Is Your Company Growth-Ready or a Self-Complacent Giant

Is Your Company Growth-Ready or a Self-Complacent Giant Managing company growth can be a cumbersome task for companies as it involves more than one aspect. Businesses have a century old tendency of becoming big, fat and dumb during their boom time. This self-contentment can lead to huge risks for a business as it needs a constant push and struggle to keep the organization growing. Increasing competition, escalating costs and growing focus towards establishing employee friendly workplace culture has led organizations to focus on the human component of managing growth. Needless to say it is the human capital of the organization that drives the strategic innovation, productivity, efficiency and successful achievement of goals and objectives. Never get contented with performance: As businesses have this tendency of self-complacency when things go great, they actually forget to pay attention to employee retention issues. Many organizations face troubles like inefficient operations management and plummeted margins due to loss of key corporate personnel. Thus, it is highly advised to make employee retention a strategic priority and to keep that going, it is necessary to make them feel that they are being noticed and are valued. Business owners must not content themselves with the blooming business and look out for finding more opportunities for their workforce. Are you doing enough to be the best career point for your employees? If not, then do it now!! But….. how to do it??? Here are a few fundamental tips: Track the go-getters: Keep track of every employee’s performance and make a list of the high impact performers whom you cannot afford to lose. These are your key assets and you must focus on keeping these performers occupied with right opportunities. Re-check  compensations: Ensure that your workforce is not underpaid and you offer the best compensations as per your industry standards. This doesn’t mean you need to pay highest salaries, but they must be satisfactory so as to retain your top performing workforce. Keep talking: Proper communication can surpass any barrier! All you need for a contended workforce is effective communication with the employees. It is not always possible for your HR teams and other senior professionals to have open communication with every employee, but at the minimum what companies can ensure is that that line managers and supervisors are reviewing their sub-ordinate’s performance and maintaining effective communication as a regular practice. Delight them with challenges: Top performing employees always look forward to help companies deal with difficult challenges and become valued contributors. Offer them the work that is more meaningful and challenging. They will love to do it. This will enhance the employee-employer relationship as well! Respect private space: Work/life balance has become one of the major benefits that employees demand for. As a great employer, try to respect the personal space of your employees and offer them proper opportunities to have a life out of the office. You can do that by offering them flexible work time, work from home options, sponsoring dinners and employee outings or simply just by upgrading the office cafeteria. Train your dragons: Top management executives of any organization are the main warriors and you must train them to focus on finding more growth opportunities for organization as well as for the human capital. They must know that they can never get complacent with the ongoing status and keep hunting for more. At the same time they must put in serious efforts to improve every individual’s capabilities through continuous feedback and proactive response to upcoming challenges. What they can do to achieve this is establish the PRIDE process: Positive work environment: Positive work environment can bring the efficiency of your workforce halfway. Try establishing as much positivity at the workplace as you can. Design every facility, policy, support services, etc. all according to the needs of your workforce. Review performance: Constant evaluation is the key for growth and success. Make it a regular practice to measure and evaluate every individual’s efforts towards improving performance. Keep track of employee attitudes, morale and motivation to proactively detect and identify core problem areas and establish improvement plans. Identify talent: Everyone likes to get appreciated. A simple pat on the back or just a few good words about an employee can make him feel elated and overwhelmed. This can simply make employees more motivated, engaged and dedicated towards their job roles and responsibilities. Develop  potential: Give every employee the right opportunity and space to show his/her caliber. Give them a platform to grow and enhance their capabilities and efficiency. Train them to become more competent and confident through offering them autonomy, change to share ideas, opinions and take responsibility of their decisions. Engage everyone: When a team puts efforts for the achievement of a common goal, then it is bound to outperform and excel in whatever it does. Bring that zeal and responsibility among the workforce and make every individual feel a part of your journey towards organizational goals and objectives. Keep that eagle eye: Since the article talks about preparing your human capital for achieving organizational growth, one thing that the HR department or recruiters can take care of is to keep that eagle eye during making recruitments. If you don’t have the right combination of skill set in your workforce, how can you expect them to perform extraordinarily? Make strategic hirings keeping all critical agendas in mind. To conclude, organizations in order to build them for momentous growth and success, must not get complacent with their monetary glory and keep struggling to get better every day. For this you must take care of their human capital management with a special focus on retention strategies. Plan your approach to make employees contented with you as an employer, strategically make hiring decisions and keep senior management on the toes. This is all what you need to be a stringent winner never losing the space for others to enter. Author: Prateek Sharma is the product owner of TeamWise , a HRMS Payroll Software aimed to enable companies to streamline and automate all their routine employee-related tasks.

