Recruiting is unfortunately often a way station in a career. It is one stop on the way to becoming an HR executive or to moving on to other things. There are often very limited opportunities for advancement as a recruiter within most organizations, which further limits the number of people who choose to dedicate themselves to doing it well. Success also requires abilities that are not necessarily the strengths of those who choose traditional human resources as a career. I have found that many of the most successful recruiters had no intention of working for or in HR. They were interested in sales, marketing, communications, or similar areas and found themselves accidently being asked to do recruiting.
If you take the time to talk to recruiters who have garnered a reputation for success, you will discover that they share a few traits in common.
It is these common interests, inclinations, or skills that differentiate them from all the others. It would be useful to look for these traits whenever you are trying to find more recruiters or to identify those most likely to add the most value.
These recruiters are not real people. They are composite people that I made up from some of the best I have seen and worked with.
Trait 1: Great at networking because they have a strong interest in people
I know this sounds trite, but it is true. Every great recruiter has a need to be around and with people. They like to meet new people and seek out opportunities to do that even when they are not recruiting.
Bill Warren is a great example. He began recruiting when he was just 23 and a new college hire. The college team asked him to help out on campus and he immediately put the network he had developed in his fraternity and social activities to work. As he worked in a technical industry, he put together an on-campus special interest group sponsored by his company. They sent engineers to talk and demonstrate uses for their products in applied situations. With the blessing of his boss, he was able to spend several weeks each semester in campus building the reputation of his firm and their research. Recruiting was easy after the first year and remains that way today. Bill, meanwhile at 28, has become a full-time recruiter, where he is quickly becoming a star. When you ask him why he is successful, he just says: “I like people and want to help them do what they want to do.”
His networking skills are massive both in person and online. He cultivates relationships and understands that all solid relationships are built on quid pro quo: doing something for someone who, in turn, does something for you. It is this give and take that makes for success, and he is willing to share his career advice, mentoring skills, and technical expertise. In return he gets the loyalty and commitment of many candidates.
Trait 2: Marketing and influencing skills
Sue Smith is ranked as the top recruiter in her retail organization. Hiring volume is aggressive and needs are changing all the time. Turnover is often high and seasonal hiring presents many challenges. She has to recruit contingent as well as full-time staff, and is involved in lots of internal politics.
Yet, Sue is able to ride these waves and still make progress. While she is a good networker, where she really shines is in influencing and selling. Sue aims to get candidates interested in the work, project, and hiring manager by identifying and communicating their positive aspects, pointing out challenges when appropriate, and generating excitement. She presents well-vetted candidates to the hiring manager whom she has “presold.” Through Facebook, email, and phone calls, she uses her networks as marketing channels and targets them for specific functions and sometimes even for specific hiring managers.
Trait 3: Personalizing and leveraging uniqueness
They transcend brand by personalizing each hire and each hiring manager. Each of these recruiters has found the power and importance of personalization. Rather than rely on a generic recruiting brand, they instead brand every job and manager as unique. They know how to steer the right candidates to the right managers because they have deep knowledge of the needs and capabilities of each through their networking skills and ability to influence. While each takes a different approach, there is lots of overlap and commonality between them. They can push and pull candidates and managers toward a mutually desirable end.
Trait 4: They use technology; they are not consumed by it
Neither of these recruiters is a technology nerd. They use what works for them and whatever they can understand. They make sure both candidates and hiring managers also understand and are willing to use the tools.
Bill does this by creating special interest groups that can be either virtual or face-to-face. He lets candidates and managers gravitate toward those that match their interests and abilities. He has leveraged more technology than Sue because his primary candidates are dispersed and distant, but he is not a “techno freak” in any way.
Sue uses technology to enable communication. She has the amazing ability to implement a technology seamlessly by starting out small, experimenting with a few candidates and hiring managers, and growing it slowly when it works. She probably spends no more than one or two days a month where technology is her focus.
Great recruiters are focused on getting results, but what is more important to them is that both the hiring manger and the candidate feel that they have had a real exchange of information and that both are comfortable with the decision. I am amazed that their candidates have few regrets about accepting a job and the short-term turnover is remarkably small. Hiring managers, too, are content and pleased with their hires.
