Archive for trends
Hawaii’s Hottest Jobs thru 2009
What jobs are hot and what’s not
According to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations the employment outlook for Hawaii thru 2009 is only expected to grow about 0.7% annually. This may sound like a cause for concern but considering some of the mainland states employment forecasts we are in pretty good shape. It has been a tough year so far with the loss of two cruise ships and two airlines. That combined with a slow economy and rising fuel costs has caused some industries to slow down, I.E. Hospitality and Tourism.
The biggest winners are healthcare and education which will provide the most jobs. Construction will see some growth too, despite a cooling economy. This is due to federal and military contracts. There is a small increase in retail according to the report of about 0.34 percent or 470 jobs and this is due to the arrival of mainland retail giants Target and Whole Foods Market. Jobs in Information Technology will see growth too. The report also lists the fastest growing occupations as Computer Software Engineers, Applications 4.39%, Home Health Aides 3.59%, Network Systems & Data Communication Analysts 3.51%, and First Line Supervisors/Mgrs. of Firefighting & Prevention Workers 3.26%. When you read these reports it may look like doom and gloom but companies here in Hawaii are still looking to hire, keep that in mind when conducting your job search.
Click here to view the DLIR report
Hawaii would benefit with a 4 day work week.
4 day work weeks would have a positive impact here in Hawaii.
I recently read an article titled, “The Four Day Work Week: Sixteen Reasons Why This Might Be an Idea Whose Time Has Come”, on The Oil Drum. I think Hawaii and the nation would benefit in so many ways, if we can wean ourselves off of the notion that we must be at work five days a week.
The fact is that most of us waste that extra time in the office on other things anyway. This goes back to my support on ROWE or results only work environment. The benefits to companies locally would be tremendous, as a few are pointed out in the article above. My personal favorites are a positive impact on our environment, and decreased operational costs for businesses. We need to look at alternatives as a state, and as business leaders to improve our economy. The four day work week, while not an option for every business here in Hawaii, can still make an impact on multiple levels.
On the flip side of this idea there are those who are not in favor of 4/10. I am not sure why though, because most of the professionals I know work 5/10 or 5/12 anyway. There are a lot of benefits to the 4/10 work week, so it may be worth researching if it is compatibility with your company.
Cali & Jody and Why Work Sucks
Tim Ferriss spotlights Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson.
Employment Branding now is the time
Branding your image as the best place to work right now can be a powerful weapon in the war for talent. You have to be bold and innovative but with the right approach you can seize market share now.
The absolute best time to get the best people is now but you need to define yourself and I am not talking about just words, I am talking action. Any recruiter or human resources manager can type up a compelling statement that reflects your company as a great place to work but once that transaction has taken place if you are not ready to reflect those statements you are just wasting your time and possibly damaging your reputation. To truly come up with a plan of action during an economic slow down you must be willing to make investments in shaping a recruiting model that provides excellent employer value propositions and a workforce plan that incorporates it.
Employer value propositions are a tough sell unless they have value to the employee or candidate. The best EVP has choices not limitations gaining popularity based on you’re flexibility as an employer of choice. A good example would be professional development. If you are offering tuition reimbursement for continuing education in a related field, than add tuition assistance for any undergraduate and graduate program. This can guarantee long term employment with your company. A high attrition rate and vacancies can impact productivity which costs money, the investment is worth it. The value of a few good EVP’s can go along way in attracting the people that you want, especially during an economic slowdown.
The problem right now is a lot of companies are risking loosing talent by freezing any hiring and limiting valuable benefits. Is this the right move? Yes and no, of course some companies cannot make those large investments, so what are they to do? The answer is good leadership and relationships with their employees. A good employment branding plan always incorporates good management that fosters positive relationships. In other words you have a good boss. The value of flexibility has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years as well, allowing employees the benefit of controlling their schedules. A performance based model judges your employees based on results, not time spent sitting at their desk looking like they are working. The future of our workforce will be spending more time away from the office and for those industries that can provide this option to their employees will see increased productivity, which will have a far reaching impact on business as a whole. My point is simple, be bold, be daring, and pave the way for the future of your company by giving what is not being given, listening when nobody is listening, and providing certainty when nothing seems certain. They will come!
