With the rapid rise of technology in most industries occurring at light speed, there is often an inter-generational skills gap found between seasoned workers and new college grads. The ways in which people work have also changed, leaving some older workers scratching their heads in wonderment as a new breed of employee boldly comes in with new ideas and knowledge. The good news is that there are ways to manage teams so that these gaps do not become problematic, but rather complimentary to work productivity.

Bridging the Technology Gap in Teams

A good team will be able to take into consideration all the skills and knowledge of every employee. From old-school approaches to project management, to fresh problem-solving abilities of new team members, the best approach is to encourage information transfers. Giving team members opportunities to brainstorm and work together in team sessions on equal ground can produce above average results.

Oftentimes, a good management technique is to lean on a standard of team building – mentoring. By pairing multi-generational workers to work on complex projects, one can facilitate the sharing of information in a respectful environment. All generations have valuable information and skills to share with one another, therefore a corporate culture that promotes respect and learning should be embraced at all times.

On the job learning can also provide opportunities for team members to give an in-service on a specific type of technology, whether an existing way of handling tasks or a new advancement. All team members learn the same information at once, making it easy to work together on upcoming projects using a company approved set of tasks or procedures. It’s management’s job to make sure this happens on a frequent basis so that all benefit from this collaborate learning.

Introducing New Team Technology

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges that any manager will face is when a completely new technology is introduced to the entire team. Many times, specific generations of employees will react in very different ways. While some may become threatened by new technology, others embrace it and start utilizing it right away.

A good course of action is to identify team members who are able to teach others how to use new products and devices. Introduce new technology to these folks first, then ask them to work with a few select team members on an individual basis to teach them as well.

By honoring the unique nature of the multi-generational teams your organization has, you will be better able to manage the process of adding new and improved technology to the workplace.

For more tips on how to harness the power of technology at your company, and to hire people capable of learning technology quickly, be sure to review some of our relevant posts here:

How to Attract and Retain Generation Y’ers

Reasons New Employees Don’t Survive – How You Can Set Them Up for Success

Recruiting has come a long way since the days of hanging a “Help Wanted” sign on the front door. With everyone on the go, it makes sense that HR professionals and recruiters alike would start learning on mobile technology to beef up their staffing efforts. The Rick Rice team decided to take a closer look at some of the latest in mobile recruiting technology so that you may be able to find a few that can help you find quality candidates more efficiently.

Here are our top picks for the best mobile recruiting apps:

Social Media – LinkedIn and Twitter are by far the best ways to reach candidates via the social networking scene. These robust, real-time platforms are easy to manage, from simple job link posting to full scale job advertisements. Last year, LinkedIn even introduced the ability to accept applications from candidates using their profiles, with a widget that can be placed directly on any company website.

Job Posting – The three biggest popular job search sites, Careerbuilder, Monster and Indeed, have jumped on the bandwagon, offering mobile app versions of their career advertisement portals. This means recruiters can easily access their accounts via mobile phones, creating new job ads and searching for candidate resumes all from their mart phones or iPads.

Assignment Descriptions – Want a new twist on posting career ads? JobSpeek is a free mobile app that combines the features of any mobile device with the best dimensional presentation of a job advertisement platform. Recruiters can add pictures to postings, and record 60-second hiring messages to entice future employees to learn more.

Video Interviewing – Take your screening and remote interviews to the next level by trying HireVue, a mobile app that allows facetime via smart phones. This is a great way to squeeze in more interviews as you travel between accounts, or handle interviews with candidates in other regions or time zones. Create welcome videos for new candidates and thank you videos directly from your recruiting team that can be sent via email or SMS.

Network Sourcing – Want to introduce yourself to passive candidates, but have limited means by which to reach these elusive folks? Then beamMe may be a mobile tool you can use to network and source a higher caliber of candidate. This genius product allows you to send a virtual business card, including your social media information, to a large number of people all at once based on your location and your professional profile information.

The world of modern recruiting is taking many leaps and bounds as more technology and mobile apps are designed. Look for more great things coming down the pipe to make your job as a recruiter more efficient.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great job search and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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You go to work knowing that the job is tiring, boring and that your boss just is not likely to be in a good mood. What makes it better? Having friends at the office that you do not mind working with and that help to break the stress and monotony you are facing daily.

Then comes the day when the people in your fantasy league are no longer your friends, but your employees. Getting a promotion at work is worthwhile in furthering your career. Can you really keep your friends if they are now working under you?

You’ll Make It Work

Be honest here. There is no way you can know what is going on with your “friends” and be their boss too. No matter how much you think you can make it work, chances are good you will be unable to do so.

