HR & Recruitment

 1w

10 Best Applicant Tracking System (ATS) 2026


It's difficult to choose which applicant tracking system (ATS) is best for you when there are so many options accessible. You want tools to help you source, track, and organize candidates, as well as automation to help you recruit faster, but you must first determine which product is ideal for you. In this article, I'll simplify your decision by giving my opinions on the 10 best applicant tracking... system!

What is an Applicant Tracking System?

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software tool that allows businesses to manage and streamline their recruitment processes. It acts as a consolidated location for managing the entire hiring process, from advertising job positions to managing resumes and communicating with candidates.

Key features of an Applicant Tracking System

* Job Posting: Recruiters can generate and post job vacancies straight from the ATS to multiple job boards, career websites, and social media channels.

* Resume Parsing: Automatically extracts key information from resumes, including contact information, work experience, education, and abilities, making it easier to organize and search candidate data.

* Candidate Management: Offers a database for storing and managing candidate information. Recruiters can follow candidates' progress, take notes, and engage with team members.

* Application Workflow: Defines and automates the recruitment process workflow, ensuring that each candidate completes all required phases, from application submission to final hiring decision.

* Communication: Facilitates communication among recruiters, hiring managers, and candidates. Many ATS platforms feature email templates and communication tool integration to help with interaction efficiency.

List of Applicant Tracking Systems

1. Greenhouse

Greenhouse is a recruiting management program that assists you in identifying, categorizing, and nurturing talent. You can use it to create a strong candidate pipeline and identify the best prospects for each open position.

One noteworthy aspect that truly distinguishes Greenhouse is its organized hiring capabilities. Their systematic hiring workflow is intended to provide a consistent and equitable interviewing experience by identifying the qualifications, experience, and characteristics that a successful candidate must possess for an open position before the job is advertised.

* Easy tracking with the help of candidate scorecards.

* Developing tailored assessment strategies for interviewers to determine the appropriate skill set and capabilities.

* Customization of career pages, job boards, and email templates.

* Simplified report configuration.

* Best for mid-sized organizations growing quickly.

Also, you may read 10 Best Small Business HR Software

2. Jobvite

Jobvite ATS is a cloud-based, candidate-focused software that allows for social recruiting, the creation and management of mobile-optimized career portals, and onboarding functions. They also provide a mobile application for the tool. The software has features designed specifically for interviews, requisitions, and personnel referrals. This solution is best suited to medium and large-sized businesses.

* Easy employee referrals

* Automated screening and interview-based candidate ranking

* Mobile-friendly application methods for candidates.

* The Smart Scheduler tool looks at the schedules of many interviewers and selects the optimal time to arrange a new interview.

* A single record is kept for all talks with a certain candidate across channels.

* Use this powerful search engine to find candidates by name, keywords, workflow, location, or date of application.

3. TalentReef

TalentReef's ATS and recruiting tools are designed exclusively for firms that hire hourly workers. In addition to staffing tools, it provides talent management capabilities such as performance, pay, and job management.

Further, the software allows you to follow applicants throughout the hiring process and manage the candidate experience. As potential new hires apply for your open positions, you'll be able to review their resumes and conduct assessments to improve screening.

Also, you may also create flexible processes to advance candidates through the phases in a way that works best for your company, and you can simply schedule interviews using the platform.

* Recruiting and talent management in one location

* Designed specifically for the needs of hourly employees.

* Customizable workflows and templates

4. MightyRecruiter

MightyRecruiter is a free application tracking system that can assist recruiting managers find both active and passive prospects.

MightRecruiter offers job vacancies to over 29 job boards, including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and CareerBuilder. It also scans your social media networks for potential prospects, allowing you to maximize your network.

When applications begin to arrive, AI is used to identify the most qualified job seekers and guide them through the recruiting process.

* Source active and passive applicants from various platforms.

* Extract information about candidates directly from their social profiles.

* Integrate MightyRecruiter with your existing ATS.

* Send personalized, automated messages to prospects from within the system, keeping everything in one place.

Also, you may read 8 Best HR Software for Startups

5. Bullhorn

Bullhorn prioritizes the applicant experience and cultivates high-touch interactions. This is combined with cutting-edge automated technologies to assist place the appropriate individuals in the right roles.

This application tracking software, designed for staffing organizations, helps recruiters manage the entire recruitment process, from candidate sourcing to client billing. Its purpose is to streamline your operations and help you place more applicants, hence increasing sales.

With a centralized system for managing jobs, candidates, and tasks, you can always see where you stand in the process. You may also create reminders to perform activities at specific times, ensuring that you stay on schedule to meet your recruitment goals.

* The cloud-based technology is secure and available anywhere you are.

* The integrated CRM tool helps you remain on top of your clients' changing needs.

* There is an emphasis on customer assistance and helping clients get the most out of the system.

6. Recruitee

Recruitee begins by assisting you in creating a careers site featuring your company brand utilizing an easy-to-use editor. It then leverages a variety of sourcing tools, such as job sites, shareable social media links, and employee referrals, to find appropriate individuals.

The scheduler eliminates the trouble of interview scheduling, while interview formats and notes in the system maintain consistency and clarity. This also maintains everything in one place for quick access and encourages collaboration among the hiring team.

* Automation and templates simplify your workflow and save you time.

* You may personalize your reports and dashboards to track the process and easily see where optimization may be necessary.

* This applicant tracking software interfaces with a variety of services, including Google, Teams, Indeed, and Zapier.

Also, you may read 10 Best Employee Monitoring Softwares

7. Breezy HR

This applicant tracking system is ideal for small to midsize businesses that hire all year, such as recruiters, brick-and-mortar stores, and franchises.

Breezy creates a careers page for you and promotes your job opportunities on over 50 of the world's top job sites.

Each pricing tier of this ATS software provides additional functionality. While they all provide automated job posting and resume processing, the paid plans include automate candidate prescreening, interview scheduling via video meetings, and other repetitive chores.

The Business plan includes more advanced capabilities such as candidate comparison, job approvals, and offer administration.

* It's simple to use and personalize the system.

* The dashboard and analytics together provide plenty of information.

* The technology supports collaborative hiring, allowing all members of the recruiting team to participate.

8. BambooHR

BambooHR is a comprehensive human resource management solution that incorporates applicant tracking software. It works from a single, secure data source within the system to support hiring and onboarding, as well as employee performance, payroll, and benefits.

Throughout the employment process, this application tracking system manages all candidate data, including contact information. It also keeps track of the role's details, such as job title and description.

Status updates provide information on where the candidate is in the process as well as their current rating for the position. And, as an additional reminder of the status of their application, they can easily refer back to their most recent correspondence with that candidate.

* Automates tracking and managing candidate information to save you time.

* Allows you to communicate with the candidate at each level of the process, resulting in a positive experience for them.

* Allows for bespoke permissions, facilitating collaboration with stakeholders.

Also, you may read Top 15 Team Management Software in 2023

9. Rippling

Rippling enables you to recruit talent from numerous platforms and then set up hiring processes and workflows to manage the entire process effortlessly from start to finish.

This applicant tracking software simplifies every step, from designing interview stages based on seniority to scheduling interviews in calendars such as Outlook, Google, and iCal.

When you're ready to hire, it makes it easier to send offer letters and other necessary documents, such as job titles and descriptions, to your new employee. It also registers the new hire in all relevant systems, such as payroll and health insurance.

* It automatically uploads job posts to platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed.

* You can design reports to offer you the facts you desire, such as the time available to fill a position or feedback from candidates.

* Applicant tracking systems include learning management, allowing you to swiftly get your new hires up to speed.

10. JazzHR

JazzHR, aimed at midsize and enterprise-level enterprises, allows you to source from several job sites with a single click. Then it uses evaluations and interviews to help you rate the prospects based on your specific criteria.

You may also utilize the platform to gather feedback on candidates from everyone on the hiring team, resulting in a genuinely collaborative approach.

A digital offer management function automates and speeds up onboarding, while clear employer branding ensures that candidates have consistent and favorable experiences at all touchpoints.

* All pricing tiers support unlimited users.

* The technology enables you to design bespoke solutions to meet your hiring requirements.

* JazzHR interacts with various other comparable systems, including JobTarget, Criteria, and Recruiting.com.

Also, you may read 10 Best Knowledge Management Systems

Conclusion

When you are constantly recruiting new employees, it makes sense to identify the most efficient and effective method. An applicant tracking system allows you to manage your employment process from beginning to end.

It centralizes all of your candidate information, allowing you to sort through their profiles and collaborate with other stakeholders. An ATS also automates activities, streamlines your workflow, and enables you to make great hiring decisions for your organization. more
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HR & Recruitment

 2w

How to find your next hire in the age of AI


How real estate agencies can adapt hiring practices for the AI era by testing real thinking, adaptability, and character - and using AI smartly to shortlist candidates without losing the human touch.

Everyone's CV looks amazing now. Here's how to find the actual human behind the prompt.

Thomas McGlynn nailed it a few years back when he said that a job interview has always been the meeting of... two lies: The employer exaggerates how great the culture is. The candidate exaggerates how great they are. Ninety days later, everyone finds out.

Now multiply that problem by AI.

Today's candidates are running their cover letters through ChatGPT. Their CVs have been polished by Gemini. Their LinkedIn summaries read like they were written by a professional copywriter - because, in a way, they were. And here's the thing: you can't really blame them. If you had a tool that could make you sound 30% more articulate, you'd use it too.

But it means the old hiring playbook could be a little broken.

Reading cover letters to "get a sense of the person" doesn't work when the person didn't actually write them. And dumping those AI-written applications into another AI to summarise them? Congratulations - you've just created a game of robot tennis where nobody's keeping score and the human wandered off to make a coffee.

So what do you do instead?

Change the medium, change the signal

If every candidate can produce a flawless written application, then written applications stop being useful as a filter.

You need to test for things AI can't fake - yet.

Build a smarter application form

Tools like Jotform or Tally let you go way beyond "upload your CV." Instead, create situational questions that reveal how someone actually thinks:

* A tenant calls at 4:45 PM on a Friday with a burst pipe. Walk us through exactly what you do in the next 30 minutes.

* A vendor disagrees with your recommended sale price. How do you handle the conversation?

* You've got three inspections, a settlement, and a staff meeting all on the same morning. What gets moved?

There's no ChatGPT template for your specific office scenarios. That's the point.

Test their AQ, not just their IQ

Adaptability Quotient matters more than ever. Ask candidates to rate how much they enjoy various tasks on a scale of 1 to 10. If someone rates admin a 2 but the role is 80% systems and data entry, you've just saved yourself a 90-day disappointment - no matter how polished their application looked.

Think of it as a compatibility test for your office. Tinder for task preferences, minus the awkward ghosting. (Actually, no - realistically there's probably still ghosting!)

Ask for video

A 60-second selfie video answering one specific question is worth more than a two-page cover letter right now. AI can write a script, but it can't fake warmth, energy, or the way someone's face lights up when they talk about something they actually care about.

Keep the question simple: Tell us why this role, at this agency, right now. You'll know within 15 seconds. Either they light up or they sound like they're reading a ransom note from a teleprompter.

Ask the questions that actually matter

Once you've filtered for real humans, the interview itself needs to evolve too.

