Executive Views on Top Risks for 2016 Management Resources

Executive Views on Top Risks for 2016 Management ResourcesExecutive Views on Top Risks for 2016 Management ResourcesResearch for the fourth annual Executive Perspectives on Top Risks Survey from Protiviti and North Carolina State Universitys ERM Initiative shows geschftsleben leaders across industries are slightly more concerned, overall, about the risk environment for 2016, compared to 2015. Respondents to the survey represented several countries about half were from the United States.While there has notlage been dramatic change in concern over the past year, its important to notenzeichen that the executives and board members surveyed for the 2015 report were feeling more optimistic about the future albeit tentatively. The slight uptick in concern this year may indicate many leaders have adopted a more cautious outlook as recent dynamics and events have reminded them that their business operates in a risky world.According to the report, organizations are taking steps to meet new ri sk challenges head on Most respondents indicated that their business is likely to invest additional resources toward risk management this year. This may be a sign that more business leaders are realizing that their organization should increase the sophistication of its risk management practices given the fast pace at which complex risks are emerging.What types of risks are on the minds of executives and board members this year? Here are the top five risks for 2016 cited by respondents, along with some analysis1. Regulatory change and scrutiny may heighten, noticeably affecting the manner in which companies deliver their products or servicesRegulatory issues once again ranked first among top risks, although business leaders overall concern about this risk welches down slightly from last year. Executives and boards of directors at U.S.-based organizations expressed more concern about this risk than their counterparts in other countries.It was also the number-one risk for every industr y represented in the survey, except for manufacturing and distribution, which ranked this risk fifth leaders at these organizations appear to view regulatory change and scrutiny as more of a long-term issue, according to the survey report.2. Economic conditions in markets that organizations currentlyservemay restrict their growth opportunitiesThis risk level is slightly elevated when compared to 2014 and 2015. In addition, 60 percent of respondents rated this as a significant impact risk. CEOs and boards of directors rated this as a top risk chief audit executives did not. Internal audit leaders classified risks such as regulatory changes and scrutiny, insufficient preparation to manage cyber threats, and succession planning, recruitment and retention challenges as being more significant concerns for their organizations this year.3. Organizations may not be sufficiently prepared to manage cyber threats that have the potential to significantly disrupt core operations and damage their brandCyber threats are a concern for any technology-enabled business, and 2015 and 2016 have seen a number of significant attacks targeting large enterprises in the public and private sectors, including retail, government and healthcare organizations. So, it is not surprising to find that this risk not only ranked again as a top-five concern for business leaders, but it was also the number-one risk cited by executives and board members at large organizations.4. Succession challenges and recruiting and retention issues may limit organizations ability to achieve operational targetsThe demand for skilled talent is relentless in many industries, and employers often find recruitment and retention of in-demand professionals an intense struggle. This risk ranked in the top five for all industries included in the survey, indicating that there is general concern in the business world that the tightening labor market may undermine organizations future ability to assemble teams with specializ ed skills and expertise needed to support growth.5. Ensuring privacy/identity management and information security/system protection may require significant resourcesThis year marks the first time this risk has been included in the top five. Its inclusion in this leader group can likely be attributed to growing concerns by executives and boards about their organizations ability to protect personally identifiable information and other sensitive data in an increasingly treacherous cyber risk landscape. Businesses embrace of new and disruptive technologies, such as cloud computing and social media, make managing privacy, information and business system security even more challenging.Notably, several risks listed above (3-5) are categorized by Protiviti and North Carolina State Universitys ERM Initiative as operational risks in fact, half of the top 10 risks for 2016 are operational risks.In a recent blog post for The Protiviti View blog, Protiviti managing director Jim DeLoach said he w as not surprised by the high number of operational risks weighing on business leaders minds. He added that the current risk environment has companies focused on preserving bottom-line performance.Improving the risk assessment processThe authors of the 2016 survey report recommend that executives and boards of directors maintain an active dialogue and discussion concerning potential risks to their organization. Following are examples of key questions business leaders should seek to answer as a diagnostic for evaluating and improving their risk assessment processDoes management apprise the board in a timely manner of significant risks or significant changes in the organizations risk profile? Is there an effective process for identifying emerging risks? Does it result in consideration of response plans on a timeline basis?Does the organizations risk assessment process engage the appropriate executives and stakeholders to ensure that all appropriate risk perspectives are understand and considered?Are risks evaluated in the context of the strategy and incorporated as a key consideration in the organizations decision-making processes on an ongoing basis over time?To see the full list of key questions that business leaders should consider when evaluating their risk assessment process, as well as the list of top 10 risks for 2016, visit the Protiviti website. There, you can download a free copy of the latest Executive Perspectives on Top Risks Survey report and access other resources related to the 2016 survey.Do you need expert support for your risk management initiatives? Robert Half Management Resources can provide highly skilled consultants for your next project. In addition to project staffing, we offer solution consulting in partnership with Protiviti, a Robert Half subsidiary. Contact us to learn more.1.855.432.0924

