Author: indiafreenotes

Career-counseling expert John Holland says that personality (including values, motives, and needs) is one career choice determinant. For example, a person with a strong social orientation might be attracted to careers that entail interpersonal rather than intellectual or physical activities and to occupations such as social work.

Based on research with his Vocational Preference Test (VPT), Holland found six basic types of orientations.

1. Realistic Orientation

These people are attracted to occupations that involve physical activities requiring skill, strength, and cooperation. Examples include forestry, farming, and agriculture.

2. Investigative Orientation

Investigative people are attracted to careers that involve cognitive activities (thinking, organizing, and understanding) rather than affecting activities (feeling, acting or interpersonal and emotional tasks). Examples include biologist, chemist and college professor.

3. Social Orientation

These people are attracted to careers that involve interpersonal rather than intellectual or physical activities. Examples include clinical psychology, foreign Service and social work.

4. Conventional Orientation

A conventional orientation favors careers that involve structured, rule-regulated activities as well as careers in which it is expected that the employee subordinates his or her personal needs to those of the organization. Examples include accountants and bankers.

5. Enterprising Orientation

Verbal activities aimed at influencing others characterize enterprising personalities. Examples include managers, lawyers, and public relations executives.

6. Artistic Orientation

People here are attracted to careers that involve self-expression, artistic creation, expression of emotions and individualistic activities. Examples include artists, advertising executives, and musicians.

Most people have more than one occupational orientation (they might be realistic, social and investigative) and Holland believes that the more similar or compatible these orientations are, the less internal conflict or indecision a person will face in making a career choice.

Types of Onboarding

There are many different types of onboarding programs which are implemented by different organizations to accomplish the same goal to introduce a new employee to the organization concerned to prepare him/her for a constructive role in realizing the organizational goals.

The most common type of program includes a brief orientation session where a new hire completes necessary paperwork and receives relevant handouts that explain the company’s mission, policies, and expectations. Other programs include formal training sessions, mentorship programs, leadership involvement, and other similar initiatives aimed at involving successful, senior-level employees in the orientation process.

Usually, smaller companies do not have the necessary resources to implement an effective and formal onboarding program. Therefore, new hires are often given a brief introduction to the company and then expected to learn through the well-known trialand- error process.

As there are different types of employee onboarding, there are also various faces of onboarding. Let us understand in detail about various faces of employee onboarding.

1. Regular Employee Onboarding

Often referred to as organizational socialization, employee onboarding refers to the process through which new employees gather the necessary knowledge, skills and behavior to become an efficient part of the existing team.

With the human resource market estimating that 50% of hiring failures occur within 18 months on the job for positions other than the senior level, companies big and small, are making sure their employees aren’t one of the 25% of the population that looks for career transitions every year.

2. User / Consumer Onboarding

The onboarding process used to increase the likelihood of a new user successfully adopting your product/ service after purchase is known as user onboarding. The primary reason behind businesses making it a vital part of their marketing strategy is retention.

User retention is important today because almost each product/ service out there has at least a hundred alternatives with competitive offerings and prices. Most businesses lose out on their users in the first two months of the purchase either because the post sales experience was disappointing for the consumer or the consumer simply didn’t understand how to make the most out of his or her purchase.

3. Client Onboarding

One of the most critical functions for B2C as well as B2B companies, client onboarding directly impacts the client experience, servicing, and relationships leading to increased acceptance. Every client has different expectations, goals, objectives and grasp of the product or service you are offering; making it a must to include a self-introduction while onboarding them.

Process of Orientation

Your business will only be successful if you hire the right people and give them the proper training. One of the most important parts of that initial training is the employee orientation process. Orientation typically refers to the process of induction of new hires or the introduction of current employees to new technologies, procedures and policies at the workplace. The employee orientation process must be comprehensive and must provide information that includes expected performance, working hours, benefits, breaks, regulations and other important matters. Understanding the stages of the employee orientation process can help you improve the way you handle this all-important aspect of your business.

1. The Pre-Orientation Stage

Although all the levels of orientation are essential, some companies skip the pre-orientation stage for new hires, and that could be a mistake. Pre-orientation begins before the start date of your new employees and involves sending a package of information via email or postal service. This package typically includes documents such as an organizational chart, vision statement, mission statement, explanation of benefits, annual report and a checklist of what the actual orientation will cover. Sending a pre-orientation package increases the level of comfort your new hires will have when they arrive to work on their first day, and it allows them to prepare questions in advance. Some companies also include a small giveaway in the package, such as a company mug or T-shirt, which can help create a sense of camaraderie.

