Using Employer Marketing to Overcome Talent Shortages

September 30, 2022 by Lacey Walters

With talent shortages on the rise, it’s more important than ever to know how to appeal to potential applicants and future employees through employer marketing. Having a good opportunity is no longer enough to cut it. In fact, 69% of candidates said they would reject an offer from a company with a bad employer brand, even if they were unemployed. Believe it or not, the fear of unemployment isn’t enough on its own to overcome a negative employer brand.

On the flip side, 41% of passive candidates said they would accept a new position without an increase in pay if the company had a good employer brand. A positive employer brand is all it takes to overcome the stigma associated with a lateral move for nearly half of the workforce. Not to mention, a positive employer brand is enough to catch the attention of a happily employed candidate.

Employer marketing is the first impression a candidate has with your company. Your employer marketing should answer any questions they may have about company culture, values, your mission, who you serve, what you do, and where the company is headed. In this blog, we will discuss how to better market yourself as an employer to win the war for talent.

Marketing Your Company Culture

As cheesy as it may feel, marketing your own company’s culture is really the only way to get the information out there. No one else is going to brag for you! To give your employer marketing the direction it needs, follow these steps.

Find Your Value Proposition

Ask yourself, “why would someone want to come work for my company over others?” This is your value proposition! Maybe you’re known as an innovator in your industry space. Lean into that by mentioning the opportunity to be at the forefront of that innovation. Advertise opportunities for furthering a candidate's knowledge on the topic.

Perhaps you’re a smaller company, and the value you can provide candidates with is that personal touch. Describe your company’s culture and the close-knit internal communication. Advertise the flexibility you provide employees when it comes to making their schedules or working remotely. Really lean into the growth potential within a small but growing company. People will be intrigued by the opportunity to be a part of building something.

Make Candidate Inquiries Accessible Through Employer Marketing

In today’s job marketplace, candidates will be cross comparing your company and the opportunity you provide with other companies. Make their decision an easy one by addressing their questions up front!

Make Your Value Proposition Accessible on a Careers Page

When applying, a potential candidate should be able to go to your website and find answers for all their employer-based questions about your company. Due to this, you need to have a careers page on your website that outlines your culture, benefits, and more so that candidates can easily make a connection with your employer marketing. Build out this careers page by highlighting your value proposition as well as your mission statement, photos of your employees, workplace perks, and your internal initiatives.

Better yet, ask your existing employees for testimonials, so potential hires can hear about your company from the source. Ask for confidential feedback and use the good stuff on your website. Any other feedback, leverage to make your company a better place to work. After all, the best employer marketing is honest employee satisfaction.

Aim Existing Company Branding Toward Employer Marketing

Understandably, most company branding is aimed toward customer acquisition efforts. Websites and other company collateral is usually created and used to market toward your customer base, not potential employees. However, these two ideas don’t have to be mutually exclusive. You’d be surprised to know that 29% of customers surveyed by Edelman said that in order to become a loyal customer, they need to know the business they shop frequent treats its employees well. This means that in order to wow your customer base, you need to be marketing to employees and potential hires as well.

Benefits of Employer Marketing on Your Customer Base

By investing in your employer marketing you’ll encourage consumers to trust your brand more, too. For instance, if your company is branded as a sustainable choice for consumers, tell your company story and demonstrate how you apply that same mission/vision with employees. By making that connection known, and covering topics like corporate social responsibility, you’ll multiply your brand strength on both fronts. This makes it easier for both audiences to make a connection with your brand.

Employer Marketing Through Social Media

In the same spirit, leverage your existing company social media mediums to get the message out there about your employer brand. Share information on these pages about company culture, employee events, internal programs, and more. Be sure to take photos at team gatherings and give followers an inside look into what a day-in-the-life is like within your company. People trust brands they deem to be authentic, and what’s more authentic than leveraging your current employees as part of your employer marketing strategy?

In order to stay relevant in this ever-changing hiring landscape, you have to prioritize employer marketing as part of your hiring strategy. Your employer brand will be unique to your company, so do what feels authentic to you and your workforce. If you want support along the way, talk to one of Blue Signal’s expert recruiters today about how you can improve your employer marketing to win this war for talent.

Employer Branding: 5 Ways to Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page

June 30, 2022 by Lacey Walters

It’s no secret that in today’s digital landscape that job seekers are turning to social media in their job hunt. With over 830 million members and 58 million companies represented, LinkedIn has become a social media career powerhouse. Every second, 95 job applications are submitted. With 50 million people using LinkedIn to search for jobs each week, the quality of your LinkedIn company page is becoming increasingly more important. Your company’s LinkedIn page could be your first impression for a potential employee, so it’s crucial that your employer branding is translated across this platform.

A LinkedIn company page can give viewers a lot of insights – from a general overview of your business offerings, to a direct look at company culture. Optimizing your page is essential to attracting and impressing job seekers. In fact, company pages with complete information get 30% more weekly views. Not sure where to start? Utilize these five ways to optimize your LI company page to stand out to job seekers.

1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Company Page for SEO

When it comes to attracting job seekers, searchability is one of the most important factors. Think about your customers. When they’re searching for the product/service you offer, are they going to choose the company on the first page of their search results, or the last? Most likely, they are going to go with the company in the high-ranking search position, as it assumes authority and credibility in the space. The same goes for your potential employees. Thus, it is essential to implement SEO best practices to your LinkedIn company page.

To optimize your LinkedIn company page for SEO, start with including industry-specific, targeted keywords into your header, about section, and posts. If you’re in a specific niche – this is your time to shine! Niched keywords are preferred by the LinkedIn algorithm, so don’t be afraid to whip out the nuanced industry jargon. Not only will optimizing for SEO make your LinkedIn company page more discoverable on LinkedIn, it will also improve the position of your page on Google and other search engines – making it easier for job seekers to find you.