The culture question nobody asks:

Most agencies advertise the same role. Same duties, same salary band, same "dynamic team environment."

Your culture is the differentiator - so test for it.

Ask candidates what they found when they looked at your socials. If they didn't look, that tells you something. If they did, what they noticed tells you more.

The future question:

If property management shifts from being mostly about maintenance to being mostly about asset advisory and client experience, how would they see their role changing?

This isn't a trick question: It's a genuine window into whether someone sees this as a job or a career.

The AI question:

Do you see AI as a collaborator or just useful for checking your emails? There's no wrong answer here, but the answer tells you a lot about someone's mindset toward growth, learning, and change. You want people who are curious, not threatened.

Profiling tools still work.

DISC, Kolbe Index, Wealth Dynamics - these aren't new, but they're more valuable than ever when the written application has become unreliable. Use them at the shortlist stage to understand whether you're hiring a Starter when you actually need a Finisher.

Use AI on your side (smartly)

Here's where it gets fun. AI isn't just changing how people apply - it can transform how you hire.

Use AI to help you build your application form in the first place. Feed it your role description and ask it to generate situational questions tailored to your agency.

Use it to create scoring criteria so incoming applications get flagged immediately against your shortlist requirements. Connect it to a Calendly link so high-fit candidates can book a meeting straight after they've finished the application.

The workflow becomes: application lands → AI flags the best fits → you get a cheat sheet of their responses → you walk into the interview prepared and focused on the human in front of you. You know, the bit you as a leader went into real estate for: talking to people. Not reading 47 variations of 'I'm a passionate self-starter.'

By the way: That's not replacing the human decision. That's giving the human decision-maker better information, faster.

The bit about staying legal

If you're using AI to help shortlist candidates - even if it's just a smart spreadsheet that scores responses - you need to know about the Privacy Act reforms landing in December 2026.

The short version: if AI "substantially assists" in deciding who gets an interview, that counts as automated decision-making under the new rules, and you have obligations around transparency.

Best practice right now is a simple three-layer approach:

A clear notice on your application form: "We use AI-assisted shortlisting to help our team process applications faster."

A brief explanation that AI helps rank candidates on skills and experience, but all final hiring decisions are made by humans.

An updated privacy policy that covers how you use applicant data - including which AI tools are involved.

This isn't something to panic about. It's something to get ahead of. And frankly, being upfront about using AI in your hiring process is a good look - it signals that your agency is modern, efficient, and transparent.

We'll be diving deeper into the compliance side in a follow-up piece. For now, the three-layer approach above will put you well ahead of most agencies.

Stop reading resumes. Start testing for talent

The job interview was always the meeting of two lies. AI has just given both sides a better script. Your job as a hiring manager hasn't changed - find the right person for your team - but your methods need to catch up.

Change the medium. Test for thinking, not writing. Ask the questions that reveal character, not credentials. And use AI yourself to work smarter on the back end.

The agencies that figure this out first won't just hire better people. They'll keep them. And maybe, just maybe, both sides will stop lying by interview two.

Ready to find your next team member? Post your role on Elite Agent Jobs - it's free to post and you can amplify to reach more real estate professionals who read The Brief.

For more on how to think AI first about other systems in your business, consider doing the AI Accelerator course where you will learn the AI first formula, how to win listings and more. more
1   

HR & Recruitment

 1mo

10 Practical Steps Employers Should Take to Mitigate AI Bias and Manage Workplace Risk


Artificial intelligence has become increasingly embedded in hiring, promotion, and employee management, which means that employers face heightened legal risks. From automated résumé screening to video interview tools and performance analytics, AI tools can amplify bias, create disparate impact, and expose organizations to regulatory scrutiny. Below are 10 practical steps you should consider to... mitigate bias and manage risk throughout the AI employment lifecycle.

1. Validate Before You Deploy

Before rolling out any AI tool, conduct rigorous pre-deployment testing. This includes bias and disparate-impact audits across protected groups (race, sex, age, disability) and job categories. Require vendors to provide documentation of their own testing, accuracy data, and bias audit results. Don't assume a high statistical correlation between a model's features and job performance means the tool is job-relevant. Always ask if the features logically relate to actual job duties.

2. Monitor Outcomes Over Time

Bias mitigation is not a one-time event. You should track demographic and performance data after hiring or promotion decisions. If patterns of bias or disparate impact emerge, adjust or retrain the model. Regular post-deployment audits are essential to catch "drift" as new data enters the system.

3. Establish Strong Governance

Implement clear policies for AI use, including documentation of all testing, audits, and remediation steps. Maintain records of how decisions are made, which features are used, and how human oversight is integrated. This documentation is critical for regulatory compliance and defending decisions if challenged.

4. Know the Model's Features and Filters

Demand transparency from vendors about which résumé factors or data points the model uses and which disqualify candidates. Understand the "disqualifying" features and ensure they are job-related and non-discriminatory.

5. Avoid Bloated Job Descriptions

Overly broad job postings that mix "must-haves" with "nice-to-haves" create data noise, making it harder for AI to identify true qualifications. This can lead to models weighing irrelevant factors (like education pedigree or résumé formatting), amplifying bias. The solution is to provide cleaner, more focused job data.

6. Strengthen Vendor Due Diligence

Vet vendors thoroughly. Require contractual assurances on data quality, explainability, audit access, and strict limits on data use and retention. Ensure vendors comply with privacy, notice, and consent requirements, especially when tools capture biometric-like data (e.g., voice, facial movement).

7. Comply with Emerging Regulations

Determine if the tool qualifies as an automated decision tool (ADT) under laws like NYC Local Law 144, California's pending ADMT regulations, Illinois's AI Video Interview Act, or Colorado's upcoming law. Complete required audits, notices, and candidate disclosures.

8. Maintain Human Oversight

AI should inform - not replace - human judgment. Someone in your hiring loop should review AI-generated scores or recommendations and retain authority to override automated decisions. Document when and why human intervention occurs.

9. Standardize and Accommodate

For tools like AI video interviews, standardize the experience: same questions, prompts, and instructions for all candidates. Provide technical guidance and offer accommodations for disabilities to avoid ADA risks.

10. Ensure Candidate Transparency

Disclose AI use to candidates and offer non-AI alternatives when possible. Transparency builds trust and is increasingly required by law. more
1   

Tshepho Mosweu
HR & Recruitment 2mo
Many organizations say knowledge is their greatest asset but struggle to capture, share, and use it effectively. Silos persist, information gets lost, and employees often “reinvent the wheel. What practical strategies can companies use to improve knowledge management and ensure knowledge is captured, shared, and used across the organization?

  • Steward Tony Pacheco

    69
    2mo

    “Knowledge Is Power” no longer proves to be a correct statement in today’s work environment. The true power is “Applied Knowledge” which is what... employer need call for. Once those levels of skill are recognized and hired, all other knowledge can be exhibited while climbing the food chain from the inside.  more

HR & Recruitment

 3mo

Good hiring holds the key to a company's success


It takes skill on the part of an interviewer to hire the right person.

As Hilt founder and CEO, Sinead English, says: "While initial screening is often carried out by HR specialists who are skilled at assessing applications, the task of interviewing can then go to individuals, who, while they may be heads of operations, finance, or marketing, may not have the skills required.

"Being a good... judge of people, or a good conversationalist, does not automatically make someone a skilled interviewer. Because that is a learned skill, and small mistakes can cost organisations the best talent, it makes sense to leave hiring to those who have trained for the task."

Nepotism and cronyism are just two of the factors that can influence hiring managers to hire the wrong person. Whatever the reason, it happens a lot. CareerBuilder research indicates it's something 75% of employers have experienced.

As for the cost of a bad hire, the jury's out. According to Business.com, it can be as much as 30% of an employee's salary. Separately, IBEC estimates that poor mental health can cost up to €2,000 yearly per employee.

While they might be more aware of it than most, trained interviewers are - like everyone else - prone to bias. Whether this is of the positive or negative sort, it's always unfair. Which is why, if you're in the market for a job, you're in a battlefield. One in which smarts, beauty and skills, battle bias, machines and error.

We're told that in the recruitment game, the beautiful, tall and male are professionally advantaged. What we're not told - and it's probably safe to assume - is that the aforementioned favourable bias is primarily reserved for cisgender men. Why? Because even in the unfairness battle, all is not equal, with workplace prejudices regularly impacting minorities more than others.

"Being aware of bias is important," says English. "It can creep in, even when interviewers believe they are being objective. Hiring managers often give more weight to a candidate's years of experience than to the quality of their skillset. Job adverts often specify a minimum of ten years' experience in a similar role.

"Yet, ten years on paper could be one year's experience repeated ten times. For this reason, it's advisable for employers to focus instead on what candidates can demonstrably do and on all they can bring to a role."

Asked about how employers view a frequent change of jobs, she replies: "When they see this on a CV, they often see it as evidence the candidate is a job-hopper. This can be the assumption, even though that individual might have been working on short-term contracts or rapidly growing their experience."

As for those who have spent decades in the same job, she says recruiters should not automatically deem them to be too set in their ways to take on a new role.

People favour people who share similar interests, backgrounds and experiences. Hiring managers are no different. "It's common for them to favour people similar to themselves," says English. "They think they are 'the same' and that because of this, they will fit in with their team. This sort of thinking can cloud their judgment."

To avoid this and to ensure a fairer and more objective comparison between candidates - one that minimises bias and allows for consistent data collection, she recommends structured interviews - the standardised assessment process under which every candidate is asked the same questions and evaluated against the same criteria.

While this interview tool has merit, English acknowledges its ability to predict job performance can be low.

Recruiters know they have to be careful with their words, with some being better at asking suitable questions than others.

On the wisdom of beginning an interview with a welcome, she says: "This can be followed by something along the lines of: 'Congratulations on getting to the interview stage for a role in which there was lots of interest'.

"That said, employers might next remark that the candidate's CV made interesting reading. They might then ask that person to use the next couple of minutes to share how they think their experience to date would be of benefit to the organisation."

Revealing how hiring managers can easily trip up, she gives the example 'Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?'.

"It's a good idea to avoid asking that at an interview," Sinead English says. 'Can you talk us through your CV?' is no better.

Explaining why, she says: "Questions like these can make candidates nervous. This may lead to them blurting out irrelevant personal information.

"At an interview, small details matter. Concise instructions and maintaining focus on relevant questions can make a positive difference. It's good to keep comments neutral. 'Nice day out there today,' is good. So too is avoiding questions about personal matters such as family, travel, or religion. At every touchpoint, employers should be aiming for a professional, respectful, and consistent approach."

Sharing that follow-up questions are essential to uncovering the depth of a candidate's experience and for distinguishing candidates who are genuinely capable from those relying on rehearsed or AI-generated responses, she says: "To get around scenarios of that nature, hiring managers might ask something along the lines of: 'You say you spent six months doing that. Tell us what else you had on your plate during that time.' Or: 'You mentioned resources. Tell us more about that."

She says that when interviewing, employers should pay attention to red flags such as excessive pauses, overly polished answers and inconsistencies between what a candidate's CV states and what they are saying at interview.

"AI tools have changed the recruitment landscape," she says. "80 per cent of candidates are using these platforms to prepare their CV. This is absolutely fine once they're not getting AI to lie for them."

