Crowdsourcing for the Rest of Us Marla Gottschalk

Crowdsourcing for the Rest of Us Marla Gottschalk In todays world, how do small to medium sized businesses leverage cutting-edge tools to improve day-to-day operations? Answer: Borrow the strategies of the big hitters such as   InnoCentive and Proctor Gamble, then adapt them to meet your needs. One relevant example: crowdsourcing â€" and its really just about listening. Crowdsourcing is all about opening the lines of communication, forging new connections and gaining a new perspective. The concept may sound intimidating â€" but it is simply about listening respectfully and utilizing the information to move your business forward.   When implemented correctly, it can offer you information that can help business evolve effectively. Your customers and crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing can augment your overall customer strategy. The process can not only offer a needed layer of protection when tracking a developing product or service problem, it also has the ability to collect customer ideas for future improvements. Starbucks, Cadbury and Toyota are a few of the companies gathering customer input, with links on their websites to gather ideas and feedback   â€" a strategy that any business can implement. Other common social media platforms provide targeted crowdsourcing opportunities. Consider posting a question on your company Facebook Page, include a poll on your blog concerning options for product updates, or post an informational video on Youtube (youll get plenty of comments). You can also utilize your Google+ Brand Page to hold a hang out with your customers and explore ideas relevant to your business plan. Whatever the topic you choose to explore, be sure to keep the call to action simple and try not to overwhelm your customers in the process. Get Creative Organizations of all kinds, are connecting with their customers through crowdsourcing. Sweetgreens novel New Years Resolution campaign focused on developing a link with customers. By collecting resolutions through post-it notes at their physical store and on Twitter, customer relationships were forged and strengthened. You can utilize crowdsourcing to include your customers in your developing business story, whatever the topic. Crowdsourcing within your organization Crowdsourcing is not only about establishing a rapport with your customers, it can also open a new communication channel with your employees. It is possible to crowdsource just about anything within your organization â€" including ideas to solve inefficiencies within a department or a function. Have budget constraints? Want ideas on how to save money wisely? Pitch the question to your employees, as they are the experts concerning the day-to-day operations of your organization. Does your organization routinely utilize teams to develop new ideas and solve problems? Social engagement platforms such as Jostle, offer opportunities to implement crowdsourcing within your day-to-day operations, by facilitating new connections and communicating current topics, challenges and opportunities. Essential elements for internal crowdsourcing. The platform provides opportunities to document team formation in response to ever-changing business needs. As explained by Brad Palmer developer of Jostle, The idea is to connect people by encouraging the discovery of those within the organization. This facilitates cultural knowledge that can positively enhance effectiveness and extended teamwork. As such, this information allows employees even somewhat removed from the work at hand to serve as a potential contributor or problem solver. Before you shrug off the notion that crowdsourcing is inappropriate for your business â€" give the idea just one more thought. Implementing the process could offer you the needed edge to catapult your organization forward. Check out this crowdsourcing infographic. Dr. Marla Gottschalk is a Workplace Psychologist located in East Lansing, Michigan. Contact her practice at marlagottschalk@comcast.net.You can also find her on Twitter and Linkedin.