2. The Introduction to the Job-Site Stage

In this orientation stage, your goal is to make new hires comfortable in their new work environment. In the first part of this orientation stage, new recruits are given information about your company’s aims, objectives, culture, organizational structure, strategic plan, customer base and future goals. The second part of this orientation stage typically is a tour of the workplace, including seeing equipment, identifying potential safety hazards, and meeting some of the managers and supervisors in each department. The purpose of this job-site orientation is to make your new hires familiar with the basic layout of the company and to understand the general precepts that govern how the workplace functions. This orientation usually takes a day to complete.

3. The Job-Specific Orientation Stage

In this stage, new hires are given job- or task-specific orientation, typically by their immediate supervisor. New employees learn details about their specific department or team, including information about breaks, absences, parking facilities, personal phone calls, email and internet policy, as well as the standards of performance for their work. The goal is to shrink the orientation to the actual tasks that the new employee will perform, with an understanding of the normal workday processes that will ensure maximum efficiency. In some instances, you may want to assign a “buddy” to your new hire. This buddy’s job is to become a guide during the new hire’s first weeks or months of work, answering questions, acting as a sounding board, and relaying critical information about projects and deadlines.

4. The Follow-Up Orientation Stage

Although there are multiple levels of orientation that last several days, the truth is that new hire orientation is a months-long process. That’s why the follow-up stage is so critical – it allows you to determine how well your new employee is adjusting to the job. Follow-up usually occurs on a weekly basis. Supervisors or managers meet with the new employee to discuss any issues and problems that have arisen. Supervisors should encourage new employees to ask questions and honestly express challenges they are facing. The follow-up orientation stage lets you determine how well your employee is performing assigned duties and also reveals how well your company has done in providing all the tools and help necessary for new hires to flourish. Of all the levels of orientation, this one is most critical to long-term success.

Process of Onboarding

First impressions can have a lasting impact. Your company’s employee onboarding process is your chance to make a good first impression with new employees. This process should be about making the new employee feel welcomed, valued and prepared to succeed in their new role. A recent report by the Society for Human Resource Management showed that 1 in 25 employees leave their new jobs because of bad onboarding experiences. 

Poor onboarding can have many disastrous effects. It can set a new employee up for failure, inhibit workplace efficiency and change an employee’s outlook on your company. The result can be high cost and even higher turnover rates.

Here are seven ways to improve your onboarding process for employee success.

1. Prepare colleagues for the new employee

Prior to the new employee’s first day, send an announcement to all employees, either in-person or via email, welcoming them to the company. The announcement should tell them the new employee’s role, a bit about their experience, what they’ll be doing at your company and encourage other employees to welcome them.

When employees are aware of a new staff member ahead of time, they can be prepared to assist them on their first day. This will go a long way to making the new employee feel welcomed.

2. Have the new employee’s workstation ready to go

Having a “home base” that is ready for your new arrival is crucial to an employee’s first impression of your company. As a new employee, nothing is worse than not having the tools you need to be successful. Setting up the new employee’s computer, email and phone numbers ahead of time, and providing any necessary office supplies, can help a new colleague feel valued from day one. This gives the new employee the tools to perform at their best.

3. Make sure your new employee has access to any necessary programs

In line with getting their workstation ready, make sure the new employee has access to any programs, software or electronic files they will need before their first day. Skipping this step can stunt the new employee’s training, stall their ability to get to work and, in turn, affect their outlook on your company.

4. Make introductions

Schedule some time for the new employee to meet with key people and departments on their first day. Although they may not remember everyone’s name, this will give them a good overview of where to go to get what they need. These introductions will also help them understand how your company works and how their role plays in the overall picture.

5. Plan a team lunch

Arrange a lunch meeting or after-work gathering for the new employee and their immediate team members within the first week. This will help break the ice and allow the employee to get to know their new colleagues in a relaxed environment. You don’t even need to leave the office for this step – employees can bring their lunch and gather in a conference room. Take the time to learn a little bit about your new employee outside of the interview process. When an employee feels valued by their team on both a personal and professional level, they are more likely to stick around for the long haul. 