The recruiting process is not about individual recruiters, though. It is about making good matches in a seamless and efficient way. Great recruiters figure out how to do this while appearing almost in the background. The greatest praise you can get is when the hiring manger says, “Wow! Did I make a great hire last week.”
by
Kevin WheelerMar 22, 2011,
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Monday, 28 March 2011
I-9 Audits Doubled in 2010, New Federal Employment Compliance Inspection Center Opened
The Obama administration plans to intensify a crackdown on employers of illegal immigrants with the establishment of an audit office designed to bolster verification of company hiring records.
In an interview, John Morton, chief of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, said the Employment Compliance Inspection Center would "address a need to conduct audits even of the largest employers with a very large number of employees." The office would be announced Thursday, he said.
.Mr. Morton said that the center would be staffed with specialists who will pore over the I-9 employee files collected from companies targeted for audits.
In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2010, ICE conducted audits of more than 2,740 companies, nearly twice as many as the previous year. The agency levied a record $7 million in civil fines on businesses that employed illegal workers.
Enforcement activity during the Bush administration focused on high-profile raids in which thousands of illegal immigrants were arrested and placed in deportation proceedings. Relatively few companies and their executives were prosecuted.
In contrast, the Obama administration has made employers the center of its immigration policy with "silent raids." Critics say the policy has penalized small employers while failing to target larger employers.
Mr. Morton said the new center would have the "express purpose" of providing support to regional immigration offices conducting large audits. "We wouldn't be limited by the size of a company," he said.
The audits, which have affected garment makers, fruit growers and meat packers, result in the firing of every illegal immigrant on a company's payroll. Companies say this has hurt them, especially as they can't attract American workers even during an economic downturn.
Last year, for example, Gebbers Farm, an agricultural concern in Brewster, Wash., dismissed an estimated 550 workers—about a quarter of the local population—after ICE told the company a number of its employees' hiring documents were suspect. The company declined to comment for this article.
Tom Roach, an immigration attorney in Pasco, Wash., said a client lost more than half of his workforce last year owing to an audit. "He had paid every nickel of taxes on them," he said. But the employees had presented social-security cards that the landscape company couldn't discern were fake, said Mr. Roach.
Small business owners, in particular, say they don't have the ability to police their workers. They also fear discrimination suits, as some companies have experienced, for demanding additional documents from workers whom they suspect are in the country illegally.
View Full Image
Associated Press
A U.S. immigration agent, second from left, led away three men during a search at a Poplar Bluff, Mo., restaurant last August.
.Angelo Paparelli, an immigration attorney in New York and southern California, said: "We need to take employers out of the business of performing government functions, like playing immigration police."
"Ultimately, it is in a company's best financial interest to proactively comply with the law now rather than to face potential fines or criminal prosecution for noncompliance in the future," an ICE spokeswoman said.
Mr. Morton said ICE was also seeking to expand a program enabling businesses to work with the federal government to ensure they are employing people authorized to work in the U.S. Called IMAGE, or ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers, the voluntary program includes training and assessments to help a company guard against hiring illegal employees.
Mr. Morton will also announce Thursday that Tyson Foods, Inc., which employs 100,000 people and has fought immigration troubles in the past, has joined the program, agreeing to an audit of "a certain portion of existing records." The poultry processor, which says it has already taken steps to maintain a legal workforce, also agreed to establish an internal auditing process, Mr. Morton said.
Mr. Morton suggested Tyson could pave the way for other big companies to join the program. Tyson faced federal human-smuggling charges in a high-profile trial that resulted in acquittal in 2003.
"We...believe this partnership will enhance our ability to collaborate with government officials on immigration-related matters," said Tyson Chief Human Resources Officer Ken Kimbro.
"Tyson realized that employment of unauthorized workers posed a risk to their operations and stepped forward to manage that risk," says Mark Reed, a former immigration agent who runs Border Management Strategies, a consulting firm which has advised Tyson.
Since ICE initiated the IMAGE program in 2006, only 115 companies have signed on, with many reluctant to open their books to government scrutiny and to invest in training and new systems to bolster their employer-verification process, experts say.