Lying is as old as time. Interviewees answering questions online with real-time AI prompts, not so much. To manage this until recently unheard of scenario, hirers are pushing back. Some adopt policies such as 'camera on for the duration of the interview' and perform regular screen-sharing checks.

Using machines to generate replies at interview is not a good idea. It might give one candidate an unfair advantage over another. Worst case scenario it might facilitate lying about experience. But employers' responding by taking the liberty, at online interviews, to gawk while a nervous candidate obediently pans their camera around their room is invasive. Outrageously so. Whether they're sitting in a tiny studio rental, or aboard a yacht on the high seas - assistance dog at their feet - should be their business only.

Any good hiring manager should notice if an interviewee is attentive and speaking from memory, rather than making stuff up and relying on machine prompts to sound convincing. They should notice if they are repeating the questions asked, so as to instigate a typed response from AI, which they then read aloud.

There's much that employers can do to attract the best talent to their organisation.

As English says: "Because recruitment outcomes are impacted by candidate perception of the hiring process, hiring managers should think about how well written the job ad is and whether it reflects clearly what's required for the role. Sometimes the responsibilities list is four times longer than it should be and companies take too long to get back to people after they apply, or interview. Negative experiences can turn candidates away - even from senior roles." more
1   

  • Steward Tony Pacheco

    69
    3mo

    You Can Hire The Best People With The Most Qualified Skills But If Your Leadership Fails, They will Fail. Leaders Can Take Even RAW Talent & Build... Them Up To Be Great. "Respect For The Individual" more

    3

HR & Recruitment

 3mo

How HR Can Build Better Talent Pipelines with Smart Recruitment Tools and Strategies


Hiring has changed -- and if you work in HR, you've felt it for sure. Post a job ad and wait for résumés -- the model of years past -- is no longer sufficient.

Today's job seekers are more knowledgeable, choosy and human than any spreadsheet could accommodate. Yet businesses are also feeling the squeeze to hire more quickly, intelligently and with fewer resources. That's when building a solid... pipeline becomes not just something nice to have but more of a survival skill. Even simple safeguards -- like sharing a sample Non-Compete Agreement early -- can help set expectations and build trust from the first touchpoint.

A modern talent pipeline is not simply filling roles quickly, but about building long-term relationships and reducing the hiring risk to make smarter decisions before a need even exists. And, yes  -- technology is a big part of this. But the actually big magic comes when tools and strategy are working hand in hand, led by people who fundamentally know that recruitment is about trust.

Early in the process, such trust often begins with clarity. Candidates want to understand they're signing up for -- and that's especially true when it comes to expectations and legal limits. By removing the booms, covering up some brick work and highlighting it with a row of spotlights, the HR teams can stand out in this fatigue space while keeping to their budget. Exemple: disposer d'un échantillon de convention de non-réunion accessible peut aider les équipes RH à fixer des règles explicites sans risquer tout malentendu préjudiciable au branding employeur futur. Relationships last longer when you start with clear expectations.

Reactive hiring is a drag, let's face it. Hiring to fill a role in a hurry once someone resigns tends to result in knee-jerk reaches, mismatched expectations and then even higher turnover rates. A robust pipeline of talent flips that script. Instead of reacting, you prepare.

You have to think of your pipeline as a living network too of people who might not want to change jobs today but are perfect for tomorrow. Ex-applicants, low-key job-seekers, interns, freelance contributors, referrals -- they all count. This pipeline, when actually treated like a pipeline, reduces time-to-hire, increases candidate quality, and takes some of the panic out of hiring.

With smart recruiting tools, HR teams can identify patterns that humans just don't recognize; tracking this data can help them make more informed decisions about where to invest in the future and where they need to improve. Analytics around hiring processes can tell you which roles are hardest to fill, for example, or show you at what stages of interviewing candidates tend to drop out. But data doesn't, by itself, create relationships -- people do.

A practical example? Today, many HR teams apply structured data to determine when and how they promote roles. Knowing target audiences; even doing basics like matching job visibility to appropriate google business categories can significantly alter the way in which your company is found by your preferred candidates. It's not about anyone, it's about someone!

If there's anything candidates remember the most, it is how you made them feel. Slow response times, opaque routes or excessively robotic replies can subtly chip away at your employer brand. On the other side of the coin, thoughtful touches generate loyalty -- even from candidates you don't end up hiring.

This is where engaging tools come in. Some companies are even turning to short, unscripted video clips where hiring managers introduce team members, explain roles or walk candidates through hiring processes. They focus not on the polished corporate material but on real faces and real stories; they're painfully aware of how little everybody sees about themselves. There's nothing surprising that a lot of HR teams are opting to get inspired by personalized video campaigns to drive candidate engagement the entire way through the funnel. Video, when done well, transforms a cold process into a warm conversation.

It's widely known in recruitment that screening candidates is a massive time suck. AI-driven tools in particular can serve as a screen to filter applications or identify relevant skills and also help eliminate the problems of unconscious bias -- if deployed appropriately.

Authenticity is becoming a concern for employers with AI-driven résumés and cover letters, says one. An AI checker can also assist HR teams in building up an accurate picture of how candidate materials were constructed, helping them to actually concentrate their interviews on the actual qualifications and experience rather than just polished phrasing. The intent isn't to catch out the candidates, but to ensure that discussions are fair and meaningful.

A strong talent pipeline doesn't stop at external candidates. Internal mobility is just as important. HR teams that invest in learning and development often find they already have future hires within their organization.

Technology is a big part of this. Through tools such as learning platforms, skill assessments and internal talent marketplaces, employees can develop skills while HR has greater visibility into the capabilities that are on the rise. When people see a future for themselves in the organization, retention improves -- and your pipeline benefits organically.

For all its tech, recruitment still depends on connection. Events and referrals and informal conversations continue to be potent -- especially when they're easy to make follow up on.

Which is why some HR teams are now using digital networking tools like VCard qr code QRNow at career fairs and internal events. A quick scan could instantly capture contact detail, creating an opportunity to develop relationships long after the event has concluded. It's a small change, but it removes friction -- and friction is the enemy of good pipelines.

So, in reality how do you create a stronger talent pipeline?

Start small. Audit your existing hiring procedures and locate one bottleneck -- whether it's sourcing, screening or candidate engagement. Bring in one toolkit, or tactic, that gets straight at that issue. Measure, adapt and then scale.

Most importantly, listen. All the candidates, hiring managers and employees are giving you incredibly useful feedback if you just listen. Technology must amplify those voices, not supplant them.

At a day's end, smart recruitment tools are simply that -- tools. They don't substitute for empathy, curiosity or human judgment. But used wisely, they give HR teams the time to concentrate on what's truly important: forming relationships that stand the test of time. more

HR & Recruitment

 4mo

Interview: What every manager needs to know


THE job interview remains one of the most popular methods for evaluating potential employees, viewed by many as a critical component in the hiring process. Despite the advent of various new hiring tools and technologies, the traditional job interview has stood the test of time.

The reliability and validity of job interviews have been a topic of considerable research.

A comprehensive review... and meta- analysis by McDaniel et al. (1994) highlighted the complexity of job interviews as a hiring tool, suggesting that while interviews can offer valid assessments, their reliability and predictive validity are often contingent upon their structure and execution.

Structured interviews, in particular, have been repeatedly shown to enhance both reliability and validity, leading to more consistent and predictive hiring outcomes.

The unfortunate part is that most job interviews practiced by many companies are unstructured, leading to bad hiring.

However, without proper training, managers conducting job interviews might inadvertently introduce biases into the hiring process, affecting the utility of the job interview as a hiring tool.

The consequences of untrained managers handling job interviews can be severe, ranging from legal implications due to inappropriate or discriminatory questions to potential financial consequences if an unqualified candidate is hired.

Inadequate interview processes can also cause companies to miss out on qualified candidates, leading to a talent drain that can affect overall organisational success.

Given the high stakes involved, it is clear that managers must be well-versed not only in the art of interviewing but also in the legal and ethical considerations that govern it. This necessitates a commitment to ongoing training and development to ensure that the job interview continues to serve its intended purpose: to reliably and validly assess candidate suitability for the role.

Managers seeking to hire top candidates must navigate the complexities of the modern job market and must recognise the patterns of candidate behaviour and preferences.

As of 2023, the job market is characterised by a substantial presence of passive job seekers -- individuals who are not actively seeking new employment but are open to considering new opportunities.

For instance, Subbarao et al. (2022) explored the distinct behaviours between active and passive job seekers, particularly in their use of social media for job searching, indicating that different strategies may be required to engage with each group.

Preparing for the interview

When it comes to interview preparation, the stakes are high, both for candidates and interviewers.

On average, for a single job opening, 118 candidates apply, but only about 20% are actually interviewed.

As for the candidates, who are offered an interview, a significant percentage fail due to a lack of knowledge about the company and not understanding the job on offer, highlighting the importance of thorough preparation.

Structuring the interview

A structured interview process is a critical element in the recruitment and selection of new employees.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) emphasizes the use of structured interviews, which involve asking every candidate the same questions in a predetermined order.

This level of standardisation helps ensure that each interview is conducted fairly and that all candidates are evaluated on the same criteria, reducing bias and discrimination in the hiring process.

Research supports the effectiveness of structured interviews in predicting job performance. For example, Van Iddekinge et al. (2007) found that structured interviews administered by experienced interviewers could mitigate the use of impression management tactics by candidates.

Structured interviews typically include different types of questions, such as situational, behavioural, background, and job knowledge, which together provide a comprehensive assessment of a candidate's suitability for the role.

These types of interviews can be particularly effective in minimising in-group favouritism and other forms of bias that can compromise the integrity of the selection process.

Behavioural interview techniques

Behavioural interview techniques are widely recognised for their effectiveness in assessing a candidate's potential for future job performance.

These techniques are rooted in the concept that past behaviour is a reliable indicator of future behaviour in similar situations. Data indicates that behavioural interviewing has a 55% predictive accuracy rate for on-the-job success, which is significantly higher than the 10% predictive accuracy of traditional interviewing methods.

According to LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends 2019 report, 75% of hiring managers use behavioural interview questions to assess soft skills and the potential performance of a candidate. The survey also reveals that nearly 63% of organisations incorporate competency-based questions to evaluate candidates' skills and abilities.

In practice, behavioural interviewing can involve questions that prompt candidates to describe specific instances from their past work experiences. For example, asking a candidate to detail how they navigated a challenging project or conflict within a team can provide insights into their abilities in areas such as leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Furthermore, research supports the use of behavioural interview techniques as a means to gain a deeper understanding of a candidate's competencies. One study by Motowidlo et al. (1992) explored the structured behavioural interview and highlighted its effectiveness in evaluating a candidate's job-relevant behaviors and experiences.

The approach is supported by data suggesting that behavioural interview data can be used to classify new hires into performance groups, allowing for a more refined prediction of candidate success.

Evaluating cues

Non-verbal cues can be just as telling as verbal responses. A study by Northeastern University found that 93% of communication is non-verbal. Managers need to be adept at reading body language, eye contact, and other non-verbal signals that may indicate a candidate's confidence, enthusiasm, or truthfulness.

Wrong questions

Managers must exercise caution to avoid asking the wrong questions during an interview because doing so can lead to significant reputational risks. Inappropriate or discriminatory questions during interviews can damage an organisation's reputation and lead to mistrust among potential employees.

