26 Aug 2019
Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

When you do what you love…

There’s a saying that when you do what you love, you never really work a day in your life. It does make a big difference, but the thing is: other factors have to be ideal to bring about this synergy. Often, people think that a particular position is their dream job, until reality strikes. As an HR solutions company, we’ve experienced countless instances in which candidates enter the interview process supremely confident about what they want. That is, until the truth is revealed to them. This is why professionals with years of tertiary education sometimes switch careers to pursue something they find more fulfilling, or just less stressful.

Occupation vs Career

So how does one find that sweet spot — doing something you’re passionate about that also suits your priorities? Your dream job may be right there waiting for you — in another country. Are you willing to do what it takes to follow your passion? Would you migrate to China, for example, with an entirely different way of life and language? That may sound extreme, but even local companies providing staffing solutions can attest to how difficult it can be to meet expectations. So how does one differentiate between a job you’ve been in for 20+ years and a career? Years of tenure may add up to you spending your life in a position, but does that mean you chose a career in a field you love, or just ended up staying for stability? The lines can get crossed, but in the end, each individual, whether at the start, mid-point or near the end of their working life, ought to determine what they want to spend the majority of their time doing.

Finding Your Passion

I know of doctors and lawyers who ditched their scrubs and wigs to pursue careers in music and art. It happens all the time — top executives leaving Fortune 500 companies to start non-profits or start-ups because what they were doing didn’t satisfy their soul. However, outside of the emotional considerations, anyone seriously considering their career path would be advised to speak with a talent acquisition specialist to guide them as to the current opportunities and potential future trends. Having said that, here are some factors to consider when making a career decision:

1. Marketability. Don’t just think of what’s hot and trendy now; think about what will be in demand in 15-20 years. Automation will replace many current jobs. Think about the future, not just the present.

2. Environment. Are you willing to uproot and swap worlds to do what you love? Can you adapt to a culture that requires you to adjust your behaviour and preferences?

3. How you work. Are you a free-spirited person looking to start a career in a very structured vocation? Do you prefer working partially or completely from home or outside an office setting? Are you a morning person or a nocturnal?

4. Priorities. How much time will you be required to give this passion of yours? Will you be able to strike a work/life balance? Your happiness should be your primary reason since you’ll likely spend most of your life doing this thing from which you intend to make a living.

 

Your work should leave you fulfilled and well-paid. Finding that balance may require a few stops along the way to figure out, but it’s well worth the journey.

Until next time, leaders keep lookin’ up!

 

Debra Fraser, MBA, is CEO of Caribbean HR Solutions, a board member of the BPIAJ and the Global Services Sector, a member of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, and Society of Human Resources Management in the US. Please direct comments to dfraser@caribbeanhrsolutions.com or www.caribbeanhrsolutions.com

29 Jul 2019
Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Step inside my office by Debra Fraser

Being asked to meet with your manager is enough to give anyone cause for pause. Your mind starts racing, searching for your latest alleged transgression; thinking, “what did I do now?”

While it is that all that has happened is that you’re just being told “I need to talk to you,” this one sentence can send many people searching for their resumes. However, more often, these days, it’s simply an actual invitation to, well, talk.

Leaders are now recognising that, while intelligence in terms of skills and competence are the primary employment factors, emotional awareness and intelligence are of equal importance.

I HAVE BAD NEWS

Too often, especially in our culture, bosses and managers only interact in any meaningful way with staff members to berate or correct them. Hence, many employees have been socialised to expect that any arranged meeting must be to read them the riot act, which usually means a reprimand, being written up, or worse. However, in high-stress vocations, such as the security forces or health services, it is critical that team members not only feel empowered to express themselves in a safe and confidential environment, but have ready access to counselling, and if necessary professional treatment. And since organisational culture is shaped by individual behaviour, it’s noteworthy to mention some of the key benefits of counselling and other intervention measures. It tends to:

• reduce depression and improve mental health;

• mitigate workplace stress;

• improve communication between managers and staff; and

• promote employee job satisfaction.

It doesn’t require a death on the job or in the family for someone to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Oftentimes, just the sheer magnitude of the work portfolio can be the reason. Many companies are not equipped internally to handle job-related anxiety or tension and require assistance from outsourced human resource professionals to implement effective solutions.

