Why Recruiters Need to be Thinking About Mobile Website Speed

Why Recruiters Need to be Thinking About Mobile Website Speed Worldwide the talk is about the 4th Industrial Revolution, and the extensive use of mobile phones and devices to conduct our business and daily activities bears testimony to its existence. When looking around, we find it unthinkable that time existed without the internet or mobile devices. Barack Obama with his Blackberry, Donald Trump and Elon Musk and their tweets illustrate the general use of mobile devices by world leaders and business people use to convey their opinions and promote or do business. There is however a prerequisite and that is the need for smarter multichannel solutions and fast mobile website speed to effectively communicate with customers, employees and when doing B2B transactions. Why mobile website speed is important when recruiting online? It is essential for companies to ensure that websites are optimized for mobile use due to the ever-increasing popularity of using mobile devices to conduct online-business, this extends to prospective employees looking for job opportunities. The following facts speak volumes of why mobile website speed is important to employers doing online recruiting/recruitment of new employees: Mobile devices are used in more than 52% of all website visits. More than 58% of all Google searches are done with a mobile device. In more than 30% of all online transactions, mobile phones are used. Recruiting new employees on mobile devices opens up opportunities to conduct cost-effective interviews doing a mobile video call instead of in-person interviews. This saves time and allows for interviews with people globally at a fraction of the cost. The only requirement is a high-speed mobile-optimized website that downloads fast on any mobile device. Why mobile readiness is an essential part of B2B B2B, the acronym for business-to-business commerce when products or services are transacted between companies. It generally refers to e-commerce transactions which have exponentially increased with the use of mobile to transact. This led to an ever increasing number of transactions being conducted on different online platforms, opened up new markets and is an essential element of the survival of modern B2B commerce. Research shows that mobiles are increasingly used to conduct B2B business making it essential that online platforms are mobile ready to maximize the opportunities for B2B. Slow loading pages on mobile only ensure that potential customers migrate to competitors with mobile-ready websites. How customer satisfaction ratings affect who will apply for a job at your company Digital era consumers make extensively use of reviews, posted on a plethora of online sites specializing in rating the level of customer services from companies. These are posted on social media, websites (Yell ratings) along with Google search that will reveal the ratings. Companies also have website pages where customers can rate their experience of doing business with them. Prospective employees wakened up to this and use customer ratings as a tool to evaluate employers before responding to any vacancy at the company. If the company received positive ratings the chances of having the right people apply for a job will increase, while negative ratings play a large role in putting people off. Text Local created a data set to successfully compare mobile readiness and customer satisfaction ratings of various business sectors, across locations, to get an idea of which industries were the strongest. The relationship between HR and customer-satisfaction ratings One of the most critical factors to ensure the success and survival of a company over the long term is the quality of their customer satisfaction ratings. Gone are the days that customer service was the responsibility of the marketing or sales department, research shows that getting good customer ratings increasingly depends more on the quality of the HR department and its activities. The HR department of a company plays a major role in ensuring a customer-friendly environment within an organization. This is the result of their recruiting/recruitment, training, evaluation and coaching activities to ensure that employees develop positive relationships with clients, which in turn leads to excellent satisfaction ratings directly influencing the company’s revenue. Research showed that a 5% improvement in employee attitudes, the customer rating increased with almost 2 % which led to revenue increasing with almost 1%, this clearly indicates how the relationship between HR and customer ratings influence the revenue of the company. About the author: Charlotte Hurley works in content marketing and is an international and experienced print and digital writer, with interests in all things tech, travel, and design.    

Tell Me A Time When You Had To Make A Decision Without The Information You Needed - Algrim.co