5 Best Executive Career Coaches in Denver, CO

5 Best Executive Career Coaches in Denver, CO The altitude is high in Denver and so is your executive career potential.Having an executive career coach help navigate your career is vital if you hope to get the most out of your current and future executive positions.Our top 5 list of the best executive career coaches in Denver will help you locate the best executive coach for your individualized needs and goals.An executive career is filled with demanding situations and big decisionsFor this reason, you need someone with the expertise and foresight to help you make the correct moves and be the best executive you can be.Regardless of your industry, if you want to be a top-level executive you need an executive career coach that can build on your strengths and weaknesses.A top-notch executive career coach is worth their weight in gold.So, what are you waiting for? Put the finishing touches on your professional abilities by commissioning the services of a career coach and get ready to accomplish the objectives you’ve been chasing.B est Executive Denver Career CoachesIf you are in a hurry and don't want to read our detailed reviews below, here is a list of the Best Executive Career Coaches in Denver:Find My Profession (that's us!) Innovate Coach Consult Amy Van Court Colorado Careers VIM CoachingAnd now for the detailed reviews ...1. Find My ProfessionFind My Professiontops our list as the #1 executive career coaching service Denver has to offer.While most career coaches will teach you how to job search, our career coaches job search for you.Think of it this way:when you need electrical work done, you don’t hire an electrician to teach you how to fix the problem. You hire an electrician todo the work.We feel the same logic should be applied to job searching.Find My Profession is the professional (electrician) who will actually do the work for you. We find you jobs, apply to those jobs with a tailored ATS-compatible resume, network on your behalf to key decision-makers, and prep you for interviews.We will mana ge all of the time-consuming and challenging tasks associated with your job search.Pros:Find My Profession offers a unique approach to career coaching that goes above and beyond what most services offer. Your dedicated career coach can save you hundreds of hours of job searching, all while producing greater results.Cons:Find My Profession is a virtual/online company. While we provide services in your city, we don’t have a physical office to meet in person.Phone:(831) 888-0967Don't take our word for it, check out some of our 5-star reviews.Trustpilot2. Innovate Coach ConsultInnovate Coach Consult focuses on underperforming teams and leaders who need an extra hand. Susan Ruhl,a founding partner of the firm, has two decades of experience helping executives make the right professional decisions.Innovate Coach Consult offers additional services such as succession planning, team development, speaking engagements, and outplacement services.Their executive job coaches can help move your c areer from good to great!Pros: Innovate Coach Consult has many executive career coaches on staff.You will certainly find a coach that fits your needs if you work with this Denver firm. They also have numerous great online reviews confirming that they have been instrumental in assisting executive clientele.Cons: Innovate Coach Consult offers a wide variety of services.Depending on your needs, you may want to work with an executive career coaching service that only takes on executives and high-earners as clients.Phone: (855) 865-44003. Amy Van CourtAmy Van Court has a compelling path that ultimately led her to start her own executive career coaching service. Amy was a remarkable performer in the workplace, but she hated her job.With guidance from a career coach, Amy ended up being very successful in several executive positions before starting her own coaching service. Those experiences let Amy bring a unique perspective to executive career coaching.Pros: Amy Van Court carefully choose s who she works with.That is a great sign if you are an executive in need of some help and want direct, one-on-one coaching. To sweeten the deal, Amy Van Court’s professional career coaching services have nothing but 5-star reviews on Google and Yelp.Cons: Amy Van Court doesn’t have a phone number listed on her website. It can be difficult to get in contact with her if you’re not an existing client.Additionally, Amy Van Court only works with women, so if you’re a guy, you’ll have to seek executive career coaching elsewhere.Phone: Not stated4. Colorado CareersColorado Careers boasts that they bring over 120 years of experience to help guide your career. That's pretty impressive if you were to ask us.This executive career coaching service was founded by Owen Jones over a decade ago. They focus almost exclusively on working with executive clients, so they’re narrowed in on specifically helping high earners like yourself.Interestingly enough, Owen is also a partner in an exe cutive retreat company. He lives and breathes executive development.Pros: Colorado Careers has a vast network of connections in the Denver area.Other executive career counseling services do not have access to Denver area business leaders like they do, which is a huge benefit if you’re an executive looking to take the next steps in your career.They also offer a complimentary session so you can figure if you are a good fit to work together.Cons: Sure, Colorado Careers offers a complimentary session, but you have to fill out a lengthy form to do so. You also have to wait up to 48 hours to hear back from them for your initial consultation.In other words, you’re not guaranteed to get quick responses when trying to contact Colorado Careers. Last but not least, Colorado Careers only has a few reviews of their services online.Phone: (303) 494-55055. VIM CoachingVIM Coaching is inspired by the word “VIM,” meaninga lively,energetic spirit.Vim is exactly what you can expect from the pr ofessional career coaching services rendered by VIM Coaching. Owner and operator Russell Owens has over 35 years of business experience and 20 years of mentoring and coaching.Your executive career and inner self will enjoy working with the team.Pros: VIM Coaching focuses exclusively on executives, so you will be working with a fantastic executive job coach when working with this Denver firm.They offer a complimentary phone call and 1-hour session, which is more than many career coaching services offer free of charge. You can work with them for a couple of sessions or a long period of time; your choice.Cons: VIM Coaching has several different executive career coaches, meaning your experience from coach-to-coach may vary.There are also no prices stated anywhere on the website, so you have no idea what you will be paying in sessions until you inquire for more information.Phone: (303) 619-3007This List Serves The Following Areas Near Denver, CO:Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, La kewood, Thornton, Arvada, Westminster, Centennial, Pueblo, Greeley, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Broomfield, Grand Junction, Castle Rock, Commerce City, Parker, Littleton, Brighton, Englewood, NorthglennIf you are looking for a career coaching service not specifically for executives, take a look at our article on the Top 5 Career Coaching Services.

5 Ways Women Give Away Power - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Ways Women Give Away Power - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The history of women in the workplace began 250 years ago with The Daughters of Liberty, the first society of working women that was organized to boycott British goods. In 1903, 138 years later, the first National Women’s Trade Union League was formed. This league advocated for higher wages and improved working conditions for women. When the men went off to World War I, women filled their roles in industry and service, proving women were as capable and valuable as their counterparts. World War II furthered this movement of women into the workplace when 7 million jobs left by men were filled by women. Congress passed an equal pay law in 1963, a law that still has not entirely seen fruition to this day. The ‘60s and ‘70s brought more improvements to women’s rights in the workplace with the passing of the Civil Rights Act, the banning of sex-segregated help wanted ads, and enactment of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. The headlong stride into progression continued in the ‘80s, when the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, was appointed to the Supreme Court and the first woman, Sally Ride, traveled into space. Two and half centuries after The Daughters of Liberty society was formed, women make up nearly half of America’s workforce and hold 14 percent of the executive positions in Fortune 500 companies. Twenty-nine percent of businesses in the U.S. are now owned by women. The rise to power for women has been a long, hard-fought battle, and it still rages on today in a much more indirect way. Gains and Losses For all the power women have gained in the past few centuries, they still tend to subtly and slowly give it away. Perhaps these behaviors are ingrained in women from birth. Society teaches little girls that they are “less than” by using terms such as “like a girl” in a derogatory manner. Standing out as unique and individual often makes children the subject of bullying or ridicule in school, so children learn to conform as a method of preservation. Young girls experience this the most acutely. As adults, women tend to avoid confrontation, demanding the spotlight and upsetting others. Here are some of the ways women give away power and how they can take it back. Minimalizing Language Women tend to use words that undermine the authority of their message. Starting a sentence with “I just” and “I feel” or ending it with a supplication for agreement such as “don’t you think?” or “you know?” weakens the position of the speaker. The key to taking back power is to speak with confidence, using compelling words that leave no room for doubt in the recipient’s mind. Switch “I feel” with “I know” and remove “just” from your vocabulary entirely. Don’t ask for validation at the end of your statement. If you know what you’re saying is true, convey that with self-assurance. Apologetic Language Women tend to apologize when they think they’ve stepped outside of the cultural norm, which is a deeply embedded belief women should be soft and comforting. Being soft and comforting is not what gets a woman the rank of CEO in a Fortune 500 company. A woman can still be kind but adamant. She can still be approachable but tenacious. You should never apologize for requiring someone’s time or attention. You are worthy, and by using apologetic language, you immediately give them the power over you. Save the “I’m sorry” spiel for when a mistake has been made or someone has been hurt. Use another phrase or eliminate the need for an introductory phrase entirely. If you have to interject into a conversation, say “Excuse me” without being apologetic.   