How to make progress everyday and leave the worry behind

How to make progredienz everyday and leave the worry behindHow to make progress everyday and leave the worry behindWhat does everyday progress even mean?Every day progress is really about living your best life. Fluffy, right? Well, yeah. But thats the 30,000-foot view. I think about this because recently, someone asked me how did I know I was ready to do the work that I love to do. I said,Because Im proud of the life I live each day and I stick to my values and principles and try to do mybest.You have to keep it simple. Thats how you make progress. Thats the magic for how you keep going with consistency each day. While I do believe in taking a day off here and there, there also shouldnt be any off days in terms of making progress.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThink of this in the context of always wanting to stick to your values, how you define success and how you want to make your mark on the world.Seeing successful, happy and fulfilled people reminds me that theres so much consistency to what they do. Theres progress each day. In how they love and treat their husband or wife.How they love their children. Whether theyre legitimately becoming more mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically stronger and prepared to meet every new task and challenge in front of them.Thats beautiful stuff. It takes foresight, self-awareness and a mindset of a winner.And lets be honest- it takes sacrifice. Often times, when we keep focusing on the things that it takes to be the best in what we do, we recognize that we sacrifice in other areas. And the truth is, while we know in our heart that giving up these lesser options is the right thing to do, that doesnt make it easy.There are temptations to give in. To compromise our values or simply our daily routine or list of things to do. Please know, sometimes repeating mistakes of the past happens.Doing the wrong thing, w hile knowing youre doing the wrong thing isnt good. But it shouldnt mean that you blame yourself and put yourself in some personal prison. All the self-condemnation in the world will do you no good.Were human. As a friend once told me, Give yourself some grace.Were going to screw up and part of progress- yes, for real- is actually growing and picking yourself up from the space of adversity and stumbles.So much of everyday consistency and progress for me is tied to having a plan. Having big goals, wanting big results and following the process to get there. This process is what I help coaching clients with every day. This is where the real battle for progress is won.I also encourage everyone to follow your intuition. Follow your heart. It has this unbelievable knack of letting you know what it really means to do whats right FOR YOU. Listen to that voice inside of you and trust yourself.When youre living a good life, your intuition and your heart will tell you. Its what Ive used as my guide. I can literally feel emotionally and physically when Im about to do something wrong. I know it. Maybe you know the same feeling.Make progress every day by following a simple path. Dont put too many things on your plate?- ?yes that includes both tasks and worries Keep things as simple as possible. Use positive affirmations and visualization to see yourself achieving and accomplishing what you want to do.The Wins will pile up for you and youll feel the grace of knowing youre doing the right thing.Join my newsletter for the bestemotional intelligence and productivity content on the InternetGet a FREE Coaching Call to Explore Your Emotional Intelligence, and Learn how to Achieve Your Biggest Goals Check out my Amazon bestseller, The Value of You, which has helped tens of thousands of people develop the game plan for living their best lifeYou might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say , study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