Hiring Developers Fighting with Tech Talent Shortage - CareerMetis.com

Hiring Developers Fighting with Tech Talent Shortage Source â€" Pexels.comWe all know that the tech industry is constantly changing. Due to recruitment challenges, companies look for other, more creative solutions to fill a position.Needless to say that the situation with tech talent pool depends on location and many other factors and, for some companies it’s very hard to find and hire dedicated developers, especially if the required set of skills is rare.Hiring Tech Talent Is Harder NowIn recent years, technical hiring has become one of the hardest challenges. HR professionals, recruitment agencies, and tech CEOs alike are bemoaning the shortage of tech talent.evalThe problem has become so severe, particularly in advanced economies, that it now occupies a role in the mainstream discussion.Solutions to the Tech Talent GapGovernments in North America and Europe have debated how they can create programs to teach coding to more people, for example. Meanwhile, venture capitalists and investors complain that the lack of developer talent i s holding their VC portfolio companies back.Technical Skills in High DemandDue to the high demand for tech experts in Western Europe and North America, among other regions, recruiting developers is much harder now. For example, according to EuroStat, about 20% of EU enterprises needed ICT specialists.In this group, in all EU countries, employers had challenges hiring the ICT specialists they needed. The situation was worse for employers in advanced economies such as the Netherlands, Austria, and Denmark.Chart: Employers Who Experienced Challenges Finding Tech TalentAmong advanced economies, Spain and France have lower recruitment challenges for tech roles.Reasons for Shortage of Skilled Human ResourcesBehind the tech, shortage lies a number of trends which have resulted in the supply of talent not matching with demand.The following are important causes of the current situation, according to Hackernoon.1. Technology AdvancesevalevalSoftware engineering has advanced in the last decade . New stacks have emerged, and new tools and techniques. The majority of talent has not yet sufficiently caught up with the latest advances that employers demand in the marketplace.Some relatively new skills that are hard to recruit for include data science, Node.js, No-SQL, big data, and machine learning.2. Employer Expectations for Tech JobsEmployers want to use the best, most cutting-edge technologies available and are willing to pay higher technical recruiter salary to conduct tech pro-research.Some of the businesses in tech are among the best companies to work for. For them, using an older technology stack that has more candidates available is seen as a strategic disadvantage.3. Tech Graduates Not Sufficient for DemandevalIn advanced economies, the supply of new STEM 2. IT outstaffingThe outstaffing model is often seen as an improvement on outsourcing, particularly for product quality. Instead of shipping out the execution of a project and its oversight, in outstaffing, the com pany that needs talent creates a tightly knit team in another location where talent is available.The project managers of this company then work with that team. The outstaffing company provides the entire team of dedicated developers for a project.Some advantages of this model are:Higher software quality â€" Because the company sponsoring the project has control and insight into the team of software developers working on it, work processes can be improved. The entire team can work to quality specifications controlled by the company that needs the product. When you hire dedicated developers, the quality of the end product is sometimes superior to what you could achieve internally.Better communication â€" Because the client and development team are tightly integrated into the project execution, communication is often better. This makes it easier to identify and solve problems or brainstorm together.evalThe potential drawback with outstaffing is that if the client has no team managers a ble to collaborate with the outstaffing firm, the collaboration can create logistical overhead.Hiring FreelancersAnother solution to the tech talent shortage is to hire freelancers. Hiring freelancers let a client company augment its existing staff with the talent for one-off projects or contingencies.Advantages of freelancers include:Fast access to talent â€" Individual freelancers outnumber companies, so finding a single freelancer for a small project is often easier than locating a company that can work on big projects.Few restrictions on finding talent â€" While a company might not be able to outsource an entire project to certain regions, there may still be freelancers in those countries that can help. For example, if a company in Europe needs financial development talent but has no intention to set up an office in New York, freelancers can help. The company can simply hire experienced financial developers who have worked on Wall Street so they work on its project, collaboratin g over the internet.A drawback with freelancers is that it’s harder to complete large, complex projects with freelancers. Managing time zone differences and different work schedules makes team collaboration more challenging.Best Countries in Which to Hire DevelopersOne area that has emerged as a winner in the tech talent race is Central and Eastern Europe. This region includes nations like Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Poland, which have rapidly growing tech communities.evalThis makes it easier for companies that are hard-pressed to find tech talent elsewhere. Given the high quality of talent in this region of the world, these countries are likely to become very important for the future of the tech industry globally.How Companies Can Circumvent Tech Recruitment ChallengesThe intense need for software developers and tech experts around the world has created a shortage of skilled talent.This creates opportunities for developers and challenges for businesses. Some options that many businesses are now using to solve this problem include outsourcing, outstaffing, and hiring freelancers.Each solution has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. All, however, provide an opportunity for any business or developer looking to work on cutting-edge projects.

Top 10 Oddball Interview Questions on Glassdoor in 2015 - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Top 10 Oddball Interview Questions on Glassdoor in 2015 On holiday over Easter, I was helping a relative prepare for an upcoming job interview â€" his first. After covering the basics (like research the vacancy and company, appropriate dress code, eye contact etc) the conversation moved onto the subject of handling interview questions. There are some interview questions that are tricky to answer but must always be handled truthfully: â€" Explain what you did in the 6 month period missing on your CV Others seem just plain weird and need a creative answer: â€" How many golf balls can you fit in a school bus? Actual question attributed to a Google interview. With most well thought through interviews, you can bet that the interviewer will have a reason for asking every question. Some questions are looking for facts and others aim to get candidates talking. Its clear that candidates must be prepared for anything during an interview, and as the more extreme questions get talked about online, you can be sure that more companies will adopt them into interviews. The online career community Glassdoor has combed through tens of thousands of interview questions that were shared with its community by job candidates over the past year. The resulting list of Top 10 Oddball Interview Questions for 2015, makes interesting reading and should help to get candidates thinking about what they may be asked. Have a look at them here: http://worklab.breathehr.com/top-10-oddball-interview-questions-on-glassdoor-in-2015

