Tag: RECRUITMENT

How to Handle a Newly Created Position

A newly created position means you might have to be your own mentor and create your own systems from scratch.

You have just got a new job. In fact, it is not just a new job but it is also a newly created position.

Or perhaps within your current organisation, you have been shifted to a newly created position- you are the first person to hold this title.

Companies often create new positions based on their requirements, long-term goals and even due to concerns about employee retention. While such innovation is a great idea to ensure smooth transitions on paper, implementing it in real life can be challenging.

What can you do if you have been put in a newly created position? Read on!

Define, define, define:

A newly created position has no predecessors- no former holder of the position who could mentor or looked up to. No one knows how a day at work for them is going to look like. In such a situation, it is a great idea for the employer and employee to work in collaboration and define the working aspects of the role.

  • Define the expectations
  • Define the long term and immediate goals
  • Define the duties expected and not expected
  • Define who is going to be a part of the interactions in terms of departments, personnel, and teams

It might be tempting to wing it and make the new role as it comes, but before one could have a scope to learn, adapt and improve, some structure needs to be there. Think about it this way- while working in and with a newly defined role might feel freeing, like skating in an empty rink, it is also necessary to ensure the rink itself has strong railings and boundaries, and that one has an understanding about the kind of skates to be worn to ensure a graceful skating experience. A game, no matter how new, requires some rules to ensure there is some method to the madness.

 A newly created position means it is unlikely that a system is going to be in place. Working in already established roles has the benefit of simply replacing someone in an existing system. Working in a newly created role means you may have to develop a system, and that’s an opportunity to build a best, if not the best system. And the first step to do that is to define and concretize.

Be Flexible:

On the other end of this spectrum of defining expectations is the urge to follow a preconceived template of how systems are meant to function. It is important that one keeps an open mind, and remains flexible and receptive to the possibilities that might crop up.

It is also possible that the expectations and systems that you defined and set up earlier may become unnecessary, obsolete, or may need constant tweaks for a while before something gets settled. Be open to such possibilities, rather than fretting over things going wrong.

Things might go wrong indeed, initially as one tries to apply the position into the real world, and real repercussions are discovered about certain steps. Be open to trial and error, be open to change, and be open to reworking and redrawing plans until something stable is formed. As author Jon Acuff says: ‘momentum is messy’. Creation and change can be messy because they change the existing status quo, and that can be quite a tumultuous process. But that also means that things are moving, which is a great sign in itself.

‘Hybrid’ Roles:

A newly created position is often a mix of two to three other roles, and as a result, concerned with two to three departments or teams at a time. This means a person in this new role may have to correspond with all those departments, along with the team-leaders of those departments.

A mix of multiple roles, and reporting to ‘multiple bosses’ demands a certain level of interpersonal and social skills, dealing with multiple perspectives, along with an ability to integrate all inputs into a coherent system. It helps to draw up clear expectations and a plan to balance the multiple departments.

Newly created positions are created for a reason, and it is important to remain true to that reason, and at the same time accept that one will need to take a growth-oriented, flexible and open-minded approach towards the newly created position. Creation of systems, expectations, objectives and tasks might undergo a change, and that is but a natural result of momentum.

Better Together: Growth for the Companies is tied to Career-Growth of its Employees

career-growth of employees, companies

Thinking about career growth is one of the favourite pass-times, it seems.

We have thought about it in the middle of a meeting, or when we were having a quiet moment in the office, or maybe when we were on a holiday, all happy and relaxed. Suddenly, muscles go tense, and the mind goes racing. Sometimes, these thoughts act as motivating factors, the ‘positive’ stress that propels us to think ahead.

Individuals think about career growth a lot.

It’s time companies think about it too. Thinking about career growth shouldn’t just be a concern of the individuals. Companies can benefit a lot by sharing this concern. Yes! Companies can benefit from thinking about the career growth of their employees! How so? Let us delve into it quickly.

The first benefit is right there in our introduction! Individuals think about their career growth a lot. When the company they are working for is genuinely concerned about it as well, it can motivate them to stay. Talk about retaining talent! When companies show interest in helping their employees advance in their careers, it attracts more candidates, because of course, people like to work at places where they see a possibility of concrete growth on paper.