The Future of Work Has Arrived Heres How to Beat the Competition

The Future of Work Has Arrived Heres How to Beat the CompetitionThe Future of Work Has Arrived - Heres How to Beat the Competition Between artificial intelligence , big data, machine learning, the Internet of Things and more, many of todays fruchtwein cutting-edge technological advances are iterating at a dizzying pace. Add to that fears of automation and an upcoming recession, and employees are facing serious pressure to stay relevant in an ever-changing work environment. But what exactly is on the horizon, and how can you prepare for it now?To find out, we turned to the winners of Glassdoors Best Places to Work in 2019 , some of the most innovative organizations out there today. Heres what they said employees need to know - master these skills now, and youre guaranteed to stand out above the rest.At this point, data has become a ubiquitous buzzword in the business world - but for good reason. Technological advances over the past couple of decades have provid ed companies with an unprecedented level of information, and even the most traditional companies are embracing it in order to make more strategic decisions.Im seeing a few key trends continue and emerge as we look ahead to the new year, including the importance of being data-led. As a team, were leveraging ur data to field new ideas and innovation and inform decisions, said Rick Jensen, Senior Vice President, People & Places at Intuit .Developing digital skills is more important than ever, agreed Kevin Peesker, Microsoft Canada President. I am bedrngnis speaking about coders or programmers - the shift is every role being impacted by digital, and possessing an awareness of technical and data-infused possibility will be fundamental to making an impact.Data proficiency means more than just glancing at numbers and drawing a conclusion, though. Matin Movassate, CEO of data analytics firm Heap , points out that todays employees need to be able to determine whether or not their data i s reliable.This grand, AI-driven future cant happen without a complete, trustworthy dataset, Movassate said. So if prospective data engineers, data analysts, data scientists and business intelligence leaders can maintain a maniacal focus on the completeness and quality of their data, theyll be well-prepared for anything the future has in store.Data interpretation/analysis is certainly one skill that will be essential to the future, but with how rapidly technology is evolving, todays workers need to stay abreast of as many cutting-edge areas as possible. After all, any one of them could completely rewrite the rules of work.If you think about certain roles today - cognitive data scientist, machine learning engineer - many of those roles didnt exist 10 years ago and not only did they not exist, we hadnt even imagined what they could be. We believe it will be the same in 10 years from now, Peesker said.A few trends to stay on top of in particular include SaaS, cloud computing, mobile, user experience, AI and machine learning, shared Aron Ain, CEO of HR technology company Kronos Incorporated .New ways of working will include more plan thinking and working in an agile environment. The rapid development and creative application of new technologies will be applied across the business spectrum, from blockchain to supply chain, added Manny Maceda, Worldwide Managing Partner at Bain & Company . Job seekers can prepare by committing to ongoing, self-directed learning.Not sure where to start? Subscribing to publications that delve into these topics is always a good idea - a quick Google search should yield plenty of results - as is exploring relevant courses on online platforms like Coursera , edX and Udacity .With all of the rapid innovation occurring today, its critical that workers are able to keep up the pace when the inevitable changes occur.Technology is changing at a breathtaking pace, both with the products we develop and offer, as well as the products w e use to run our business.We remain deeply focused on embracing new technology, innovating in all areas, breaking what is not broken to make it better, learning from our competitors as a means to improve and on and on, Ain said. Were not only going to be part of the future of work - were focused on helping to shape it.This breakneck speed isnt just limited to technology companies, though. Other industries, like aviation, have adopted a nimble mindset as well.To be successful in the aviation industry, one must be agile and able to manage large volumes of change, explained Greg Muccio, Director of People at Southwest Airlines . There are many variables that are outside of our control that impact our operations, so there is more pressure to adapt. Change is constant in the airline industry.It might seem counterintuitive, but as technology continues to revolutionize the way we work, a human-centered approach becomes increasingly important. Thats why Intuit puts such an emphasis on wha t they call customer obsession.Intuit was customer-obsessed before it was popular, but were continuing to hire for, and teach, capabilities that fall in love with the customer problem - not the solution. We want and need all of our employees to really fall in love with the problem in order to best solve it, Jensen shared. Diversity of thought, background and craft will help us move the needle on solving problems for our customers quickly.Human connection is especially crucial in industries like healthcare, where positive patient-provider relationships are key to favorable outcomes.At the end of the day, healthcare candidates must be able to stay connected to the human side of research and patient care. Approaching patients with care and compassion are traits that technology can never replace, said Dana Bottenfield, VP of Human Resources at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital .A people-centric approach isnt just for those outside of your organization, however.Successful job seeker s need to have a balance of strong subject matter expertise with a focus on getting results through teamwork, Bottenfield explained.Job seekers need to be comfortable working collaboratively with a broader range of people - data scientists, software developers and konzeption thinkers - to deliver results, Maceda elaborated. The new norm is being able to work in new ways and with a more diverse set of talent.And as companies grow larger and more complex, maintaining this connection - no matter your location - is imperative.As companies continue to move to platforms with more interdependencies across the entire organization, top talent needs the ability to work seamlessly across the organization, Jensen added.The key to doing that? Trust, Ain said.Technologies like our own are empowering employees to work their way, from anytime, anywhere. Trust is a two-way street, one thats earned through transparency, reliability, communication and performance. This world of flexibility can be wonderful - and trust is key to making it work.