Tips For Writing an Insurance Resume

Tips For Writing an Insurance ResumeInsurance resume is basically a list of your experiences in the field of insurance, including jobs you have held and what your educational credentials are. Often a resume is more about showing potential employers what type of person you are than about your skills, but there are ways to make sure you get the most out of it.First of all, keep the information concise. Most people who write insurance resume never see the final draft, so you need to make sure that you don't jumble the facts or distract from your message. Also, you need to highlight specific skills.Second, you should list only those skills and tasks that you feel will be helpful to you in your new career. In other words, if you want to write an insurance resume that attracts a more senior position in a large company, for example, do not list reading and writing experience.You should avoid too many bullet points because they sound too formal. Instead, concentrate on the highlights. Also, avoid being too brief, and stick to a maximum of two pages, with no more than three bullet points per page.Finally, include a cover letter that will highlight your qualifications. Include your personal credentials, including your educational background, for this is an important part of your cover letter.As you prepare your insurance resume, keep in mind that you should tailor it to the needs of the company or insurance agent you are looking for. The resume format should be something that matches the requirements of the agency and does not scare off the interviewer. Keep in mind that the more experience you have, the more impressive you appear.It is also a good idea to include the companies that you have worked for as well as how much experience you have in that field. Also, keep in mind that there are many variations of the insurance resume format and you may have to customize yours for each particular company. Don't try to fit your resume into the mold of the rest.It is a great ide a to write both your cover letter and your insurance resume at the same time. This way, you can give an interview that is more efficient and interesting to the interviewer.

Can Resume Writing Services Be Deducted From My Resume?

Can Resume Writing Services Be Deducted From My Resume?There are so many different types of resume writing services out there to choose from. So, are these things going to be deducted from your resume?Every type of service has its own way of doing things. Some will be far more convenient, and some will be more professional. It all depends on how you would like your job to be done.If you choose to take a different type of service to get your resume written, then you may be able to have the money deducted from your paycheck. But if you choose a more experienced company to do the writing for you, then this isn't going to happen. However, if you do choose to have it written by an experienced company, then they will charge you for this service.If you chose to use a resume writing service for the first time, you may find that it is far more professional than having it professionally written. This is because these companies know what they are doing and know how to write the resume for you.T here are many ways that these types of companies get paid. For instance, the company pays your employer a certain amount of money each time a job gets filled, so they are going to be reimbursed by the company when you submit a resume to them. You may even find that they do this after you have submitted a resume to them.When you apply for a job, the person who reads your resume needs to see that you have put in the proper amount of effort into it. This means that the more professional your resume is, the more likely you are to get the job.A professional resume is just as important as a professional cover letter. So, be sure to have a professional resume and a professional cover letter for the next time you apply for a job.