THE GOOD NEWS IS

In order to effectively address and treat matters related to mental health, depression, and, in turn, workplace productivity, organisations often turn to specialised human resource consultants and other trained practitioners. Even outside traditionally stressful occupations the corporate landscape can be a mean dog-eat-dog battlefield in which targets met equal temporary job security. So while fanning the flames of competitive spirit is encouraged, doing so at all costs could mean short-term gain and mid- to long-term burnout and high staff attrition rates.

Although counselling, culturally, has been stigmatised as something for crazy people or team members who can’t hold it together, in the present-day workplace in which doing more with less is key and automation is rapidly taking human jobs, both employees and employers have to develop effective and sustainable strategies to create and maintain a healthy work environment.

Improved staff morale and productivity are the usual by-products of engaged and satisfied employees. For this formula to work, ease of access to get help, if only to talk it out with a sympathetic ear or receive counselling, is critical to team members feeling heard and valued, which eventually augur well for the bottom line.

 

Read More

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/career-education/step-inside-my-office_170967?profile=1270

 

26 Jul 2019
Recruiting Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

4 reasons to use a RPO company

A Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) company is a third-party company that is responsible for all or a part of the recruiting process of a company. This third party will serve as an extension of the companies existing HR or Recruiting function playing its role in ensuring that companies find the right fit for the available position(s). There are many benefits that can be gained from using a RPO company to address your recruiting needs.

Here are the four (4) reasons companies can use a RPO company.

Cost Reduction

One of the key advantages of using a RPO company is that it is cost-effective. Many companies spend a lot of money on advertising and sourcing candidates, lose money  as a result of high turnover rates or simply waste time as a result of lengthy hiring or outdated technology. Using a RPO provider allows companies the ability to streamline their recruitment process which will in turn reduce the overall recruiting cost. RPO companies work to improve the time-to-fill and the quality of hire which will increase overall productivity of the company and also reduces the amount of HR resources that will be spent on sourcing the candidate.

Stronger Quality and and Larger Pool of Candidates

RPO companies have the resources and capabilities to ensure that they identify candidates that would  be the right fit for the job using skill and psychometric assessments  (where necessary). In addition RPO companies have access to a constant pool of candidates from which they can draw from as opposed to hiring managers who generally begin search when the job need arises.

Scalability

Organizations experience seasonal highs and lows in their recruiting requirements throughout the year.  RPO company provides such organizations with the ability to scale up and down with their hiring needs easily. This is also a good option for companies that are expanding and need to hire a large volume to meet a specific deadline.

Access to Recruiting Experts

Finding the right person that fits with your company is important to the growth of your company. The overall recruiting process can be time-consuming and requires skills and effort; especially when your have high-volume hiring needs. As experts in the recruiting field, RPO companies are particularly poised to with the skills, technology and know-how to address your recruiting needs.

 

For more information and to fill your RPO needs contact Caribbean HR Solutions at 1-876-971-7632 or email us at sales@caribbeanhrsolutions.com.

 

https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/246841/6-awesome-benefits-of-recruitment-process-outsourcing-rpo

https://www.sigmarrecruitment.com/blog/2017/12/10-benefits-of-rpo-recruitment-process-outsourcing

 

15 Jul 2019
Recruiting Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

The right partner can make all the difference between finding the best and settling for the rest by Debra Fraser

In the 80s and 90s, the US Army had a very aggressive recruitment programme focused on wooing young men in particular to enlist to ‘defend the greatest country on Earth’. While the American constitution sanctions drafting recruits, the focus of the recruitment programme was strategic voluntary enlistment — appealing to the sense of patriotism and dangling the opportunity to gain a college education.

Now, while companies don’t necessarily go to those lengths to source candidates, executive search agencies can sometimes wage all-out psychological warfare when it comes to coaxing the best talent from one organisation to another.

Double-Edged Sword

The rule of thumb in relationships is that if someone is willing to leave someone else for you, then best believe they might end up doing the same thing to you. This is a also reality for organisations and third-party partners who offer recruitment process outsourcing services. To use a sports reference, it’s almost like the free agency mayhem we see taking place in the NBA right now. While the Toronto Raptors won the NBA title for the very first time, there was nothing they could do to convince their star player Kahwi Leonard, who spent only one year with them, to remain in Toronto for at least another year. Nope. He was recruited to join the LA Clippers and that’s the end of that. It’s a similar risk companies take when they draft star corporate athletes from a competing team; think FLOW to Digicel, or vice versa. Questions abound. Where do their loyalties really lie? How long will they be a player on their team? Sometimes it makes more long-term sense to recruit players with promise and develop them than to focus only on superstar talent. Google Steph Curry.