What To Do If Youre Caught Interviewing at the Competition

What To Do If Youre Caught Interviewing at the CompetitionWhat To Do If Youre Caught Interviewing at the Competition Its every currently-employed job seekers worst nightmare - getting caught red-handed seeking a job at a competitor. Try as you might to keep it on the down low , it can be difficult to avoid suspicion.When I was an in-house HR Manager, I could always tell when someone, especially of a manager level or higher, was interviewing or considering leaving the company. Doctors and dentist appointments occur more frequently, a long lunch or two takes a few hours, or the need to arrive late or leave early begins to pop up, says Christy Hopkins, Human Resources Consultant and Staff Writer at Fit Small geschftlicher umgang . Or maybe its simply in your demeanor. I could also tell in employees work though, Hopkins adds. Employees who were normally passionate and engaged seemed quiet in meetings and lackluster in their work . Whenever I noticed the signs, I alway s pointed it out to their manager and left it up to them to bring it up or not. 9 times out of 10, I was right.But dont worry - even though being caught might feel like the end of the world, it really isnt. Hopkins shared a handful of steps that job seekers can take to mitigate the damage of being outed as an active job seeker.Heres what you should do if youre caught interviewing at the competitionSure, it seems bad now. But oftentimes, we get more worked up in stress-inducing situations than we need to - the reactions and consequences we imagine are often much worse in our heads than what actually end up occurring.From an HR standpoint, I never wanted someone to get in trouble, Hopkins says. The reason for pointing it out was to decide if hours on my side called for looking for candidates to potentially replace the partie and preparing a job posting.So take some time to decompress - go for a walk, head home a little bit early to collect yourself, or even try to do some breathing exercises or meditation techniques. Above all, stay calm and know that this isnt the end.Dont feel like getting caught means you have to immediately bolt, Hopkins says. But it does mean that you should address it in some way - otherwise, itll be an uncomfortable elephant in the room for all parties involved. Ask to chat with your manager or HR to acknowledge why youre seeking other opportunities. Are you unhappy with your current pay ? Do you want to eembark on a different career path ? Do you feel like you just need a change of pace? Depending on your circumstance, your current employer may be willing to accommodate certain requests if it means you staying.It might sound a bit crazy, but your openness and honesty will be appreciated and could even lead to a raise or promotion if that is why you are thinking of leaving, Hopkins shares.On the other hand, if youre determined to move onto bigger and better things, dont be afraid to let your employer know that. You can still come up with a plan together thats mutually beneficial - they get a smoother transition between employees, and you get to leave on good terms (something thats critical in securing future references ).Perhaps you could create an exit strategy of 30, 60, or 90 days and leave without burning a bridge. Or you could help recruit your replacement and stay until your new job is lined up. Ive seen many situations where then a monetary incentive is added onto the exit plan for the person to stay the full time, Hopkins says.Unfortunately, though, you cant always guarantee that an employer will take the news of your departure with grace - especially if youll be working with their direct competitor. If an environment becomes hostile , dont feel pressured to stay longer than necessary. Your well-being should come first. I saw this once when I was working at a marketing firm as their HR Manager. The management team there was 6 people and they had learned one of their superstar account executives w as interviewing with a competitor by hearing it through the grapevine. While they did not take action, they did hold it against this person and created a very hostile work environment . I felt that they would have been better off parting ways with the employee than the solution they came up with, Hopkins shares.Finding yourself out of work before youre ready is certainly less than ideal, but there are ways you can reduce the financial strain. Consider picking up a side gig , working with a staffing agency , or negotiating a severance package as a starting point.If you decide to take a job at the competition, be careful - you may have insider knowledge of sensitive information and, depending on what you originally agreed to in the offer letter with your former company, you may not be allowed to divulge it.Review your original offer letter to see what their policy is on non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements - it may state that you have to keep certain proprietary inform ation (such as financial reports, communications, product design, etc.) private at the risk of facing legal action if its violated.Starting a job is stressful enough. The last thing you need is concerns about a lawsuit hanging over your head, so read carefullyOnce youre finally through the thick of it, you can use your experience as a learning moment so that it doesnt happen again. One of the best ways to ensure this, Hopkins says, is to leverage your vacation time .To the active job seekers who still currently have a job, remember to use your PTO leave for interviews as best as possible to avoid raising flags, she says. Beyond helping you keep your job search in stealth mode, its also the courteous thing to do for your colleagues. When someone continually leaves early, arrives late, etc. because they are interviewing, they are usually stressing out their teammates and their manager. If you at least try to use PTO and plan accordingly, you wont stress out the people that you prob ably are friends with and care about, she concludes.

How to Write a Cover Letter & Get the Job [5+ Real-Life Examples]