Tell Me A Time When You Had To Make A Decision Without The Information You Needed - Algrim.co Sometimes an interviewer will ask, “Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed” and you might be poised to pause and draw a blank. This is a hard question to be asked. Especially on the spot. Retroactively trying to think about your prior work experience promptly is going to be very difficult. You won’t be able to draw up many examples right away. That’s why it’s imperative that you plan your answer and your scenario ahead of time. Let’s go through how you’d answer this interview question effectively. What Type Of Interview Question Is It The first thing to recognize is that this is a behavioral interview question because it starts with “Tell me about a time” or “Tell me” usually. Behavioral interview questions are those that want you to speak of previous experience and show how you were able to resolve that experience. It’s important to remember the STAR method, which is “Situation/Task, Action, Resolution/Result”, this means you are going to set up the situation you were in, speak to the action you took and how that resulted in a resolution or a result. Related: 13 Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers: Guide, How To Answer Asking About Information Gathering When the interviewer puts the question into the format of “you had to make a decision without all the information you needed” it truly is asking how resourceful and how logical you can be when thinking through your next steps. This is like asking someone if they had to pick a number between 1 and 10, why they picked the number they did. It usually means drawing conclusions and using deductive reasoning to try and determine the best option to make. What The Interviewer Isn’t Looking For The interviewer isn’t concerned so much about the positive outcome. Even if you were wrong, lets say in that number guessing example, the deductive reasoning is the part that’s most important to cover in this interview question. They want to know your process. How your brain works under pressure. And how you might come to a conclusion when odds seem stacked against you. Because of this, be sure that your answer is mostly about your process and less so about the outcome. Example Answer To “Tell Me About A Time When You Had To Make A Decision Without All The Information You Needed” “It was a few days before our client deadline, we were working on a creative project. Our manager was out on vacation, unable to be reached. And the team had a question. One that was going to impact our ability to complete the project. The team discussed the various options for what we could do to overcome our roadblock. None of them seemed great. Or accurate. And we all felt that. I decided to go back and look at the original creative brief. And while the client evolved their needs very much so from the origination of the brief, I was able to draw some conclusions by looking at the brief and where we were today. Ultimately we made a decision that was small but ensuring the project got done and the client was happy. It was the moment of looking back on the brief that was most impactful.” Example Answer For Sales “It was a few minutes before we were set to meet with a prospect and my colleague and I was not entirely prepared. We knew that the company was looking to be informed about a few of our services but we didn’t know about the company history. We couldn’t find anything online minutes before the meeting. So I suggested to my colleague that we flip our script around and ask the company what problems they had before we presented. Almost like a ‘choose your own adventure’ book. It worked well, the prospect felt like it was seamless and the presentation went off great.” Example Answer For Operations “There was a conflict between two colleagues. And both of them felt as though the other was lying about the situation. Unfortunately, no one was around when the incident occurred to help validate which one of the employees was telling the truth. One of them was going to be terminated. I made the decision to listen to the person who was being less aggressive in their delivery. We ended up later finding out that the employee who was terminated was at fault.” Example Answer For Marketing “One of our campaigns was set to launch and we didn’t recall the budget that our manager told us they wanted to allocate towards the marketing. She wasn’t available to be reached, either. And our partner needed an answer right away with regards to the budget. What we did was use deductive reasoning with our overall annual marketing budget and the rest of our allocations to determine what the marketing budget was supposed to be for this campaign. It ended up being correct but we definitely took a chance.”

Ask and You Shall Receive - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Ask and You Shall Receive - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career American society places a lot of value in the lone maverick, scraping and scrapping his way to the top. But in reality, no one reaches success without the help of others. Unfortunately, many people don’t ask for help, either because they’re afraid they’ll be perceived as weak or unknowledgable or because they fear rejection. However, to reach your goals in your business and/or career, learning to seek and ask for help will be crucial to your success. Here are tips to asking for help. Why aren’t you asking? Before you can ask for help, you need to figure out what’s stopped you in the past. Are you a diehard do-it-yourselfer? Are you worried what others will think? Are you afraid you’ll be told ‘no’? Whatever the reason, find ways to overcome those limiting thoughts. Achieving success means getting out of your own way and stepping outside your comfort zone. What is you want specifically? If you’re not clear on what you want, it will be difficult for others to help you get it. Let potential helpers know specifically the kind of help you need. For example, are you looking for a partner on a joint venture? Prepare and practice. Whether you’re making a formal or an informal request for help, prepare your ask before hand and practice it. If you stumble and mumble through your pitch, people won’t think you’ve thought your goal through. People like to help others who are confident and clear in their goals. Enlist the help of your network. Once you know what you need and are prepared to ask for help, begin with your network. Even if members of your circle of friends and colleagues can’t help you, they may know others who can. Be grateful. Show gratitude for help you get. Send a thank you note and offer to help in return. Gratitude and goodwill go a long way in manifesting more help and support for your endeavor. No one achieves success in a vacuum. While it does take hard work and commitment, it also requires the help and support of others. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.