2. Create an Attractive Header

After job seekers find your company profile, you want to grab (and keep) their attention. This can be done by creating an attractive header. The LinkedIn company page header includes two key elements: the imagery (your page logo and cover image) and tagline.

Imagery

First, make sure your LinkedIn company page has your company logo uploaded. If a job seeker finds you through LinkedIn job postings or on their newsfeed, this will be the first imagery they see – so it’s important that your branding is both eye-catching and recognizable. LinkedIn recommends an image size of 268x268 pixels to ensure the highest quality.

Next, upload a cover image to your LinkedIn company page. When choosing a cover image, make sure the design is cohesive with your logo and brand colors. It only takes 50 milliseconds for consumers to judge the visual appeal of your brand, so it is crucial that it is consistent. Contrasting imagery will make your brand seem less credible and drive away job seekers. Additionally, when designing a cover image, take into account the space your logo will overlay on the profile. Avoid heavy text or graphics in that area so that they are not cut off. For the highest quality cover image, LinkedIn recommends 1128x191 pixels.

Tagline

The tagline is displayed directly under your company name, and is one of the first things a potential employee will read on your LinkedIn company page. In 120 characters or less, it can encapsulate the who/what/why of your company. Who are you? What do you do? Why do you do it? It could be your company’s slogan, industry specialization, or a mix of both! The tagline is also a great place to include relevant keywords to increase searchability. Having an optimized, memorable tagline will draw job seekers in and entice them to want to learn more about your company.

3. Strengthen Your LinkedIn Company Page Description

After a job seeker admires your header, they’ll navigate to your “About” section to read the company description. This section is your company’s elevator pitch – you want to pique job seekers’ interest and get them excited about what you offer. The description should include a brief summary of the company, your products/services, and any awards or recognition you have. In addition, this is where you want to highlight what sets you apart from your competitor, both as a company and an employer. Does your company have team building initiatives unlike anyone else? Unparalleled sustainability or philanthropy efforts? Show them off here!

With a character limit of 2,000, this section is a home-run for SEO optimization; make sure to include all relevant keywords, industry specializations, and buzz words here. When optimizing your About section, you can also add specialties that will be added below the description. These are additional keywords that can improve your searchability, so use them to your advantage.

4. Utilize Career Pages

According to LinkedIn, candidates are 1.8x more likely to apply for a job if they’re familiar with the company. A great way to establish familiarity is through LinkedIn’s Career Pages. These Career Pages can be used to raise awareness, drive interest to your company, and build a pipeline of candidates for open roles. Career Pages include sections for life at your company, what you do, and job postings. Note: Career Pages are a paid feature and are only available to LinkedIn company pages with the Premium Business subscription of $47.99/month.

Life Page

Life pages on a LinkedIn company page allow employers to display company culture, work environment, and more through photo galleries, videos, and featured sections. Within these featured sections, employers can highlight company values, their mission, and/or benefits/perks offered. Each section is an opportunity to get the potential employee more excited about the company, so the more information given the better. Employers can also share employee content by leveraging a company hashtag (for example, Blue Signal uses #HireBlue) to compile posts from employees that are then shared to the Life page. This can give candidates an authentic perspective of life at the company, coming directly from the mouths of current employees. If you want your culture to stand out, it’s worth it to create a Life page.

What We Do Page

The function of the What We Do page is to show job seekers your company’s service offerings/products in a digestible format. Instead of scrolling through dozens of webpages, they can access the information on one page within your LinkedIn company page. This style of page can be broken out into subpages of your company’s practice industries, business units, services, and/or product lines. For example, Blue Signal has career pages for our recruiting services and practice industries, such as emerging technology & IT, cloud & managed services, etc. Similar to a Life page, the What We Do page can also include company photos and employee posts. LinkedIn allows a maximum of 10 subpages to be within the What We Do page.

Job Page

A job page compiles all of your job postings to one page, making it easy for job seekers to easily locate your open roles. Each LinkedIn company page is given one free job slot per month; any additional postings are a paid feature.

5. Post Regularly on Your LinkedIn Company Page

Posting regularly on your LinkedIn company page is a great way to both grow and engage your audience. Companies that post weekly on LinkedIn see a 2x higher engagement rate than those that don’t. In addition to improving engagement, posting regularly can establish your company as a thought leader and attract candidates in your industry. It will also establish a voice to your brand that job seekers will recognize. Utilize the following types of post to diversify your postings.

Industry Article Share

If you don’t have the bandwidth to write an article yourself, sharing articles or commenting on others’ can establish your expertise in the space. Be sure to follow hashtags relevant to your industry so you can be one of the first viewers to share relevant topics.

Highlight Your Products/Services

Get your potential employees (and customers) excited about what your company has to offer by highlighting your products and services in posts.

Give an Insight to Company Culture

Company culture is an important factor for 46% of job seekers when considering a new employer. Through posting regularly, you can give an insight to company culture by sharing posts of team building events, employee testimonials, or company values.

Showcase Your Accomplishments

Is your company a great place to work? Brag about it! Sharing recognition and accolades through press releases or graphics will increase engagement and stand out to job seekers.

Key Takeaways

In order to attract and impress job seekers, your LinkedIn company page should be a reflection of your employer brand. To hook job seekers, make sure your LinkedIn company page is optimized for SEO and has an attractive header. To reel them in, strength your overview section and utilize career pages to get them excited about your company. Finally, land the catch by posting regularly and engaging with your audience. These five ways will optimize LinkedIn company profile to stand out to job seekers.

