August 2022 - Prescott HR

Kimberly Prescott
Blog
August 29, 2022

How to Hire on LinkedIn

It should come as no surprise that LinkedIn is a powerful recruitment tool for hiring new employees. After all, LinkedIn was designed as a social media platform specifically for professional networking. With over 830 million members, LinkedIn should absolutely be part of your recruitment strategy when looking to add more employees to your team. Keep reading for a few helpful ways to hire on LinkedIn from the experts at Prescott HR.

Polish Your Company Page

Does your company’s LinkedIn page need a facelift? The first place to start is on your organization’s profile page to ensure that it properly represents your company’s brand. Be sure that all listed contact information is accurate and up-to-date. You will definitely want to start posting regularly to the page so that potential candidates can get a feel for what your organization is like. Use your company profile page to post hiring-related content, like employee testimonials, press releases, recruitment videos, and more.

Expand Your Network

Once your LinkedIn page is on par with your company’s brand, it’s time to verify that your current employees are linked to the page. Invite all current employees to follow your organization’s LinkedIn page and connect them as an employee to the profile. Ask your employees to regularly share corporate posts to their own personal LinkedIn profiles to expand your audience reach.

Join Different LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn offers an assortment of specialized groups you can join to connect with other professionals in your industry. Build connections with potential employees by sharing insights or experiences they may relate to. You can also sift through the different group members to see who might be actively looking for a job (LinkedIn users can indicate on their profiles when they are looking for new opportunities.)

Allow Users to Apply Through LinkedIn

One of the best features of LinkedIn is the ability for applicants to apply directly through the platform’s job board. It’s always helpful to make the application process as easy as possible for potential candidates. In just a few clicks, they can apply by sending a LinkedIn resume straight to your inbox.

Try Not to Spam People

One warning for those who want to recruit new team members through LinkedIn: try not to spam potential applicants with too many LinkedIn InMail requests. If you are interested in reaching out to a candidate through InMail, it helps establish a mutual connection. You should always aim to send an authentic message that’s been tailored to the individual, not a mass message-type email.

Work with Prescott HR

Does your organization need help hiring on LinkedIn or recruiting more team members? We are here to help! Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help your organization hire top talent in your field. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online.

Kimberly Prescott
Blog
August 15, 2022

Avoiding Ageism in the Workplace

You may be surprised to learn that ageism in the workplace is still alive and well. Even with the advanced training opportunities and HR resources available to organizations, some will inadvertently practice age discrimination, which can lead to expensive lawsuits and harm employee morale. Keep reading about how to avoid ageism in the workplace from the experts at Prescott HR!

What is Ageism?

In short, ageism is age discrimination; but ageism isn’t always “in your face” apparent. Ageism practices can be discreet and sometimes unknown to the organization that is committing it. An example of ageism in the workplace is creating a job description that seeks “an energetic, recent college graduate.” Ageism does not just affect older generations, too. Ageism in the workplace can happen when a younger employee is overlooked for management positions, simply because “they are too young for the role.”

Ageism is Illegal

In 1967, the United States passed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). This Act prevents employers from discriminating against employees based on their age, including hiring, firing, assigning work, and promotions. It’s important to note that the ADEA protects employees at organizations with 20 or more employees; so if your company has less than 20 employees, this Act does not apply.

What does ageism look like in the workplace?

As we mentioned above, ageism is not always blatantly noticeable in the workplace. Here are some examples of workplace incidents where ageism may be affecting decisions:

Unfair tasks are given to more senior members of a team
Leaving more senior team members out of group activities
Being passed over for promotions for being “too young”
Learning opportunities are available to younger employees, but not older

Consequences of Workplace Ageism

Now that you have a better understanding of what ageism in the workplace looks like, it’s important to note that there are serious consequences for organizations that commit ageism. Studies have shown that organizations that commit ageism are more likely to see higher rates of employee turnover and an overall loss of productivity. Plus, if your organization is sued for ageism, you are looking at an expensive lawsuit or settlement.

How to Avoid Ageism in the Workplace

Above are just a few examples of how ageism can play out in the workplace. So how can your organization avoid ageism? Here are some helpful tips:

Promote a culture of diversity. Always be sure to hire a diverse group of employees with a range of ages and life experiences.
Never apply stereotypes. Don’t assume that younger employees are able to navigate technology easier than older generations. Keep all employee interactions and requests equal.
Avoid harmful terms. There are many phrases we include in our everyday lingo that may have tones of ageism. For example, avoid using phrases like “old-fashioned” or “ancient.”