About 11 million illegal immigrants live in the U.S., according to government estimates. Without them, experts say, such industries as construction, lodging and agriculture would be forced to radically change how they operate—sharply boosting costs for consumers or curtailing the services they provide.
Originally published 1/20/2011 By MIRIAM JORDAN
The Rest @ The Wall Street Journal
In an interview, John Morton, chief of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, said the Employment Compliance Inspection Center would "address a need to conduct audits even of the largest employers with a very large number of employees." The office would be announced Thursday, he said.
.Mr. Morton said that the center would be staffed with specialists who will pore over the I-9 employee files collected from companies targeted for audits.
In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2010, ICE conducted audits of more than 2,740 companies, nearly twice as many as the previous year. The agency levied a record $7 million in civil fines on businesses that employed illegal workers.
Enforcement activity during the Bush administration focused on high-profile raids in which thousands of illegal immigrants were arrested and placed in deportation proceedings. Relatively few companies and their executives were prosecuted.
In contrast, the Obama administration has made employers the center of its immigration policy with "silent raids." Critics say the policy has penalized small employers while failing to target larger employers.
Mr. Morton said the new center would have the "express purpose" of providing support to regional immigration offices conducting large audits. "We wouldn't be limited by the size of a company," he said.
The audits, which have affected garment makers, fruit growers and meat packers, result in the firing of every illegal immigrant on a company's payroll. Companies say this has hurt them, especially as they can't attract American workers even during an economic downturn.
Last year, for example, Gebbers Farm, an agricultural concern in Brewster, Wash., dismissed an estimated 550 workers—about a quarter of the local population—after ICE told the company a number of its employees' hiring documents were suspect. The company declined to comment for this article.
Tom Roach, an immigration attorney in Pasco, Wash., said a client lost more than half of his workforce last year owing to an audit. "He had paid every nickel of taxes on them," he said. But the employees had presented social-security cards that the landscape company couldn't discern were fake, said Mr. Roach.
Small business owners, in particular, say they don't have the ability to police their workers. They also fear discrimination suits, as some companies have experienced, for demanding additional documents from workers whom they suspect are in the country illegally.
View Full Image
Associated Press
A U.S. immigration agent, second from left, led away three men during a search at a Poplar Bluff, Mo., restaurant last August.
.Angelo Paparelli, an immigration attorney in New York and southern California, said: "We need to take employers out of the business of performing government functions, like playing immigration police."
"Ultimately, it is in a company's best financial interest to proactively comply with the law now rather than to face potential fines or criminal prosecution for noncompliance in the future," an ICE spokeswoman said.
Mr. Morton said ICE was also seeking to expand a program enabling businesses to work with the federal government to ensure they are employing people authorized to work in the U.S. Called IMAGE, or ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers, the voluntary program includes training and assessments to help a company guard against hiring illegal employees.
Mr. Morton will also announce Thursday that Tyson Foods, Inc., which employs 100,000 people and has fought immigration troubles in the past, has joined the program, agreeing to an audit of "a certain portion of existing records." The poultry processor, which says it has already taken steps to maintain a legal workforce, also agreed to establish an internal auditing process, Mr. Morton said.
Mr. Morton suggested Tyson could pave the way for other big companies to join the program. Tyson faced federal human-smuggling charges in a high-profile trial that resulted in acquittal in 2003.
"We...believe this partnership will enhance our ability to collaborate with government officials on immigration-related matters," said Tyson Chief Human Resources Officer Ken Kimbro.
"Tyson realized that employment of unauthorized workers posed a risk to their operations and stepped forward to manage that risk," says Mark Reed, a former immigration agent who runs Border Management Strategies, a consulting firm which has advised Tyson.
Since ICE initiated the IMAGE program in 2006, only 115 companies have signed on, with many reluctant to open their books to government scrutiny and to invest in training and new systems to bolster their employer-verification process, experts say.
About 11 million illegal immigrants live in the U.S., according to government estimates. Without them, experts say, such industries as construction, lodging and agriculture would be forced to radically change how they operate—sharply boosting costs for consumers or curtailing the services they provide.