6. Allow plenty of time for training

The first week or so with the new employee should focus on training. Even if the employee has performed the same job function elsewhere, there are bound to be differences between companies. Having a training plan in place is a vital part of helping new employees find their feet in an organization. Your training should cover company rules, processes, procedures and expectations. Detailing what is expected for new employees sets a precedent by which they can measure their comfort in their new role.

Assigning a mentor from the employee’s department can also help them acclimate to their job by giving them a person who is ready to answer their questions and walk them through some of their assignments.

7. Don’t forget to follow-up

This step is the most important and often the most overlooked by employers. Commit to your 30, 60 and 90-day check-ins with the new employee. Even if the employee is doing well and you feel like they don’t need an evaluation, meet with them. This is your opportunity to learn more about your company’s onboarding process from the employee perspective. Find out what they liked and didn’t like about your process and make changes as you see fit.

Successful onboarding processes reflect the time and effort put into them. Take the time to be thoughtful and do your homework. The first few weeks are the most influential to a new hire’s outlook on your company – positive or negative – and sets the tone for their relationship with your business in the long-term.

It is the process of adaptation. It is the process by which new employees attempt to learn and inculcate the norms and values of work roles in an organization. Learning and inculcating the norms and values of work group are necessary for proper adjustment and job performance.

Socialisation is a comprehensive process. According to Horton and Hunt, Socialisation is the process whereby one internalises the norms of his groups, so that a distinct ‘self emerges, unique to this individual.

Through the process of socialisation, the individual becomes a social person and attains his personality. Green defined socialisation “as the process by which the child acquires a cultural content, along with selfhood and personality”.

According to Lundberg, socialisation consists of the “complex processes of interaction through which the individual learns the habits, skills, beliefs and standard of judgement that are necessary for his effective participation in social groups and communities”.

Peter Worsley explains socialisation “as the process of “transmission of culture, the process whereby men learn the rules and practices of social groups”.

H.M. Johnson defines socialisation as “learning that enables the learner to perform social roles”. He further says that it is a “process by which individuals acquire the already existing culture of groups they come into”.

The heart of socialisation”, to quote kingsley Davis.” is the emergence and gradual development of the self or ego. It is in terms of the self that personality takes shape and the mind comes to function”. It is the process by which the newborn individual, as he grows up, acquires the values of the group and is moulded into a social being.

Socialisation takes place at different stages such as primary, secondary and adult. The primary stage involves the socialisation of the young child in the family. The secondary stage involves the school and the third stage is adult socialisation.

Socialisation is, thus, a process of cultural learning whereby a new person acquires necessary skills and education to play a regular part in a social system. The process is essentially the same in all societies, though institutional arrangements vary. The process continues throughout life as each new situation arises. Socialization is the process of fitting individuals into particular forms of group life, transforming human organism into social being sand transmitting established cultural traditions.

• Socialization is based on several assumptions
• New employee suffer from anxiety and require adjustment.
• Socialization strongly affects employee programme and stability of organization.

Types of Socialisation

Although socialisation occurs during childhood and adolescence, it also continues in middle and adult age. Orville F. Brim (Jr) described socialisation as a life-long process. He maintains that socialisation of adults differ from childhood socialisation. In this context it can be said that there are various types of socilisation.

1. Primary Socialisation

Primary socialisation refers to socialisation of the infant in the primary or earliest years of his life. It is a process by which the infant learns language and cognitive skills, internalises norms and values. The infant learns the ways of a given grouping and is moulded into an effective social participant of that group.

The norms of society become part of the personality of the individual. The child does not have a sense of wrong and right. By direct and indirect observation and experience, he gradually learns the norms relating to wrong and right things. The primary socialisation takes place in the family.

2. Secondary Socialisation

The process can be seen at work outside the immediate family, in the ‘peer group’. The growing child learns very important lessons in social conduct from his peers. He also learns lessons in the school. Hence, socialisation continues beyond and outside the family environment. Secondary socialisation generally refers to the social training received by the child in institutional or formal settings and continues throughout the rest of his life.

3. Adult Socialisation

In the adult socialisation, actors enter roles (for example, becoming an employee, a husband or wife) for which primary and secondary socialisation may not have prepared them fully. Adult socialisation teaches people to take on new duties. The aim of adult socialisation is to bring change in the views of the individual. Adult socialisation is more likely to change overt behaviour, whereas child socialisation moulds basic values.