Employers are, therefore, encouraged to steer away from personal topics that could inadvertently lead to discussions of protected characteristics, which might then influence hiring decisions.

It is crucial for managers to be trained on which questions are appropriate and how to conduct interviews that focus on job-related competencies without crossing into illegal territory.

Impact of technology

Technology has revolutionised interviewing. Video interviews increased by 67% during the recent pandemic, and platforms like LinkedIn have made it easier to connect with candidates.

Managers must be comfortable with these technologies.

Closing the interview effectively

The closing of an interview is as important as the beginning. It is a manager's opportunity to ensure that the candidate has a clear understanding of the next steps. Statistics show that 80% of candidates say a positive interview experience can change their mind about a role or company.

Conclusion

Effective job interviewing is a multifaceted skill that encompasses preparation, structure, communication, legal understanding, technology, and continuous improvement.

With the right approach, managers can not only select the best candidates but also enhance the company's reputation and attract top talent in the future. more

HR & Recruitment

 5mo

White-Collar Workers Fear AI, But For Blue-Collar Workers, It Can Be A Savior


For white-collar workers, AI looks like a pink slip. But for the millions of blue-collar individuals who struggle to land a job, not because they lack ability, but because of the lack of an effective hiring infrastructure, AI is emerging as the green light they've been looking for.

The inability to connect the demand for blue-collar labor, given the substantial supply of skilled talent, is not... only an embarrassing systemic failure, but it's also a huge blow to the American economy. A study of just one part of the blue-collar workforce -- manufacturing -- by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute projects that about 2.1 million U.S. manufacturing jobs will be unfilled by 2030, with the gap potentially costing $1 trillion in that year alone. We should expect to see higher costs, missed deadlines and slower growth (if any at all) across industries that face similar shortages of skilled talent.

That is, unless something changes.

Blue-collar hiring infrastructure is broken

It starts and ends with hiring. The applicant-tracking and recruitment-management systems that most companies rely on are designed to uplift top candidates who meet the norms in white-collar industries, leading to a critical divide. As Harvard research demonstrates, these tools filter out capable candidates who don't match historical patterns or standardized checklists that they are trained to recognize.

This design is especially problematic given the realities of America's blue-collar workforce. Foreign-born workers are overrepresented in these roles: the construction industry, for example, employs the largest percentage of immigrants of any industry.

U.S. résumé conventions, from formatting to phrasing, are unfamiliar to many immigrants, and automated résumé systems often down-rank these applications based on immaterial factors rather than work experience or relevant skills.

Credentials, critical across numerous blue-collar jobs, are another obstacle: Licenses and certificates earned abroad often map poorly to domestic job codes, even when the underlying skills are equivalent. For example, a 20-year veteran electrician certified in Nicaragua starts at the same place as a novice in the U.S.

For those who don't speak or write English fluently, if at all, these issues are compounded. A key reason: automated systems are trained to reject applications that contain typos, incomplete phrases or grammatical errors. With all these issues combined, it's easy to imagine why so many qualified candidates don't bother to apply for jobs at all.

How AI is clearing the gutters of hiring

AI succeeds where these legacy hiring infrastructure systems have failed: nuance. Machine learning platforms can circumvent the obstacles that prevent immigrants from landing jobs at scale. Natural language processing allows the systems to interpret nontraditional résumés, conduct interviews in multiple languages, and verify credentials automatically.

A welder without a formal résumé can be matched to an employer based on verified training records earned in another country. A warehouse worker with limited English can be assessed by their abilities, not their syntax on a resume. This reality would have massive, positive implications for blue-collar employment numbers and the American economy. Better still, it's possible.

Further, when these candidates are hired, the business case doesn't stop. Employers that have brought refugees into shop-floor roles report meaningfully higher retention in manufacturing, logistics and blue-collar industries, which traditionally experience high turnover.

Put simply, hiring systems that prioritize skills, credentials and language inclusivity don't just expand candidate reach, they drive lasting productivity and growth.

The competitive edge

For businesses, the payoff of implementing AI to improve or overhaul blue-collar hiring practices goes beyond altruism. It's good business. AI-driven hiring platforms can shrink vacancy times, lower onboarding costs and expand labor pools -- advantages that matter for companies individually, and for the American economy at large.

The challenge for executives and policymakers isn't to slow AI down, but to deploy it wisely. Used correctly, these tools can rebuild the connective tissue of the labor market, helping millions of workers find the jobs that need them most.

The workers are out there. The jobs are waiting. The system is broken -- but not beyond repair.

AI won't take every job. Not even close. And for many, the technology will actually do the opposite: unlock one. more

HR & Recruitment

 5mo

Skills Over Degrees: How Tech Hiring Will Evolve in 2026


Hiring in tech is becoming more precise, data-informed, and human at the same time. The focus is moving away from résumés and toward measurable capabilities, what people can actually do.

By 2026, this approach will no longer be experimental. According to Gartner, over 80% of global companies plan to base their recruitment and training strategies on skills rather than credentials. It's a shift... that's redefining how talent is evaluated and how teams are built across the industry.

From Job Descriptions to Skill Maps

Static job descriptions are giving way to flexible skill maps. Instead of hiring for a rigid title, organizations are identifying clusters of abilities that align with evolving business goals.

AI-driven tools already help HR teams detect what skills exist within their workforce and where new expertise is needed. The result: clearer talent pipelines, targeted learning paths, and more accurate recruitment decisions.

The best teams of 2026 won't be built on identical profiles, but on complementary strengths.

AI as a Talent Partner

Artificial intelligence is quietly becoming a collaborator in the hiring process.

It helps recruiters understand how candidates think, solve problems, and learn.

Through real coding challenges, conversational analysis, or portfolio scanning, AI can highlight potential that a résumé might miss. But technology alone isn't enough; the most successful hiring strategies will balance automation with human judgment, translating data into meaningful connections.

Experience Over Credentials

The tech industry's appetite for specialized talent keeps growing faster than universities can supply it. That reality is changing who gets hired and why.

Bootcamp graduates, self-taught developers, and freelancers with proven track records are now part of the same conversation as degree holders.

For many companies, project experience and adaptability carry more weight than academic pedigree. In 2026, the question won't be "Where did you study?" but "What have you built?"

IT Staffing as a Growth Strategy

Hiring on demand is evolving from a quick fix into a long-term strategy.

Organizations are turning to IT staffing partners not just to fill roles, but to strengthen their internal capabilities.

At CodersLab, this means matching teams based on performance data, cultural fit, and shared goals. The result is a partnership model where talent integration drives innovation, rather than simply extending headcount.

Learning as a Core Metric

Continuous learning has always been valuable; in 2026, it becomes measurable.

Companies will begin tracking learning engagement and skill development alongside productivity and retention.

Professionals who stay curious, update their stack, and explore new tools will have a clear advantage. Because in a landscape defined by rapid change, learning isn't preparation for the job. It is the job.

In 2026, tech hiring won't be defined by diplomas but by the ability to learn, adapt, and deliver real impact.

The future of hiring in tech isn't about titles or diplomas.

It's about capability, context, and growth.

Skills over degrees is no longer a slogan. It's how the most competitive companies will identify potential, build teams, and define success in 2026.

✍ CodersLab -- connecting global tech talent with real opportunities. more
2   

HR & Recruitment

 5mo

AI bias in hiring decisions is often copied by human reviewers, study reveals


An organization drafts a job listing with artificial intelligence. Droves of applicants conjure résumés and cover letters with chatbots. Another AI system sifts through those applications, passing recommendations to hiring managers. Perhaps AI avatars conduct screening interviews. This is increasingly the state of hiring, as people seek to streamline the stressful, tedious process with AI.

Yet... research is finding that hiring bias -- against people with disabilities, or certain races and genders -- permeates large language models, or LLMs, such as ChatGPT and Gemini. We know less, though, about how biased LLM recommendations influence the people making hiring decisions.

In a new University of Washington study, 528 people worked with simulated LLMs to pick candidates for 16 different jobs, from computer systems analyst to nurse practitioner to housekeeper. The researchers simulated different levels of racial biases in LLM recommendations for résumés from equally qualified white, Black, Hispanic and Asian men.

When picking candidates without AI or with neutral AI, participants picked white and non-white applicants at equal rates. But when they worked with a moderately biased AI, if the AI preferred non-white candidates, participants did too. If it preferred white candidates, participants did too. In cases of severe bias, people made only slightly less biased decisions than the recommendations.

The team presented its findings Oct. 22 at the AAAI/ACM Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Society in Madrid.

"In one survey, 80% of organizations using AI hiring tools said they don't reject applicants without human review," said lead author Kyra Wilson, a UW doctoral student in the Information School. "So this human-AI interaction is the dominant model right now. Our goal was to take a critical look at this model and see how human reviewers' decisions are being affected. Our findings were stark: Unless bias is obvious, people were perfectly willing to accept the AI's biases."

The team recruited 528 online participants from the U.S. through surveying platform Prolific, who were then asked to screen job applicants. They were given a job description and the names and résumés of five candidates: two white men and two men who were either Asian, Black or Hispanic. These four were equally qualified.

To obscure the purpose of the study, the final candidate was of a race not being compared and lacked qualifications for the job. Candidates' names implied their races -- for example, Gary O'Brien for a white candidate. Affinity groups, such as Asian Student Union Treasurer, also signaled race.

In four trials, the participants picked three of the five candidates to interview. In the first trial, the AI provided no recommendation. In the next trials, the AI recommendations were neutral (one candidate of each race), severely biased (candidates from only one race), or moderately biased, meaning candidates were recommended at rates similar to rates of bias in real AI models. The team derived rates of moderate bias using the same methods as in their 2024 study that looked at bias in three common AI systems.

Rather than having participants interact directly with the AI system, the team simulated the AI interactions so they could hew to rates of bias from their large-scale study. Researchers also used AI generated résumés, rather than real résumés, which they validated. This allowed greater control, and AI-written résumés are increasingly common in hiring.

"Getting access to real-world hiring data is almost impossible, given the sensitivity and privacy concerns," said senior author Aylin Caliskan, a UW associate professor in the Information School. "But this lab experiment allowed us to carefully control the study and learn new things about bias in human-AI interaction."

Without suggestions, participants' choices exhibited little bias. But when provided with recommendations, participants mirrored the AI. In the case of severe bias, choices followed the AI picks around 90% of the time, rather than nearly all the time, indicating that even if people are able to recognize AI bias, that awareness isn't strong enough to negate it.

"There is a bright side here," Wilson said. "If we can tune these models appropriately, then it's more likely that people are going to make unbiased decisions themselves. Our work highlights a few possible paths forward."

In the study, bias dropped 13% when participants began with an implicit association test, intended to detect subconscious bias. So companies including such tests in hiring trainings may mitigate biases. Educating people about AI can also improve awareness of its limitations.

"People have agency, and that has huge impact and consequences, and we shouldn't lose our critical thinking abilities when interacting with AI," Caliskan said. "But I don't want to place all the responsibility on people using AI. The scientists building these systems know the risks and need to work to reduce systems' biases. And we need policy, obviously, so that models can be aligned with societal and organizational values."

