3,355 qualified candidates are waiting for you
- Author: Kyle Callahan
- Posted: October 19, 2007
- Category: Recruiting, Sourcing Strategies
- Tags: healthcare recruiting, Press Releases, Print Media
- Comments: 0
Over the last few years, fifteen hospitals have closed their doors in New Jersey. Now, four more are closing, making New Jersey healthcare workers available to move for new jobs out of the state. This is your chance to fill those hard-to-source healthcare positions while providing a new career direction for qualified candidates.
- 820 healthcare workers from Union, NJ
- 635 healthcare workers from Paterson, NJ
- 700 healthcare workers from Westwood, NJ
- 1200 healthcare workers from Bayonne, NJ
To help you take advantage of this unique opportunity, we are partnering with the Newark Star-Ledger to provide out-of-state opportunities to all the workers affected by this recent rash of layoffs. The Healthcare Jobs Nationwide careers section will be published Sunday, October 28, and again on November 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th.
In case you’re wondering: The closing hospitals are not the only reason these candidates are looking to leave New Jersey. New Jersey has one of the highest costs of living in the US, making relocation a more attractive option than ever. An article in the Star-Ledger reported that “Residents are leaving New Jersey at three times the rate they were five years ago” This could have something to do with high housing costs, or the state’s generally high cost of living, but whatever the reason, people are leaving New Jersey.
And with an ad in the Healthcare Jobs Nationwide careers section, you can make sure that they come to you.
For more information on how your organization can reach these 3,355 qualified healthcare workers, contact us today.
It’s Time to Kill the Diversity Ad
- Author: Eric Peterson
- Posted: October 18, 2007
- Category: Sourcing Strategies, Employment Branding
- Tags: No Tags
- Comments: 4
Having served as the Creative Director for RCI Recruitment Solutions since 1991, the five words I have come to dread most are “We need a diversity ad.” I have nothing against diversity, mind you; to the contrary, I acknowledge the strength that an inclusive organization gains by filling its corridors with people of various backgrounds, experience and perspectives. And let’s not forget that equal opportunity is the law. But what bothers me is how companies approach the opportunity to address a minority audience.
For one, a company seeking a diversity ad will often insist that the headline screams “DIVERSITY!”; for example, “From diversity comes strength.” But as I mentioned above, it’s unlawful to discriminate during the hiring process, so a headline that screams diversity doesn’t do anything but tell the audience that your organization is a law-abiding equal opportunity employer. Does that support your employer brand? It boggles my mind that companies would invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to uncover and develop just the right employer brand, only to run from it in a diversity campaign. Diversity may very well be an important pillar of your employer brand, but is it the heart of your employer brand? If it is, then I suggest you’re not showing how your organization differs from the millions of other law-abiding employers.
Also, when a company requests a visual representation in their diversity ad, I typically get one of two edicts handed to me. It’s either, “Give me a photo showing a group of people from every imaginable race, gender, height, weight and shoe size,” or “We’re placing the ad in Black EOE Journal. I want a photo of a black person.” The first edict is, in my opinion, a surefire way to water down the impact of any ad. In this day and age, it’s all about me, not all about us. As the old advertising adage goes: When you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one.
The second edict sticks further in my craw. Does including a photo of a black person (to follow the example) make the black audience feel more comfortable? Let’s face it: When it comes time for the interview, the candidate is going to find out real quick whether your organization is diverse. Will he or she see a company that is not all black, not all white, and not all Asian? Hopefully, what the candidate will see is simply the best darn people for the job. If a black candidate can’t get past the fact that a Hispanic woman is featured in your ad, then how well is she/he going assimilate into your (hopefully) diverse environment?
A diversity ad cannot be about patronization. Organizational diversity isn’t something that can be claimed in an ad. It must be demonstrated through experience and promoted through reputation. A company needs to have faith in the competitive advantages of its employment offering and be confident that those advantages transcend race, gender, height, weight and shoe size.
What organizations need to understand is that diversity campaigns are not about the types of ads they run. Diversity campaigns are, purely and simply, about media plans. You need to find a diverse audience and steadfastly communicate to them the qualities that make your organization a special place to work—not just for minorities, but for everyone who possesses the skill sets, experiences, and personal characteristics that make candidates a “right fit” for your organization.
Call me an idealist, but I believe a campaign based on a diversity-screaming headline and the race of the people in the photo only serves to prolong our obsession with the outer shell. The concept of diversity gains strength from referencing not ethnicity or gender, but a healthy variety of ideologies, perspectives and experiences. Until the day comes when companies and candidates alike can stop focusing on the outer shell, we will never truly focus on the value and relevance of the content within. We will never make Equal Opportunity Employer mean “we hire the best darn person for the job. Period.”