4. Anticipatory Socialisation

Anticipatory socialisation refers to a process by which men learn the culture of a group with the anticipation of joining that group. As a person learns the proper beliefs, values and norms of a status or group to which he aspires, he is learning how to act in his new role.

5. Re-socialisation

Re-Socialisation refers to the process of discarding former behaviour patterns and accepting new ones as part of a transition in one’s life. Such re-socialisation takes place mostly when a social role is radically changed. It involves abandonment of one way of life for another which is not only different from the former but incompatible with it. For example, when a criminal is rehabilitated, he has to change his role radically.

Stages of Socialisation

1. Pre arrival stage

It recognizes that all the new recruits arrive in the organization with a set of values, norms, expectations and learning. This includes both the work to be done and the organization. For example in a business schools, student acquire certain idea’s regarding the nature of their future jobs, pay packages, and carrier progress. At the recruitment stage many organizations give job preview which helps the prospective employees to learn more about the job and the organization.

2. Encounter stage

When the new employees join the organization, he encounter the realities of the situation in term of his job, work culture, subordinates and peer’s. if the expectations of the individual are in the tune with the organizational realities, he adapt organization quickly. On the other hand, if there is a marked difference between expectations and realities, socialization is essential to replace his previous assumptions with realities. At the other extreme, the individual cannot recognize with the values and norms of the organization and quits the job.

3. Metamorphosis stage

In this stage, the new employee acquire the skills require to adjust with the values and norms of the organization. He brings necessary change in his attitude and role behaviour to suit the organization’s culture. Such changes make the employee self confident and he feels accepted by other member’s of the organization. The completion of socialization process is characterized by fellings.

Theories of Socialisation

1. Development of Self and Personality

Personality takes shape with the emergence and development of the ‘self’. The emergence of self takes place in the process of socialisation whenever the individual takes group values.

The self, the core of personality, develops out of the child’s interaction with others. A person’s ‘self is what he consciously and unconsciously conceives himself to be. It is the sum total of his perceptions of himself and especially, his attitudes towards himself. The self may be defined as one’s awareness of and ideas and attitudes about his own personal and social identity. But the child has no self. The self arises in the interplay of social experience, as a result of social influences to which the child, as he grows, becomes subject.

In the beginning of the life of the child there is no self. He is not conscious of himself or others. Soon the infant feels out the limits of the body, learning where its body ends and other things begin. The child begins to recognise people and tell them apart. At about the age of two it begins to use ‘I’ which is a clear sign of definite self-consciousness that he or she is becoming aware of itself as a distinct human being.

Primary groups play crucial role in the formation of the self of the newborn and in the formation of the personality of the newborn as well. It can be stated here that the development of self is rooted in social behaviour and not in biological or hereditary factors.

In the past century sociologists and psychologists proposed a number of theories to explain the concept of self.

There are two main approaches to explain the concept of self – Sociological approach and: Psychological approach.

2. Charles Horton Cooley

Charles Horton Cooley believed, personality arises out of people’s interactions with the world. Cooley used the phrase “Looking Glass Self’ to emphasise that the self is the product of our social interactions with other people.

To quote Cooley, “As we see our face, figure and dress in the glass and are interested in them because they are ours and pleased or otherwise with according as they do or do not answer to what we should like them to be; so in imagination we perceive in another’s mind some thought of our appearance, manners, aims, deeds, character, friends and so on and variously affected by it”.

Features of Socialisation

Socialisation not only helps in the maintenance and preservation of social values and norms but it is the process through which values and norms are transmitted from one generation to another generation.

Features of socialisation may be discussed as under:

1. Inculcates basic discipline

Socialisation inculcates basic discipline. A person learns to control his impulses. He may show a disciplined behaviour to gain social approval.

2. Helps to control human behaviour

It helps to control human behaviour. An individual from birth to death undergoes training and his, behaviour is controlled by numerous ways. In order to maintain the social order, there are definite procedures or mechanism in society. These procedures become part of the man’s/life and man gets adjusted to the society. Through socialisation, society intends to control the behaviour of its-members unconsciously.

3. Socialisation is rapid if there is more humanity among the- agencies of socialisation

Socialisation takes place rapidly if the agencies’ of socialisation are more unanimous in their ideas and skills. When there is conflict between the ideas, examples and skills transmitted in home and those transmitted by school or peer, socialisation of the individual tends to be slower and ineffective.