The paper is published in the Proceedings of the AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society. more
3   

HR & Recruitment

 5mo

Employee Evaluations


Employees are evaluated both on a semi-annual basis and on an assignment or quarterly basis depending on whether the employee is within the Delivery organization or fulfills an internal role. The Semi-Annual Evaluations are completed in July and January of each year and reflect performance for the six-month time period preceding the evaluation. These forms also document strengths and development... needs and serve as one input into the employee's Development Plan. In addition to the Semi-Annual Evaluation, Progress Evaluations are completed for all employees. For employees within the Delivery organization, Progress Evaluations are completed for all assignments longer than two weeks in duration. For internal employees, the Progress Evaluations are completed in April and October and document progress for the preceding quarter. The appraiser completing the Semi-Annual Evaluation should consider the Progress Evaluations when evaluating the employee.

Performance Evaluation Types

The Company's process is built upon two levels of performance feedback: on-going Progress Evaluations and Semi-Annual formal reviews.

* Progress Evaluations: shorter and more frequent feedback about your performance on specific projects and initiatives.

* Semi-Annual Evaluations: a formal compilation of your Progress Evaluations within the context of your individualized Development Plan and The Company's career paths. It is during the semi-annual evaluation process that salary and promotion discussions are held.

Progress Evaluations

As mentioned above, Progress Evaluations are shorter and more frequent, and help ensure that you always know how you are performing. Execution of Progress Evaluations differs slightly depending upon whether you are a Delivery Resource or an Internal Resource.

* Delivery Resources: Progress Evaluations are done for any assignment you have longer than 2 weeks. Your direct supervisor for that assignment, not necessarily a manager, conducts the Progress Evaluation. If you are on a long assignment (e.g., longer than a quarter), a Progress Evaluation is completed at least every quarter - i.e., every Delivery Resource will have at least one Progress Evaluation per quarter.

* Internal Roles: your direct manager completes Progress Evaluations on odd quarters (i.e., in between the semi-annual evaluations).

Semi-Annual Evaluations

The Semi-Annual evaluation represents a culmination of the more frequent Progress Evaluations, and provides a more formal mechanism for measuring performance and career development goals. Additional details of these reviews are included below:

* Evaluation Cycles: January & July of every year.

* Participants: Anyone who was with The Company for 2 months or more during that cycle.

* Evaluators: Your Practice Manager or Career Development Guide conducts your Semi-Annual Evaluation. This Practice Manager or Development Guide serves as your career mentor. He/She is a management-level person who helps you chart and meet your career development goals. For employees fulfilling internal roles, your Development Guide, in almost every case, is your direct manager/supervisor.

Salary Increases

Salary increases coincide with The Company's semi-annual evaluation process, and take effect on August 1 and February 1 respectively. You are informed of salary increases by a letter sent to your home. Please note that salary increases are prorated according to the number of months for which your performance evaluation applies. For example, if your evaluation covers 4 months, your raise is prorated to 4 out of the 6 months. The Company also conducts periodic studies to ensure that compensation is competitive and in line with market demands.

Promotions

Promotion decisions also coincide with the semi-annual evaluation process and are communicated during your formal evaluation discussion.

Procedures for Conducting Employee Evaluations

The performance evaluation process is managed and coordinated on a regional basis-i.e., by the regional resource management groups. These groups support employees within the Delivery organization and employees within internal departments. Please consult the list below if you are unsure of the regional resource manager for your region.

Instructions for Completing the Progress Forms

The job description for the employee being evaluated should always be consulted when completing both the Progress Evaluations and the Semi-Annual Evaluations as well as during the expectation setting process at the onset of a new project. An employee should be evaluated against the criteria set forth in the job descriptions, rather than against other employees at the employee's level.

All of The Company's evaluation forms are derived directly from the job description or career path of the employee being evaluated. The Progress Evaluation forms correspond to the career path of the employee (thus Associate Developers through Senior Developers use the same form) and the Semi-Annual Evaluation form corresponds to the job description or specific role of the employee (Associate Developers, Developers, and Senior Developers each have their own form). Employees within the Delivery organization should use the appropriate forms depending on their career path and title within that path.

Progress Evaluation for Delivery Resources

Who should complete the form: The appraiser should be the individual who supervised the employee on a day-to-day basis during the course of any assignment lasting two weeks or longer. The regional resource management team will identify the appraisers and facilitate the completion and delivery of these forms on an on-going basis. These forms will be completed at least on a quarterly basis.

When to complete the form: A Progress Evaluation should be completed as employees roll off any assignment that has lasted two weeks or longer. These forms should be completed at least quarterly.

Completing the form: The steps for completing the Progress Evaluation are as follows:

* The appraiser should rate the employee in the various career path and project- related categories based on the rating scale included at the end of this document. The appraiser should comment on the specific responsibilities held by the employee on the project. The appraiser should document, in the "Other Responsibilities" section, any responsibilities that fell outside the norm for an employee at that level within that career path. Once completed, the appraiser should send a copy of the form to the employee for review.

* Once the appraiser has given the completed form to the employee for self-review, the employee should complete the employee comments sections. The employee should cite examples when appropriate to justify his or her comments.

* The appraiser and employee should then schedule a meeting to discuss the Progress Evaluation and make any necessary updates/changes. This discussion gives both the employee and the appraiser the opportunity to elaborate on the various sections of the evaluation, as well as to come to a clear understanding of what accomplishments were achieved. Based on this discussion, the appraiser has the option to change his/her ratings. The appraiser is not, however, required to change ratings where there is a difference of opinion. The employee also has the option to change his/her written comments.

* Once the employee and appraiser have discussed the evaluation, both individuals must sign and date the evaluation form on the last page acknowledging that the discussion has taken place. Signature does not necessarily signify agreement between the two individuals.

* The appraiser should forward the completed, signed Progress Evaluation to the regional resource manager.

Progress Evaluation for Internal resources

Who should complete the form: The appraiser should be the employee's direct manager. The regional resource management team will identify the appraisers and facilitate the completion and delivery of these forms on an on-going basis.

When to complete the form: A Progress Evaluation should be completed for all Internal resources for quarters that are not followed by a Semi-Annual Evaluation. These will be completed in April for the period January through March and in October for the period July through September. The regional resource management teams will monitor the completion of these forms.

Completing the form: The steps for completing the Progress Evaluation are as follows:

* The appraiser should rate the employee in the various career path categories based on the rating scale included at the end of this document. The appraiser should comment on the specific responsibilities held by the employee that quarter. When appropriate, the appraiser should add comments, to support the ratings. Once completed, the appraiser should send a copy of the form to the employee for review.

* Once the appraiser has given the completed form to the employee for self-review, the employee should complete the employee comments sections. The employee should cite examples when appropriate to justify his or her comments.

* The appraiser and employee should then schedule a meeting to discuss the Progress Evaluation and make any necessary updates/changes. This discussion gives both the employee and the appraiser the opportunity to elaborate on the various sections of the evaluation, as well as to come to a clear understanding of what accomplishments were achieved. Based on this discussion, the appraiser has the option to change his/her ratings. The appraiser is not, however, required to change ratings where there is a difference of opinion. The employee also has the option to change his/her written comments.

* Once the employee and appraiser have discussed the evaluation, both individuals must sign and date the evaluation form on the last page acknowledging that the discussion has taken place. Signature does not necessarily signify agreement between the two individuals.

* The appraiser should forward the completed, signed Progress Evaluation to the regional resource manager.

Semi-Annual Evaluation for Delivery Resources

Who should complete the form: The appraiser should be the employee's Practice Manager or Career Development Guide-an individual assigned by the regional resource management team to assist the employee with career planning and development.

When to complete the form: Semi-Annual Evaluations are completed in July for the period January through June and in January for the period July through December. An employee must have been on board for a minimum of two months of the evaluation period to be evaluated in that period.

Completing the form: The steps for completing the Semi-Annual

Evaluation are as follows:

* Before beginning the process of writing the Semi-Annual Evaluation, the regional resource management group will provide the appraiser with all of the Progress Evaluations for that individual for that evaluation period.

* The appraiser should review those forms and rate the employee in the various categories based on the information included in those forms, his/her personal experiences with the employee, the rating scale included at the end of this document, and the appropriate job description and career path for the employee being evaluated. The appraiser should include comments for each category of skill, competency, or responsibility. Written comments are required when either an Exceptional Performance or an Unsatisfactory Performance rating is given.

* Once the written form is complete, the appraiser should forward it to the regional resource management group for review. When this review has been completed the appraiser will be notified that it has been approved for discussion at the employee checkpoint meeting. The regional resource manager may request that the appraiser make changes or clarify comments on the evaluation before approving it for discussion in the employee checkpoint meeting.

* Appraisers should not hold face-to-face meetings with employees until after the employee checkpoint meeting has taken place. All management-level employees will be required to attend the meeting to help decide whether a promotion will take place. Once the employee checkpoint meeting has taken place, the appraiser can move forward and schedule a face-to-face meeting with the employee to discuss the evaluation and the results of the employee checkpoint meeting.

* After the employee checkpoint meeting has been held, the appraiser should schedule a face-to-face meeting with the employee to discuss the evaluation and the results of the checkpoint meeting. During the process of scheduling a meeting, the appraiser should forward a copy of the evaluation to the employee so that he/she has an opportunity to look over the evaluation before discussing it with the appraiser. The face-to-face meeting and discussion give both the employee and the appraiser the opportunity to elaborate on the various sections of the evaluation, as well as to come to a clear understanding of what accomplishments were achieved and document the most crucial development needs.

* Once the employee and appraiser have discussed the evaluation, both individuals must sign and date the evaluation form on the last page.

* The appraiser should forward the completed, signed Semi-Annual Evaluations to the regional resource manager by the designated due date.

Semi-Annual Evaluations for Internal resources

Who should complete the form: The appraiser should be the employee's Development Guide. In almost every case with internal resources, the Development Guide is also that person's direct manager/supervisor.

When to complete the form: Semi-Annual Evaluations are completed in July for the period January through June and in January for the period July through December. An employee must have been on board for a minimum of two months of the evaluation period to be evaluated in that period.

Completing the form: The steps for completing the Semi-Annual Evaluation are as follows:

* Before beginning the process of writing the Semi-Annual Evaluation, the regional resource management group will provide the appraiser with the Progress Evaluations for that individual for that evaluation period. At most, there will be one for internal resources, depending on when the individual joined The Company.

* The appraiser should review that form and rate the employee in the various categories based on the information included in that form, his/her personal experiences with the employee, the rating scale included at the end of this document, and the appropriate job description and career path for the employee being evaluated. Because the job descriptions for some internal groups are not yet complete, appraisers should use our standard "Internal Semi-Annual Evaluation Form" if a job description does not exist for the employee being evaluated. Only the standard employee qualities (which are included in every employee job description) and internal responsibilities (also included in every employee job description) are preprinted on the standard form. The appraiser should document the role-specific responsibilities of the employee being evaluated on the standard form in the blank space provided. The appraiser should include comments for each responsibility or quality. Written comments are required when either an Exceptional Performance or an Unsatisfactory Performance rating is given.

* Once the written form is complete, the appraiser should forward it to the regional resource management group for review. When this review has been completed the appraiser will be notified and the regional resource management group will facilitate the promotion discussion process. Once completed, the appraiser can proceed with arranging a time to meet with the employee to discuss the evaluation. Once a meeting time has been arranged, the appraiser should forward the document to the employee for review.

