Your outplacement strategy is playing out on social media.

January 20th, 2016 No comments

(c) Can Stock Photo

Hiring and firing is tied to social media

Are you aware that your outplacement strategy and how you treat your exiting employees are being played out for all the world to see–or should I say read?

I’m not only talking about the Fortune 500 companies. If you have even one employee, there’s a good chance your business is getting buzz on social media. Between blogs and 140 character tweets, former employees are announcing to the world how you treated–or mistreated–them during a reduction.

I’m always trying to find sites you may not have on your radar. Check out TheLayoff.com. It’s been around since 2009. Their tagline is “News, personal experiences, rumors and speculations about layoffs at your company”.  Like the rest of the internet, they welcome the anonymous post. Here is the link to the latest posts – TheLayoff.com.

So what can you do? In some cases, nothing.  Others would say, hire an expensive brand marketing company.

My suggestion is simple. First, get to know these sites. Go beyond Twitter and Facebook. Ask your recruiters to ask potential candidates what sites they used to learn about your corporate culture. Then research them to understand what current and former employees are saying. If possible, set up an alert to be notified when your company is mentioned.

Second, come up with a plan to combat the negativity. What can you do at the grassroots level? Communication usually tops the list. Being transparent and understanding of your former employees will not only soothe them, but establish your business as one that cares.

Your outplacement strategy will play a big part in your hiring strategy when it comes to social media. So remember, how you treat your exiting employees not only impacts them, the remaining employees but also your reputation for potential hires for years to come.

To learn more about StartWire for Employers read our Press Release.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From Benefits to Outplacement Freemium comes to HR

January 11th, 2016 No comments

I don’t know about you, but my pockets are feeling a little barren after the© Can Stock Photo Inc. / dotshock holiday season. With the new year, I’ve resolved to be a little more frugal. Instead of springing for a pricy record, I’ve been enjoying the bevy of free music streaming services out there, like Spotify and Pandora. As a consumer, I love free. Free is great.

Why is it then, that in B2B, “free” feels like a swear word to some? There’s a perception that freebies can somehow cheapen a brand, or make a seller look desperate.

Disrupting the market in recent years is the notion that services can be free–no strings attached. Professional caliber services are available for a variety of needs, from taxes to payroll to outplacement. Often, they have the option to upgrade, a model known as “freemium”.

While its effects are apparent in today’s marketplace, the concept of freemium isn’t new. Freemium is great because it allows companies to share their product with consumers and build a rapport that translates into mutual benefit. Companies get the word-of-mouth endorsement and the consumer gets a great product for a song.

TurboTax is one such service, offering tax services for free to over 60 million Americans. In a market of wary consumers, this may seem too good to be true–a concern addressed in this amusing TurboTax ad featuring theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. The freemium model works great for this service–accessible to anyone with an internet connection, and offering more advanced services as the consumer needs it.

In the human resources space, the free version of Zenefits operates as an all-in-one platform for payroll, human resources, and benefits. As a paid product, Zenefits is a modular and plays nice with other such services. The model here works in that it scales–most businesses can make use of the the free option, especially smaller ones. Larger organizations and “power users” can scale into Zenefits Pro to suit their needs.

StartWire for Employers operates using a model much like Zenefits–we offer a complete product, for free, up front. A variety of further premium services are available, such as social media profile rewrites, but from the get-go you receive robust professional-caliber services at no cost.

Like Zenefits, StartWire for Employers proves that one doesn’t have to pay a lot to get a lot.

In all three cases, these products are intended to disrupt their respective markets and empower business and consumer alike. By offering flexible products and redefining business models, they stand poised to revolutionize their fields.

When services like these are free, everyone wins–the consumers receive a great product for free, the companies build a business model on a foundation of trust, and the nature of a traditional field changes.

To learn more about StartWire for Employers read our Press Release.

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Happy New Year from StartWire!

January 8th, 2016 No comments

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / PaltoThe first week of the new year has come and gone! StartWire wishes health, happiness, and success to jobseekers and employers alike. Here’s to a great year.

Dos and Don’ts: When Yankee Swap Goes Bad

December 18th, 2015 No comments

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / AleutieMy mother once related to me a story of a Yankee swap gone awry: having gone first and at the mercy of her coworkers, she ended up with a first aid kit from the Ted, the weird guy in accounting.

Whether you’re stressing about the company party’s Yankee swap or still searching for a job, Christmas gifts are always a challenge to select. Never fear, for StartWire and friends have some ideas to help stoke the holiday cheer!

Jobs2Careers recently published a list of 25 sure-fire hits for when you’re stumped. You may even be tempted to get yourself a little something off this list!

If you’re of a more surreal bent, check out CareerBuilder’s list of some of the weirdest gifts exchanged at the workplace. Ceramic dress-up sheep for everyone!

Above all, a Christmas gift should be memorable. ThinkGeek is a great place for gifts to capture your nerdy fancy. A deep delve into the recesses of Amazon can also reveal some truly unusual Secret Santa presents.

A happy holidays from all here at StartWire, and don’t be like Ted (unless it’s hilarious)!

StartWire Appoints Andrew Katz as Executive Vice President and General Manager

November 17th, 2015 No comments

unnamedKatz Hired to Grow Company, Bring StartWire’s Innovative Job Search Organization and Outplacement Capabilities to New Markets

LEBANON, NH–(Marketwired – Nov 17, 2015) –  StartWire, America’s number one job search organizer, today announced that Andrew Katz, a highly accomplished leader in business development, marketing, customer success and digital operations, has joined the company as executive vice president and general manager. In this role, he is responsible for StartWire’s entire sales funnel, profit and loss statements, operational excellence and partnerships and for managing the company’s staff.