4. Socialisation takes place formally and informally

Formal socialisation takes through direct instruction and education in schools and colleges. Family is, however, the primary and the most influential source of education. Children learn their language, customs, norms and values in the family.

5. Socialisation is continuous process

Socialisation is a life-long process. It does not cease when a child becomes an adult. As socialisation does not cease when a child becomes an adult, internalisation of culture continues from generation to generation. Society perpetuates itself through the internalisation of culture. Its members transmit culture to the next generation and society continues to exist.

The process of socialization within organizations is designed to quickly help newcomers orient and familiarize themselves with company procedures. If you have ever been on the receiving end of an effective initiation program, then you know how helpful it can be in helping with early adjustment. The science shows that effective early socialization can affect long term organizational outcomes. Recent research investigated how organizations can use certain organizational socialization tactics to positively influence such outcomes.

Organizational Socialization Tactics

There are three major domains that encompass socialization tactics within organizations. These include collective and formal tactics, which concern the context of newcomer socialization, sequential and fixed tactics, which deal with the content of information provided, and finally, investiture and serial tactics which concern social aspects of the process. These three domains should be designed to reduce the uncertainty of newcomers. The researchers hypothesized that these tactics are related to the extent to which newcomers will experience a clear sense of what is expected of them and what they should do on the job. In turn, they investigated whether giving employees clear expectations influences employees’ sense of competency at a later time.

Trust and Relationships

Trust forms an important element of organizational effectiveness. For example, when people trust supervisors and co-workers, they are more likely to feel comfortable and to fully engage at work. Entry periods into organizations are critical times for facilitating the formation of trusting relationships. There is a mental and emotional element to these relationships. Emotional trust is considered a more powerful form of trust, as it becomes more important in long term outcomes. The researchers sought to understand whether trust-building tactics also impact employees’ sense of commitment to the organization.

Results

The researchers found that when newcomers had a clear sense of what was required of them in the organization, they later reported more competent performance on the job. They also found that emotional-based trust relationships with supervisors or co-workers improved the relationship between socialization tactics and organizational commitment. The implication here is that initial processes that help newcomers build trusting relationships can later go on to affect commitment to that organization.

Tips for Organizations

The results highlight the necessity for organizations to ensure that they have a two-pronged approach to helping newcomers adjust to the work environment. This requires helping newcomers understand what is required of them and how to adopt effective strategies for dealing with work tasks. Also important is the need to give newcomers the opportunity to build significant relationships with organizational insiders. By realizing this, organizations can facilitate newcomer adjustment as well as foster greater organizational commitment.

1. Collaborative hiring: Referrals & Internal mobility

There’s a reason why they say two heads are better than one. When it comes to recruitment, involving your entire team in the recruitment process can be of tremendous value.

Just think of the potential that could come out of the combined (personal) networks of your team members, for example.

This is one of the reasons we see an increase in employee referrals and employee referral programs and companies that provide AI driven technology to automate your employee referral efforts.

Referred hires generally are (among other things) more productive, more engaged and less likely to leave.

Given the current market situation, it seems only natural for companies to increase their focus on collaborative hiring even more this year.

The same thing goes for internal mobility programs.

Although not that many organizations have a (well-developed) internal mobility culture and program in place yet, this can be a great way to meet skill shortages, decrease turnover and boost engagement.

2. Growing importance of recruitment marketing

As we’ve said, 21st-century recruiters need all the help they can get to find the best candidates. This explains the rise of recruitment marketing solutions.

Recruitment marketing  also called the pre-applicant stage of talent acquisition is the process of attracting and nurturing talent to your organization by marketing to them.

Just like the main goal of traditional marketing is to drive individuals to buy a company’s product or service, the primary objective of recruitment marketing is to get people to apply to your organization’s job openings.

We’ve already seen the use of certain marketing techniques in recruitment before (think of programmatic job advertising tools, for example). Now, however, companies increasingly turn to, let’s call them full-service recruitment marketing providers.  

This means a recruitment marketing solution that helps organizations strengthen their employer brand, reach candidates on social media and optimize their career sites (of course, there are many other possibilities depending on your company’s specific needs).

To stick with the marketing jargon: this year, we’ll continue to see a transition from outbound to inbound recruitment.

3. Attracting talent with transferable skills from outside your industry

With certain industries already struggling to find skilled people and a growing number of baby boomers retiring, recruiters have no choice but to look beyond the ‘borders’ of their industry to find people.

