06Feb

We Specialize in Finding the Right Talent to Meet our Clients’ Unique Needs

Jolene RischBlog, Hiring Process, Reference Checks and Credit Reports

We Specialize in Finding the Right Talent to Meet our Clients’ Unique Needs

Risch Results was recently engaged by a North Texas-based manufacturing company to replace a controller who had just resigned. The company knew they needed an experienced individual to lead the department, but they were struggling to identify the level they would need with the budget available.

After meeting with the company to better understand their goals, Risch Results was able to determine the type of hire that made the most sense for their business. We recommended an interim controller to take over while we sourced a strong accounting manager looking for an opportunity to lead their own small department in a growing company. The new accounting manager now handles all day-to-day accounting functions and the interim controller has moved into a part-time CFO role where he oversees the higher-level financial strategy.

At Risch Results, we specialize in finding the right solutions to meet our clients’ unique needs. In the lifecycle of any business, staffing needs expand and contract based on a variety of internal and external factors. An employee might be taking a leave of absence; the organization might be getting ready to launch a new product; extra hands may be needed for a new system implementation. We watch hiring and staffing trends and help our clients examine which strategies work best for their specific situations. Because the workforce is constantly changing, both in demographics and demands, we offer full-time permanent as well as part-time, contract and interim employees.

03Nov

Clean Cut: Job Seekers Must Keep a Professional Social Media Presence

Jolene RischHiring Process, Interview Tips, Reference Checks and Credit Reports, Resume

Clean Cut: Job Seekers Must Keep a Professional Social Media Presence

When organizations retain our firm to find top talent, we look for a candidate who has the best experience, skills, and potential for cultural fit. Cultural fit is key because organizations want to make sure their employees will thrive in the company’s culture. As such, one of the best ways to learn more about a candidate is by looking at his or her online presence.

While social media is one of our most beneficial forms of communication, there’s a time and place for everything. You never know who’s viewing your digital presence, but you can be sure someone is. If you’re a job candidate, recruiters and hiring managers will do their due diligence, and if we see anything sketchy on social media, we won’t be able to refer you to our clients in good faith. This is why I recommend you conduct this social media test before you post or comment online: would you show it to your employer, recruiter, or organization you want to interview with? If the answer is no, then stop.

Red Flags

As an executive recruiter, some of the red flags I see are photos with alcohol, inappropriate or racist language, postings that have a negative tone, and rude comments. Your social media presence is like an online resume, so bad spelling and grammar also raise a red flag. Another thing that can turn away a recruiter: posting too often. Documenting your every move doesn’t translate as professional.

Clean Up Tips

Cleaning up your social media presence is vital for job candidates, and it doesn’t take long. As this quick video explains, you can get started by conducting a  Google search on yourself and your social profiles. Go through many pages to see what’s out there and take time to delete. The expert in the video also recommends making your non-professional social profiles private. (You don’t necessarily have keep everything private. For some jobs, such as marketing positions, a social media presence is important.)  If you have a personal blog, it will show up in a search too, so revise anything that could be questionable or unprofessional.

When you’re reviewing your digital footprint, revise unsuitable language, eliminate curse words, and fix spelling/grammar mistakes. Take inventory of your photos and omit the ones that could be unfitting. Be sure to review and revise anything you’re tagged in, anything you’ve commented on, and any comments others have made about your posts. Also, look at the pages you’ve liked, as well as the people or causes you follow, and revise anything that could be misconstrued. This site can help you clean up your social media presence.

Most importantly, from this point forward, be mindful of what you put out into cyberspace. Resist the urge to engage in political or social debate. A little restraint can go a long way in your future, particularly when it comes to landing that incredible job. Remember, organizations hire people, and you are more than just your skills and experience. Even when you’re not at work, you’re representing your place of employment. This is 2016 and social media is a part of everyday life, and every day recruitment. Be smart and prudent—and put your best digital foot(print) forward.

27Dec

Should we use Credit Reports as a part of the Recruiting Process?

Jolene RischBlog, Reference Checks and Credit Reports

Should we use Credit Reports as a part of the Recruiting Process?

Many recruiters represent a candidate I represent my clients who are generally small and medium size businesses.  Many do not have HR Departments who would follow Employment Law.  With the recent news that the E.E.O.C Sued Kaplan Higher Education Corporation I want to make sure that my clients are aware of the law suit and understand how credit reports can be used in the hiring process.

The E.E.O.C. sued Kaplan for discriminating against black job applicants through the way it used credit histories in its hiring process.  Considering that over half of employers use credit reports in some hiring decisions, many experts question whether the E.E.O.C was using Kaplan to set an example to employers who are denying jobs to applicants with damaged credit histories, even in cases where creditworthiness may not be  relevant to the job.   Yet many states have already or are considering protecting the vast number of unemployed and/or financially distressed Americans by banning or limited the use of credit reports to make hiring decisions.   Given the number of Americans out of work it is very common to see, shall we say, messy credit reports.  I check credit reports as a part of my recruiting process for my clients and rarely do I see a clean credit report.  If I had to cut every candidate with a few hiccups on their credit report my clients would have a tough time finding an employee.  And it’s clearly not a black and white issue.  The questions I would ask are what are the patterns on their credit reports and how severe are the “hiccups”?  For example, are there late payments or are their bankruptcies? In addition its important to discuss with my client how the candidates’ credit report history is related to the job they are being hired for and how their credit history is necessary for business.

As a recruiter for small and medium size businesses its important that my clients trust those that they hire and as a team we create an environment free from fraud and theft.  To choose honest, able and reliable employees from a large candidate pool its important to consider the entire recruiting process the phone interviews with the candidates as well as their professional references.  It’s important to bring in a candidate more than once to interview with various people within an organization.  It’s important to run criminal background checks.  And, its important to consider how the candidates’ credit history may impact their job performance if at all.