HR On Call

No doubt though, for companies whose labour force needs require them to be responsive to opportunities, other options than case-by-case recruitment may be required. A typical business process outsourcing (BPO) company, for example, can have a staff complement of 100 employees today, and need 100 more in two weeks. In order to effectively source the ideal candidates at such short notice, the retained services of an HR service provider may be necessary and may be a more cost-effective method of finding the right people on call.

Even conventional organisations use this outsourcing medium to bolster existing internal recruitment programmes and afford themselves greater flexibility when targeting and retaining candidates with a long-term view in mind. Most in-house HR departments wouldn’t normally have the resources to focus on this aspect of business.

Which takes us back to the US Army reference. Although the Army had communications specialists enlisted, they hired advertising agencies to craft and deliver the message to the right media. The point is this: having the right partner can make all the difference between finding the best and settling for the rest.

Until next time, leaders, keep lookin’ up!

 

Read on Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/career-education/the-right-partner-can-make-all-the-difference-between-finding-the-best-and-settling-for-the-rest_169791?profile=1270

11 Jul 2019
high-volume-recruiting
Recruiting Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Points to consider in the High-Volume Recruiting Process

High volume recruiting or mass recruiting is the process of hiring a large number of individuals (usually more than 10) to start within a short time frame. This would correspond with the business’s need to grow rapidly and usually in Jamaica, the industries that generally do mass recruiting are the BPO and the hotel industry. Mass recruiting, however, is not limited to those industries as based on seasonal need other industries also tend to ramp-up as well.

This type of recruitment is generally time and people consuming. Typically based on the total number of persons that you want to hire in a short time is not able to manage solely by your current HR team. Here are three things to consider when you are recruiting a large volume of candidates.

  1. Your Employer Brand – Your employer brand is an important element in the candidate recruiting. A strong employer brand will attract more candidates to job posts. Promoting your company culture can go a far way in gaining interest once positions are advertised.
  2. Your ideal candidates – A crucial step in the hiring process. It is important that you create a job profile that will clearly define what is expected of potential candidates and identifying what knowledge, skills and abilities are needed to fulfil this role. If possible, observe current employees in the position to identify what is needed to be effective in the role.
  3. Your Talent Pool – Based on the total number of persons needed to fill the role, you might not be able to fill those vacant positions only with those that applied. It is therefore needed to take advantage of existing talent pools to find identify additional persons. Staffing companies have an extensive candidate list, so using such a firm can provide you more potential candidates to fill the roles. With their access in the industry, they are better able to source and identify candidates that best fit your job profile.

 

Caribbean HR Solutions has a growing talent pool and a team of experienced recruiters in Jamaica that will help you with all your high-volume recruiting needs. For more information feel free to contact us at 1-876-971-7632 or email us at sales@caribbeanhrsolutions.com.

04 Jul 2019
Recruiting Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Doing a video Interview? Here are some tips for a successful interview?

Video interviews are very convenient for both the recruiters and candidates and as such are being used more often in the recruiting process. They save time and money as they the candidates are able to do at their own leisure as well as the recruiter is able to review. For more benefits on using video interview, you can read our previous article here. As a candidate if you have not yet done a video interview it is quite likely that you will have to do one soon. Here are four tips to consider while doing the video interview:

 

  • Choose a location that is free from distractions. You and what you are saying should be the focal point of the interview. You do not want your potential employer to be distracted by what is happening behind you that they miss what you are saying. Also choose and area that is noise-free so that you are heard clearly. If possible sit behind a clear background and remove all pictures and posters and any clutter that is around you.

 

  • Ensure that the area has proper lighting. The interviewer should be able to see your face clearly. If you are unsure about the lighting of the area do a test video prior to starting the interview. Ensure that their light is not casting any shadows which can be unflattering on your face.

 

  • Dress professionally. Do not yield to the urge of only putting on a professional top. For you video dress similar to how you if your wear doing a in-person interview. To ensure that you look you best on the camera go for softer colors as opposed to bright colors and patterns.