So rather than looking for relevant previous experience, recruiters will increasingly focus on transferable skills and hence (considerably) expand their potential talent pool.

4. AI

Yes, there it is again, artificial intelligence. And yes, we know you’ve probably been inundated with AI-related content. However, applications of AI in recruitment will become even more widespread in 2019.

This year, in one way or another, AI will become a must-have in the recruiter’s toolbox.

From automated candidate sourcing, recovery, and matching, to hiring remote workers and creating customized employee value propositions, the number of different uses of AI in recruitment just keeps growing.

5. Embracing the flexible workforce

For most organizations, their workforce already consists of a combination of full-timers, contractors, freelancers and everything in-between.

In the US alone, 36% of all workers (around 57 million people) are in the gig economy, a number that is likely to grow even more this year.

Independent workers like the fact that they can work anywhere they want, when they want and are often happier than ‘traditional’ employees. In fact, satisfaction levels for independents have never been as high as they are right now: 74% of independent workers say they are highly satisfied.

Technology, of course, is a big enabler of this kind of freelance work: people can use their smartphones, have free internet available in a lot of (coffee) places, and freelance platforms like Upwork, PeoplePerHour and Fiverr match freelancers with projects.

Especially when companies need to find skilled people urgently and in an industry where talent is scarce they’ll have to turn to freelancers, contractors, etc. to meet their needs.

On a positive note, working with freelancers can be a good way for a company to find out if they’d like those people to become full-time employees: if there is a mutual click, you may have found yourself a great new hire!

6. Diversity hiring

Like AI, diversity hiring is one of those themes that remain relevant in 2019. Diversity in the broadest sense of the word that is; gender, ethnicity, geographical and age.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives have proven to offer many benefits, such as improved employee happiness, productivity and retention and a positive reflection on your employer brand.

So this year, we’ll see more of said initiatives pop up think of a digital marketplace that connects women with employers, for example. We’ll also see an increase in the number of companies ramping up their diversity hiring efforts.

7. Building and sharing your mission

Do like Nike did, basically. The American sportswear giant took a stand last year when it used a black and white photograph of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a part of its advertising campaign to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ slogan.

Kaepernick caused quite the controversy back in 2016 when he kneeled during the national anthem to show his support for people of color in the United States and to bring attention to police brutality.

More than two-thirds of consumers believe that it’s important for brands to take a stance on certain political and social issues a number that is probably going to increase even more with the next generation of shoppers.

So, even if it meant they’d lose customers and people did indeed boycott Nike following the Kaepernick ad Nike chose sides.

It’s the same for employers.

Today’s workforce is on the lookout for mission-driven employers. People want more than just a paycheck from the organization they work for, they want to have a sense of purpose in their job.

And, just like today’s consumers, job seekers often want their own values to align with those of their company.

2019 will, therefore, see an increased focus of companies building and sharing their mission, taking stands and creating their own version of Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ to attract talent.

8. Hiring Gen Z

They’ve been entering the global workforce for a while now, although so far, mainly in internship and entry-level positions.

Slowly but surely though, Generation Z (the cohort that comes after the Millennials, born somewhere between the mid-’90s and the mid-2000s) is now finding its way into the workplace.

If your knowledge about these Digital Natives is a little rusty, you might want to bring it up to speed again, because this year the recruitment of Gen Z will, without a doubt, accelerate.

A few elements to keep in mind when it comes to hiring Generation Z are:

• They are one with their smartphones
• Adapt to their (short) attention span
• It’s all about video
• Don’t forget about health & wellness
• Think about their growth

To succeed in recruitment in 2019, make sure to consider these points when creating your recruitment strategy.

9. Data security

After the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union in May last year, it’s impossible to think of candidate (and employee) data without thinking of the protection of this data.

Whether companies like it or not, data security has now become a theme for every provider of recruitment technology that uses people’s data.

Since a lot of providers (if not all of them) use data and analytics, this means that virtually everyone needs to have a system in place to protect candidate data.

After all, companies had to be ready when the GDPR became effective last year.

This is true, of course, but the regulation does have implications for new features, technology, and solutions that are introduced to the market and that use data.

10. Hiring people with future-proof (soft) skills

This one consists of two elements. On the one hand, there is an increased focus on hiring people with future-proof skills. Think of complex problem-solving capabilities, critical thinking, cognitive flexibility, etc.