In today’s candidate-driven market, employer branding is especially important. If you’re unsure how to market yourself, partner with Blue Signal. Our recruiters can help enhance your employer branding to ensure you’re attracting and retaining top talent.

Top 5 Hiring Trends in 2022

February 11, 2022 by Aylish DeVore

Looking back on 2021 hiring trends, the hiring industry has learned a lot about how to pivot and excel in an ever-changing job market. As we’ve already started to see the many differences we’ll navigate in 2022, some hiring trends will remain the same. The war for talent is still prevalent and the candidate-driven job market persists. Remote work is not going anywhere, but even so has seen subtle differences today compared to hiring trends a year ago – along with new sets of trends beginning to emerge. Beyond acknowledging these trends as they occur, it’s important for businesses large and small to innovate and properly prepare for success. Offering candidates benefits they care about, hybrid work, DEI initiatives, upskilling, and automating processes are all covered in this overview of 2022’s hiring trends.

1. Candidates Want More Than a Paycheck

No different than 2021, candidates still have the power in the job market as we navigate through the war for talent. In 2022, experts don’t see this hiring trend shifting which means employers must remain flexible in their offerings and be open to what candidates are actually seeking. Simple benefits like sign-on bonuses just aren’t cutting it anymore. Companies need to get creative and adapt to their candidates’ desires in order to stay ahead of the evident competition. By breaking down non-negotiables such as the ability to work remotely, it tells candidates you are open to being flexible and ultimately want the best for them. Overall, candidates are looking to be treated as human beings – and not just a small cog in a big machine.

Another crucial way to grab the attention of candidates is to ensure there’s updated company branding available for them to learn more about you. Today’s generation of professionals are looking to be a part of a company long-term. To do so, employees need to feel valued, important, and cared for, both at work and in their personal lives. Of course, hiring managers are able to elaborate on values and what sets their company apart in the interview process; but first - they need candidates to apply. Job seekers are looking online for evidence about why a company has potential before they even start the application process. By making this informational hunt easier for them to navigate, you’ll be a step ahead of the competition. Studies have shown that 52% of candidates rely on the information from a company’s website and social media to learn about the employer. Don’t overlook what a critical investment employer branding can be.

2. Remote/Hybrid Work is Here to Stay

Brought on in 2020 by the global pandemic, we’ve seen a spike in remote work. Studies show that 62% of workers aged 22 to 65 claim to work remotely at least occasionally. 2022 hiring trends all point to a continued increase in this area, with a particular focus on the availability of more hybrid working opportunities. Hybrid working conditions are trending to be the top ask among job seekers in this market. Every employee’s situation is different and in today’s candidate-driven market, companies need to provide options for how they work. Be prepared for candidates to negotiate a flexible schedule such as remote, hybrid, or a split shift.

These offers don’t just benefit the employee side, but also benefit the overall well-being of the company. Studies found that remote workers are more productive than in-office staff. Not to mention, remote working opportunities mean that companies can hire from a more diverse pool of talent. Another key factor that plays into these benefits is employee retention. When good candidates are becoming far and few between these days, retention is everything. Harvard Business Review found that remote workers were more likely to stay working for a business longer than colleagues who worked in-office. Overall, it’s important to be flexible and open-minded to what potential employees are asking for. Some people will prefer the office, some people will want to work at home, and others will need a mix of both. The best companies will cater to this hiring trend.

3. DEI Initiatives Now a Must-Have

As the candidate pool shifts to a younger and more socially aware workforce, they are emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives when searching for jobs. As we’ve seen an increase in progressive movements towards diversity in the workplace in the past couple years, it’s now become a requirement rather than a nice-to-have. Hiring trends state that in the coming year, businesses need to deliver on these big promises. Candidates are looking at actions rather than words. In 2022, companies will continue to focus on these initiatives, and we’ll see an increase in leadership roles created around diversity and inclusion such as “Chief Diversity Officer” and “Head of DEI.”

Along with the obvious social responsibility that companies should be supporting, DEI plays a critical role in productivity and retention in the workplace. Studies have found that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely (and those in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15% more likely) to have higher financial returns. Hiring trends have also proven that 35% of an employee’s emotional investment in their work, and 20% of their desire to stay at their organization, is linked to feelings of inclusion. Overall, an equitable and inclusive workplace will attract and retain a happier and more diverse workforce, creating success in every aspect of the business.

Wondering where to start? When strategizing DEI initiatives you can implement, start by setting up a diverse hiring team. This helps companies expand their workforce with individuals that bring unique ideas and experiences to the table.

4. Close the Skill Gap; Invest in Existing Employees

Today’s hiring market can be misleading when viewed at the surface level. Hiring trends state that 87% of employers are struggling to fill positions as a result of the skills gap, despite a high degree of unemployment. For companies who are looking to grow and expand market share, this may seem like a dead end. The solution? Promote and invest in education internally. All hiring trends, both current and predicted, lead to an emphasis on candidate’s skillsets rather than years of experience. Top skills being sought out focus on digital talents. Software development, data analytics, digital marketing, cloud computing, problem-solving, and project and change management are among these targeted skills.

By turning the attention to existing employees who are on the cusp of qualifying for a more technically advanced or higher responsibility role, employers avoid the stress of hiring during today’s climate. To be a successful business, we know retention is key. Offering skill advancement opportunities such as trainings and education programs takes retention a step further by saving both time and money. Statistics show that it costs more and takes longer to recruit and train new employees than upskilling current ones. SHRM reports that the average cost per hire in the U.S. is around $4,000, and that it can take an average of about 42 days to fill a position.

It’s hiring trends like these that are encouraging companies to focus internally. Surveys found that 84% of companies are increasing investment in reskilling programs. Amazon for example, recently announced that they were going to upskill 100,000 people in the near future. Above retention advantages, these opportunities promote employee satisfaction, loyalty, and employer branding all at once.

