go, and pass those necessary certifications. This method of learning through video can be beneficial in many ways based on the availability and access to the newest courses, advanced training in specific niche areas, and any new modules that are relevant to growing trends in the IT industry. 360Training Price: Creating learning for life. The Courses You Need for the Career You Want. Courses You Need We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. The increase in the use of video recording technology due to the decreasing prices in smartphones and tablets can provide those in the IT milieu with a convenient, efficient way to learn. Indeed, a beneficial approach is to learn through video online and take the certifications to increase ones market demand in IT. There is also a plethora of tools and course libraries at peoples fingertips using smartphones and tablets. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search