On the other hand, there has been more and more attention to people’s soft skills recently. It turns out, companies are often struggling to find talent with good soft skills (communication, listening, empathy, etc.).

Soft skills are personality-driven and they are what makes the difference between a good and a great candidate. After all, hard (tangible and technical) skills usually can be taught, while teaching someone how to show empathy is almost impossible…

As developments in technology are changing many industries rapidly, the demand for people with transferable, future-proof (as much as possible) and soft skills will rise.

11. A shift from job description-based hiring to project-based hiring

This is a result of several of the trends we’ve seen above, like the growing gig economy and the shift from experience-based hiring to hiring based on transferable & soft skills for instance.

Both of these developments are likely to change the way organizations manage their projects.

In a time where finding good full-time employees is hard and turnover often is high, it could make more sense to start hiring in a different way.

Based on projects rather than job descriptions, for example.

This has, among other things, the advantage of gathering those people who are the best in their field for each project. Instead of buying labor, organizations will actually be buying (and thus recruiting for) results.  

Biodata

Bio Data is the short form for Biographical Data and is an archaic terminology for Resume or C.V. In a bio data, the focus is on personal particulars like date of birth, gender, religion, race, nationality, residence, marital status, and the like. A chronological listing of education and experience comes after that.

The biodata format includes relevant factual information about an individual, such as:

• Personal information (e.g., date of birth, gender, marital status, religion, height, complexion, father’s name, etc.)
• Educational background
• Occupational history
• Skills
• Interests and hobbies

Biodata format documents are not to be confused with biodata instruments, or biographical information blanks (BIBs). The former is a document typically prepared by the individual, and, in some settings, can serve as a replacement for, or a supplement to, a resume or curriculum vitae. The latter is a criterion-related validity assessment that includes detailed questions about past work and personal experiences, and it is often used by employers to predict the future job performance of prospective employees. Depending on the context and setting, a biodata could be any of the following:

• A criterion-related validity assessment used by employers for personnel selection
• An antiquated term that means resume
• A supplement to a resume or C.V.
• A resume replacement in some South Asian regions
• For applying for government jobs in India
• To apply for temporary and/or skilled labor jobs in some countries
• As a marriage resume in India or Pakistan

Biodata	A Biodata is also called a “Biographical Data”
The personal facts a Biodata includes	A person’s height, weight, father’s name, Mother’s name, gender, complexion, caste, religion, marital status, nationality, permanent address, date of birth etc.
The best used in places	India uses Biodata for the marriage purpose.
The best used for	The uses of a Biodata differs from country to country – in India, it is mainly used for traditional marriage purposes, but in many other countries, it is often used to apply for employment.
The length of a Biodate	One page of a Biodata with personal facts is sufficient for marriage purpose, but if you want to consider it to showcase your personal & professional detail both, it may go up-to two – three pages.

CV (Curriculum Vitae)

Curriculum Vitae is a Latin word meaning “course of life”. It is more detailed than a resume, generally 2 to 3 pages, or even longer as per the requirement. A C.V. lists out every skill, all the jobs and positions held, degrees, professional affiliations the applicant has acquired, and in chronological order. A C.V. is used to highlight the general talent of the candidate rather than specific skills for a specific position.

CV	CV stands for Curriculum Vitae
In India, Australia and South Africa	Resume and CV both are used for the purpose of employment, the only difference is the word Resume is used regularly for the private sector jobs and CV for the public sector jobs.
The best used in places	Exclusively, in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand, companies demand for CV to screen-out the candidates for the job interviews.
The best used for	CVs are mainly used to applying for intercontinental, health care, research, academic, teaching, scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, internships, and scientific jobs.
The length of a CV	There is no page limit for Curriculum Vitae, the only thing is – it is always being considered as larger in length as compared to Resume.

Best Practices

Whatever item (Resume, Biodata, or CV) you choose to describe your personal and professional details in summarized form, the best thing you need to do is – you should know “the purpose of choosing the item, the details you want to include in the item, and in which order you want to place the details in the item?”

Social skills are essential in building both personal and professional relationships. Demonstrating strong interpersonal skills can help you accomplish career goals, contribute to company achievements, perform well during the hiring process, expand your professional network and much more.

Understanding and improving your social skills will support your efforts in every area of life. In this article, we discuss what social skills are, why they are important and how you can improve them with examples.