“StartWire strives to be the go-to place for candidates looking for their next career, and as we continue to grow and offer new capabilities, it is essential that we have the right leadership team in place to steer our efforts,” said Chris Forman, founder of StartWire. “Throughout his career, Andrew has demonstrated excellence in recruitment technology, building new sales channels, creating partnerships and leading organizations to success. We are thrilled to welcome him aboard and confident that his proven ability to drive positive results will open new doors and ensure StartWire’s ongoing growth and expansion.”

Since its inception in 2011, StartWire’s unique job search organization technology has helped more than 6 million job seekers improve how they find new opportunities. The company’s free service enables job seekers to organize their applications and receive automatic status updates from thousands of employers via text message and email, helping to remove the application black hole candidates typically encounter. In addition, the company recently announced the release of StartWire for Employers, a transformative solution to outplacement that enables companies to support displaced employees and help them find new career opportunities 30 percent faster than traditional outplacement methods.

As StartWire continues to build momentum, in terms of increasing its number of users and expanding its product functionality, the company sought a leader who could steer its current momentum and deliver continued success. Leveraging more than two decades as a senior-level executive in the HR and recruiting space, Katz brings the knowledge and experience to guide StartWire’s growth and bring the company’s solutions to new markets.

Prior to joining StartWire, Katz served as senior vice president of Global Business Development and Channel Partnerships for Findly. In this capacity, he established new sales channels globally and formulated technology and service partnerships with numerous enterprise clients and resellers. Katz previously spent 10 years at Bernard Hodes Group, starting as an account executive and advancing into several executive positions, including vice president of Sales, vice president of Branch Operations and senior vice president of Sales and Digital Media. He most recently served as senior vice president of Marketing and Digital Operations, in which he managed the company’s media and development teams and led its marketing and product development operations.

Katz received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from Rutgers University. He is currently a member of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

“What drew me to StartWire is the company’s pioneering vision in improving the tedious and frustrating job search process and delivering a new approach to the costly and often ineffective outplacement process,” said Katz. “I am excited to join such a dynamic organization of individuals so committed to enhancing how people find jobs in today’s challenging landscape.”

About StartWire
StartWire is America’s number one job search organizer with more than 6 million members. Job seekers across the US turn to StartWire to close the “resume black hole” by receiving automatic status updates from thousands of employers. Since its inception, StartWire has received rave reviews and coverage in US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, TechCrunch, Mashable, ERE, and Human Resource Executive. StartWire is headquartered near Dartmouth College in Lebanon, NH. For more information, visithttp://www.StartWire.com.

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Rethinking Outplacement: StartWire’s New Free Service

November 10th, 2015 No comments

New Mindset

StartWire for Employers Outplacement Service Helps Displaced Employees Find Jobs 30% Faster

Traditional outplacement services, by which companies help their laid-off employees find new roles, simply don’t work. They are often expensive, meaning employers can’t always support each of their transitioning employees, and they offer mixed results. Moreover, many of today’s outplacement solutions are outdated, neglecting to capitalize on the new channels and technologies that can help transitioning employees find meaningful employment faster.

As factors like mergers and acquisition, down-sizing and corporate restructuring continue to occur, layoffs are a reality for many businesses. As such, the need to help their displaced employees is a pressing concern for these organizations. Recognizing the opportunity to transform what has traditionally been a costly, time-consuming process, StartWire, America’s number one job search organizer, developed an innovative new solution for employers to support displaced employees: StartWire for Employers.

A free service enabling employers to help their former employees find new opportunities and advance their careers, StartWire for Employers offers a pioneering approach to outplacement that delivers significant improvement over traditional methods. The service facilitates how companies support their displaced employees, connecting them with the tools and resources to prepare for the next stage of their careers and helping them find new jobs 30 percent faster.

“Similar to how Zenefits transformed HR administration by offering a free, cloud-based service to automate key HR processes, StartWire for Employers disrupts the traditional outplacement service model, delivering an affordable, more effective approach,” said Andrew Katz, executive vice president and general manager of StartWire. “This innovative solution provides the tools companies need to assist their valued former employees in finding meaningful employment much sooner. As a result, they can improve productivity and morale among current staff, enhance their employer brand and portray themselves as a company that cares.”

Built upon StartWire’s industry-leading job search organization platform, StartWire for Employers provides a robust approach to supporting employees as they look for their next opportunities. The solution includes a free automatic application tracking engine, online consultations with career coaching experts, job search optimization and a video library of training resources. Additional benefits for employees include optimized job search results delivered to their inbox and access to StartWire’s proprietary automatic application update engine, enabling updates on their applications from more than 12,000 companies.

In the coming months, StartWire will introduce additional premium services to support displaced employees, such as resume writing services, social profile services and professional development courses.

Additional information about StartWire for Employers can be accessed at: http://www.startwire.com/transition.

About StartWire
StartWire is America’s number one job search organizer with more than 6 million members. Job seekers across the US turn to StartWire to close the “resume black hole” by receiving automatic status updates from thousands of employers. Since its inception, StartWire has received rave reviews and coverage in US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, TechCrunch, Mashable, ERE, and Human Resource Executive. StartWire is headquartered near Dartmouth College in Lebanon, NH. For more information, visit http://www.StartWire.com.

 

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StartWire for Employers