Originally published 1/20/2011 By MIRIAM JORDAN
The Rest @ The Wall Street Journal
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Checklist for Completing an I-9
Section 1: Employee Information and Verification
To be completed on the first day of work. Earlier is acceptable, but the form cannot be completed before the employee has been hired.
1.Give the employee a Form I-9 (including instructions). Ask him/her to complete Section 1 and bring an acceptable combination of documents to you no later than their third work day.
Note: Let the employee choose the documents! Never request specific documents.
2.Check that the employee has completed all fields:
■Name: The employee must use his/her legal name in correct order.
■Address, Date of Birth, Social Security Number.
■Citizenship Attestation
■A Lawful Permanent Resident must provide an 8- or 9-digit Alien Number.
■An Alien Authorized to Work must provide the date work authorization expires and an Alien number or an 11-digit Admission number from the Form I-94.
■Sign and Date: The form is not valid without a signature.
3.Preparer and/or Translator Certification: If someone other than the employee completed Section 1.
Section 2: Employer Review and Verification
To be completed no later than the employee’s third workday by an authorized representative of the hiring department. (Contact your supervisor or the HR Contact in your department to find out if you are authorized to sign this section.)
1.Accept the first valid document or combination of documents presented. Accept only originals and do not ask for or accept more than is required.
■Valid documentation is one of the following: One document from List A, or one from List B and one from List C
■Be sure the employee has signed the documents.
■Note that Foreign Passport with an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record requires an additional Work Authorization document, such as I-20 or DS-2019.
■Make a readable copy of each document.
2.Record each Document title, Issuing authority, Document number, and Expiration date (if applicable). Use the correct lines according to the key at the far left of the page. Be sure to use the correct column for List A, B, or C.
3.Enter the employment begin date (month/day/year). Use the current date, if you are completing the form before the employee's actual first day of work. Do not leave this space blank!
4.Sign and Date
■Only the person who viewed the original documents can complete this section.
■Address should include the name of the university department or unit.
Section 3: Updating and Reverification
Only use this section when the employee’s work authorization has changed or has a new expiration date.
Handling the Completed I-9
1. Keep a copy of the completed I-9 and all supporting documents for the employee file.
2. Original tracked per SOP
Troubleshooting
1.Employee name does not match the documents provided.
■The employee must use his/her legal name. If he/she is in the process of changing names, use the current name on the I-9 form and the employee record. Once the name has been changed, he/she can present proof at Payroll Services to update his/her employee record.
■If the employee presents a Social Security Card, the name on the Form I-9 must be the same as the name on the card.
2.The employee does not have a Social Security Number.
■A citizen of the U.S. must provide proof from the Social Security Administration that an application has been made. Complete Section 2 of the I-9 using the information on the letter, if the Social Security Card is a supporting document.
■For international employees, coordinate with International Student and Scholar Services and Payroll Services as needed. Refer to the Payroll Services Webpage “Social Security Numbers for Non-United States Citizens,” for instructions.
3.The employee has a “delay” letter saying he/she has applied for the document(s).
■Most official delay letters are acceptable. Use the information on the letter to complete the I-9 and send the form to HR as usual with a copy of the letter attached.
4.The I-9 Form is late.
■Do not backdate the form. Explain why the document is late on a separate sheet of paper. Sign and date it and attach it to the original I-9. Remind all involved that federal law requires this form to be complete no later than the third workday.
5.The employee does not provide acceptable documents by the third workday.
■Employment should not continue. Contact the Human Resource Service Center (HRSC) for assistance and referral. It may be necessary to work with HRS Employee Management Services to dismiss the employee.
6.The employee is dismissed, quits, or stops reporting to work before completing the I-9 process.
■Explain why the document is incomplete on a separate sheet of paper. Sign and date it and attach it to the original I-9.
■If the employee had not completed Section 1, write the employee’s name and EID at the top of a form I-9 and attach the explanation. Remind everyone involved that the I-9 process is a federal requirement and each new hire should complete Section 1 by the start of the first workday without exception.
Adapted from this original souurce @ University of Texas
To be completed on the first day of work. Earlier is acceptable, but the form cannot be completed before the employee has been hired.