Resistance to Self-Promotion Women are trained to be supportive and nurturing of others â€" their spouses, their children. Maternal instinct is a powerful force. Self-promotion goes against a woman’s natural urges, but in today’s workforce where men are promoted more than women, women need to take the initiative. Walking the line between arrogance and self-promotion can be tricky, but a focus on personal branding can help you navigate wisely. Personal branding is about knowing your strengths, your desires and your unique qualities, then capitalizing on them. When people hear your name, what is the first thing you want to come to their minds? Don’t be afraid to advertise whatever it is that makes you a valuable commodity.   Not Taking Credit When It’s Due You run something by your boss before bringing it to the entire group, and at the next team meeting your boss brings it up before you, letting everyone think it was his idea. If you call him out in front of everyone, he’ll get mad, so you just let it go. Time passes and the idea you came up with saved the company thousands of dollars or landed the company a major client, and now someone else is getting the accolades. It’s too late to speak up now, and you just missed a major opportunity to gain career clout. Has this ever happened to you? If it has, don’t ever let it happen again. If someone brings up your idea without directing credit to you, simply join in the conversation and add casually, “Yes, when I brought this idea to you … and I’d like to add,” which will let everyone it was your idea and that you are the expert on the subject. People Pleasing Having someone angry with you or disappointed in you does not feel good, but being a people pleaser can hold you back in your career. Did you agree with a colleague just to avoid a conflict? Did you say yes to a request you didn’t really have time for? Have you ever let someone treat you poorly without speaking up for yourself? These are all things people pleasers do to sabotage themselves. To break this cycle, you need put more value on your time and opinions. Is what that person is asking you to do going to benefit you both equally? If so, perhaps it’s OK to say yes. If not, they might be using you. If you don’t agree with a colleague, stand your ground. Maybe you have a better idea that would never get heard if you avoid the conflict. Putting yourself first does not make you a self-centered person. In fact, proper self-care allows you to give even more. Women fought long and hard to attain the power and influence they now have. Women have the unique duality of being a care-taker and a charge-taker. That’s what sets them apart from men. It’s up to modern women to continue the progression by keeping their power and asserting their influence for future generations.

Short-Term Car Insurance Policies Explained

Short-Term Car Insurance Policies Explained You might not know it, but car insurance policies come in many shapes, sizes and time periods. You have your traditional long-term insurance, which is usually renewed annually and provides cover for a year. And then you have short-term insurance, which you can take out for time periods of as low as just one day. We’re going to look at this second type of insurance and explain the ins and outs of it, giving you the chance to see if it is right for you. What is Short-Term Insurance? As mentioned above, short-term auto insurance from a provider like Dayinsure gives you the chance to insurance a vehicle for as little as 24 hours. This gives you real flexibility, especially if you don’t own a car you will be driving or you need to lend your car to someone else. It is also perfect for: Business trips which aren’t covered by your usual policy, Temporarily adding an extra driver for a long journey, Emergencies, when you absolutely have to use someone else’s car, Times when the usual policyholder for a vehicle is unable to drive, When your own car breaks down and you need to temporarily use another. In fact, there are many reasons why you might need short-term insurance. It could even be a way to save your company money, because it can in some cases remove the need for you to take out annual insurance â€" which can be expensive if you do not need it. What Are the Benefits of Short-Term Insurance? Just as there are many reasons for choosing short-term insurance, so too are there plenty of ways in which it could benefit you. Some of them are: The ability to quickly add an additional driver to a vehicle, which can come in really handy during emergencies, The flexibility to choose any vehicle to be insured and to change to a different vehicle if needs be, The ease of choosing the exact dates when a driver will be insured for a vehicle, The simplicity of adding an insured driver without adjusting an existing insurance policy, The peace of mind of knowing that the no-claims bonus on a long-term policy will be unaffected by a temporary additional driver. As you can see, these are solid business reasons for choosing short-term car insurance. But of course, this type of cover isn’t for everyone and, of course, could end up becoming costly in the long run. The important thing to learn from this article is that short-term insurance does exist and it could be just the thing to solve temporary problems.