The first time you need to give them a review or you need to tell them they are not doing their job right, you will be faced with a look of betrayal and jealousy. There could be another situation, in which you need to choose one over the other for a task. That may make some feel like you are playing favorites. Making it work is going to be hard work.

What Can You Do?

Once you become the manager, it is up to you to play the role properly. That means you may need to redefine the type of relationship you have with those who were your friends. You can do several things to keep things on the upswing.

• Be fair. Everyone wants to know they are important. Take the time to talk to each person to tell him or her what they can and cannot expect from you.

• Keep your mouth shut when people come to you with concerns or needs. If you know things about them from your friendship, be sure they understand you will keep that confidence.

• Make sure you stop habits related to hanging out after work with the employees. For example, if you used to hang out at the bar for drinks, you may need to break that cycle. You cannot properly manage those you are out drinking with.

• Do keep things friendly between everyone. Do not come down hard or create a wall between you and friends. The key here is to not only keep the lines of communication open, but redefine what they mean to you. Be sure everyone knows that they can still talk to you about their concerns and needs.

• Sometimes, you just cannot do it on your own and learning is a process. If you are in a new position, find someone to guide you through the transition. Finding a mentor can be one of the best things you do for yourself and your ability to succeed in this position.

When you go through a promotion, your friendships must be redefined into something that is appropriate for the workplace. It is a good idea to discuss your needs with your superior if things become too hard to manage on your own.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great job search and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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There’s nothing more frustrating – when you need a job yesterday – than for all your references to have seemingly headed for the hills. If you’re not getting any responses from your past references, or you’re not getting the responses you expected, take a moment to find out why before you even consider passing these names on to potential employers.

If people you’re asking to offer references are ducking your calls, there’s usually a reason behind it. People who are lining up to recommend you for any job and good fortune that might possibly come your way aren’t going to duck your calls. On the other hand, those who weren’t all that impressed by your job performance, even if you left on good terms, aren’t going to be all that eager to speak up for you and put their reputations on the line in order to help you get a job.

It isn’t always that people are unwilling or disinterested in helping you find the job you need or want. There are a few things you can do that might help you improve your odds of getting the stellar reference you’re hoping for.

1)   Be selective about who you ask to be a reference for you. Some former bosses and/or coworkers know you better than others. It’s a good idea to stick with the ones you got along with best to ask for something as important as a job reference. Mutual respect is great in the workplace but you want something a little warmer when it comes to references for future employment.

2)   Call and ask permission, and current contact information, before offering someone’s name as a reference for employment. Sometimes people are busy. If you can’t get them on the phone, try arranging a face-to-face meeting. This will also allow you to read body language and see whether or not this person really is interested in being a reference for you.

3)   Also consider making notations if there is a best time to reach former employers. Manufacturing workers and nurses used as references may work midnight shifts and be unavailable during traditional “interview” hours. It might be worth making a note about the best time to call and/or expect a call to be returned by references as well.

4)   Do you have more than the required number of references? If you’ve been in the job market for a while, you might want to consider rotating references from one resume or interview to the next, so that the same person isn’t called week after week to provide you with a reference. People who have jobs don’t always realize just how slim the pickings are for those who are looking for them.

You don’t have to move mountains to find solid references to help you with your job search. Sometimes it might take a little creative thinking to get the best return on your efforts.  It’s worth it to know that they’ll pick up the phone when someone calls to inquire about you.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great job search and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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Generation Y’ers are 20- and 30-somethings who are ready to start their full time careers right out of school. They are unlike any generation before them and, for those employers who want to gain this young talent, now is the time to do so. Yet, you will need to make changes to the way you hire and retain these professionals.

Do They Want to Be Retained?

One of the concerns employers should have is whether or not this generation actually wants to be retained. Many of them are going through a process called boomeranging. Employers hire them, they stay for a few years and then they try something different. It could be the energy of this generation or the simple fact that they want to make sure there’s not something else out there. However, what makes them unique is that they come back later on in their careers. For the employer, this means building long-term relationships with good talent, even if they leave your business.

Speed Is a Big Factor

One of the biggest factors to consider when hiring these professionals is speed. Because of the Internet and its ability to give Generation Y answers right way, most of these professionals are not willing to sit around and wait. Be sure to move quickly to hire young talent when you see it. And, speaking of speed, this generation also expects to have the latest technology at their fingertips in the office. They expect to be able to network and build relationships with hiring managers and employers through numerous means.

What Do They Want?