* The face-to-face meeting and discussion give both the employee and the appraiser the opportunity to elaborate on the various sections of the evaluation, as well as to come to a clear understanding of what accomplishments were achieved and document the most crucial development needs. Based on this discussion, the appraiser has the option to change his/her ratings. The appraiser is not, however, required to change ratings where there is a difference of opinion. The employee also has the option to change his/her written comments.

* Once the employee and appraiser have discussed the evaluation, both individuals must sign and date the evaluation form on the last page.

* The appraiser should forward the completed, signed Semi-Annual Evaluation to the regional resource manager.

A Rating Scale for Employee Evaluations

The rating scale below should be used for each competency, quality, and responsibility. Wherever fitting, the appropriate job description and career path should be used to determine the proper ratings.

EP - Exceptional Performance: Employee consistently exhibited excellent performance and exceeded project performance expectations in core job requirements as well as Employee Qualities. Excellent professional skills and Employee Qualities indicate rapid future advancement.

ATP - Above Target Performance: Employee constantly exhibited high quality performance and achieved core job requirements and Employee Qualities which indicate above average growth potential.

OTP - On Target Performance: Employee effectively met core job requirements and Employee Qualities and displays average growth potential.

BTP - Below Target Performance: Employee met some core job requirements and some Employee Qualities, however lacks some skills which could limit progress if not corrected.

UP - Unsatisfactory Performance: Employee displayed significant difficulties in achieving core job requirements as well as Employee Qualities. Because the results achieved did not meet the minimum requirements of the job, the employee has a low chance of advancing beyond current position.

NB - No Basis: Appraiser has no basis by which to judge the Employee. more
1   

HR & Recruitment

 5mo

Data: the Key to Hiring Strong Leaders


When it comes to hiring executive leaders, intuition alone isn't enough. Leading executive search firms increasingly use sophisticated data strategies to inform and elevate hiring processes. Focusing on information gives deeper insights and reduces bias. It measures how well candidates align with your vision and values and structures your approach to secure the right person for your... company.

Here's why and how data transforms executive recruitment from a coin toss into a proven process.

Reveals Leadership Skills Beyond the résumés;

Traditional executive hiring leans heavily on what candidates say they've done in résumés;s and interviews. But these self-reported achievements are often exaggerated, inconsistent across industries, or irrelevant to your company.

Executive search firms use historical performance trends and real-world business outcomes to confirm and analyze a prospect's track record. They also use cognitive and psychometric tests, like the Kolbe Index, to probe a candidate's leadership abilities and strengths.

With data backing up a candidate's résumés;, you have a far better chance of finding the right skills and character to lead your company.

Aligns Candidate Strengths to Business Needs

It's easy to fall into the trap of hiring an executive with an impressive track record without fully understanding whether their strengths actually match your current business needs. But that misalignment can cost you significant time and money.

Data-driven search focuses the hiring process on your business needs. Expert C-level headhunters start by understanding your company's strategic goals, operating model, and culture. Then, recruiters work with leadership to map out the key competencies and success outcomes you need for each particular role. Now, you have a data-driven game plan.

With that plan in place, each candidate is evaluated based on how well they fit the plan. The data-driven and needs-focused approach eliminates guesswork, speeds up stakeholder consensus, and improves the odds of hiring a successful leader in the long term.

Quantifies the Culture Fit

Culture fit is one of the most talked-about but least defined components of leadership hiring. Retained C-level search firms treat culture as another data point in their recruitment process.

Think culture is too loose-goosey to quantify? Think again. Psychometric testing, like TTI Talent Insights, and team dynamic diagnostics, like the Predictive Index, turn culture into behavioral and organizational markers you can assess alongside skills and experience. At the end of the process, you have a measurable profile of how a candidate will mesh with your existing team and values.

Recognizes Key Patterns

Strong executive recruiters compare candidates across the market using datasets built from years of leadership placements. They can identify subtle and predictive patterns that most hiring managers would miss.

For example, executive recruiters for coaching networks use market mapping to identify leaders with relevant experience and success to bring to your mastermind community. Then, they use data from previous placements and your culture fit to determine essential data points for recognizing trustworthy, visionary leaders.

Reduces Bias

Even the most well-intentioned hiring teams carry unconscious biases. Data helps reduce these tendencies in the executive hiring process.

C-level headhunters use standardized assessments and blind applications to create a more equitable candidate pool. Then, focused on success criteria and culture fit, they use prewritten interview questions to compare all potential leaders to the same benchmarks.

This data can help identify candidates you might have overlooked -- people who bring much-needed perspective and innovation.

Helps Craft Better Compensation Packages

The difference between finding and hiring the right leader for your C-suite team is a competitive and personalized offer. Experts in executive hiring use compensation analysis to suggest benefits in line with industry trends and comparable placements.

Besides the general information about C-level compensation, executive recruiters get specific knowledge about your company and the candidate. They use that data to craft specific packages to help you place the leader you need.

Let's say you're working with a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) headhunter to negotiate with your top candidate. They know this leader has a spouse with poor health, so they recommend an offer with an increased healthcare benefit and work-from-home options beyond a reasonable salary. That's the information you need to secure and retain top talent at your company.

Creates a Reliable Hiring Process

Traditional executive hiring can feel mysterious. Why was this candidate chosen over another? How did we evaluate their leadership ability? How do we know this hire will stay for the long term?

A data-informed executive search process creates a transparent and repeatable approach. You have clear hiring criteria, culture benchmarks, performance expectations, and documentation to support your decisions and share with your stakeholders.

Working with a data-driven firm is especially critical if you're building an executive bench or planning future succession. They can help you create a reliable and scalable leadership selection process.

Why You Can't Afford to Ignore Data in Executive Hiring

If you're not using data to drive your executive hiring decisions, you're relying on luck. And at the executive level, luck is not a winning strategy. You need a hiring process proven to find the right leaders and stand up under scrutiny.

Data gives you that process. It empowers you to hire confidently and intentionally. It aligns your search with your business's reality and future. And it ensures that every leader you bring on board builds up your company. more
1   

HR & Recruitment

 6mo

From Talent Acquisition to Talent Attraction: Using Content Marketing for HR


The dynamics of recruitment have fundamentally changed. The days when HR departments could rely on job boards and recruiter databases are over. Modern professionals are not scanning listings; they're consuming stories, evaluating company values, and deciding if an organisation aligns with their personal mission long before they ever apply.

The transition from talent acquisition to talent... attraction is the result of this behavioural shift. Businesses are no longer competing for résumés -- they're competing for attention, belief, and emotional resonance.

At the heart of this transformation lies content marketing: the deliberate use of information, storytelling, and visibility to make a workplace desirable. But this isn't just a cosmetic change. It's a strategic realignment of HR around the same tools and insights that drive digital marketing. Where marketing once sold products, HR must now sell purpose.

The integration of marketing logic into HR isn't theoretical -- it's already happening. Agencies such as Search Riot, known for their focus on long-term organic visibility and data-led SEO, have demonstrated how sustained content presence can redefine brand perception. Their campaigns aren't built on noise or paid exposure but on building credibility and discoverability over time. For HR leaders, that principle is identical: authentic visibility -- where your employer story appears naturally in the spaces where professionals are already looking -- matters far more than sporadic job ads.

Similarly, agencies like Brafton and Velocity Partners have shown how narrative consistency can amplify trust across digital channels. When these approaches are applied internally, HR can cultivate the same kind of durable attention marketers earn for consumer brands. This crossover isn't about outsourcing recruitment; it's about learning from those who've already mastered audience behaviour. Just as brands use content to attract loyal customers, organisations can use it to attract and retain loyal talent.

The distinction between talent acquisition and talent attraction is timing. Acquisition happens when a position opens; attraction begins years before. Content marketing allows HR to fill that temporal gap by building a continuous narrative about who the organisation is, what it values, and how it treats people.

For example, an engineering firm publishing transparent insights into its sustainability projects does more than showcase technical skill -- it signals purpose. A healthcare organisation sharing stories of staff who advanced from entry-level roles to leadership tells future applicants that growth is real, not rhetorical. Each piece of content becomes part of an employer identity that candidates can encounter organically, forming impressions long before HR reaches out.

Modern professionals, especially Millennials and Gen Z, rely heavily on this kind of digital evidence. According to Glassdoor's research, 75% of job seekers evaluate an employer's brand and culture before applying.

Visibility in search results, presence on professional platforms, and consistent storytelling on social channels all contribute to that perception. Companies that ignore these touchpoints risk being invisible to the very people they hope to hire.

Where many organisations fail is mistaking attraction for promotion. Simply posting "We're hiring!" videos or glossy photos doesn't generate trust. In fact, over-produced content can feel artificial and repel rather than attract. Authenticity isn't a tone; it's a practice rooted in transparency and evidence.

The most effective employer brands show, rather than tell. They open the door on real processes -- how teams solve problems, how leaders handle mistakes, how the company listens to its people. This is where HR content overlaps with journalism more than advertising.

Marketing agencies like Velocity Partners thrive on this principle, producing narrative-led campaigns that prioritise honesty and relevance over hype. HR should take the same cue: stories work when they feel lived-in, not staged.

This doesn't mean perfection. Sharing the challenges of hybrid work or the lessons learned from failed initiatives can humanise an organisation. It shows potential candidates that the company's culture is resilient and self-aware -- traits that attract more discerning, values-driven talent.

Attraction isn't an abstract goal; it's measurable. Just as marketing teams analyse engagement and conversion, HR can track the health of its employer brand through data. Metrics such as application source diversity, quality-of-hire, and employee referral rate reflect how well your content resonates beyond the immediate hiring cycle.

According to LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends, companies that invest in employer branding and consistent content experience a 50% reduction in cost-per-hire and twice as fast hiring times. Those numbers aren't the result of advertising spend; they stem from trust capital -- the familiarity and credibility built over months or years of meaningful communication.

The HR teams most successful in this area treat their content as infrastructure, not decoration. They map the candidate journey from discovery to application to onboarding and identify where content can reduce friction or uncertainty. A potential applicant who's already read a detailed post about your company's mentorship program enters the process informed and emotionally aligned. In essence, content becomes pre-onboarding.

A sustainable attraction strategy demands cross-functional alignment. Marketing holds the expertise in analytics, audience segmentation, and storytelling frameworks; HR holds the emotional and operational truth of the organisation. When they collaborate, the results compound.

One effective model involves HR leading on narrative authenticity -- employee experience, internal culture, purpose -- while marketing shapes delivery: timing, SEO structure, and tone for digital platforms. This partnership mirrors what agencies like Search Riot and Brafton already execute for consumer brands. By adapting those same workflows internally, companies transform recruitment into an ongoing brand dialogue rather than a series of isolated campaigns.

Talent attraction through content marketing is not about viral moments -- it's about endurance. The brands that succeed understand that reputation compounds over time. They know that an article about workplace learning, a podcast featuring employee voices, or a transparent LinkedIn post about leadership philosophy can all serve as silent recruiters, working day and night in the background.

The key insight is this: candidates today choose employers with the same caution and curiosity that consumers apply to products. They compare stories, not job descriptions. They follow authenticity, not slogans. And they make decisions based on the evidence your organisation publishes daily -- whether you control it or not.