5. Advanced Technology and Automated Practices

As the digital world continues to take over and become more applicable to businesses, automation and AI will continue to be the most utilized hiring trend in 2022. With the new, younger generation set to take over a majority of the workforce, digitally advanced technology becomes critical. For smaller companies in particular, this will be essential in breaking out to compete with bigger businesses who have already been implementing advanced processes.

As we saw remote and hybrid work flourish, companies have since turned to AI technology to build out more automated processes and ways to streamline and communicate. 2022 hiring trends say that automation will go beyond HR and see advancement in all aspects of a business. This will go hand-in-hand with machine learning technology, resulting in an increased need for candidates with this unique skillset.

Taking all these hiring trends into consideration alongside the rapidly evolving and advancing job market; more companies are turning to recruiters and search firms. Navigating a new hiring market can feel like a full-time job in itself. That’s why there’s specialized recruiters in every industry space. Recruiters can help your company learn new hiring skills for this evolving world of work, expanding beyond being a personable employer and a good company. At Blue Signal, all our recruiters specialize in developing personal branding, adapting to industry changes, and offering insights to business leaders in their niche. Gaining insight on how to effectively work, interview, hire, manage, and communicate remotely can help you be the best hiring manager possible throughout today’s hiring trends. No matter the challenge you face, Blue Signal can help.

2021 Jobs on the Rise: How 2020 Shaped New Trends and Created a Surge In Demand

April 8, 2021 by Aylish DeVore

As we settle into 2021, it has become evident how much has shifted in the workforce - especially considering what jobs are in demand. 2020, the year of unprecedented times, has brought us a completely new list of roles and industries that are rapidly hiring and ready to be capitalized on. Diversity and inclusion consulting roles, for example, have drastically increased as businesses seek dedicated staff behind these crucial initiatives. Flexible schedules and more positions offering work from home options have also played a big part in the job market further opening up. Big cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. still lead with the majority of open jobs, but there is much more freedom when it comes to job hunting compared to a year ago. The spike in the number of open roles and those looking for work also directly relates to the high amount of layoffs that took place in early 2020. Those who were laid off or took time to be at home with family due to the pandemic are now looking to enter back into the workforce as the vaccine is being adopted and those roles are reopening. In this blog, Blue Signal breaks down specific industry trends to look at what caused such an increased demand in jobs, specifically within D&I, healthcare, E-commerce and marketing, tax roles, and education.

Industry Trends:

Navigating 2020 was new territory for everyone - while some industries and businesses were hit harder than others, everyone was forced to pivot and adjust as best they could. The hospitality industry for example, faced one of the biggest hits across all industries, but it was incredible to see how these entertainment businesses were able to reimagine their brand and service offerings to match the needs of consumers. In a previous blog, we shared how food and beverage companies rose to the challenge, with some global distilleries shifting production from vodka and gin to hand sanitizer. LinkedIn recently created a list of the most in-demand jobs for 2021 and they found that while fields such as aviation and hospitality were affected the most, other areas like healthcare, education, and finance had to drastically ramp up hiring to meet increased demand.

Diversity and Inclusion Jobs

Across all industries, large or small, businesses are recognizing the necessary action they must take when it comes to being vocal and thoughtful about D&I within their own organizations. For a lot of businesses, this is something they are dealing with publically for the first time. After the Black Lives Matter movement and many other global civil rights campaigns that took place last year, companies are speaking to their customers’ and audiences’ interests, and making plans to support these causes internally. To carry out these mission statements, many companies are seeking to hire professionals in new roles and even full departments, to develop and manage these policies and actions surrounding diversity and inclusion. Indeed reported that “Between September 2019 and September 2020, Indeed job postings in diversity, inclusion and belonging have risen 56.3%—from 140 jobs per million to 219. More significantly, after the U.S. economy declined in Spring 2020, the DI&B industry recovered quickly, with job postings rising by an astonishing 123% between May and September.” For examples and actionable advice on how your company can go about D&I initiatives head-on, check out our recent blogs on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Blue Signal and The Importance of Diversity & Inclusion in Recruiting, where we mention what we’re doing to enforce this change both internally and within the recruitment industry as a whole.

Workplace Diversity Experts

- Increased Demand: Last year, companies large and small turned to diversity experts to help bring new voices into their organizations. Hiring for these roles increased more than 90% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Common job titles include Diversity Manager, Diversity Officer, Head of Diversity, and Diversity Coordinator.
- Top Locations Hiring: Popular hiring locations include New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago.
- Salary Range: The average salary ranges from $72,900 to about $97,000.

Healthcare Jobs

Not surprisingly, the healthcare industry has completely opened up and still seems to have a never-ending demand for staff, specialists, researchers, and volunteers due to the global health crisis. This has created a huge increase in opportunity and, for those who were contemplating making a career change into the medical field, it could not have come at a better time. Due to such an uptick in urgency for professionals like these, it is the easiest it’s ever been to make this transition, with quicker onboarding processes and more options for accelerated certifications and education programs available. Seaman says, “Many of these roles can be trained for remotely and don’t require a four-year degree.” Though front-line workers such as medical assistants and physicians are always in demand, another newcomer to these highly sought-after positions is in home health. When friends and family members weren’t able to visit their loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living facilities for months at a time, many families sought new plans for their elders’ care. Even though assisted living staff is still in high demand, at-home care workers have quickly grown in need as people would prefer their loved ones to be recovering at a private home rather than in a shared living space in close quarters with others.