There’s a belief that Generation Y is demanding more – but every generation before them has pushed the envelope too. You can expect for this generation to want more flexible work schedules and they want to have better pay. They also want to have company cars and cells. However, most are willing to work longer hours and on the weekends. Many are willing to put in the hours to get these resources. There is less of an at-work or at-home mentality. Many are happy to take calls at home, work late to finish up a project or handle situations right away, if they are treated with respect.

You can expect Generation Y to expect more than you think they deserve, but this young talent is ready to impress. You can count on them to do a great job in their assigned tasks since training and college education has never been easier to obtain. Yet, employers do need to be prepared to change the work environment to entice these professionals in. Do so and you could see significant improvements in your company’s ability to hire and retain them.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great job search and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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New employees nearly always start positions with the goal of doing precisely what is required to do well on the job. During those initial few weeks and months, there’s a period of testing the waters, so to speak. The employee wants to be sure this is the job for them while the employer wants to ensure the person they’ve brought on to do the job can do it.

Why Don’t Some Employees Make It?

So many employees do not make it through this initial period. There are numerous reasons they fail, according to some experts, including the following.

• As the employer, you may not have taken the proper steps to ensure you are recruiting the right candidate for the job. You need to ensure the job matches the interests, skills and attitude of the candidate.

• Does the employee know who their boss is? Do they know who they report to? Without a clear management structure, employees become frustrated and overwhelmed.

• The employer lacks a caring, welcoming attitude at the start of the business arrangement. You may have brought them in and shown them their desk, but did you take things further than that? It’s important to explain the internal processes of your business to a new hire.

• Did you provide what your expectations were in terms of a code of conduct? Did you ensure the employee would fit in with these requirements before bringing them on?

• Bad communication is one of the pillars of failure in an employee’s initial weeks. Most employees want to do a good job, but they have to know what that is before they can do it. Be sure to explain every aspect to ensure there is no grey area here.

• The boundaries and rules are ever changing in your organization. This is a problem that management needs to deal with before bringing people in. If a person was hired for a job and then things changed, or their role is completely different, they may no longer be a good fit.

• During those initial weeks, you have a key opportunity and virtually, a requirement, to guide your new hire to do things the right way. Mess up now and they are going to form poor habits. Yet, many businesses fail by not providing enough direction and input from the start.

As an employer, it is up to you to recruit the right person for the job, but you also have to take things further. You need to ensure their first days and weeks on the job are an opportunity to learn about the company and about the team. It is a great time to have them stick by you and learn about the workings of the company. If you cannot teach them this, or at least what you want them to do, then there is going to be some miscommunication occurring.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great job search and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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Your 15 Minute Guide to Hiring and Retaining IT Talent in 2012 Not everyone can operate at the same performance levels. Studies show that top performing IT professionals are at least 20% more productive than their middle-of-the-road peers.

Learn how to hire and retain the talent that will help you improve productivity, increase employee retention and positively impact your bottom line.

It’s not too late to start planning, download this easy to read ebook here.

There are growing levels of discrimination for the unemployed. The agency, SmartRecruiters, published a survey noting that 82 percent of recruiters, human resources and hiring managers reported some level of discrimination against the unemployed. About half of them reported having to deal with it personally. Some stated they felt pressured to make decisions based on the candidate’s unemployment status.

CEO Jerome Tenynck of SmartRecruiters notes, “There is an unwritten rule that unemployed candidates just aren’t qualified. Our survey revealed that 55 percent of recruiters and HR managers have personally experienced resistance when presenting qualified yet unemployed candidates to clients or colleagues. Not only is this bad business, it’s also unfair and needs stop right now!”

What Can Be Done?

SmartRecruiters is trying to make a difference. To do so, it launched a campaign to raise awareness of the issue and to help end the discrimination. The Facebook campaign is titled, “Unemployed Please Apply.” Some recent ads indicate that those who are unemployed need not apply for the position. This is not illegal since unemployment is not a federally protected status like other factors such as religion and race. The US Department of Labor, though, is working to better understand this type of discrimination.

The United States Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis noted this response to the type of discrimination during an announcement about the agency working with Facebook’s Social Jobs Partnership. She noted, “I am very disturbed when I hear that employers don’t want to even look at resumes of people that have been out of work for six months or just are unemployed.” She continues, “It’s as though people have created this problem themselves, and that’s just not true.”

Why Is It Happening?

Why would employers no longer wish to hire those who have been out of work? There is some type of stigma attached to being unemployed that is so strong and yet it is completely unfounded. Many of those out of work are unemployed through no fault of their own. Rather, many have lost jobs due to downsizing or the shuttering of the business. This means they are often highly qualified professionals left without a job and, with this level of discrimination in place; it is even more difficult for these individuals to find the work they need.