Facts, Fiction and Resume Writing Mail

Facts, Fiction and Resume Writing Mail The Upside to Resume Writing Mail There are only some of the means by which you may have a resume that is guaranteed for success. Making your resume for the very first time may be worrisome task for everybody, but believe it or not, resume writing is not quite as difficult because it is made out to be. Resume writing is an intimidating job for everyone. If you locate the job of creating your resume, stressful, time consuming, or in case you don't know the best places to begin, it's a smart investment to employ a specialist. Get in touch with us today to acquire startedspaces are limited! Most email companies make it simple to attach a document. Be cautious concerning the time you opt to send your resume email. For the majority of us, email is the most frequent type of business communication so that it's important to get it right. Resume Writing Mail: No Longer a Mystery A simple resume template is going to be your very best bet. Moreo ver, you can order a tough copy of your resume overview matches blue website. After you've gathered the information that you require, you're prepared to put it into the resume template. Bear in mind the idea of Less Is More and filter the information that you put in your job program, only including the relevant particulars. Just earn a list of all of the details that you want to add in your resume and apply for your fantasy career. Then, examine your own experience and locate the sections of your experience that match the work description. Whether you are searching for your very first job or attempting to earn a career change, the method starts with your resume. End with a closing The final step is to include a suitable closing by means of your name. The Lost Secret of Resume Writing Mail There are lots of Professionals who guide you and help you with CV writing tips. Writing such things isn't professional. Strategies for Writing a Resume for the First Time There are lots of websites out there that is going to offer you resume writing tips and pointers about how to draft a resume. Writing resumes is thought to be an art, a contemporary magical art. The Fight Against Resume Writing Mail While writing a programmer resume one should first compose an overview of their expertise and techniques in the area. However polished your writing skills are, occasionally it's far better to employ a professional who can frame your experiences in a manner that gives you the ability to command the interest of the greatest companies in your industry. Some resume formats also enable you to include accomplishments. There's an excellent chance it won't include all the keywords set out in the work description. Each WEEK that you're without a job costs you morethan the cost of our services! If you're on the lookout for work, odds are good that there'll be times that you want to send your resume and cover letter to a hiring manager via email. The work market has co mpletely changed through the years. If you get a permanent and local address, you may want to play with columns. The crucial thing is to include your name and give a preview of the objective of the message. There are steps that you may take to make your resume email stick out from the rest. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Resume Writing Mail If so, then you are going to want to get a good resume prepared to present to employers. You're attempting to include the ideal information possible to find the particular job that you're applying for. If you're open to different kinds of jobs, let us know. Choosing which to use is dependent upon the sort of job that you are applying for and your degree of experience.

4 Simple Ways To Be More Active At Work - Work It Daily

4 Simple Ways To Be More Active At Work - Work It Daily Staying active at work can be a real challenge. It's easy to get sidetracked with projects and meetings, and not even realize you've been sitting for a couple (or more!) hours. So, how can busy professionals be more active during the work day?Thankfully, there are a few simple ways you can change your daily routine so that it is more active and you are less sedentary. We all know how important it is to be active throughout the day so we are expending energy, moving our joints, working our muscles, and staying flexible. With that in mind, here are four tips to be more active at work today! 1. Track Your Steps Calorie Burn View this post on Instagram A post shared by Work It Daily (@workitdailyinsta) on Nov 19, 2019 at 10:02am PST Our first tip is to have something to track your steps and calorie burn throughout the day. You can use an Apple Watch, a Fitbit, or just a pedometer so that you have something monitoring your activity level and telling you that you're moving enough.Plus, it feels like a real accomplishment when you know you've met your goal of 10,000 or 20,000 steps! 2. Park Farther Away From Your Destination via GIPHY It's all about squeezing more activity into what you already do. When you're running errands or going to work, for example, instead of looking for one of the closest parking spots, try to park as far from the door as possible (if it's safe!).Just think how many more steps you'll walk if you do this all day long! 3. Take The Stairs via GIPHY Our next tip is stairs, stairs, stairs. Wherever you areâ€"at work or at homeâ€"always take the stairs. It may take you a little longer, and you may be out of breath at the top, but it's worth it. Taking the stairs is so beneficial to your overall health and cardiovascular system. Make it a goal to take the stairs at least once a day, if not two, three, or four times.Start now, and see how much easier it is to walk up the stairs in a month's time. 4. Add Activities To The Ones You Already Do During The Day via GIPHY Lastly, try adding some type of activity to activities you already do. For example, we all go to the bathroom. So, before or after every visit to the bathroom, do something. Whether it's squats, lunges, push ups, or another body weight resistance exercise, you'll be sure to get moving if you make it a goal to do so! We hope this motivates you to add a little more activity to your busy workday. If you don't have time to go to the gym, you can still incorporate physical activity into your existing daily routine.Over time, making these small changes to your daily routine will make a big difference!Like what you learned today? Be sure to follow Amber on Instagram at @AccentuateWellness, or like her Facebook page to discover more fun workouts, healthy recipes, and helpful lifestyle tips!Note: Individuals should always speak to their physician before making any significant dietary or lifestyle changes. From Your Site Articles 5 Quick And Simple Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk - Work It ... Quick Easy Breakfast Recipes For Your Busy Workweek - Work It ... 3 Easy Ways To Stay Hydrated At Work - Work It Daily | Where ... Related Articles Around the Web How to Be More Active at Work | American Heart Association 8 Ways to Stay Active If You Sit at Your Desk All Day - The Everygirl 5 ways to keep active at work Have you joined our career growth club?Join For Free!