How to Write a Cover Letter & Get the Job 5+ Real-Life ExamplesHow to Write a Cover Letter & Get the Job After weeks of heavy job search, youre almost thereYouve perfected yur resume.Youve shortHey, my anthroponym is Jonathan and Id like to work as a Sales Manager at XYZ Inc. Ive worked as a sales manager at MadeUpCompany Inc. for 5+ years, so I believe that Id be a good fit for the position.See the issue here? This opening paragraph doesnt say pretty much anything except the fact that youve worked the job before.Do you know who else has similar work experience? All the other applicants youre competing with.Instead, you want to start off with 2Dear Josh Smith,My name is Michael and Id like to help XYZ Inc. hit and exceed their sales goals as a Sales Manager. Ive worked with Company X, a finIn my previous role as a Facebook Marketing Expert at XYZ Inc. I handled customer acquisition through ads, managing a monthly Facebook ad budget of $20,000+. As the sole digital marketer at the com pany, I managed the ad creation management process endIve personally used the XYZ Smartphone, and I believe that its the most innovative tech Ive used in years. The features such as MadeId love to work for Company XYZ because of its culture of innovation. I believe that since Im super creative, Id be a good fit for the company. The company values of integrity and transparency really vibe with me.See whats wrong here? The example doesnt really say anything about the company. Culture of Innovation is something most companies claim to have.The saatkorn goes for values of integrity and transparency sNeed some inspiration? Read on to learn about some of the best cover letter examples weve seen (for different fields).College Student Cover Letter ExampleMiddle Management Cover Letter ExampleCareer Change Cover Letter ExampleManagement Cover Letter ExampleSenior Executive Cover Letter ExampleWant to discover more examples AND learn what makes them stand out? Check out our guide to cover le tter examples.Next Steps in Your Job Search - Creating a Killer ResumeYour cover letter is only as good as your resume. If either one is weak, your entire application is for naught.After all, a cover letter is just an introduction. Imagine going through all this effort to leave an amazing first impression, but flopping at the end because of a mediocre resume....But dont you worry, weve got you covered on that end, too.If you want to learn more about Resumes CVs, we have a dedicated FREE guide for that. Check out our complete guide on how to make a resume - our experts will teach you everything you need to know in order to land your dream job.Or, if youre already an expert, just pick one of our resume templates and get started.CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWKey TakeawaysNow that weve walked you through all the steps of writing a cover letter, lets summarize everything weve learnedA cover letter is a 250 - 400 word document that convinces the hiring manager of your competence.A cover letter g oes in your job application alongside your resume.Your introduction to the cover letter should grab the hiring managers attention and

Astonishing Facts About When Creating Your Rsum, You Should _____. Exposed

Astonishing Facts About When Creating Your Rsum, You Should _____. Exposed B b advertising manager resume. Now you are all set to arrange the main information at the very top left of the webpage and least important information at the bottom right. You are able to create a page at a moment, save this, and come back to it later. Be mindful not to give too much information in this part. As a consequence, a number of the text might be too small to read clearly. The Professional Rsum Template Designing a rsum can be rather time-consuming if youve got to manage all the formatting in addition to drafting the text. In Primer Magazinethere are only 7 downloadable vorlages that you find it possible to choose out of and likewise an additional 1-2 templates theyve added recently. Notice that this template consists of fictitious data about an individual named Max Benson to explain to you where your text ought to go. The Most Popular When Creating Your Rsum, You Should _____. The very first line of the code above is quite similar to the way you would create a macro. Its assumed here that the rpy2 package has been correctly installed. Reusing exactly the same array is a great approach to lower the cost of memory administration. The Most Popular When Creating Your Rsum, You Should _____. They have contacts of their own and theyre able to make phone calls for your benefit. Men and women have a tendency to think its a document that can help you land an interview. When writing a lab report, you need to remember that a good-written you must present not only data, but in addition your comprehension. Have somebody else review the document to be certain that youre delivering the information clearly. Youre going to be pleasantly surprised with the response you will probably receive. The Secret to when Creating Your Rsum, You Should _____. It is not tailored to the job Each resume should be customized for the particular job that youre applying for. It couldnt be simpler to compose resumes. Your nursing CV should prove you have discovered the abilities and experience necessary to execute those responsibilities. With unterstellung breastfeeding CV hints and instances, you are likely to receive the best nursing CV immediately. Furthermore, its better if youve got an opportunity to inform your references ahead of time a future employer may be calling. An effective job campaign is well rounded and doesnt rely on any 1 method to achieve success. Build the perfect resume and find the job you have earned Only your present job ought to be written in the current tense, Gelbard states. What You Must Know About when Creating Your Rsum, You Should _____. Utilizing a writing service is the best method to have a well-written essay to use as a guideline to make sure the essays you write are hitting all the crucial points and are at the appropriate depth necessary for your academic grade. You summarize the qualifications which will be explained in detail in the rest of the resume. Your next step is to produce your summary section. After youve mastered these four essential sections, youve developed a big element of your dynamic and compelling resume. Youre saying to the hiring manager, My goal is to find work. Functional type is for all those who do not own a good deal of matter or experience to support their resume with. Inside this circumstance, the objective ought to be very direct and specific to the prospective business and position. Since the career objective is at the peak of your resume, it needs to earn a huge splash. Your most relevant experience ought to be from the previous 15 decades, so hiring managers only will need to find that, Augustine states. It will raise your probability of being found by recruiters. Be sure to modify your best and most recent resume to searchable so that you can increase your odds of being found by recruiters. Then, when its finished, you can ensure it is searchable to boost yo ur probability of being discovered by recruiters. As an example, say you have more than two decades of skilled experience. Your resume is not where to get started explaining why youd be a fantastic fit or why you desire the job. I wont be necessarily on the lookout for answers, but instead a sympathetic ear. The dicke bretter bohren mssen was, I might get a word between questions.