Work with Prescott HR

Does your organization need guidance to prevent ageism in the workplace? Hire the experts at Prescott HR to help you. Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help your organization understand ageism. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online.

Kimberly Prescott
Blog
August 8, 2022

Six Ways to Show Employee Appreciation

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations had to get creative with how they show their employees their appreciation. Now that many businesses are returning to the office after years of remote work, there are many great in-person ways to demonstrate how much you value your team. Keep reading to learn six ways to show your employees appreciation from the professionals at Prescott HR.

Meeting Shout Outs

Aim to start each in-person meeting with a special moment of recognition for one employee. Before the meeting, select one individual who overperformed in their role that week and give them a special shout-out for their efforts. Recognition in the midst of work peers can go a long way when making a team member feel valued.

Create a Wall of Recognition

With your team returning to the office, they now have the opportunity to visually see who is performing in the current role. Consider establishing a “wall of recognition” in a shared use space, like a breakroom or main hallway. Highlight an Employee of the Month or a team member who is excelling in their work.

Gift an Unexpected Treat

Everybody loves an unexpected surprise! Create a schedule and rotate surprising your team members with a special treat, like a gift card to a local coffee shop, or a “go home early” pass. These are small and affordable initiatives that your employees will appreciate in a big way.

Host an Employee Appreciation Day

Get the team together and celebrate their successes with an employee appreciation day! Plan a fun day out for the whole group. We recommend receiving input directly from your employees about how they would like to spend their day. Some ideas include a team lunch, put-put golf, a movie theater trip, or group happy hour.

Treat Them to Lunch Out

If your budget will allow it, rotate taking a different employee out to lunch once per week. This is a great opportunity to get to know your employee on a personal level and to allow them to voice any ideas or frustrations they are currently experiencing in their role.

A Simple Post-It Note

If you have a limited budget, or you’re pressed for time, then don’t underestimate the power of a simple post-it note. Take five minutes out of your day to write down a thoughtful message, words of encouragement, or a bit of praise for an employee and leave it at their desk on their lunch break. It makes a world of difference to feel appreciated, even in small ways like a handwritten message.

Work with Prescott HR

Does your organization need assistance with showing employee appreciation? We are here to help! Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help your organization demonstrate authentic ways to show your gratitude to your team. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online.

Kimberly Prescott
Blog
August 1, 2022

Four Qualities to Look for in a Job Candidate

Hiring a new employee is no longer about crafting the perfect job description and uploading it to the internet. Your organization will need to be strategic about recruiting new employees, especially talented candidates that will grow with your company for many years to come.

So how can you identify the best candidates for the job? The experts at Prescott HR are sharing four key qualities to look for in all job candidates below. Keep reading to learn more!

Timeliness

You can spot the right job candidate very early in the interview process. Take note of the candidates who respond to your interview or phone call requests promptly. If you email a job candidate to set up an interview, but then don’t hear back from them for a week, that shows a lack of attention to detail that you would not want on your team.

You should also take note of what time an employee shows up for their scheduled interview: are they ahead of schedule or running fifteen minutes late? Of course, things happen that are out of our control and maybe your potential recruit had unforeseen circumstances that made them late.

But generally, you can get a sense of when a job candidate is dependable and able to meet deadlines from the time window they show up for their interview.

Self-Motivated

It’s not enough for your potential employee to have a strong work ethic; they need to demonstrate self-motivation, too. Organizations can get overloaded with tasks from time to time and the right employee needs to be able to take initiative and make things happen without direct oversight 24/7.

Self-motivated individuals are the kind of professionals who are not there to just “work for a paycheck.” Instead, they are motivated to learn and build a career with your organization that allows them to excel.

Resilient and Adaptable

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that most humans are incredibly resilient. Always look for job candidates who are adaptable and willing to take on a challenge. A great screening question during the interview process is to ask your potential employee to describe a challenging situation and how they came up with solutions to fix it.

Team Player

There’s no “I” in “team,” so remember that during your hiring process. Employees who are able to work with other team members are essential to the success of your organization. You can spot team players right on a job candidate’s resume: look for words like “collaborated” or “advised” to spot candidates who are familiar with a team-centered work environment.

Work with Prescott HR

Does your organization need help with hiring the right job candidate? We are here to help! Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help your organization recruit new talent, including creative hiring ideas. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need.

Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online.