Healthcare Supporting Staff

- Increased Demand: Hiring for these positions has increased more than 34% within 25 titles since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Health Care Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, and Home Health Aide are among the most common professional titles.
- Top Skills: On average, skills such as Patient Education, Data Entry, and Physician Relations tend to be of the most in-demand within the space.
- Salary Range: The average salary within this field falls between $65,300 and $106,000.

Nurses

- Increased Demand: Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system and through the pandemic have been in demand more than ever, growing nearly 30% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Roles such as Registered Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, and Intensive Care Nurse are some of the top positions hiring.
- Top Locations Hiring: New York City, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia have proven to be the most in-demand due to their larger population density.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $73,000 to $111,000.

Mental Health Specialists

- Increased Demand: With last year’s mental health crisis caused by the pandemic, hiring for these roles grew nearly 24% in 2020.
- Top Job Titles: Roles such as Behavior Therapists, Mental Health Specialists, Psychotherapists, and Mental Health Technicians have all increased in demand.
- Top Locations Hiring: Boston, San Francisco, and New York City have seen the largest surge.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $41,600 to $65,000.

E-commerce and Digital Opportunities

As we’ve predicted since the beginning of the internet, the ability to generate online business and establish a digital brand presence proved itself to be not only beneficial, but a necessity, throughout the pandemic. The results were clear, businesses that had already established their E-comm brand online and invested in digital marketing and brand awareness prior to the global shutdown, skyrocketed. Those who were unable to pivot and redirect their business online found it difficult to stay afloat. The new wave of online and virtual communities has also brought in many ideas that led to new entrants to the space. Social media and digital marketing professionals, as well as graphic designers, web developers, and AI engineers are in high demand now more than ever as businesses pivot their focus toward updated and user-friendly websites. With the E-commerce world hitting record numbers - shipping and fulfillment jobs reactively increased in demand, too. Products are being consumed online in never before seen volumes, and as a result businesses are essentially required to order more inventory, invest in larger warehouse space, and hire more staff to support these larger volumes of picking, packing, shipping, returns, and customer service jobs.

Frontline E-commerce Workers
- Increased Demand: Hiring grew 73% YOY — and that demand continues with over 400,000 open jobs today!
- Top Job Titles: Most openings within e-commerce are for professional titles like Driver, Supply Chain Associate, Package Handler, and Personal Shopper.
- Top Locations Hiring: In the bigger cities, the demand seems to be highest with Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. topping the list.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these positions falls between $42,000 and $56,000.

Business Development and Sales Professionals
- Increased Demand: Tasked with quickly adapting to an uncertain world and economy, hiring grew more than 45% between 2020 and 2019.
- Top Job Titles: In-demand professional titles include Sales Consultant, Sales Operations Assistant, Inbound Sales Specialist, and Strategic Advisor.
- Top Locations Hiring: The top locations hiring remain in larger cities such as New York City, Denver, and Atlanta.
- Salary Range: The average salary ranges from $43,300 to $105,000.

Digital Marketing Professionals

- Increased Demand: Hiring for digital marketing roles grew nearly 33% YOY vastly due to the pandemic and increase of people remaining inside and at home.
- Top Job Titles: Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Search Engine Optimization Specialist are titles commonly looking to hire.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities such as New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles tend to be hiring hot spots.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $48,000 to $96,0000.

Digital Content Creators

- Increased Demand: From TikTok to YouTube, and blogs to podcasts, the demand for digital content creators grew 49% year-over-year.
- Top Job Titles: Roles such as Content Coordinators, Writing Consultants, Podcasters, and Bloggers have been the most in-demand.
- Top Locations Hiring: New York City, Chicago, and Atlanta have seen the biggest surge.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $46,000 to $62,400.

Specialized Engineers

- Increased Demand: Most business and casual interactions moved online during the height of the pandemic, causing engineering roles to grow by nearly 25%.
- Top Job Titles: Common titles to look for include Web Developer, Full Stack Engineer, Frontend Developer, and Game Developer.
- Top Locations Hiring: San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C. tend to be hiring hot spots though the field has a high remote work availability.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $77,500 to $104,000.

User Experience Professionals

- Increased Demand: Demand for people who specialize in how people interact with these technologies grew 20% between 2019 and 2020.
- Top Job Titles: User Experience Designer, Product Design Consultant, and User Interface Designer roles have seen the biggest spike.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities such as San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle have been the most in-demand.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $80,000 to $103,000.

Data Scientists

- Increased Demand: Brought on by the pandemic, some businesses leaned more heavily on data scientists with hiring growing nearly 46% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Common titles include Data Scientist, Data Science Specialist, and Data Management Analyst.
- Top Locations Hiring: Specific hiring hotspots include Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $100,000 to $130,000.

Artificial Intelligence Engineers

- Increased Demand: The profession of artificial intelligence (AI) was booming well before the pandemic hit but the industry did not slow down last year. Hiring in this area grew 32% between 2019 and 2020.
- Top Job Titles: Titles such as Machine Learning Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Specialist, and Machine Learning Researcher have all seen increased demand.
- Top Locations Hiring: San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle tend to be common hiring locations for this field.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $124,000 to $150,000.

Roles for Tax Professionals

Tax season seems to be a hectic time of year no matter the case, but this year is drastically unique. 2021 has seen a significant increase in people seeking professional help with filing taxes due to all the new and additional steps that have arisen from the pandemic and subsequent housing market. While the year began with a low unemployment rate of 3.5%, by April that figure had soared to 14.7% amid business shutdowns. A staggering number of 70 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the beginning of the pandemic last year, which creates a whole new tax situation many are unfamiliar with. Small businesses are also finding themselves in new territory after applying for and leveraging SBA loans. Even smaller claims from those who received stimulus checks has caused people who may not usually seek out tax help to reconsider this year. Another big factor playing into the overwhelming need for tax advice and services was the drastic change in the housing market. With interest rates at a record low, people were buying homes like crazy and homeowners were refinancing their properties to get better rates. Both instances caused homeowners, new and old, to search for professional assistance.