1.Give the employee a Form I-9 (including instructions). Ask him/her to complete Section 1 and bring an acceptable combination of documents to you no later than their third work day.
Note: Let the employee choose the documents! Never request specific documents.
2.Check that the employee has completed all fields:
■Name: The employee must use his/her legal name in correct order.
■Address, Date of Birth, Social Security Number.
■Citizenship Attestation
■A Lawful Permanent Resident must provide an 8- or 9-digit Alien Number.
■An Alien Authorized to Work must provide the date work authorization expires and an Alien number or an 11-digit Admission number from the Form I-94.
■Sign and Date: The form is not valid without a signature.
3.Preparer and/or Translator Certification: If someone other than the employee completed Section 1.
Section 2: Employer Review and Verification
To be completed no later than the employee’s third workday by an authorized representative of the hiring department. (Contact your supervisor or the HR Contact in your department to find out if you are authorized to sign this section.)
1.Accept the first valid document or combination of documents presented. Accept only originals and do not ask for or accept more than is required.
■Valid documentation is one of the following: One document from List A, or one from List B and one from List C
■Be sure the employee has signed the documents.
■Note that Foreign Passport with an I-94 Arrival/Departure Record requires an additional Work Authorization document, such as I-20 or DS-2019.
■Make a readable copy of each document.
2.Record each Document title, Issuing authority, Document number, and Expiration date (if applicable). Use the correct lines according to the key at the far left of the page. Be sure to use the correct column for List A, B, or C.
3.Enter the employment begin date (month/day/year). Use the current date, if you are completing the form before the employee's actual first day of work. Do not leave this space blank!
4.Sign and Date
■Only the person who viewed the original documents can complete this section.
■Address should include the name of the university department or unit.
Section 3: Updating and Reverification
Only use this section when the employee’s work authorization has changed or has a new expiration date.
Handling the Completed I-9
1. Keep a copy of the completed I-9 and all supporting documents for the employee file.
2. Original tracked per SOP
Troubleshooting
1.Employee name does not match the documents provided.
■The employee must use his/her legal name. If he/she is in the process of changing names, use the current name on the I-9 form and the employee record. Once the name has been changed, he/she can present proof at Payroll Services to update his/her employee record.
■If the employee presents a Social Security Card, the name on the Form I-9 must be the same as the name on the card.
2.The employee does not have a Social Security Number.
■A citizen of the U.S. must provide proof from the Social Security Administration that an application has been made. Complete Section 2 of the I-9 using the information on the letter, if the Social Security Card is a supporting document.
■For international employees, coordinate with International Student and Scholar Services and Payroll Services as needed. Refer to the Payroll Services Webpage “Social Security Numbers for Non-United States Citizens,” for instructions.
3.The employee has a “delay” letter saying he/she has applied for the document(s).
■Most official delay letters are acceptable. Use the information on the letter to complete the I-9 and send the form to HR as usual with a copy of the letter attached.
4.The I-9 Form is late.
■Do not backdate the form. Explain why the document is late on a separate sheet of paper. Sign and date it and attach it to the original I-9. Remind all involved that federal law requires this form to be complete no later than the third workday.
5.The employee does not provide acceptable documents by the third workday.
■Employment should not continue. Contact the Human Resource Service Center (HRSC) for assistance and referral. It may be necessary to work with HRS Employee Management Services to dismiss the employee.
6.The employee is dismissed, quits, or stops reporting to work before completing the I-9 process.
■Explain why the document is incomplete on a separate sheet of paper. Sign and date it and attach it to the original I-9.
■If the employee had not completed Section 1, write the employee’s name and EID at the top of a form I-9 and attach the explanation. Remind everyone involved that the I-9 process is a federal requirement and each new hire should complete Section 1 by the start of the first workday without exception.
Adapted from this original souurce @ University of Texas
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
I-9 Document Guidelines
It's more important than ever to make sure your employees are who they say they are and they're legally eligible to work in this country.
Why? The ongoing battle against terrorism has led immigration and work-visa policies to be scrutinized like never before. That includes new mandates for tougher enforcement and immigration reforms.