Social skills, also known as interpersonal or soft skills, are used to communicate with others. There are several types of communication we use on a daily basis including verbal, nonverbal, written and visual.

Verbal skills involve the spoken language, while nonverbal communication includes body language, facial expressions and eye contact. Any time you interact with another person, you’re using social skills in some way. Strong social skills can help you build and maintain successful relationships both professionally and personally.

Why social skills are important?

Social skills are important because they help you build, maintain and grow relationships with colleagues, clients and new contacts alike. They are important to maintain and improve no matter your position, industry or experience level.

Investing in relationships is beneficial for your career in many ways, some of which include:

• Gaining ideas, information, techniques and perspectives from people with different areas of expertise
• Providing your own perspective for the benefit of others
• Accomplishing tasks and working together towards a shared goal
• Providing mutual support for difficult or hard-to-navigate situations
• Expanding your network to learn about and pursue new opportunities
• Gaining feedback and referrals from people who can personally attest to your work, skills and qualities (and for whom you can do the same)
• Making the workplace more enjoyable

It is also important to display your social skills during the hiring process. Being able to work and build relationships with others effectively is a crucial quality employers look for in candidates. It can also show your fitness for their company culture.

To show social skills on your cover letter, provide an example of a time you worked with others to achieve a goal that drove success for your team or organization. On your resume, list specific, measurable achievements that you can elaborate on how you used your social skills to get it done during your interview. During the interview, use the STAR method for behavioral interview questions to explain times you have found success using social skills.

Six examples of social skills

Here are a few examples of qualities you can build to increase your social skills:

1. Effective communication

The ability to communicate effectively with others is a core social skill. If you have strong communication skills, you’ll be able to share your thoughts and ideas clearly with others. Effective communicators make good leaders because they can easily explain projects and goals in an easy-to-understand way.

2. Conflict resolution

Disagreements and dissatisfaction can arise in any situation. Conflict resolution is the ability to get to the source of the problem and find a workable solution. If you have good conflict resolution skills, you may be well-suited to a position in HR, where you can address disagreements between employees. You might also enjoy a customer service role where you will resolve conflicts for clients about a company’s products, services or policies.

3. Active listening

Active listening is the ability to pay close attention to a person who is communicating with you. Active listeners are typically well-regarded by their coworkers due to the attention and respect they offer others. You can increase your listening skills by focusing on the speaker, avoiding distractions, and by preparing questions, comments or ideas to respond.

4. Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and identify with the feelings of another person. If you have empathy, others will be more likely to confide in you. Being more empathetic takes a conscious effort to carefully consider how others feel. If you strengthen your empathy and rapport with others, you’ll be able to build stronger relationships, which can be beneficial in many ways.

5. Relationship management

Relationship management is the ability to maintain relationships and build key connections. For example, if you have a job in customer service, you might be responsible for relationship management between your company and a specific set of clients. Executives at organizations manage relationships with stakeholders and investors. This is a useful social skills in a variety of roles.

6. Respect

A key aspect of respect is knowing when to initiate communication and respond. In a team or group setting, allowing others to speak without interruption is seen as a necessary communication skill tied to respectfulness. Respectfully communicating also means using your time with someone else wisely—staying on topic, asking clear questions and responding fully to any questions you’ve been asked.

How to improve social skills?

There are several ways to improve your social skills. Here are just a few ways you can begin:

1. Get feedback

It can be helpful to ask trusted friends, mentors or managers to provide you with honest feedback about your areas for improvement. Use this feedback to start setting measurable goals toward having a strong, well-rounded set of social skills.

2. Set goals

After identifying areas for improvement, use the SMART goals framework to work toward building interpersonal skills in a specific, measurable way.

3. Find resources

There are countless classes, guides, books and more both online and off. While you can certainly pay for an e-book or class, there are also many free resources you can consume. You can also find focused resources on topics such as body language or negotiations.

4. Identify areas for practice

Once you have learned tactics and tips for improving your social skills, put them into practice at home and at work. You can also look for volunteer opportunities or extra-curricular activities for which you can practice interpersonal skills with less pressure.

If you’re looking for soft skills that will improve your employability and help you excel in nearly any job, social skills are a great place to start. The best way to improve your social skills is to put your learning into practice. A background demonstrating success with social skills will serve you well in many areas of life.