Tweet Your Way to Better Hiring

Tweet Your Way to Better HiringThis week you might see an uptick in the amount of blogging, tweeting, and status updates. Thats because the last week in September is also Social Media Week. With the movers and shakers of the social media universe getting together to talk about the future of connecting and sharing, it seemed like a good time to look at how social media giants find the best employees to keep innovating their services.Today well be spending a few mora than 140 characters looking at the hiring practices of one popular little bird Twitter. The micro-blogging service has grown exponentially in the last few years. Tweets are quoted on CNN and have even been instrumental in international revolutions.To keep moving forward, Twitter needs to continually hire the best people, just like your company. If youre looking for top candidates, here are some lessons you can take from TwitterEmbrace The Power Of Online VideoHuman beings are visual creatures, and we especially love when t hose images move. Online video is a huge component of the social web, and Twitter has embraced what a good video can do for their recruiting practices. On Twitters designated career page, an online video sits front and center. This video is practically the first thing interested applicants see, and gives insight into Twitters company culture and values.Your company shouldnt shortchange the power of a good online video for finding and hiring the best people. Online video can be used to show off your company culture and what its truly like to work at your organization. It can also be used right in the hiring process, whether youre watching a video resume or performing a video interview. For instance, a video resume can show you important interpersonal characteristics of the candidate. When used correctly, online video can be an important hiring tool your company shouldnt ignore.Connect With CandidatesTwitter realizes its important to connect with candidates, in both conventional and u nconventional ways. As a social media company, Twitter knows the value of using their own platform to connect with top notch talent. Thats why theyve created their own account FollowtheFlock to give candidates insight into what its like to actually work at the company. Its a brilliant way to use their own product to brand their company as a great place to work. It also allows them to connect with talented candidates and advertise open positions.When looking to fill an open position, its important to stay connected to your top talent. Social media is a great way to quickly and efficiently reach out to candidates both near and far. You want to connect personally with candidates to get a better feel for their skills, professionalism, and what they can bring to the table. This could mean reaching out to a candidate over social media or even conducting a video interview to form a more personal connection earlier in the process. The important thing is to follow Twitters lead and get to know your talent.Develop An Attractive Company CultureIn their recruiting video, Twitter gives applicants a little taste of what life is like at the company. And life seems fun Talented candidates want to work at a company where they can do their best work while still enjoying their 9-to-5. It seems basic, but having great benefits can go a long way toward attracting the kind of applicants you need to keep driving your company forward.Twitter has in-house yoga, generous maternity and paternity leave, and even a laundry service. You dont need to do employees dry cleaning to develop a great company culture, but make sure to advertise the perks your company offers to nab candidates looking for a fun place to work.Look For The Best And The BrightestJust because a candidate is young doesnt mean they dont have anything to offer. Twitter has realized this, which is why they have Twitter University, a program for college students offering opportunities and internships.By connecting with col leges and universities, you can reach out to the future of the workforce. These young workers are full of knowledge and new ideas, without being indoctrinated by how things have always been done. Better yet, by reaching out to colleges, you can scoop up top talent before your competitors.With 140 characters and one little blue bird, Twitter has tweeted its way into our everyday lives. By embracing some of their top hiring practices, we can learn to hire like a social media giant and find great people to make our companies grow and thrive.What are some hiring lessons youve taken from Twitter? Share in the commentsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by Paul Snelling

Jobscan CEO James Hu on CareerCloud Radio

Jobscan CEO James Hu on CareerCloud Radio Jobscan CEO James Hu on CareerCloud Radio Jobscan started from my own personal need, Jobscan Founder and CEO James Hu told Career Cloud Radio host Justin Dux. I was a job seeker myself. The herausforderung with looking for a job is the black hole. You submit a resume and you dont hear back. So we want Jobscan to be the answer to that black hole.James appeared on the podcast to discuss the ways Jobscan is arming job seekers against the outdated and ineffective applicant tracking systems that stand in their way. Heres an excerpt from early in the conversationJustin Dux After using Jobscan, what do you think are some of the first things job seekers start to learn about their resume?James Hu Looking for a job is very much, most people see a job listing and they read the description and they say, Hey, thats totally me They get really excited about it and they submit their resume without going through a detailed check like we do at Jobscan. So, alo t of times we get feedback from job seekers that this is an eye opener. They didnt know they were missing these key skills and keywords from their resume even though theyve done the same thing over and over again. Justin Dux Thats actually the experience I had with Jobscan as well. I put in a resume that I had been sending out to jobs for a few months and I really worked on that resume heavily about 6-9 months earlier, and I was stunned when my first feedback score was 38% matched. This position, exactly like you said, I felt like I was a really great match for. And so during that evening I made tweaks to the resume and scanned it over and over again to improve that score up to 80%, and thats what I was happy to get it up to. But I was shocked by the subtle differences.Listen to the full episode at CareerCloud Radio.Ready to give Jobscan a shot yourself? Try it out right here