Also, the new Homeland Security Act of 2002 promises to alter the immigration landscape as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) moves under the jurisdiction of the new Department of Homeland Security.
The simple, yet complex I-9
The bureaucratic shuffling won't change one thing: Employers must still verify that their employees are authorized to work in the United States. The process requires all employers, regardless of size, to complete an Employment Eligibility Verification form, or I-9, for each new hire. New employees have three days to produce original documents proving their identity and eligibility to work.
I-9 mistakes can be costly: Both INS and the Labor Department audit companies to check I-9 compliance. Penalties for poor documentation and recordkeeping range from $100 to $1,000 per worker. If you knowingly hire an unauthorized alien, you can be fined up to $10,000 per worker.
10 ways to avoid liability
Sidestep potential legal troubles by following these I-9 do's and don'ts:
1. Do require all new hires to complete and sign Section 1 on their first day of work.
2. Don't ask an applicant to complete an I-9 prior to extending a job offer. Information on the I-9 could be used as a weapon in a discrimination lawsuit if the applicant is not hired.
3. Do review the employee's documents to make sure they are on the Form I-9's list of acceptable documents and to make sure they appear genuine.
4. Don't ask the employee for any particular documents or more documents than required by the I-9. The employee chooses the documents, not you.
5. Do establish a consistent procedure for completing I-9s and educate your hiring managers.
6. Don't consider the expiration date of I-9 documentation when making hiring, promotion or firing decisions.
7. Do make and retain copies of all I-9 documentation employees provide. These documents will come in handy in the event of an audit.
8. Don't forget to keep a tickler file to follow up on expiring documents. Notify employees of the need to re-verify documentation 90 days before the current documents expire.
9. Do keep the Form I-9 and copies of an employee's documents for three years after the date of hire or one year after termination, whichever comes later.
10. Don't put the Form I-9 in an employee's personnel file. To protect your company against discrimination claims, keep the I-9 and supporting documentation in a separate file.
Jonathan Landsman @ Business Management Daily
Why? The ongoing battle against terrorism has led immigration and work-visa policies to be scrutinized like never before. That includes new mandates for tougher enforcement and immigration reforms.
Also, the new Homeland Security Act of 2002 promises to alter the immigration landscape as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) moves under the jurisdiction of the new Department of Homeland Security.
The simple, yet complex I-9
The bureaucratic shuffling won't change one thing: Employers must still verify that their employees are authorized to work in the United States. The process requires all employers, regardless of size, to complete an Employment Eligibility Verification form, or I-9, for each new hire. New employees have three days to produce original documents proving their identity and eligibility to work.
I-9 mistakes can be costly: Both INS and the Labor Department audit companies to check I-9 compliance. Penalties for poor documentation and recordkeeping range from $100 to $1,000 per worker. If you knowingly hire an unauthorized alien, you can be fined up to $10,000 per worker.
10 ways to avoid liability
Sidestep potential legal troubles by following these I-9 do's and don'ts:
1. Do require all new hires to complete and sign Section 1 on their first day of work.
2. Don't ask an applicant to complete an I-9 prior to extending a job offer. Information on the I-9 could be used as a weapon in a discrimination lawsuit if the applicant is not hired.
3. Do review the employee's documents to make sure they are on the Form I-9's list of acceptable documents and to make sure they appear genuine.
4. Don't ask the employee for any particular documents or more documents than required by the I-9. The employee chooses the documents, not you.
5. Do establish a consistent procedure for completing I-9s and educate your hiring managers.
6. Don't consider the expiration date of I-9 documentation when making hiring, promotion or firing decisions.
7. Do make and retain copies of all I-9 documentation employees provide. These documents will come in handy in the event of an audit.
8. Don't forget to keep a tickler file to follow up on expiring documents. Notify employees of the need to re-verify documentation 90 days before the current documents expire.
9. Do keep the Form I-9 and copies of an employee's documents for three years after the date of hire or one year after termination, whichever comes later.
10. Don't put the Form I-9 in an employee's personnel file. To protect your company against discrimination claims, keep the I-9 and supporting documentation in a separate file.
Jonathan Landsman @ Business Management Daily
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