Secondly, companies can reduce their talent acquisition costs by thinking about the career growth of their employees. An employee who sees a career growth while staying at the company means that the company would be able to hire internally. Hiring internally means cutting down on sourcing and onboarding costs. And think of all the time that could be saved on background checks and references.

Thirdly, companies can improve their employee engagement when they think about the career growth of their employees. Employees who know there is a scope to grow professionally within the walls of the company, that there is a chance that they will get an opportunity any moment, are naturally more likely to engage with their work. When the employees know that what they are working at is nota dead-end job, it is likely to increase their motivation and engagement levels. They can attach more meaning to their work and to the company, because they know it is indeed leading them somewhere, that is, it’s not a dead-end job.

So, what can companies and employers do to implement this idea of showing interest in their employee’s career growth?

Think which positions and skill gaps are hard to fill in the company. Talk to the employees about their goals. A few conversations later, it should be possible to align the two, and realise the kind of opportunities the company can offer so that those hard to fill positions and skill gaps are no longer that hard to fill.

Opportunities can range from digital learning, workshops and seminars, sponsored L&D opportunities, shadowing positions and so on.

Now, companies may or may not be able to offer everything to everyone, and even if they do, there’s still a chance that the employee might have different priorities and choices.

That doesn’t mean companies should only and only think about offering career growth opportunities to those who would promise to stay, or to those who would directly, most certainly, be helpful to the company in some way. Benevolently given career growth opportunities to employees ensure a good word of mouth of the company, a good employer brand, and a chance that someone might come back as a boomerang employee!

Employment trends in time of Mass Lay-offs

While we were busy talking about the importance of recruiting talent that stays, and how to ensure a good experience for the candidate, the world was hit by the news of mass lay-offs by big multinational tech companies. Through these events of layoffs, we can only reiterate more on the point that the job market is likely to see certain changes in the nature of candidates and their expectations. Continuing on the tangents of our previous two articles, let us quickly take a look at what are the implications of looking for jobs and recruiting amidst the layoffs.

Stability over fancy offers:

One look at many of the reels full of self-deprecating humour being shared on social media, and we will realise that many of the big companies that laid off their employees had quite ‘fancy’ packages. Lounging facilities with luxurious options, company merchandise, perks about flexibility and other present-day buzzwords, and the stamp of working for a major company- all of this worked well as long as one was working there.

It is likely that many of the now former employees of these companies would have learnt their lesson the hard way, and would be looking for things that actually matter as they search for a new job. In other words, these candidates would now be looking for stability over perks. They would be looking for companies that treat them respectfully and don’t just use expressions like ‘our company is like a big family’ for the sake of it. They would be looking for companies that actually give them a sense of job security. It might not be too far-fetched to assume that days of wanting to join a big name because they are a big name are numbered.

This takes us to the next point.

Doesn’t matter how big the name is:

As mentioned in our earlier article, gone are the days of the 70s Hindi film imagery of candidates crowding over one position at a big company. But perhaps gone also are the days of the decade of 2010s of candidates looking to join a big name.

This is an opportunity for start-ups, small and medium scale companies to show they are no less, or are perhaps even better than a big name. The ‘stamp’ may not be there yet, but the company -no matter how big or small- can offer things like:

  • Showing value to the candidate’s skills and competence
  • A sense of meaning to the candidate/employee in the job, by the nature of the service or product the company has to offer
  • A strong set of ethical and professional values

When it comes tech layoffs, it is crucial to know that these candidates would be aware of the value they bring to table. Tech jobs, as volatile as they are, are also always in demand. This brings us to the next point.

Different candidates, similar experiences:

Many of the laid off candidates, it is said, were not even a week into the job and they got the news. On the other hand, there were many candidates who had served the company for decades. The point is companies looking to hire might find candidates of varying experience and skill level even more than usual, and it would be necessary to find a way to assess them fairly.