Loan and Mortgage Experts

- Increased Demand: From 2019, hiring within this industry increased nearly 59%.
- Top Job Titles: The majority of openings within the Loan and Mortgage space include Underwriter, Mortgage Loan Officer, Escrow Officer, Loan Closer.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities such as New York City, Dallas, and Chicago tend to be the hiring hot spots.
- Salary Range: The average salary within this field falls between $43,700 and $60,000.

Education & Career Coaching Jobs

In the midst of the pandemic, schools and universities and even coaching professionals were tasked with a major overhaul to quickly rethink their systems and completely reshape the way they operate and educate. This resulted in an increase in demand for the industry as a whole as virtual education and coaching became much more accessible. Many individuals found the time to go back to school during quarantine and those who were laid off realized the benefits of having an advanced degree in their field. Personal and career coaches also saw a major increase in demand when the state of the pandemic caused many people to reevaluate the direction of their careers, lives, and beyond. Professionals who specialize in life coaching and career planning became hot commodities, surging the industry and becoming extremely in demand today. Virtual learning has proved to be increasingly successful and incredibly advanced as those in the space continue to streamline their processes. This new age of coaching and educating will most likely change the way we learn, not just temporarily, but for the future to come.

Education Professionals

- Increased Demand: Within the education industry, overall hiring grew more than 20% between 2019 and 2020.
- Top Job Titles: Common positions include Teaching Assistant, Elementary School Teacher, Mathematics Tutor, and Curriculum Developer.
- Top Locations Hiring: Even with remote options available, top hiring locations remain New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $46,500 to $63,200.

Personal and Career Coaches

- Increased Demand: Due to the seismic events of 2020, hiring for coaching roles increased more than 51% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Titles such as Career Coordinator, Life Coach, Fitness Coach, and Business Coach are all commonly sought after.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities with an increase in demand include New York City, Houston, and Boston.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $44,300 to $50,000.

With the novel and constantly changing climate of the workforce today, it’s important to adjust and pivot accordingly when it comes to the next steps in your career. Whether you are someone who is looking to make an industry move, or calculate a secure pivot within your existing field, referencing this list can help you dial into a more targeted role and show which skills to highlight. For example, those who have worked in retail will want to hone skills in E-commerce, customer service, and brand marketing to stay competitive in their field. If you have a background in Human Resources, focusing on your skills and experience facilitating D&I initiatives and overcoming challenges in this area could be a smart move. No matter the industry or career path you are on, our recruiters at Blue Signal can help you capitalize on the demand facing your industry. Reach out to us for guidance, or check out our website for tons of helpful resources such as open job boards, industry-specific trends, and blog posts on how to enhance your resume, brand yourself online, or nail an upcoming interview.

How to Optimize your LinkedIn Profile – Candidate Edition

November 12, 2020 by Lacey Walters

A CareerBuilder study found that 58% of employers conduct social media screenings to look for information supporting a candidate’s qualifications for a job. If the decision came down to you and another candidate - with the same exact qualifications AND a strong LinkedIn following - who do you think they would choose?

Today, your online presence is nearly as important as your in-person presence when it comes to landing a job. 70% of employers use social networking sites to research candidates during the hiring process. With such a heavy reliance on online personas in decision making, it’s important to understand the message that your profile sends to potential employers. Just as you would work to continually update and optimize your resume before applying for a role, follow these guidelines to maximize the use of your LinkedIn profile in finding your next job.

Increase Engagement

LinkedIn has over 760 million users, 260 million of which log on monthly. In order to stand out and stay relevant in the sea of professional profiles, you can differentiate yourself by consistently engaging with your industry. Share content and voice your thoughts on current events. Discuss the newest methods and technologies, and discover new ways to master your craft. By keeping up to date on market trends, and reacting to shifts constructively with your connections, you are positioning yourself as a subject matter expert in the space.

LinkedIn Candidate Optimization Blog Graphic

However, this only works if you have the right audience to engage with. Make sure to make relevant connections on LinkedIn - with coworkers, thought leaders, colleagues, and other people in your industry. Hopefully, when a hiring manager comes to investigate your online presence, they may see a mutual connection in your midst that can speak to your standing in the market, your work ethic, and much more. In short, you're judged by the company you keep. If people see mutual connections on your profile, they're more likely to trust you in turn. By building your network on LinkedIn, you are building your personal brand.

Optimize for SEO

Companies these days have to have a strategy for Google SEO if they want to stay relevant. Can you imagine going to a restaurant in a new city that doesn’t show up on the first page of search results when you look up “food near me”? Even if you walked by their location, you probably wouldn’t trust it. It’s the same concept! How will employers find you if you don’t show up in a search for your industry and role? In order to rank high in standard industry searches, you have to optimize your LinkedIn profile for SEO. A good way to start is to include industry-specific, targeted keywords into your headline, about section, and prior experience. List your skills, even if they seem arbitrary. The LinkedIn algorithm prefers niche industries and keywords - so the more keyed in you are with industry jargon, the higher you will rank in a LinkedIn search for professionals in your target market.

Utilize All Available Advantages

The great thing about social media is that reality is what you make it online. LinkedIn gives you several different ways to up your profile game, that go beyond years of experience or super technical know-how. In just a few minutes, you can do a few key things to instantly make your profile more appealing. For example, make sure you are using an appropriate, simple, high-quality headshot as your profile picture. (No, this does not include mirror selfies or pictures of you hanging out at a bar on the weekend.) LinkedIn suggests your face make up 60% of the image frame, among a few other pro tips. The same goes for your cover photo! Just by adding something other than the standard blue background, you’re already ahead of the game. Better yet, include things like a tagline, your other social media handles, a clever call to action, or just something that speaks to your target audience.