How to Choose the Right Project Management Software for Your Team CareerMetis.com

How to Choose the Right Project Management Software for Your Team Working with teams is always a complicated task and when you are in an organized environment, it is always best to have applications that can help you track, monitor and analyze the process. To aid this, you would need an exclusive project management software to communicate and collaborate with everyone in your team and within teams.Why do basic tools fail?Before complex project management software packages were introduced, there were simple tools for the same use, like spreadsheets. However, when it comes to complex work fields where multiple clients communicate and collaborate, the spreadsheets started to become tedious.evalToday, people work in a project with no regard for geolocation and, you have to communicate and collaborate with each person. Everyone has to know about the changes made, the output provided and information gathered, each second. In such a scenario, an exclusive project management softwareis essential to keep everything organized.Why choose dedicated project man agement software?Completing a project is a long task with multiples stages like planning, scheduling, managing the resource, cost controlling and reporting. Each of these steps has to be done effectively and without redundancy. And to do so, you need excellent communicationwith every single person involved in the entire project. For such a huge task, customized software is mandatory.A good project management software keeps the managers organized from the beginning to the completion of a project. It helps them to decide the right resource, predict ETA, and alert any deviations. A good project management software would be able to provide one platform for all these features with a simple interface. Choosing some random software might cause confusion, redundancy and even conflicts within the team.Steps to select the suitable project management softwareEvery tool can’t be used everywhere as each team, each project and each client is unique. We have created a blueprint to choose the rig ht project management software, customized for your needs.Step 1: Brainstorm your needsevalYou should identify your needs for the project in hand. A clear assessment of what your requirements are would help you eliminate the bad choices. For instance, if you need a project with deviation alerts, you can eliminate all the packages, which doesn’t have that feature.According to a study conducted to Capterra, the five most important features expected in project management softwareare time tracking, Gantt charts, email integration, file sharing and managing budgets.a) Sub-step: What do you lack now?You need to know where and why your current system is failing. If it is getting complicated during the stages of planning and scheduling, you must consider choosing a project management software that helps in allocating resources or creating schedules. If there are issues with tracking, consider software with real-time resource and output tracking. A good project management tool should aid y ou in the areas where you lack now. If you already have a concrete resource allocation method, do not complicate it by adding new tools to it.b) Sub-step: What do you aspire to change?evalCheck out every feature your team members want to change. Rate every feature on a scale of 1 -10 based on the importance of that change for your project. Keep in mind the main reason to get new software, in the first place. Now, analyze the features you and your teammates want in addition. These additive features can be customized with certain packages, depending on the service provider.c) Sub-step: compatibility with resources and strategyThere are different approaches to deal with a project. The new systemshould support your present strategy and methodology, without attempting to transform it, on a large scale. The software you choose should be compatible with those who are utilizing it. For instance, if the software is for your stakeholders to monitor the project, you would need a more professio nal and user-friendly look. The size of the team also determines the type of software you are looking for. If you want a software package for a huge team, the most recommended one is ERP.Step 2: Compare and contrastWhen you’ve sketched out all the necessities for a project, it is time to start looking for options. Start searching for suppliers that match your requirements. You can request proposals from individual companies, journals, magazines, internet searches and so on. Start with as many options as possible. Do not just take one package and choose it blindly.evalAfter making the long list, you need to weed out some of the options based on technology, additional features, compatibility and other features discussed in the previous stage. This would require a complex brainstorming session as one individual might consider a feature important and another might look for another element.Some managers do the mistake of only sticking with the top packages in the market. While these ha ve great reviews, there is no harm in finding alternatives. Some of the lower end versions might provide the same level of facilities and services for a considerably lower price.While weeding out, you need to look for post-purchase elements too like customer service, license period, upgrade cost, ability to scale for a larger team and so on. If you are a growing organization, scalability is a very essential criterion. For instance, you might be buying the package to cover a task involving just five people. Within a year, your team might grow into twenty people. Can the software accommodate that load?Step 3: Budget mattersIt is true that the features and other elements of the software package matter but, it all comes down to budget. A