The movement from talent acquisition to talent attraction represents a deeper philosophical change. It's a recognition that people no longer enter organisations solely for pay or prestige -- they enter for alignment, for trust, and for meaning. Content marketing gives HR the language and structure to communicate those things continuously and credibly. more

HR & Recruitment

 8mo

Is Studying Human Resources a Good Choice?


Choosing whether to study Human Resources (HR) is an important decision that requires careful consideration. This choice will not only impact your academic life but also have a lasting influence on your career development. Human Resources is a discipline that covers recruitment, training, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and many other areas. It is an... essential part of modern enterprise management. Here, we analyze the pros and cons of studying HR from multiple perspectives to help you gain a comprehensive understanding of the field and make a decision that suits you best.

1. Interest and Personality -- The Foundation of Choice

The most critical factor in studying HR is whether you are interested in the relationship between people and organizations. The core work of HR is talent management, helping companies attract, develop, and retain the right employees. If you enjoy understanding people's needs, care about employee growth, and like helping others solve work-related problems, this major can bring you satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

Personality-wise, HR work requires strong communication skills and empathy. In daily work, you need to interact with employees from different departments and levels, coordinate various relationships, and handle conflicts and disputes. Patience, attention to detail, and problem-solving abilities are also essential. Furthermore, HR positions require analytical skills to allocate human resources reasonably and design scientific performance evaluation and incentive programs. If you also enjoy data and logical analysis, you will find this work both challenging and rewarding.

2. Career Development Prospects

Broad Job Market

HR graduates have a wide range of employment opportunities. Almost every type of enterprise -- state-owned, private, or foreign-invested -- needs human resource management professionals. Especially in economically developed areas, as companies grow and their management needs increase, demand for HR positions continues to rise.

Salary and Benefits

HR salaries vary depending on company size, industry, and personal experience. Entry-level roles such as recruitment specialist or assistant generally offer modest pay. However, as experience and professional skills increase, especially when promoted to HR manager, compensation significantly improves. Overall, HR salaries are above average within enterprise management roles.

Rich Development Opportunities

The HR department offers diverse roles, including recruitment, training, performance, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and labor compliance. You can choose a development path that best suits your interests and strengths. Through continuous learning and experience accumulation, HR professionals can advance to department heads or even senior executives participating in company strategy formulation.

3. Academic Content and Skill Requirements

Theoretical Knowledge System

Studying HR requires mastering knowledge from management, labor law, psychology, and economics. Management helps you understand organizational structure and business processes; labor law ensures employee rights and company compliance; psychology aids in understanding employee behavior and motivation, enhancing recruitment and incentive design.

Practical Skills Development

Beyond theory, practical experience is crucial. Internships, participation in company projects, or simulated recruitment and training activities help transform classroom knowledge into practical skills. Modern HR increasingly relies on data analysis, using big data to support recruitment decisions and performance assessments, improving management efficiency.

Importance of Lifelong Learning

The HR field evolves rapidly with new technologies and ideas emerging constantly -- such as AI-assisted recruitment, online training platforms, and employee satisfaction survey tools. HR professionals must maintain a learning mindset, continuously updating their knowledge and skills to stay competitive in the job market.

4. Challenges of Industry Competition

Although HR is popular, competition is fierce. Many graduates enter the field, and companies increasingly demand professionalism and comprehensive abilities. Basic academic qualifications are often insufficient; mid- to senior-level positions usually require a master's degree or substantial work experience. Therefore, planning your academic and career path early, gaining internships and project experience, and improving both soft and hard skills are keys to standing out.

Additionally, HR work demands a strong sense of responsibility and professional ethics. HR professionals are not only implementers of company policies but also guardians of employee rights, requiring fairness, objectivity, and confidentiality to earn trust from both employees and management.

5. Advantages and Disadvantages of Studying HR

Advantages

First, HR offers broad employment opportunities, rich job types, and stable jobs. Second, the work content is diverse, combining interpersonal soft skills with data analysis hard skills, suitable for various personalities. Third, salary increases with experience, and career advancement opportunities are plentiful. Finally, as a key part of corporate strategy implementation, HR professionals' status in companies is rising, giving them opportunities to participate in top-level decision-making.

Disadvantages

HR work can be stressful, involving managing complex interpersonal relationships and emergencies, which can be mentally taxing. Some HR roles are fast-paced and task-heavy, often requiring overtime and dealing with unexpected challenges. Competition is intense, and career progression requires long-term effort, with lower starting salaries common. Moreover, HR knowledge updates quickly, requiring significant time and effort for continuous learning.

6. Conclusion

Overall, whether studying Human Resources is right for you depends on your passion for working with people and your communication, coordination, analytical, and problem-solving skills. This major offers good employment prospects, decent salaries, and rich development opportunities but also comes with competitive pressure and the need for lifelong learning. If you are willing to improve yourself continuously and embrace challenges, HR can be a fulfilling and promising choice.

By choosing HR, you take on the vital role of bridging companies and employees, promoting mutual growth of organizations and individuals. If you are passionate about helping others and improving workplace environments, enjoy diverse work content, and are eager to keep learning, this major is definitely worth considering. more
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  • Christopher White

    6mo

    I would recommend obtaining a SHRM certification to ensure this is the field you want to be in. It carriers a lot of weight towards each of those... areas.  more

HR & Recruitment

 6mo

Employee retention: What works in practice


Employers must work on creating a positive work environment.

EMPLOYEE retention is a critical issue for organisations of all sizes. High employee turnover is costly in terms of time and money spent on recruitment and training, as well as the potential loss of valuable knowledge and skills.

To combat this issue, many companies have implemented various employee retention policies. In this... article, we will explore some of the most effective strategies for retaining employees.

In Zimbabwe, retaining employees is challenging for most chief executives (CEOs). The challenges arise because the resources to dedicate to retention may not be available. Another potential downside is general feelings of inequity when you focus the retention policy on a select few employees. So, the question is, what should companies do to retain critical staff?

In choosing who should be included in your retention strategy, you must be careful how you select them. The major criteria are the impact of the role on the business, and second, the individuals must be performing above average.

It makes no sense to retain an employee simply because they are in a critical role when their performance is below standard.

Offer competitive remuneration -- the best retention tool around salaries and benefits is to ensure that you are not too far below what the market pays for similar roles. If you do not have the resources to sustain competitive salaries, the best approach is to ensure you pay around the market's median and then drive performance. Anything lower than the median is unlikely to work. It is important to note that offering a competitive salary does not necessarily make the employee perform better. Instead, it makes the employee stay.

Opportunities for career development -- Employees who feel they have career development opportunities are more likely to stay with their current employer. Training programmes, mentorship opportunities, and clear paths for career advancement can help employees feel invested in their careers and committed to their organisation.

Positive work environment -- Working in a toxic environment is emotionally draining for employees. Employers must work on creating a positive work environment. It is crucial for retaining employees. This includes fostering a culture of respect, providing opportunities for social interaction among employees, and ensuring that employees feel valued and appreciated.

Recognition and rewards -- Put in place a systematic mechanism for recognising and rewarding employees for their hard work and achievements can go a long way in retaining them. This can include bonuses, promotions, or even verbal recognition for a well-done job. Research has shown that employees, who feel recognised and appreciated are more likely to stay with their current employer. I have noticed that most bonus schemes are useless because the amounts paid are insignificant.

Culture plays a key role in employee retention. A company's culture encompasses its values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that shape the work environment. For purposes of retention, culture is how you treat your employees. When employees feel comfortable and happy in their work environment, they are more likely to stay with the company for an extended period.

Conduct stay interviews: Stay interviews are conversations with current employees about what they like about their job, what they would like to change, and what would make them leave the company.

Address workplace issues promptly: Attend to issues raised by employees without delay, which can prevent them from escalating into larger problems that may lead to employee turnover.

Encourage employee involvement: Involve employees in decision-making processes or company initiatives to make them feel valued and invested in the company's success.

Staff loans are a type of employee benefit that can be used by organisations to retain their employees. Staff loans are essentially personal loans offered to employees at a lower interest rate than they typically receive from a bank or other financial institution. Employees with access to affordable loans through their employer may be more likely to stay with the company longer. This is because staff loans can help to reduce financial stress and provide employees with the resources they need to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Leadership quality plays a significant role in staff retention. Good leaders inspire their team members to work towards a common goal, provide constructive feedback, and create a positive work environment. Employees tend to stay longer in organisations where they feel valued, respected, and supported by their leaders. more
5   

HR & Recruitment

 6mo

New edge in hiring to retain talent


WORKPLACES have undergone significant transformations in recent years. Rapid technological advancements, economic shifts and changing demographics have reshaped the way people work and what they expect from their employers.

They have also influenced talent management strategies. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) Asia Employee Benefits Report 2025,... developed in partnership with AIA, increasing employee satisfaction and retaining current employees were the most important goals when designing benefits in Malaysia. This is against the backdrop of rising costs (54%), economic uncertainty (37%) and digital transformation (34%), which were identified as the top trends influencing benefits strategies.

As a result, organisations find themselves navigating a complex and ever-changing talent landscape, and if they don't listen to their employees, they risk losing out on attracting and retaining top talent.

Misalignment of talent strategies

Despite the need for employee well-being, many companies are struggling to align their talent strategies with the evolving expectations of the workforce.

According to the report, 65% of respondents said budgets are the main challenge when designing employee benefits, followed by understanding diverse employee expectations (47%). Yet, over half (52%) of Malaysian organisations said that gathering employee feedback was important as part of this process.

While this is promising, more companies need to follow suit as a misalignment between what employees want and what employers offer can have several consequences.

Firstly, many organisations continue to offer traditional, outdated benefits that may no longer resonate with younger workers.

Secondly, while employees are demanding flexibility, many companies in Asia are not fully embracing flexible work arrangements - there continues to be poor work-life balance, with long working hours and high-stress environments remaining common across the region.

Thirdly, while employees increasingly prioritise personal growth and learning, not all employers provide adequate pathways for career development.

And fourthly, while the younger generation of talent is seeking employers whose values align with their own, many companies fail to articulate a compelling mission or demonstrate social responsibility.

This disconnect between what companies are offering and what employees want has led to increased turnover rates, difficulty in attracting talent and reduced employee engagement, and in many cases negatively impacting business performances.

Attracting and retaining top talent

Organisations must adopt a multifaceted approach that addresses the diverse needs and expectations of the modern workforce. Central to this is regularly conducting employee surveys to gather feedback, such as through "pulse" surveys, as well as embracing technology.

New human resources (HR) tools, like digital health solutions and chatbots, are helping organisations tailor employee initiatives and use people data effectively to assess what works. For example, artificial intelligence (AI) can enable better analytical insights so that benefits can be tailored to increase uptake and engagement while reducing administrative costs.

Tools like employee sentiment analysis can help identify what employees value, address concerns and help to guide more targeted, effective benefits strategies. This approach ensures that benefits and policies align with actual employee preferences.

With employees increasingly looking for work-life balance, another key strategy will be to prioritise employee well-being. The good news is that in Malaysia, 52% of employers are planning to enhance their health and well-being benefits and 44% are planning to enhance outpatient insurance, followed by life and accident insurance (38%), hospital and surgical insurance (37%) and mental health support (36%).