Personal Brands Are You a Job Addict - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands Are You a Job Addict - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Addiction is pandemic, even though it seems to go against our instinctive desire to survive. Or maybe it’s that some of us are focused on surviving, and not thriving. Our natural instinct to survive is so transcendent and ubiquitous; Mark Burnett made billions because he named a television show after it. We like to watch people battle to survive. Our brains’ mirror neurons fire as we lock into the adversarial challenges. We experience firsthand the tension, fear, triumph and reward; or the tension, fear, failure and loss. Compelled to survive That’s why certain sports, which most of us never engaged in, are so compelling. We like NASCAR and hockey, or anything where someone could get killed or seriously injured in an instant.  The hairpin turn and the body check make these collision sports as opposed to contact sports perversely compelling. We sigh with relief when the driver climbs out of his car, which is upside down and shooting flames. We cheer when the forward recovers from the blow of a defenseman’s elbow to the face. And we exalt their perseverance, when they return to the game â€" often to experience exactly the same injuries. With so much of our brained trained for survival, you’d think our desire for well-being would be a reflex, like when the doctor hits your knee with a tiny hammer. Who doesn’t welcome that uncontrollable, gratifying little kick response? Could be we’ve all watched too many crashes, because success is not a reflex or an instinct for most of us. Success is a decision. Success is not a spectator sport. Success starts with your showing up ready to play. Batteries full with all the right cords and chargers on hand. Success at work is a collection of success habits. Go to bed early (or late depending on your shift). Do laundry so you have clean clothes. Think before you speak so you have a clean mouth and a positive outlook. Meet your boss or co-workers with a pen and pad so when people tell you what to do: you write it down. And, do it! Give instructions with kindness. Make sure you deliver support or training at a pace people can use to gain mastery. You are building your personal brand with every step â€" and every mis-step. As a career coach and employer, I’m knocked off my socks watching people destroy the chances they are given. And, in this economy one chance may be all you get for awhile. Personal Brands: Are You a Job Addict? Some people are addicted to a cycle of optimism, effort, carelessness and defeat at work. You are a job addict if your work history looks like a patchwork quilt of bright beginnings followed by dark swathes of being misunderstood, underutilized and shut out of all the good meetings. Need a quick quiz to tell if you are a job addict? It’s simple. Which response would your past employers say to a prospective one: a) “All I can do is verify the dates of this person’s employment and compensation.” b) “We were sorry to see this person leave, because they were such a terrific employee. But, we understand that they deserve greater opportunity than we can provide here.” Consider you may need help. Whomever you get to listen, don’t let anyone tell you that it’s okay to do what comes naturally â€" if what you are doing is chronically self-defeating. Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.