budding company cannot afford to put all its operating capital into one package. It would be suicidal for business development.The cost of the process is not just the cost of the product. The initial cost of the product might be small but, there could b e incurring costs like monthly license payment, additional feature costs and so on. Beyond those, there is a cost of implementation, cost of training and so on.Get an estimate of the entire cost of the project including the costs of all the above-mentioned factors. Now, compare with other options. You can also get a better price tag by negotiatingwith the supplier.Step 4: Trial and errorThis is one of the most complicated and time-consuming stages. This is why most companies forego this stage and end up purchasing extremely expensive software, which is of almost no use to them. All the packages provide a trail time. This can run from a few weeks to a couple of months. Allocate a small team to the software for a small project.Under this stage, you should analyze how the team is performing with the new software and compare it with the team using the traditional methods. ‘n’ number of things could go wrong with new software and you should be prepared for this. You cannot expect you r client to be patient with you just because you are trying out new software. If the new software crashes or fails, your team should be able to complete the task within the stipulated time to avoid damage to your reputation.You cannot afford to trail run tens of software packages. Thus, when you start this stage you should have only one or two software packages in mind. In the case of two software packages, you can allocate one team for each package and compare the output.evalStep 5: Implementation analysisevalImplementation was discussed in the stage of budget consideration. However, after the trial and error process, you would have a clearer representation of what the entire implementation would demand.Starting from training sessions to hiring new technicians to handle the new software, this stage can help you decide whether it is profitable to make the complete change. In terms of hiring new technicians for a single software, it is better to stick with freelancers.Top mistakes co mmitted while choosing the right project management softwareMistake one: failure to match software to business processEvery organization focuses on matching the software with the requirements of the clients but, not with the business process. Each company has a specific method of business practice and the software you choose should comply with that. For instance, if your company has a strict hierarchy structure and the software you purchase can promote lateral hierarchy or de-centralization of the process, it could cause conflict in the workplace, which can lead to poor productivity.The key to solving this mistake is to understand how the software works and not just what it can do. A list of features and facilities of the package isn’t enough. You need to understand how the software would change the way you would perform a task and how it would affect the work environment.Mistake two: choosing the one that has everythingIt is true that good software would have all the facilities f or project management. But, do you need every known tool in the field of project management? Choosing to add numerous features would not only increase the budget but also complicate the process and implementation.evalMistake three: lack of feedbackIt is true that every stage is communicated with superiors and subordinates during the planning in almost all organizations. However, these communications are just memos from superiors to his subordinates. Only a few companies stand down to hear what their employees think about the new product. To avoid a huge problem with the business process in later stages, it is best to listen to feedback from every stakeholder involved in the process.Will these help you choose project management software with zero errors? The answer is not a perfect yes. These steps will help you reduce the problems revolving around choosing the best package. Nevertheless, you would be facing resistance to change, technical problems, confusion in brainstorming and so on. After all, it always comes to trial and error.

LinkedIns

LinkedIns 28 Flares 28 Flares LinkedIns latest social hiring trick has arrived and whether you like it or not, its coming to an employer near you. credit -- http://news.cnet.com The brand new, Apply With LinkedIn button should further LinkedIns comfortable position as the top social recruiting and professional networking website. According to a survey completed by Jobvite Inc., 87 percent of U.S. firms use Linkedin as a recruiting tool. While other social giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ can be used as valuable tools to job seekers, but just cannot match up to LinkedIn in this arena. Career experts, recruiters, bloggers, and HR professionals continuously share stories about the effectiveness and power of LinkedIn. Still, many soon to be graduates and recently graduated folks havent heard of, or avoid using LinkedIn. Its baffling.  Im baffled. This new button, which resembles the Twitter tweet this or Facebook like this button, will be easily integrated into company job descriptions. Job Seekers will need to decide if theyd rather apply through the company website and go through their probably long application process, or click LinkedIns button and submit their LinkedIn profile. This answer comes easy to those with a solid LinkedIn profile, a strong network, and a hefty list of recommendations.  Folks without LinkedIn profiles may go as far as creating one after this button pops up more and more in their job hunt. While this is a humongous move for Linkedin, its difficult to say how this will play out for Job Seekers and Recruiters.  