SmartRecruiters is asking businesses to visit the Facebook page entitled, “Zero Unemployment Movement” in order to take part. The goal of the problem is to make a pledge to interview at least one unemployed candidate for every job opening they have. The goal is to help show that the unemployed are not necessarily unemployed without skill or the ability to do the job. It’s critical to understand that HR managers do have the ability to interview and empower these individuals to do get back on the job.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great job search and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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The job search process has completely evolved over the course of the last decade. It wasn’t that long ago that employment agencies and help wanted ads in local newspapers were the only options available to job seekers. Then, along came the Internet and major job search sites and online job boards like Monster, Dice, and CareerPath.com.

That was the first stage of the evolution. Now, the job search is taking yet another giant leap forward. These are just a few of the tools you might want to include in your job search arsenal so that you’re prepared for whatever this new evolution in job search technology throws your way.

Vizibility

This might be one of the most impressive tools on the market today to assist in your job search. We live in a world that is increasingly “social” and getting smaller by the moment. While once upon a time it didn’t really matter if there were two hundred people with the same name, today, that makes it harder than ever before to stand out from the crowd. Over 85 percent of executive recruiters will “Google” job candidates and eliminate them based on what does or does not show up in that search.

Vizibility is a tool that works with Google to help you choose the things that are most “visible” to the world about you and to make sure that people searching for you aren’t finding someone else with the same name instead.

Career Finder by ClearFit

This service is free for people seeking jobs. It is also highly useful in the job search process. According to the ClearFit website, 59 percent of employees fit another role better than the one they are filling each and every day. ClearFit works as a sort of “match maker” service that matches you to a job that’s a better fit for your interests, skills, and talents.

Employers also use this service to match potential employees to the role they’d play within the company as well as the corporate culture. It’s the method they use to identify people who will fit in nicely to form a cohesive working unit in hopes of eliminating some of the typical conflict that takes place in the workplace.

JobSTART101

This is one of the coolest tools available and it’s perfectly suited for recent college graduates as well as college students who are beginning to look for jobs. It offers tips and education that is designed to help students adapt their skills and talents to meet the specific needs and demands of the modern job market.

Once students understand what real-world employers are really looking for, they are much better able to meet those challenges and deliver the goods. This is the tool that will help them succeed.

There are many great tools on the market today, many of them for free or very little, that can help people in need of jobs find the right jobs to meet their needs. These are just a few of the best that can help you take your online job search to the next level.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great job search and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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Many successful business men and women will say, without any shame at all, that they are only successful because they were smart enough to be the dumbest men (or women as the case may be) in the room. What they mean by this is that they were just smart enough to know they had to hire smarter people if they wanted to be successful. It’s a strategy that has proven itself time and time again in the world of business.

Here are a few pointers to help you hire the best people to meet the needs of your company, whatever they happen to be.

Hire People who have the Right Attitudes

It is up to you to define the attitude you want to prevail in your company. But, once you decide the attitude you’d like to see reflected in your employees (hard working, friendly, creative, empathetic, intuitive, etc.) you must hire people that reflect that attitude well. Otherwise you may both become dissatisfied with the situation all too quickly.

The real benefit in hiring people that already reflect the attitudes you’re looking for is that they don’t have to be trained (or untrained) from attitudes that are counterproductive to the culture and prevailing attitude you’re trying to generate.

The ultimate goal is to hire people who are a good match for your corporate culture after all. They will often be happier working for your company and that will make them work harder to make your company successful.

Hire People who Want to Learn

It’s great to hire people who have a large pool of knowledge to draw from. It’s even better, and far more effective to find people who are constantly seeking to learn new skills and develop new talents.

Yes, you do want to hire people who know their stuff and can do it well. But, it’s even more important to hire people who realize the benefit of hearing what others have to say and understand that they can always learn something new.

You can usually tell the kind of people you’re looking for by watching them in conversation. Do they listen as much as they talk? Can you see the gears turning in their eyes when they’re presented with a new concept or idea? Those are the people you want to have on your team!

The ultimate goal is to create an atmosphere of success within your company. That attitude begins with the lowest people on the totem pole and works all the way to the top of the food chain. The hiring decisions you make today will impact your company far into the future so choose your staff wisely to cultivate the successful atmosphere you’re attempting to generate.

Be sure to come back often to The Rick Rice Report for great recruiting and career development tips and guidance from expert Rick Rice. or follow Rick on Twitter! We also welcome  your comments and questions below.

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