Why Software Development Job Seekers need to Learn about Agile - CareerMetis.com

Why Software Development Job Seekers need to Learn about Agile It is safe to say that being in software development means you will be spending less time on the job market than others.Software developers, designers, architects, testers, system administrators, DevOps professionals, and data experts are highly sought-after, and it is usually software development companies who are struggling to attract them.evalHowever, there are still situations in which the developers will be those who wish to have the upper hand over other candidates for the position. In such circumstances, every little bit can help and in the modern software development ecosystem. Being knowledgeable about Agile can make a real difference.Today, we will talk about why this is the case and how software development job seekers can go about learning about Agile.A Few Words on AgileevalBefore we start dissecting all the reasons as to why software development job seekers need to learn about Agile, it is probably a good idea to say a thing or two about the very concept of Agile softwa re development.Agile software development as a concept was formally introduced to the world in 2001 with the release of the Agile Manifesto signed by software developers who worked on some approaches to developing software under the Agile umbrella.For example, Scrum and Extreme Programming had already been around for years, but in 2001, they officially became parts of the Agile ecosystem.While Agile methodologies and frameworks differ, they are all based on a few basic ideas:Adaptation over elaborate planningPeople over tools and processesWorking software over documentationExtensive communication and collaborationContinuously improving teamsFlat hierarchyThe ultimate goal of Agile software development is to be able to consistently and sustainably deliver working software. Specifically, software that will meet business goals and provide real value for both the customer and the end-users.As years have gone by, more and more software development companies and teams have been adopting v arious Agile approaches. Scrum has become the most popular. Today, the number of Agile projects outnumbers those still run “traditionally.”evalThis brings us to the first reason as to why software development job seekers should learn about Agile.Agile Has Become the NormLike we mentioned already, Agile has surpassed the traditional, more structured approaches to developing software. In other words, as a software development professional, you are more likely to work in an Agile environment than not.Naturally, learning about Agile makes development job seekers better prepared. It is severe enough to get involved in existing projects and fit into existing teams. All of this without having to wrap your head around concepts such as Product Backlog, pair programming, WIiP limits, Scrum artifacts, etc.Knowing this makes it is far easier to hit the ground running and contribute immediately.evalEmployers know this and job seekers’ knowledge, and experience with Agile can even come up i n interviews. This will usually not go as far as asking general Agile interview questions like when companies are hiring Scrum Masters or Product Owners, but being prepared to answer a few fundamental questions is a good idea.Agile Promotes Good PracticesAt their very core, Agile methodologies and frameworks promote practices that make a lot of sense in the modern world of software development. Learning about them can help software development professionals become better at what they do, regardless of the actual process.In the modern software development ecosystem, developing a piece of software the traditional way makes very little sense. The marketplace reality changes rapidly, as do the business requirements for the product under development.By getting used to incremental delivery of working software, developers increase the chances of ending up with a better product.The same goes for other aspects of Agile, such as constant communication with all stakeholders and the emphasis on transparency and inspection.It does not matter if the developers end up working in Agile teams. Familiarity with Agile principles makes them better at their job regardless.Additional Job OpportunitiesThe proliferation of Agile has reached a degree that some organizations are now looking specifically for experts who can transition them to Agile.All with the goal of improving their existing practices. They are looking for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, project managers with experience in Agile and Agile coaches.evalIt is worth noting that these tend to be larger organizations, usually with great packages and benefits for employees.This opens up an entirely new field for experienced software development professionals. However, this requires a whole different level of Agile knowledge.It necessitates theoretical and practical expertise and familiarity with organizational and managerial aspects of Agile software development. Also, positions will usually be open only to certified Agile pr actitioners, which can in itself be quite demanding.For experienced software development job seekers, this can be an exciting career choice. It is a perfect stepping stone towards executive and even C-suite positions sometime in the future.evalevalHow to Learn about Agile?One of the best things about Agile software development is the abundance of resources, organizations, and communities that are more than happy to share the knowledge. In addition to this, there is no shortage of resources for all the different levels of previous experience.If you don’t know the first thing about Agile, you will quickly find introductory articles and guides. Likewise, if you are looking for more advanced knowledge, you will have plenty of resources.In case you are planning on genuinely immersing yourself in Agile and becoming a certified practitioner, you will turn to some organizations that provide specialized training and certifications.It is easy to pick up Agile and learn the basics, but that true mastery is challenging to achieve.The important thing is that you understand the benefits and are willing to give it a go.

How to get the Recruiters attention - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

How to get the Recruiter’s attention You’re ready for that new job. You know you’re perfect for it. You go through all the requirements; tick, tick, tickety tick. You send your CV to the recruiter. And. Well, nothing. That’s it. You send a follow-up email. You phone. You consider resending your CV. Time passes. The job is now filled. You are still waiting for a call, or email, telling you why you weren’t called or emailed. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. No level of candidate (that’s you, job seeker) is exempt. No amount of experience, credibility or seniority is beyond being ignored. Everyone is able to become invisible with the same ease. So how do you get them to notice you? Interestingly one of the best ways is to get them to find you. There is something very hunter’ish about recruiters. Part of the ‘excitement’ of finding you, is actually in the finding of you. Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, recruiters are from Saturn. Number one on my list of ‘must haves’ then, is a good (or great) LinkedIn profile. Recruiters use LinkedIn like you use Google. For search. It is their prime hunting ground. You have to be there and you have to have a well written profile. Link to people, so your profile comes up in more searches. Remember LinkedIn only looks within three degrees. If you’re not connected to many people, who are not connected to many people… well, you can do your own maths. Keep your main thing, your main thing. Don’t be tempted to tell the recruiter all the things you could possibly do, with a fair wind and a following sea. None of their clients have asked them to find a Jack-of-all-trades. Focus on your expertise and explain what will make you an asset to their client. Consider this your first interview for that job. Always write your covering letter in the body of the email. Make it enticing, so that the receiver wants to open the attachment (your CV/resume). Have a highly relevant (to the job in question) CV/resume. Make sure it details everything you’ve done that their client(s) want. Talk in terms of achievement rather than task. Treat recruiters like people you might like. The better you get on, the more they will remember you. Viewing them as an obstacle to getting your perfect job and treating them accordingly, will not get you far. For far, read nowhere. Keep on, keeping on. There are good and bad in every profession. Don’t let a rogue recruiter put you off applying for that next perfect role. Author of Get That Interview and Clickst@rt Your Career Julie Holmwood is The Job Seekers Guide. She works with thousands of clients through her audio and web-based programmes, helping them get job search fit and successfully navigate their way into that new  role. You can find out more about Julie here.