 

  • Maintain eye contact. This is important when conducting an in-person interview as well as a video interview. You want to ensure that your camera is positioned at eye-level, this will allow to focus on the camera and maintain that eye-contact. You do not want the camera to position above or below you as it can provide an angle of looking up your nose or looking down at you.

 

Apply these tips for your next video interview and Good Luck.

 

Reference

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-do-a-video-job-interview-2016-3

https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/job-interview-tips/screen-time-how-to-nail-your-next-video-interview

02 Jul 2019
Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

BIRCHES GROUP ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CARIBBEAN HR SOLUTIONS (CHRS) IN JAMAICA

Birches Group, a global market consulting group that provides salary and compensation data to developing countries, is pleased to announce its strategic partnership with Caribbean HR Solutions based in Montego Bay, Jamaica. With over ten years of experience, Caribbean HR Solutions provides outsourced HR solutions such as recruiting, employment agency, payroll & benefits and HR consulting to its clients. Having clients from various sectors in the country, Caribbean HR Solutions provides practical Human Capital management for companies entering the Caribbean Service Center market ensuring they access the best talent available.

Under this partnership, Caribbean HR Solutions will co-sponsor Birches’ multi-sector survey and help promote survey participation to all their clients and other Jamaican entities. Together, both entities will also be exploring possible compensation management training events, webinars and other activities to provide professional development opportunities for HR practitioners in Jamaica.

In commenting on the partnership, Debra Fraser, CEO of Caribbean HR Solutions, said “We are excited to enter into this partnership with Birches Group. Being actively engaged in the HR industry for over 20 years, I believe that this partnership will provide Jamaican employers with competitive information to maintain their most valuable assets (employees). Over the years, Jamaica has been struggling with access to credible/specific data to make strategic employment decisions. We are pleased to partner with Birches Group as their solutions will move our clients and Jamaica in the direction of being a data-driven society.”

Julienne Sayoc, Manager for Private Sector Business Development for Birches Group, added: “This collaboration with CHRS creates a mutually advantageous partnership that expands CHRS’ product and service portfolio while it allows Birches Group to increase and sustain its visibility and penetration in the market. Combining Birches Group’s expertise in compensation and benefits solutions with CHRS’ well established presence and cross-functional HR expertise will undoubtedly bring about synergies that will ultimately benefit our mutual clients.”

For more information about this partnership, or to learn more about Caribbean HR Solutions and services, please contact us.

Download the press release here.

27 Jun 2019
Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Why it is important to invest in your employees

Should I invest in training my employees or should I not?

There is an old conversation between a CEO and a CFO where the CFO asks what happens if we invest in developing our people and they leave us? To which the CEO responds what happens if we don’t and they stay.” The fact is that many companies believe that employee development is the responsibility of the employee and the company. However, it has been shown that employee development can be mutually beneficial for both the employee and the employer. Here are some ways that employee development can benefit the employer.

  1. Improves Moral – When employees believe that they are working somewhere that they can achieve and grow, they are more excited and enthused about going to work. This excitement will trickle down to the overall work performance and the productivity of the company.
  2. Competitive advantage over competitors – As an employer you are able to boost an interest in employees and your willingness to invest in your employee which will attract more candidates to your company over your competitor. You are in a better position to attract the best candidates to your company.
  3. Promote your company as “Employer of Choice”. – When employees feel valued and engaged at work, they are more likely to promote your company as “the best to work” and recommend colleagues and friends. As the word travels about your company and the benefits, you are more likely to attract the best candidates.
  4. Decrease Retention – When a company invests in an employee, they feel valued and are less likely to leave. Replacing an employee can be costly. When employees are leaving it is difficult to maintain the same level of production even with new employees. That is because new employees need time to train and be acclimatized to the new work before they reach their full level of productivity. In addition, there are costs for training (for the employee to be at the same level as the previous employee) and hiring.

As an employer there are many measures that you can employ to invest in your employee’s development. How you choose to invest in your employee is to you, however it is important that you do engage in some investment strategy to keep them engage. This will not only benefit your employees but will undoubtedly aid your bottom line.