Trash Bridges

Trash Bridges Trash Bridges Trash BridgesTransportation officials dismayed about the nations decaying bridges are turning to the bottle to find relief. And its helping.The solution isnt whats in the bottle, its what the bottles are made of, where they came from, and what theyre capable of doing. Discarded plastic beverage bottles, milk jugs, detergent containers, and other household plastic trash can become, through the magic of werkstoffs engineering, a totally green building material for new bridges and other infrastructure upgrades.Non-biodegradable thermoplastics are anathema to our nations waste-management system. Improved recycling programs have reduced the sheer volume of plastic in landfills, but theres still the harte nuss of what to do with all of that recycled material. The supply of second-generation plastic far outstrips the demand. Recycled structural composites (RSCs) based on technologies developed at Rutgers University and commercialized by Axion International, New P rovidence, NJ, transfasson mountains of melted down and remolded plastic waste into an all-green building material for heavy-duty infrastructural projects.The U.S. Army was an early adopter of the new material, in part because it has regulatory autonomy over the infrastructure on its bases. Since 1998, the Army has been driving jeeps, tanks, and trains over short-span plastic bridges at forts Leonard Wood, Bragg, and Eustis, providing case data that is driving the technologys acceptance in civil projects in both the U.S and Europe.In 2011, for example, the company completed the first plastic vehicular bridge in Europe, a 90-foot span over the River Tweed near Edinburgh. The pre-fabricated bridge was shipped in six sections to Scotland, where crews rapidly reassembled them. We were able to complete construction on-site in just two weeks, said Steve Silverman, Axions president and CEO. Putting the pieces together, in fact, took only four days out of that process, he said. The remarkab ly fast erection time for a 90-foot bridge is a major benefit.Assembling a plastic vehicular bridge over the River Tweed. bild Axionintl.comSpurning Bridges?The degradation of the U.S. infrastructure is not a new problem, and bridges are one of the areas of gravest concern because of the obvious health and safety issues associated with a potential bridge collapse. Although the nations bridges fared much better than schools, roads, levees, and most other categories graded in the American Society of Civil Engineers most recent Report Card for Americas Infrastructure, they still only eked out a C. With one in four bridges either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, and a $17-billion annual price tag for necessary improvements, theres little question that transportation officials will take interest in any technology that offers a lower-cost alternative to traditional steel and concrete construction.Converting Garbage to a Gar-BridgeThe process of manufacturing the RSC materi als is straightforward. Axion receives giant bundles of sorted plastic it has to be high-density polyethylene, the kind stamped with a 2 recycling code. The plastic is comingled with the other principal component, glass fibers coated in polystyrene or polypropylene, generally scrap material from the manufacture of car bumpers. The raw materials are ground into tiny flecks, then subject to high but below melt point heat. The precision of the heating process is critical to getting the otherwise incompatible properties of various polymers to work together to form a stronger material. The hot glop is extruded through molds into its specified shape and allowed to cool.The company forms its thermoplastics into standard construction shapes such as I-beams, pilings, and boards, and also can pre-build an entire bridge or boardwalk to a customers specifications. Thomas Nosker, Ph.D., the Rutgers materials engineer who pioneered the technology, has said the individual pieces come together l ike a childs play set to form bridges that are cost-efficient and easy to erect.High-Performance AssembliesEngineers have been experimenting with composite bridges made of space-age carbon-fiber-reinforced polymeric materials since the mid-1990s, and efforts have focused on high-performance assemblies engineered for specific performance properties. Their performance, however, suits them well toward applications in new construction and retrofits in earthquake-prone regions, harsh marine environments, or other situations where the long-term durability will offset their higher first costs, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. But these advanced composite structures require exotic raw ingredients and specialized fabrication methods that drive the price up.According to Axion, the lions share of the plastic bridge market is on the nations secondary roadways where spans of 15 to 25 feet are commonplace. From a performance standpoint in those applications, thermoplastics wo nt rot, rust, splinter, crumble, or attract bugs like wood, steel, or concrete. They are lighter, dont need to be painted, and require no special tools or training to install. The initial cost of building a plastic bridge is about the same as a similarly sized traditional structure, but they are cheaper over their 50-year expected lifespan because they avoid these costly ongoing maintenance chores.State transportation officials concerned about the public perception of plastic as a flimsy material are heartened by military videos showing the bridges holding their own against 70-ton tanks and 120-ton locomotives.Axions Silverman said the company is developing other infrastructure applications for the STRUXURE components, including sound walls, retaining walls, marinas, jetties and piers, culverts, and platforms. The Container Recycling Institute counts approximately 1,755 thousand tons of HDPE sold annually in the United States, meaning there is likely to be a sustainable supply of ra w materials for this emerging sector of the sustainability market.Michael MacRae is an independent writer.We were able to complete construction on-site in just two weeks.Steve Silverman, president and CEO, Axion International