Three Steps to Find Career Fulfillment - Hallie Crawford

Three Steps to Find Career Fulfillment Every human being wants to feel fulfillment in life, and since a career is a big part of our lives in today’s society, it is important to find something that fulfills you. If you are looking for your ideal career, or even if you already have a job where you feel content, it is important to take the time to analyze the following tips too see how you can make sure you are always finding ways to feel fulfilled. Define Fullfillment. We talk about fulfillment a lot, but what does it mean for your career? This is essentially your passion, your sense of meaning. This goes beyond your priorities or ethics. This is what gives you a sense of accomplishment. This is important to discover because it leads to a happier life, more success, and greater life balance. To define what fulfillment is to you, you must define your values.  Think about a peak experience in life, and write down what about it made you feel happy and successful. Also write down what irritates you and what would be the contrast of that quality or situation. Think about things that are essential to your life, and jot those down as well. Action tip: Life changes can cause you to change your values, so make sure to reevaluate  your values regularly. Think about how you can better honor your values at work this week, and put your plan to action! Identify talents and skills. Talents are different from skills. A talent is something that comes naturally, or something inherited. A skill is something that can be learned easily. It is important to define your talents and skills because utilizing them is related to fulfillment. Think about your current career: does it require a talent that you don’t have or skills that can be learned? And are these talents and skills things that you enjoy doing? If you want to implement new skills at your job, consider changing roles at your company. Or taking on a part-time job in a new industry to gain experience. Action tip: To identify your talents and skills, review your resume. What things stand out in  your resume? Ask a trusted friend or family member what they would say your talents and skills are. You can also try a skills assessment online. All this will give you greater insight into what you are good at naturally.   Execute and implement changes. Any change has an element of risk, but the key is to minimize the risk involved. It is important to accept this and prepare yourself for it mentally. For example, if you are looking to re-enter the workforce, review your resume with someone else to identify your transferable skills. Review LinkedIn profiles to get a feel of what you need to sell yourself long term in your industry. Action tip: Identify what your goals are and consider practical ways to implement them.  Create a plan and stick to it. We hope this is helpful to you! The career coaches at HallieCrawford.com. Schedule a free consult with HallieCrawford.com today Three Steps to Find Career Fulfillment Every human being wants to feel fulfillment in life, and since a career is a big part of our lives in today’s society, it is important to find something that fulfills you. If you are looking for your ideal career, or even if you already have a job where you feel content, it is important to take the time to analyze the following tips to see how you can make sure you are always finding ways to feel fulfilled. Define Fulfillment. We talk about fulfillment a lot, but what does it mean for your career? This is essentially your passion, your sense of meaning. This goes beyond your priorities or ethics. This is what gives you a sense of accomplishment. This is important to discover because it leads to a happier life, more success, and greater life balance. To define what fulfillment is to you, you must define your values.  Think about a peak experience in life, and write down what about it made you feel happy and successful. Also write down what irritates you and what would be the contrast of that quality or situation. Think about things that are essential to your life, and jot those down as well. Action tip: Life changes can cause you to change your values, so make sure to reevaluate  your values regularly. Think about how you can better honor your values at work this week, and put your plan to action! Identify talents and skills. Talents are different from skills. A talent is something that comes naturally, or something inherited. A skill is something that can be learned easily. It is important to define your talents and skills because utilizing them is related to fulfillment. Think about your current career: does it require a talent that you don’t have or skills that can be learned? And are these talents and skills things that you enjoy doing? If you want to implement new skills at your job, consider changing roles at your company. Or taking on a part-time job in a new industry to gain experience. Action tip: To identify your talents and skills, review your resume. What things stand out in  your resume? Ask a trusted friend or family member what they would say your talents and skills are. You can also try a skills assessment online. All this will give you greater insight into what you are good at naturally. Execute and implement changes. Any change has an element of risk, but the key is to minimize the risk involved. It is important to accept this and prepare yourself for it mentally. For example, if you are looking to re-enter the workforce, review your resume with someone else to identify your transferable skills. Review LinkedIn profiles to get a feel of what you need to sell yourself long term in your industry. Action tip: Identify what your goals are and consider practical ways to implement them.  Create a plan and stick to it. Discover the Essential Components to a Satisfying Career Today Want free tips, tools and expert advice on finding a career youre passionate about? Visit the certified career coaches at HallieCrawford.com, and sign up for their monthly career newsletter  right now. Bookmark their career blog for recommendations on resume writers, online career tests and more career resources. Schedule a free consult with HallieCrawford.com today