As an article by Recruit CRM mentions, sticking rigidly to conventional benchmarks like those of experience, or having a degree from a top college may or may not always be fair to the candidate. The diverse background of candidates in general, and not just those of the laid off pool must be considered.

Keeping this in mind during selection and interview rounds would ensure that a team full of individuals with diverse competence- skill- and experience-levels would be created, with different strengths, instead of a homogenous mix.

And as mentioned earlier, it’s no longer just a matter of perks, stamps and big salaries.

Many of the big tech companies offer great salaries, and it is likely that many of the laid off employees had it going really well. A candidate might not be swayed by a big salary, great perks or a fancy designation anymore. Showing that companies value a candidate’s skills, competence, time and commitment is necessary and job postings, descriptions and the company itself must reflect this all.

Keys to Retaining Talent

Global trends  say ,when it comes to talent and hiring point that there is a shortage of talent. Correction: there is a shortage of talent that stays. As discussed in one of our earlier articles about candidate experience, the new generation of employees and job-seekers have their expectations set, and are not afraid to walk away from an offer they do not like. Companies and organisations are facing challenges in retaining talent.

One part of the challenge is to find skilful talent. Often ignored, the next part faced by employers, and by extension recruiters is to find talent that stays, as we already mentioned in the earlier article(link).

Let us quickly take a look at what one can do as employer, or ‘talent-finder’ to retain talent.

Combat Quiet-Quitting:

Late in 2022, this buzzword came about. It is a phenomenon where employees are becoming increasingly disengaged with their jobs, and are doing just the bare minimum.  The term thus refers to how employees are so disengaged that it feels like they are quietly drifting away, quietly quitting. Burnout, stress, low levels of motivation are often been attributed to it.

At some point, burnout and low motivation are bound to make the employee finally quit. At some point, the talent might walk away. Or a new talent hired might drift into these patterns. Low motivation doesn’t just mean a lack of motivation to work, it also means a lack of motivation to find ways to prevent stress and burnout.

To prevent this, the organisation and the employee need a little realignment to ensure the motivation levels remain optimal.

It is important companies take necessary steps. As an article by People Matters puts it:

‘…employers must shift with it and understand that if their employees’ goals align with company objectives, engagement and productivity will follow. If this isn’t accomplished, companies will have to get used to facing a low return on their investment when it comes to hiring staff. Retention levels will plateau or continue to fall, and collaboration and engagement will become something to strive for rather than a cultural baseline.’

So, what concrete steps can be taken to ensure these motivation levels remain high?

Make them feel heard:

The same article by People Matters continues how companies can be more ‘listening’ in their approach. Sometimes, employees might be going through events in their lives that demand that the company extends some flexibility to them. Having company policies is necessary but if a little tweaking can improve someone’s productivity, maybe it’s not a bad idea to consider it without changing entire policies.

 In other words, companies can make sure that the individual needs of employees are being met so that family situations, life emergencies etc do not become the reason that an employee becomes demotivated, or can only manage to do the bare minimum.

So many times, good candidates might get away due to location issues, or/and employees might quit because of aforementioned reasons. So many women and new mothers might quit the jobs they loved because of lack of flexibility and options. Truly, a little flexibility can go a long way in retaining talent.

One-on-one meetings, time-to-time company-wide surveys, and just general wellness check-ins are some steps to gauge individual situations pertaining to company policies.

Of course, there’s only so much a company do about flexibility. What are some other ways companies can ensure motivation levels remain high and talent stays?

Combat stagnation, provide opportunities:

One of the major reasons companies are unable to retain talent is because at some point an employee can feel stagnated in their career. They might be looking for new challenges.

New candidates might be hesitant to apply if they think there won’t be much professional growth in future.

To combat both these scenarios, organisations can offer various upskilling and reskilling opportunities so their employees don’t have to look elsewhere unnecessarily. Options galore, based on the scale and capacity of the organisations. Right from sponsoring further education, to offering certificate courses, organising seminars, and other L&D workshops. Many large companies like have set up initiatives to sponsor college fees, and many apprenticeships have also been set up.

On a similar tangent, companies can also offer more opportunities for internal mobility.