Kapolei looking good for future employment
Kapolei is the fastest growing job center in the state who knows what may be added to the production calendar in the future to boost that 40k. If you are looking to expand your job search check this site out. Kapolei will make a positive impact on employment in Hawaii without a doubt.
High Marks for HireNet Hawaii
Easy to use and packed with information for everyone, HireNet Hawaii gets a thumbs up!
If you have not been on the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations website HireNet Hawaii, I recommend that you take a look. The site is impressive with a wealth of information for everyone, from youth to veteran. It is broken down into easy to use tabs that direct you right where you need to go. If anything it would give comfort to someone who became unemployed recently. Businesses can register as well and post jobs or search for candidates.
If you want an all in one resource tool for employment in the State of Hawaii I would definitely use it.
CBS: Video Resumes Hit Mainstream (4/26/2007)
CBS did a story on Video Resumes it is really good. Check it out!
Referrals it’s a good I.D.E.A to A.S.K
One of the greatest compliments you can receive as a recruiter is a referral. The referral means that you are a person of trust, you did a great job, your reputation is impeccable, and that was so wonderful can you do it again? The referral when working the right way can generate a majority of your business. It is an art form. In recruiting not everyone can generate referrals, but once you have tapped into this valuable resource it will pay you dividends well beyond your bank account.
The idea of generating referrals is really about relationships, and how you grow that relationship with integrity, trust, and care. The best way to build a strong referral base is with time, and attention to detail. In the old days recruiters had less to contend with, and generating referrals was a lot easier, but the recruiter today can face a multitude of challenges that makes establishing a good referral base a lot harder. These challenges are more competition, larger networks, and indifference. So how can you generate referrals consistently today?
If you want to get more referrals than you need to know that it is not about how many people you know but how well you know your people. Do you really know them? If you do not than you need to spend time getting to know them. They have value because you have a relationship with them in some way. They have information, their own network, and the ability to get someone who would otherwise not talk to you, to sit down and listen. To build on these relationships is a great way to generate referrals. It can be a phone call, lunch, coffee, or regular visits, but remember it takes time. One thing that I have noticed over the years is that most recruiters do not ask for referrals. I used to ask for three referrals from anyone who sat in my office. They are there for their own benefit so the last thing they are going to do is say “would you like a referral” you need to ask.
You see referrals are about maintaining your relationships consistently, doing a good job, and communication. It may seem simple to you, but how many recruiters do you know that are consistent with their network? We are dealing with larger networks these days so it is easy to get lost, or forget who you talked to. That is why difference is so important. I see a lot of indifference, and anyone who is different will stand out. That’s how you can beat the competition with referrals. My recommendation to recruiters who would like to build more referrals is to start with these seven techniques which I call the I.D.E.A to A.S.K. If you follow these tips consistently then you will start to generate a regular referral base. The great thing about it is that a large portion of these referrals will be passive candidates, and you may see a bit more passive/passive candidates than passive/active ones.
Identify: The first thing to do in order to organize your referral system is to identify everyone that you have worked with in the past either by placement or professional association. I like to make a list based on importance. Who can be referrers, and help me in the immediate future? Who are great networkers? The idea is to build a strong list not a large one. Once you have a strong list your web will grow wider with time.
Develop: As I mentioned earlier in this article referrals are about consistency in your relationships. You have to develop these relationships over time. It could take months even years to develop them but once you have developed a good relationship you can ask for referrals on a regular basis.
Entertain: I never ask for referrals without giving something first. I like to entertain my referrers with lunch, coffee, regular visits, and occasional networking events. If you entertain your referrers they feel obligated by human nature to return the favor. This will get them to pay attention to your needs and take an active role in helping you out.