7 Great Perks the Best Work From Home Jobs Provide

7 Great Perks the Best Work From Home Jobs Provide7 Great Perks the Best Work From Home Jobs Provide In the past few years, the number of people working remotely has exploded. According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com , regular work from home arrangements have grown by 103 percent since 2005.Hundreds of companies offer full-time jobs that you can do from anywhere , and you dont have to sacrifice benefits like health insurance or schreibstube equipment.The best work from home jobs provide employee perks, even if they look different than they do in a traditional arbeitszimmer setting. So if youre looking for zugnglich work, prioritize positions that offerthese seven employee perks and benefits.Even if youre not going into an office day after day, you can still find a company that offers health insurance. Many health insurance companies offer plans across the U.S. Even if your kollektiv is scattered across all50 states, a remote company isstill able to provide covera ge.If your company doesnt offer a specific plan, it might reimburse you for health and wellness costs instead. It could cover some or all of the cost of your health insurance premium. Plus, it may throw in a little extra to cover other wellness necessities, sucha gym membership.IBM and Humana , for instance, both offer health insurance to a variety of remote employees. Apple provides health insurance to its at home advisors in customer support. If a company wants to stay competitive in the remote working space, it should provide health insurance to its employees.When you work from home, you dont have access to the resources of an office. Thats why the best work from home jobs provide a stipend for you to set up a home office. This stipend should cover all your home office needs, includinga computer, desk , office chair, monitor, headset, or printer.Many companies will let you keep these purchases even after your employment with them ends. A few may collect the equipment if you q uit within a few months, however.When working remotely, youll likely conduct most of your work online or over the phone. Ideally, your company willreimburse you for your working costs. They might cover your internet or cell phone bill or buy you a membership to a coworking space .If youre worried about your phone bill or a quiet space to work, dont let these concerns hold you back from searching for a remote role. The best work from home jobs provide the technology and space you need to getyour job done.Are you worried that an online jobmeans working in a vacuum? Remote jobs should stillprovide plenty of training and onboarding . Instead of leaving you to sink or swim, companies should help you learn the ins and outs of your position and become part of the team.Most online companies with distributed teams rely on communication technologies to stay in touch. They use Google Hangouts, Slack, or Zoom, for example, for chat, calls, and video conferences.Automattic , the company behind WordPress, also uses an internal blog to keep everyone connected. Remote company Buffer relies on Timezone.io and Hipchat to talk across time zones.If youre joining a remote company , you might learn some new communication technologies for onboarding and collaborating. With these online tools, youll learn how to succeed in your role and join the company fold.Just like traditional full-time jobs, remote jobs should offer paid vacation days . Groove, for instance, offers unlimited paid vacation time to theiremployees.Remote company Toggl provides 28 paid vacation days, plus the national holidays of whatever country their employees live in.Another traditional benefit you dont have to sacrifice for online work is a 401(k) account and employer match .Health insurance company Humana, for instance, made it into the top 20 of FlexJobs list of remote companies. As part of its robust benefits package, Humana offers 401(k) retirement plans with a 6 percent employer match.Beyond chatting onl ine, some remote companies bring workers together through team retreats.Buffer, for example, has taken its team to Lake Tahoe, Bangkok, Cape Town, New York, Sydney, and Reykjavik in the past few years. According to the Buffer blog , these retreats provide an opportunity to work together, participate in team bonding activities, and enjoy fun excursions together in a new city.Working online doesnt mean giving up workplace benefits . In fact, many companies with distributed teams are leading the way with employee perks.These forward-thinking companies support their workers with wellness reimbursement, technology stipends, and even team retreats around the world. Many also provide reimbursement for continuing education and professional conferences.If youre looking for online work, prioritize jobs that offer these benefits. Plus, youll get one of the best perks of all the ability to work whenever you want from wherever you want.This article was originally published on Student Loan Hero . It is reprinted with permission.