 

References

https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/how-investing-in-employees-ensures-your-organization-s-success.html

https://www.recruiter.com/i/why-its-critical-to-invest-in-employee-training-and-development/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/315095

20 Jun 2019
Recruiting Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

How different types managers can benefit from video interviewing

Finding good and quality talent is essential to any company development. The characteristics of managers leads to different approaches to the recruiting process.  The use of video interviewing is however, able to assist these different types of managers and aid in the recruiting process and make it seamless. Here are some of the different types of managers and how video interviewing can assist them:

1. The Procrasta-Manager

So, it’s safe to say some managers (and people in general) procrastinate, and possibly on a regular basis. The decision to hire a candidate shouldn’t wait until the last minute and be a hurried choice. For those procrasta-managers who hire with haste, video interviewing can be the solution that takes your candidate choice from a rushed judgment to a more educated assessment of talent fit.

Video interviewing provides a window into the candidate’s cultural fit. Sharing candidate files with other colleagues to get a well-rounded assessment of the talent’s company helps the hurried hiring manager (who doesn’t have the time to spend contemplating it themselves). It keeps candidate information organized, so their interviews are easily accessible.

2. The Micro-manager

A micro-manager is a boss, manager or supervisor who provide excessive supervision of their employees. The traits that make a supervisor a micro-manager are hard to break; they measure too much, they monitor too closely. Much like helicopter parents, helicopter managers hover.

They have a hard time completely passing a project to their team, so they have to give their input on every… single… detail. Video interviewing can help slow the hovering propellers of a helicopter manager during the hiring process. Using video while assessing candidate allows micro-managers full access to the potential candidates for review and to provide input on spot without necessarily having to physically hover over their colleagues.

3. The Passive Manager

The passive manager sits back as no one takes charge of projects or decisions. This is where video interviewing comes in to give them – or rather, force – a bigger voice.

With the interview tool, other managers are able to review the candidate interviews at their own convenience. This gives hiring managers who tend to let others make the ultimate decision, the power for the “go-ahead.”

Read more:

https://recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/how-4-types-of-hiring-managers-can-use-video-interviewing

 

 

 

19 Jun 2019
Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 2 Comments

Stay-at-home dads and paternity leave: redefining the role of men in the corporate world by Debra Fraser

It’s common knowledge that Father’s Day doesn’t get the same treatment that Mother’s Day does. That’s partly due to the fact that women often pick up the slack for men. However, enough credit isn’t given to the male of the species who are true leaders in their own right, both at work and at home. In fact, for many modern men, corporate and home duties are often interchangeable, with stay-at-home dads becoming a growing trend, especially in developed countries.

Paternity Leave?

Another growing trend is the number of countries which have introduced paternity leave predicated on a culture of inclusion and diversity as the foundations of a positive and gender-neutral work environment.

In Jamaica, the Government announced late last year that it is facilitating discussions on the introduction of a Paternity Leave Act to encourage shared parenting, support and mentoring. The move is in line with the recommendations of the National Policy for Gender Equality.

Paternity leave is defined as a job-protected period of leave for employed men, with income support provided in some cases. It allows fathers to take leave immediately following the birth of their children in order to help care for the children and assist the mothers.

The Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ) has welcomed the announcement, describing it a significant advancement in gender equality which stands to benefit both parents and children.

Currently, the Maternity Leave Act (1979) provides a mother with a minimum of eight weeks paid maternity leave.

Having a National Paternity Leave Policy would be an important provision to encourage fathers to share childcare responsibilities. This policy would, therefore, be a positive step in the right direction, not only from a national perspective but also in support of building-up family structures”, HRMAJ president Karl Williams said in a previously reported news article.

“The policy [also] would allow for bonding with the newborn and increase the probability of the father’s sustained support/influence in the child’s development,” he added.

Extensive surveys have been conducted to show the correlation between the feeling of appreciation among employees and their organisational output and loyalty. Based on those surveys, appreciation levels among employees increase when a combination of welfare programmes, such as paternity leave, and competitive pay packages are expertly delivered internally or via HR or payroll service providers.

Other studies show, however, that in spite of all the progress made, there are still some ways to go before we are equally yoked, at least where the cheddar is concerned, but that’s for another discussion.

The bottom line is that we should strive for gender parity in all spheres of society.

Until next time, leaders, keep lookin’ up, and Happy Father’s Day!

 

Read more

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/career-education/stay-at-home-dads-and-paternity-leave-redefining-the-role-of-men-in-the-corporate-world_167534?profile=1270