Inclusive PTO for Religious Freedom
- Author: Brett Hettrick
- Posted: October 10, 2007
- Category: Employee Retention, Business Matters
- Tags: Employee Retention, holidays, hr, Performance Staffing, pto, religion, work schedule
- Comments: 0
Employers in the United States typically follow the traditional Christian calendar when it comes to offering time-off to their employees. But organizations compete for business in a variety of faith-based and non-faith-based communities, and their time-off calendar should reflect that sense of inclusiveness.
Some employees look for companies that provide an environment congruent with their own faith-based system, while others look for the flexibility to remove themselves from any particular faith-based schedule. How does HR address the needs of a workforce who, in some cases, do not share the faith system the organization has traditionally followed or who choose not to follow the traditions of any faith-based system?
In search of a solution, progressive HR leaders and organizations are expanding their definitions of PTO. These organizations simply add the number of official holidays to the employees’ PTO plan…and then they remove the holidays. Those who want the traditional holiday off can take the day off, but those who don’t observe the holiday are free to come into work if they want. This allows each of the employees in the organization to use PTO time in a manner that is consistent with their own values.
In our work with Performance Staffing, we’ve found this transition is especially easy for those organizations already observing faith-based holidays that fall outside the traditional Christian calendar (not as a replacement for the traditional holidays, but as an addition). These organizations are already predisposed to recognizing the importance of faith-based holidays, and they value the sense of community that arises when the organization respects the PTO needs of all its employees.
If you’re interested in discussing how your organization can transition to an inclusive PTO plan, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.
A New Face for RCIRS.com
- Author: Kyle Callahan
- Posted: October 9, 2007
- Category: News and Events
- Tags: No Tags
- Comments: 3
Welcome to the new look of Bells & Whistles…and RCIRS.com!
As you can see, the look isn’t radically different from the last one. We’ve changed the colors to make the site feel a little more airy, increased the font size to make reading a little easier on the eyes, and totally redesigned our home page to help new visitors quickly understand what we do, what services and solutions we offer, and then find their way deeper into the site.
With that being said, almost all the recent work focused on the look and feel of the new site, but as the days roll on, we’re going to revisit the content of the site too. And let me tell you, we’ve got big plans for Bells & Whistles as well!
But at the same time, we’re hoping you might be able to help us out. We’re actively looking for ideas on how both the site and the blog can better serve your needs, so if you’ve got some feedback on the site for us…
- Does our content answer your questions?
- Does our design inspire confidence?
- Does our blog reveal enough of who we are?
…please don’t be shy. We’d love to hear what you have to say!
Thanks again, and thanks to all the hard-working people who helped make the new design a reality, including (though not limited to) Yom Chouloute, Faye Moyer, Herb Rich, Cathy Card, and Eric Peterson.
Great work everyone!
[Cue shameless plug]
Oh, and if you like our new look and feel, and want to know if we could help on the design of your organization’s career site, the answer is “Yes!”…Contact us today!
[End shameless plug]
Seek and ye shall find
- Author: Kyle Callahan
- Posted: October 8, 2007
- Category: Recruiting, Sourcing Strategies, Center of Excellence
- Tags: No Tags
- Comments: 1
CEO Mike Moore describes the most effective method for developing a qualified labor pool.
A Job Well Done
- Author: Kyle Callahan
- Posted: October 5, 2007
- Category: Business Matters
- Tags: No Tags
- Comments: 0
This e-mail was forwarded around the company this week, and I couldn’t be more proud of all my co-workers, so I want to share it with you too.
Many, many thanks to you and the entire RCI staff dedicated to the Staples project. Working with your team was a real pleasure. Your staff not only knows state of the art recruiting practices, they know how to execute them. Whatever needed to be done, the RCI team was there with me to strategize, plan, and deliver.
Selecting an outside vendor to work on a major project is always worrisome. You hope the team personalities will blend, that they will understand your business, and that we will run a successful project. Your team quickly allayed my concerns….you made it EASY to be partners, and we exceeded expectations on very tight delivery schedule! As I reflect back on the project, I realize how fortunate I was to have the RCI team working with me.
I look forward to the opportunity to work with you again in the future.
All the best,
Joanne Wagner,
Sr. Mgr. Corporate Recruitment
Staples, Inc.
Congratulations to everyone involved!