While there is an ongoing stigma around mental health in Asian markets, proactively supporting employee mental health and well-being will build a healthier, more motivated and productive workforce.

Additionally, investing in preventive care and boosting employee health can also be cost-effective by reducing insurance claims. Organisations should create safe spaces for health discussions and offer an array of programmes, including counselling, mental health days and resilience training, to provide holistic well-being support, backed by a strong culture that prioritises employee well-being.

Following the pandemic, flexible work arrangements have also become increasingly important to the workforce. More employers are recognising this, with 17% in Malaysia considering more flexible options, compared to 9% in Hong Kong and 8% in Singapore.

Concurrently, investing in learning and development is vital, with 32% of Malaysian employers planning to enhance their training and career development opportunities in the next two years, compared with only 14% of those in Singapore and 10% in Hong Kong.

A possible driver for this could be the calls for more upskilling initiatives to help older employees stay relevant in the labour market as the government considers raising the retirement age. This focus on growth and flexibility will help attract and retain top talent.

Fostering a strong company culture, offering competitive compensation and benefits and promoting work-life integration are key to enhancing employee engagement, retention and overall organisational effectiveness.

Equally important is maintaining open lines of communication. Employers should actively engage their workforce and encourage managers and leaders to communicate regularly with their teams. Consistent dialogue builds trust, ensures alignment and helps employees feel heard and valued, all of which are crucial to sustaining long-term commitment and loyalty.

The future employer

As we look ahead, organisations that successfully adapt to changing employee expectations will be best positioned to thrive in the competitive Asian market.

By embracing flexibility, prioritising employee well-being and fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, companies can create workplaces that not only attract top talent but also inspire loyalty and high performance.

The future of work in Asia will see a continued blurring of traditional boundaries between work and life, with an increased emphasis on purpose-driven careers and holistic experiences.

HR managers who can anticipate and respond to these evolving needs will build resilient, engaged workforces capable of driving innovation and success in an increasingly dynamic business environment.

By engaging with employees and truly understanding and meeting their changing expectations, companies can position themselves as employers of choice, securing the talent they need to thrive in the years to come. more
1   

HR & Recruitment

 6mo

Boost retention with better career conversations


Good people rarely leave because of money alone. They leave because they don't see a future.

In fact, lack of career development is one of the top reasons employees quit, consistently ranking above pay in exit surveys.

For founders and managers, that's both a risk and an opportunity. If you want to keep your best people engaged, regular career development conversations are one of the most... powerful (and underused) tools you have.

This article shows why these conversations matter, how to avoid the tick-box trap, and practical frameworks managers can use to make them meaningful.

Engagement isn't just about perks or flexible working. It's about whether employees feel they're growing.

The message is clear: if managers aren't having these conversations, they're missing the easiest retention lever available.

Growth conversations are retention conversations. Ignore them, and you risk losing your best people.

Too many organisations confuse performance reviews with career development.

The result is a formal, once-a-year process that ticks compliance boxes but fails to inspire.

Employees don't leave because their last review was tough. They leave because they can't see how today's work connects to tomorrow's growth.

Reviews merely measure what's done, but conversations enable you to shape what's next.

Managers don't need to reinvent the wheel. A few simple frameworks make these conversations more structured and valuable.

These frameworks shift the conversation from generic encouragement to practical, actionable steps.

Structure helps managers go deeper in career conversations and makes growth feel real.

If managers feel unsure how to begin, these simple prompts open the door without feeling forced:

These questions cut through small talk and signal genuine interest in growth.

The most powerful career conversations go beyond skills and aspirations. They show employees how their growth is tied to the company's growth.

Employee share schemes and incentives play a role here. When people have a stake in the business, they think about their career not just in terms of roles, but in terms of impact.

An employee who understands that their contributions drive business growth, and that growth enhances the value of their rewards, can clearly see how personal development connects to company success.

Align incentives with career development, and you create employees who think like owners.

Retention isn't won with slogans or perks. It's won in regular, human conversations where managers listen, support, and show how personal growth connects to company growth.

If your managers are still relying on annual reviews, you're missing the point. Career development conversations are the simplest, most effective secret weapon for keeping your best people. more
2   

HR & Recruitment

 7mo

I Interviewed 20+ Engineers. Here's Why Most Can't Code


The uncomfortable patterns I kept seeing over and over again

1. The Résumés Were Glorious -- The Code Was a Mess

I went into my first batch of interviews expecting battle-hardened engineers with clean code and sharp problem-solving skills. What I got was... chaos.

People with glittering résumés -- FAANG internships, big-name bootcamps, impressive GitHub graphs -- were unable to reverse a... linked list or explain how a hash map works under the hood.

They could talk about scaling microservices across distributed environments, but couldn't write a loop without an off-by-one error.

That's when I realized: résumés can be theater. They reflect how good someone is at appearing technical, not necessarily at solving problems with code.

2. They Memorized Patterns, Not Principles

Here's the most common failure pattern I saw: candidates trying to regurgitate memorized LeetCode patterns like cheat codes.

Ask them a novel variation of a problem, and they freeze. If their exact memorized solution didn't fit, they had no idea how to adapt.

This is what I call algorithm karaoke -- they can sing along to the song if you play it, but they can't compose anything new.

Real engineering is 90% thinking, 10% typing. If you don't understand fundamentals -- data structures, complexity analysis, memory layout, design trade-offs -- your brain short-circuits the moment the problem stops matching your flashcards.

3. They Never Practiced Writing Production Code

Many candidates could hack together a solution that technically worked, but the code looked like a crime scene.

No structure, no naming conventions, no tests, no separation of concerns. Just a blob of logic barely duct-taped together.

They treated the code challenge like a race, not a system that might live for years and need to be understood by other humans. more
3   

Anonymous member


HR & Recruitment 7mo

what's the main components of HR OFFICER

  • Michail Kirkland

    7mo

    1Key components: recruitment and staffing, employee relations, compensation and benefits, training and development, compliance and policy management,... performance management, and HR administration.
    2key competencies and skills: communication, problem-solving, organizational, knowledge of labor laws, analytical, and ethical judgments.     more

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HR & Recruitment

 7mo

The best job interview questions, according to executives


Savvy executives who are well-versed in the job interview process know they're on the clock in hiring potential top talent, and that goes double for the short period of time both parties have for a face-to-face job interview.

According to data from Glassdoor, the average job interview duration is just 23 days, while 118 people, on average, apply for a single job opening. Once a candidate... reaches a human interviewer, the average job interview is about 40 minutes, which further limits an executive's opportunity to get to know a good job prospect.

Those time limits highlight the need to ask the right job interview questions; the queries that can cut through the chaos and help management land the best prospect for the job.

Good interviewers don't waste time with too many questions, as they know only a few questions can gather the necessary information to make a quality hire.

"When I craft interview questions, my focus is on uncovering depth, not just in skills, but in mindset and cultural alignment," said Victoria Ashton, senior vice president of people at Lob, a direct mail marketing company in San Diego, California.

Ashton believes the best interview questions prompt people to pause, reflect, and reveal something authentic about how they think, what they value, and how they've navigated real challenges or opportunities. "I believe the magic happens beyond the resume, so my questions aim to explore the 'how' and "why" behind their journey, not just the "what," she noted.

Like most serious job interviewers, Ashton's particularly drawn to questions that help candidates self-assess their environment fit and leadership philosophy, especially in fast-evolving cultures. "I want to understand whether someone thrives in an autonomous environment, how they collaborate, what they expect from leadership, and whether their values align with ours," she added.

Ashton's not alone. Every hiring decision-maker likely has a favorite job interview question to ask a candidate, and will rely on it as an anchor during the brief interaction with a job candidate.

What job interview questions work the best for executives? These queries lead the list of management leaders who shared their best questions with Quartz.

"One thing I have learned repeatedly is how much a team's accomplishments and overall positive dynamics are shaped by its leaders," Cabret-Lewis said. "At Aflac, we place great value on leaders who understand their influence on a team and commit to setting an example. That's why I like to ask the question, "Can you share (with examples) more about the direct impact that you had on your team's success and team's culture?"

Cabret-Lewis said she's looking for specific details in their answer, including the projects a job candidate has worked on, what challenges and setbacks they experienced, and how they recovered.

"Today, recruiters need to look beyond the question of, 'What are your strengths and weaknesses?' and dig deeper to understand a candidate's experience and learn how they navigate real-world problems, support their teams, and contribute to the business," Cabret-Lewis noted.

"For example, when I ask this question to employees from large corporations, most of the time they can't give any answer other than increasing the team size or hiring an outsourcer," Rozova-Rosenblatt.

In a candidate's answers, Rozova-Rosenblatt said she's looking for a demonstration of competencies, maximum applicability, extensive practical experience and exposure, the ability to reflect, and sincerity. "That's especially the case when it comes to admitting mistakes," she added.

So when it comes to hiring sales professionals, Scott has a particular interview strategy with job candidates.

"Interviewing sales professionals can be tricky," he said. "By their nature, they're excellent communicators who think on their feet and often give you the answers they think you want to hear. To get past that façade, I use a three-question interview style that gets to the heart of who they are as a person and a salesperson."

Scott's favorite opening question is: 'What brings you here today, beyond the job on offer, what has happened in your life to bring you to this very point?'

"In five minutes, candidates usually reveal far more than their cover letter ever could," he said. "They talk about life goals, adversity they've overcome, and their core values, which gives me a much clearer picture of their motivations."

Scott typically follows up with a second question: 'Do you agree that the measure of a great salesperson is in the quality of the questions they ask?'

"From there, I flip the interview on its head and let them lead with their own questions for the next half hour," he noted. "It sparks a natural, more relaxed conversation and often tells me more about them than 20 traditional interview questions ever could."

He also holds a closing question in his back pocket for the end of interviews: 'I absolutely hate surprises, so what should I be ready for if I were to hire you?'

"It's my version of the classic 'What are your weaknesses?', but I find it draws out more honest and insightful answers," Scott said. "This three-question approach tells me everything I need about a candidate's motivators, resilience, pitching ability, and self-awareness. It cuts through the typical interview script and, most importantly, makes the interview enjoyable for both sides."

"One of my favorite questions to ask is: 'Tell me about a time you received constructive feedback that was hard to hear," she noted. "Then I ask, "What was it, and how did you respond?"

Stelzner said she loves this question because it gets right into humility and growth. "Everybody can talk about their wins, but what really matters is how someone reacts when things don't go smoothly," she said.

She'll also "never forget" a candidate who admitted their manager once said their communication style was coming across as condescending. "That's a tough thing to hear," Stelzner said. "Instead of ignoring it, the candidate asked for specific examples, signed up for a communication workshop, and then checked in with teammates afterward to make sure they were improving."

That answer stuck with Stelzner. "It showed the candidate was willing to take accountability, be vulnerable, and actually put in the work to get better," she said.

--- "What has been the most memorable or best culture that you've been a part of so far in your career, and why?"

--- "What separates a good company from a great company, in your experience?"

"These questions open a window into how candidates perceive culture, leadership, and performance," Ashton said. "They don't just tell me what a candidate wants from a company, but also show me what they're likely to contribute, what inspires them, and how intentional they are in their professional growth."

The queries also help spark mutual reflection. "The best answers feel more like a conversation than a test; they bring out stories, insights, and sometimes even new ideas I bring back to my team," she added. more