Ask: Did I say ask? Ask, ask, and ask. The best way to get a referral is to ask, and you would be surprised how many times I have watched other recruiters forget to ask for referrals. Your opportunity deserves every chance it can get so make sure you ask. I would also put together a referral sheet that your candidates or professional network contacts can fill out.
Once you have your I.D.E.A in place than I would like you to A.S.K so that you can maintain these relationships and build on them. The biggest tragedy in recruiting is to ask for a referral and once you get what you want you forget the referrer all together. It is the quickest way to lose trust and credibility. The work you put into identifying and developing your referral base can be a big waste of time unless you follow these next three steps which I call A.S.K.
Appreciate: When you get a referral your appreciation for receiving that referral should not be based on whether or not the referral worked out. It should be based on the appreciation for your referrer taking action in order to solve your problem. If you can show appreciation they will continue to help you out.
Sustain: You also need to sustain these relationship by making regular visits, phone calls, cards, and meetings. If you do not then you will just be indifference, just like everyone else. The truth is that most recruiters do not sustain the relationship over time, and that can ruin what you have worked so hard to build. The best way to sustain your referral base is to schedule it like any other meeting on your calendar.
Keep: is two parts, 1.You need to keep asking for referrals always 2. If you follow the I.D.E.A to A.S.K you will keep these relationships strong and they will keep paying you over time.
The internet has some amazing sites that will connect you with just about anyone you are looking to connect with, and using these sites today can really make the difference in obtaining referrals, but you must never forget the most basic of people skills that will develop those relationships into a solid base of referrals. You cannot expect things to happen overnight but when you use a good I.D.E.A, and A.S.K you can beat the competition of larger networks and indifference.
How to Create a Video Resume
If you have been viewing more video resumes or what I like to call vesumes recently, then you are aware of a growing trend that is replacing the standard 8 ½ x 11 paper resume, and with the speed of technology in our future you are sure to see more.
Since I’m located in Hawaii, I have viewed a number of resumes as a part of my candidate searches and it gives me a better picture of the candidate. Here is my advice on what makes up a good video resume.
Video Quality. Just like a paper resume, presentation and quality are important, so attention to detail means a lot. A good quality video resume can range from someone who shot something from home on an old camcorder to a professionally shot video that could have been paid, for not unlike a resume service. These productions are much better and come with clear pictures, excellent sound quality, and an overall professional look.
Appearance. Did the person invest time and effort in making their vesume instead of sitting at one location and shooting the entire video?
Language and Business Acumen, Does the person on the video speak clearly and with the knowledge and business acumen that grabs your attention?
Substance. With most good vesumes you will have the following: Introduction; Objectives; History; Knowledge or Special Skills; Education; and a Summary. It won’t always come out exactly in this order, or you may be missing some of it.
Creativity. Perhaps the best thing about a vesume is the creativity that you see with what may otherwise be a standard candidate on paper. I like to see creativity, because generally speaking if it gets your attention it will get the client or hiring manager’s attention as well.
Background. You will notice a lot about the quality of the video just based on the background or location, and often something about the person.
Character. My favorite part of viewing these videos is that it shows the person’s character, and that may play a significant role in a good fit. It is a great way for candidates to show their stuff and be creative in the process.
Editing. Review it for mistakes, errors, accuracy, and content. If you are new to reviewing vesumes, you can miss critical errors like something in the background or something that was said or was not said. So if you are new to watching video resumes, watch them a couple of times. It will be clear after watching it more than once whether the candidate edited the video for content and clarity.
References. One of the best vesumes I have reviewed actually had three very credible and desirable references at the end of it. It went a long way toward presenting a very quality candidate.
Length. The best resumes are not epics. I like three to five minutes.
[ Help Wanted Hawaii.info — Hawaii's Largest Online Job Board ] 