As mentioned earlier, top talent sometimes cannot be retained for the simple reason that they jump ships for ‘better opportunities.’ It is the fear of stagnation. This fear can be combated when the employees know that there will be opportunities within the organisation to grow. Opportunities within the organisation means instead of jumping ships, the employee can continue to climb the ladder within. Isn’t that a great source of motivation?

In this era of the Great Resignation and Quiet-Quitting, companies and organisations need to look beyond the hiring process and think long-term. Thinking long-term means companies think how they can retain the talent they hire. Talent will be retained when their levels of motivation continue to remain as high as they were when they first joined. Long-term thinking ensuring opportunities for growth and a sense of being heard could be major leaps into retaining talent.

AI and We: Is Recruitment Losing its Human Touch?

It has been years since AI (artificial intelligence) has been the buzzword in the recruitment industry. From companies, to recruitment professionals, to candidates themselves wonder about the role of AI in recruitment. Many also wonder whether recruitment is losing its human touch. Without further ado, let us take a look at the role of AI in recruitment, the concerns regarding its use, as well as how we can have the best of both worlds of using AI and the wisdom of a specialising HR/recruitment professional.

The Advantages of Using AI in recruitment:

AI is often used for a quicker processing of information.

According to an article on BrixRecruiting, it is used for sourcing candidates, scanning keywords in the resume. Moreover, certain more advanced softwares are also used for the analysis of speech, facial expressions, and behaviour. In an age of talent crunch and competitive hiring, AI can take away the burden from the hiring department of a company as all these preliminary processes can be performed by the AI itself, increasing the speed of the larger process.

The Issues within AI recruitment:

With all its speed and efficiency, AI can lose out on the nuance and specialisation that conventional human recruitment offers by default. There’s just a different quality to face to face interactions, and first impressions gathered by non-verbal cues and experienced eye.   

Plus, almost paradoxically, AI recruiting tools are ultimately created by humans, and some biases and prejudices may leak into the software. An automated hiring system at Amazon, according to a Reuters report taught itself that male candidates are preferred over female ones because of certain deductions it made. Amazon’s experimental hiring tool gave scores to candidates from one to five stars by detecting certain commonalities and patterns in older, successful resumes.

It was created with an intention that one could filter out top five resumes from a hundred submitted.  But the issue was the older resumes based on which the pattern of a good resume was detected were mostly submitted by males. As a result, the present system thus filtered out good resumes of females as well because it didn’t detect certain keywords! The male dominance of the industry became a ‘pattern’ which the AI took as an example of a ‘good resume.’

Another example of the use of AI, although much simpler, is the use of chatbots in the initial screening stages. The chatbots schedule interviews, asks certain automated questions to pool the candidates.

But again, in such cases, how would one account for unforeseen events, emergencies, when the candidate has to reschedule something last minute? Or what if the candidate has a question that doesn’t generate an automated response?

Furthermore, many AI-based platform companies provide recruiting but with no specialisation– the recruitment process becomes more generalised which again could result in losing out on candidates who may have been spotted by an experienced eye.

The Road Ahead:

The ideal would be the use of AI in a way that human recruiters still have a total control of the process. For example, an article on Crosschq mentions how pre-hiring checks might be performed by the AI, eliminating some repetitive tasks. The recruiters can then participate in the one-on-one interviews and interactions to gauge the candidate with all their nuances of socio-cultural factors.

From time to time, recruiters should update the various parameters fed to the AI software, so that the changing times and work culture remain up to date and the automation doesn’t filter out the good candidates because of random algorithms.

Further, the recruiters should from time-to-time check who the candidates are that have been filtered out by the AI. The recruiters can rely on their instinct of experience– if a candidate seems to be good, but the AI filters them out, the control should ultimately lie in the hands of the recruiter. It is also a good idea to ensure that the candidates know how and whom to reach out in case they wish to clarify certain things, which the impersonal AI might not be able to ‘understand’.

It is as simple as updating the AI with changing times, and checking on its ‘intelligence’ from time-to-time, because after all, it is artificial intelligence. It is about adding the human touch to that artificial intelligence.