Next - and this might be a no-brainer - make sure to include compelling copy in your profile sections. Use your summary to talk about your professional goals or highlighted achievements. In your experience section, include some of those SEO keywords we talked about to build a better picture of your current projects, background, and previous responsibilities. If applicable, fill out other sections like education, volunteer experience, certifications, awards, and accomplishments. This helps you rank higher on LinkedIn search results, and gives you more opportunities to connect with someone reading through your page. People landing jobs because they attended the same alma mater as the hiring manager isn’t unheard of!

Finally, make sure to try and capitalize on the recommendations and endorsements as much as possible. List your skills in the relevant section and connect with your past colleagues, managers, and classmates. No one can speak to your ability to thrive in a future job than those you have already worked with, who know what you’re made of. You even have the option to ask for a recommendation from your connections list! It’s basically a built-in letter of recommendation when used right.

Maintain Authenticity

Quite possibly the most important thing to remember is to maintain your authentic voice on LinkedIn. Just like adding misleading information on resumes, fabricating things online can also have some negative consequences. Trust us, people can tell! Use the correct dates, numbers, GPAs - all of it. With people having such public lives online, something as simple as posting the incorrect graduation date, then having a picture posted of your actual graduation the year before, can give a potential employer some red flags. No one likes to join a professional network online just to be sold something, including a false perception of their colleagues. So, the best thing to do is be yourself - professional, but yourself.

Post about your work-life balance, your “origin story” of how you got into your profession, or even try to find new members to join your co-ed weekend soccer league you formed with your old college classmates. Better yet, explain your career progression. That gap in employment you might have been worried about including on a resume could be something completely appropriate to post on LinkedIn. If the reality is that you took time off to help out the family business in a role outside your area of professional focus, it may be too personal to include in your resume. Meanwhile, sharing the same story on a social site would make perfect sense. Being open about your experiences, even if they don’t relate to the job you want, can still speak greatly to your character and supplement your LinkedIn page. Authenticity draws people in, and it can help make real connections. In a world where we have lots of shared experiences, like having to work from home during a pandemic, talking about it on social media can help you find common ground with people in and outside your network. It’s refreshing and, when done appropriately, can help build your brand and give you a voice you wouldn’t be able to fit onto a hardcopy resume. When you’re looking to get hired through social media, you want to make sure that you show up to that job as the same person they saw online. Personality and all!

Download our LinkedIn Optimization Cheat Sheet

LinkedIn can be an incredible tool in building out your personal, professional brand. Social media is emerging as a major player in the job market - luckily as something that’s user friendly, easy to manage, and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. As you build and optimize your network, and set goals for your career progression, keeping up with the latest and greatest in talent acquisition technology can propel you to the top of the hierarchy of potential hires. When considering a move, utilize Blue Signal’s knowledge as a resource along the way. Contact us, or explore our site, to find more information on best practices for marketing yourself as a top-tier candidate in your industry.

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Social Media Best Practices for HR

January 17, 2020 by Lacey Walters

In a world where 1 in 5 page views occur on Facebook, and Twitter users generate 6,000 tweets per second, social media is no longer a small element of the modern community life, it’s the beating heart of how we interact. It might be tempting to just leave social media totally in the hands of your marketing team, but the reality is that the whole company—including HR—needs to be on board.

While the social media landscape is still in a state of flux, success in this area isn’t random. Social media best practices go beyond marketing and PR: they’re about how people interact. Since HR is the industry of people, human resources professionals need to have a social media strategy. What can an HR professional do to harness social media for a positive employee culture?

1. Know the channels your employees use. Listen to what they say.

Together, customers and employees are the two groups that shape the reputation and image of your company. Their voice is much more powerful than any marketing or PR effort. Find out what platforms your employees use, and what they’re saying about you. It takes very little time to get an impression of what the public thinks about you as a company and an employer.

The easiest social media platforms for managing your reputation are LinkedIn, GlassDoor, and the first few pages of Google searches. These are the first places your job candidates will be checking before they decide to work for you. Facebook and Twitter are less straightforward, but you can track buzz and interactions around your company to get an understanding of where you stand.

Social media should already be part of your hiring process. Not only should you source candidates through LinkedIn (or work with recruiters who do), you should vet potential employees’ social media profiles during the hiring process. It will give you an insight into their personality that may not come out in a formal interview.

2. Celebrate on social media.

Embrace opportunities to celebrate your company on social media. Use your LinkedIn page, Twitter account, and Facebook company page to share promotions, new hires, company outings, fun traditions, perks, and milestones. Post often and at many levels — new and senior employees alike deserve recognition for hard work.

Include photos or videos to boost your views and humanize your company. Since your employees already use social media every day, show your appreciation for them where they (and the competition) can see. Make your competition envious of your workplace culture.

The key to this approach is consistency. Decide on a social media calendar, then design a process for selecting an employee to celebrate. Keep the process fair so that other employees don’t feel left out.

This personalized, grass-roots approach costs little time and money and dramatically boosts retention and your online reputation. When you paint a clear picture of your company’s selling points, you will attract and keep top talent.

3. Form strong bonds with your PR and marketing teams.

They’re the ones who manage your company’s branding and voice on the front lines. If you don’t communicate, you’ll miss out on insights into your people and potential candidates. Share your visions with each other. Talk about ways you can help each other reach those goals.

Your goal is a strong correlation between your brand and your employee culture. There is no substitute for keeping your finger on your company’s pulse. When individuals and departments are dissatisfied, they talk, and they may not talk to you first. A culture disconnect comes off as disingenuous to your customers and makes it hard for you to attract and keep your top employees.