There are serious reasons to cheer, and also some to fear.  Before going into those reasons, heres a quick outline of how the button works. How does it work? Its just so very simple. For the recruiter/company, once theyve added a few lines of code from LinkedIn, their new button should be integrated and they are done!  Then all they need to do is sit back and watch as applications pour in. For job seekers, the process has just a few more steps.  Since each company career site is different, you wont find the Linkedin apply button in the same spot everytime.  This is what it looks like on the NetFlix career site. Once clicking the Apply with LinkedIn button, another screen will surface, showing that user their LinkedIn profile and asking for one more click before submitting to the company.  Heres a preview from my screen: Once youve gone through this step, there is really just one more thing left to do.  LinkedIn will automatically pull up people that are in your network that work at the company youre applying to work for.  With a simple click, you can send that person a note, asking them to write you a quick referral for the position.  Its really that simple, and it is really that cool. Why Im Cheering For Social Savvy job seekers, this is a no brainer.  One of the long standing frustrations for job seekers has been lengthy online application processes, which this easily eliminates.  With a couple clicks (and hopefully a few referrals) your application is off to company.  Many job seekers hate having to put together a resume, but find it somewhat easy to create their LinkedIn profile.  If this becomes a great success, the 87 percent of companies using LinkedIn should increase, and folks wont have to worry about sending a resume at the first step.   While many of my friends believe the resume may fully become extinct one day, I dont believe that day is very soon.  Even after the LinkedIn application is reviewed, I believe many employers will ask candidates to supply a resume, even if just for HR record keeping. As for the company, this can bring a stadium of cheers for a few reasons.  The first being that resumes are really quite awful to read.  Recruiters today have stacks of them to go through, and its really no fun.  With this Linkedin apply button, theyll be able to save applications as PDFs and choose to print them out if theyd like.  Also, not only is it easy to set up, but it should integrate with their Applicant Tracking Systems easily, and if not, Im sure it will soon. Why Im Fearing  As my friend Miriam at Keppie Careers says in her post about the apply button,  Easy isnt always the best approach for job seekers.  Like Miriam, I believe that this button will create a surge of applications through LinkedIn.  The lengthy application process that job seekers hate so much, may almost serve as a screen in itself.  Being that, if you make it through the 25 minute application process, the company knows youre very interested in their position.  With this Linkedin button, there isnt much stopping job seekers from applying to anything and everything they see. While it may seem like an easy win for job seekers, keep in mind that a busy recruiter means the chance of having your application reviewed has reduced.  If this incredible surge of applications does take place, using LinkedIn references and recommendations will be more important than ever. If youre looking to start up, or beef up your Linkedin Profile, check out the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Linked In that I wrote!

How to update your LinkedIn public profile URL -

How to update your LinkedIn public profile URL - Maybe youve heard that job search is moving beyond job boards and LinkedIn is the target of choice for many recruiters and hiring managers? This is not news; I have been sharing this information for years! A recent Wall Street Journal article reiterated the fact that many companies are looking at online social networks, such as LinkedIn, instead of advertising positions on job boards. Need help knowing what to say when you look for a job? Check out my new book: 100 Conversations for Career Success Ive written quite a bit about how to optimize your LinkedIn profile. From your headline to your summary and skills to how you describe your experience, education, patents, etcand everything in between. Today, I thought Id point out a basic fix for LinkedIn that you may not realize is important: your LinkedIn public profile URL. This is mine (at the bottom of the picture): Unless you updated your URL, it has a bunch of random numbers after your name. In other words, it would not be something you will want to copy an paste on your resume for people to find your LinkedIn profile, and it wont be easy to share as part of your e-mail signature. Its very easy to update this URL to a vanity link. Simply EDIT your profile in LinkedIn and click on Edit at the end of where it shows your Public Profile (as shown above). Youll see a screen that looks like this (Im only showing the top): Simply select to EDIT your public profile URL from this screen (right at the top). Youll then see: The page will list your current URL and give you the opportunity to update it to your name (if it is available). Try filling in your first and last name and click SET ADDRESS. If it is not available, try different combinations of your name with a middle name, or even use your credentials: JaneSmithMBA, for example. The goal is to have an easy-to-use URL that looks like it makes sense when you post it on your materials. Once you find something that works and select Set Address, you are ready to go! Having a vanity URL is important since it gives you an easy link to share, but it also makes you appear to be someone who knows what you are doing on LinkedIn youll seem more socially media savvy than the next guy! photo by tychay