4. Don’t try to gag people.

You can’t monitor everything (nor should you want to), but you can get an idea of your employees’ social media habits before and after you hire them. Trying to shut people down will only fan the flames.

A hyper-strict social media policy never goes over well (and may actually be illegal): “The National Labor Relations Board has concerns about companies that run with these very broad gag policies that relate to things going on in the workplace,” says Jon Hyman of the legal advisory firm Kohrman Jackson & Krantz.

Instead, integrate social media into your employee communications. Make a space for employees to talk internally and confidentially. Don’t rely on traditional methods (the anonymous comment box in the break room is outdated). Today’s employees are vocal and have many tools at their disposal to be heard. Let them know that you hear them so that you can solve problems together before they feel compelled to take their frustrations to public arenas.

If you notice a negative trend in what employees are saying, you have an opportunity to fix the problem and build on your strengths. Turning around an unhappy employee is a win for everyone, including you: workplace morale improves, productivity goes up, and you don’t lose an employee.

5. Ask for good feedback.

In addition to sharing successes from your own perspective, encourage employees to leave employer reviews on GlassDoor, Facebook, and other social media channels. Job seekers are more likely than ever to research company culture during the interview process, and positive employee reviews are a powerful tool to give you legitimacy. Dissatisfied employees speak up more often than happy employees. Avoid asking when your employees are likely to be stressed or nervous–such as close proximity to annual performance reviews, audits, or looming project deadlines.

Another great tactic is to create avenues for employees to share their own good news, such as a perk-related Twitter hashtag, or encouraging employees to tag themselves and share company event photos on Facebook. Your marketing and PR teams may have additional ideas and resources. One note: offering incentives in exchange for good reviews is not allowed.

GlassDoor is the top platform for workplace culture reviews. Many job candidates read through these reviews during their company research.

6. Know when to tune out.

Some people are determined to say negative things. Inevitably, some will stick. The best policy is to treat your people well.

Good news is the best antidote for bad press. Take advantage of opportunities to spread good news and fix problems promptly. Truly listen to your employees to clear up issues before they become exacerbated. Manage expectations and company policies right from the start to keep your employees happy. Most importantly, show your company in the best light by celebrating success.

[Guide] Researching Job Candidates on Social Media

December 9, 2016 by Lacey Walters

Nearly three-quarters of internet users have a social media footprint, making social recruiting one of the top ways for today’s employers to fill their open positions with the best talent. The majority of employers (at least 60% as of April 2016) use social media recruiting as part of their candidate sourcing process, and many conduct additional research on candidates’ social media profiles before making a hire.

Each platform has its own nuances and advantages. Here are tips for where to look, and how to find the right information:

LinkedIn and Professional Networks:

LinkedIn is a treasure trove of information about a candidate’s professional life. Many professionals post blogs, articles, publications, past work, and professional updates on their pages. A vibrant LinkedIn page signals that a candidate has invested time in staying up-to-date with his or her industry and in networking with the professional community. The variety and breadth of material on a candidate’s page provides insight into their influencers and professional interests. The same principles apply to niche professional social networking sites similar to LinkedIn.

How to check them:

With the exception of premium members who opt for total privacy, all LinkedIn members have a public page that anyone can view; simply search by name and current employer. Closer connections have access to more information, but it is preferable not to send a connection request solely for the purposes of seeing more information on a candidate.

Blogs:

Nearly every job requires strong written and verbal communication skills. Hiring managers can gauge verbal skills from an in-person interview and written skills from a candidate’s thank-you note, however, the interview process mostly reflects the candidate’s communication skills under pressure. Writing samples such as professional or personal blogs reflect a more complete picture of the candidate’s written communication style. Professionally themed pieces better indicate the level of communication that a hiring manager can expect to see from the candidate during his or her employment.

Personal blogs, while not as relevant, are a valuable window into the candidate’s personality, special interests, and the kind of audience they seek to engage.

How to check them:

A simple Google search of “(Candidate name) blog” will sometimes return relevant results. If not, it is generally easiest to ask the candidate during an interview if they have a blog URL they are willing to share.

Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and more:

Personal social media profiles offer a previously unavailable window for employers to explore a candidate’s personal life. Normally, a potential employer would see only a faint glimpse of this during the interview process, filtered heavily by what the candidate chooses to reveal. Social media profiles involve far less control on the candidate’s part and can provoke a dilemma for a potential employer who may see more than they bargained for.

How to check them:

It is legal to view a candidate’s public social media profiles as part of a job search process without a waiver, but the best practice is to wait until after meeting a candidate in person and to verbally disclose that the hiring protocol includes a review of public social media channels. Why? A hiring manager and a candidate each have time to prepare themselves before an interview; a candidate deserves the same opportunity to prepare his or her social media footprint for scrutiny by a potential employer. Additionally, it adds a layer of protection against potential accusations of unfair discrimination. Proceed cautiously, and when in doubt, seek professional legal advice.

As a general rule for all social media interactions, be consistent. Use the same searches and processes for each candidate to ensure fairness, and formally document any positive or negative hiring decisions made with information gathered from a social media profile, including screenshots. The interviewing process is still the best format to judge a candidate’s fit; treat social media as an extension of the in-person interview.

Lastly, be aware that candidates conduct their own social media research on prospective employers and hiring managers. It is well worth it for hiring managers and their HR departments to consider their own social media footprint during the interview process.

Additional reading:

Watch out for pitfalls, risks of using social media in hiring – Read More

Employers: Social Media is Your Friend – Read More

Need help with your hiring process? Contact our team of executive recruiters at info@bluesignal.com.