MyPeopleBiz partners with market leaders who look to offer premier solutions to their valued clients. As a Referral Partner, you identify potential customers who may have current issues with their recruitment processes or frustrations with current systems, tell us about them and we will pay you a share of the revenue for your introduction on success.

Sounds good?

We aim to look after your valuable clients so our partner alliances deliver a customer-focused approach to solving problems, creating business opportunities, and maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage for all.

Could you be a Referral Partner?

• Do you have clients who would benefit from our industry leading complete recruitment solution?
• Would you like to generate some extra revenue along the way?

Our Partnership Programme is perfect if you are a Consultant offering advice on recruitment strategy or processes, a HR Consultant or Advisor, or if you are a Recruitment Consultant or Agency who recognises that their clients need to improve their processes.

How it works:

If you have seen a business that you believe would benefit from our industry leading complete recruitment solution, tell us by emailing info@mypeoplebiz.com with “Referral Partner” in the subject

We’ll call you to hear more and if your introduction leads to a successful installation, we will pay you 20% commission on the first year’s revenue generated from your lead. Feels great, right?

If you’d like to hear more call us on 0203 176 3737 or drop us a line at info@mypeoplebiz.com

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Today’s post is written by Frank Varela CEO of MyPeopleBiz

Frank has many years recruitment experience and regularly posts tips on strategic recruitment, social media, recruitment and job searches. He is passionate about recruitment and advises companies on how to hire the best talent.
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Recent reports have shown that job seekers and recruiters face a real threat from scammers. It has been found that there is an increasing number of attacks via social networks and spam so you must be vigilant!

So what can you do to protect yourself?

Although sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter are no more dangerous than any other form of online media it is possible to get a virus or worm from social media sites, so keep your eyes open and be aware for anything that does not feel right.

One of the most common threats is from worms, sadly not the garden variety which are at least useful! Computer worms can compromise your privacy and the privacy of your social media friends and connections.

Some of the most common worms we have heard of are:

• Koobface Virus - a multi-platform worm that originally targeted users of Facebook (its even an anagram of Facebook!!) Friendster & Twitter. It infects Windows and even,  though my friends say it’s not possible, Macs!  It works by making you think you’re going to watch a funny video or see a funny photo of a friend so that you innocently click on it.
• Profileye Worm – tells you people are looking at your profile which piques your curiosity. The same thing happens with LinkedIn when you get an email that isn’t from who you think it is and when you click on the embedded link to respond, your browser goes to a web site that exploits a loophole in the browsing technology to infect your PC with a virus. Sadly unsubscribing won’t help either!
• Error Check Worm – tells you that some of your friends are having trouble viewing your Facebook page.
• Facebook Shuts You Down  – instructs you that Facebook has just shut you down because you did something wrong.

Here are some simple things that you can do to protect yourself:

• Use antivirus and adware software  – This will only protect you against certain things. It won’t protect you against many of the worms that are application based, but it will protect you against some of them (and many other things). Sophos is a great one for Mac.
• Only update your software from a genuine site – If you are redirected to a software site for an update from Facebook, think twice! Don’t update it from there. If you think you may really need to update your software, go directly to the software’s website and check there.
•  Don’t click strange links - If you get a message saying something like “Facebook has a message for you, click here”, don’t do it! If Facebook has something to tell you, they will send you an email first. If you have a question about a message you received, contact them.
•  Ask first - If you’re not sure if your friend sent you something, maybe it looks suspicious, simply ask them before you do anything.
• Use an effective password  - Ensure your password is a mix of letters and numbers, change it often and try to use different ones for different sites.
• Think before you click  - Never view, open, or execute any email attachment unless you expect it and trust the sender. Even from trusted users, be suspicious and extremely cautious when clicking on URLs in emails, social media programs and especially be wary of shortened URLs. Don’t click them blindly, use previews or plug-ins to get an insight first.
• Guard your personal data - When it is suggested you should add more to your “online CV” it is a balance but simply limit the amount of personal information you make publicly available. Information can be harvested and used in malicious activities such as targeted attacks and phishing scams so never disclose any confidential personal or financial information until you confirm that any request is legitimate.

Have you seen any of these?

Have you heard of others that would make sense to share with our job seekers and hiring managers?

We look forward to seeing your comments below.

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Today’s post is written by Frank Varela CEO of MyPeopleBiz

Frank has many years recruitment experience and regularly posts tips on strategic recruitment, social media, recruitment and job searches. He is passionate about recruitment and advises companies on how to hire the best talent.

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In my experience, absolutely nothing but it appears that some companies are failing to harness the benefits of employee referrals.

It does feel like tough times and no doubt you’re looking to cut your recruitment costs. You may well be incorporating social media into the mix because you’ve been hearing that you can showcase your opportunities cheaply and look for talent cost-effectively.

True, you can… but if you really want to cut costs and save time what about getting a handle on your referrals?

So what are the advantages of hiring based on referrals from your employees?

• a staggering 25% higher retention rate than employees hired through other recruitment methods!
• massive savings on your cost per hire,
• those referred will feel like a better fit your company culture better,
• you’ll strengthen the bond with your referring employee,
• you’ll be seen as truly caring for your employees through recognition and reward,
• you’ll save a lot of time sourcing new applicants via other methods,
• with lower churn, you won’t be looking to back-fill and therefore you’ll have a reduced work load, and
• you’ll know whether your company is a great place to work.

…and the disadvantages?

• Your employees network may not allow for diversity your targets,
• There is a small increase in your employees workload (unless you make it an easy process for them!), and
• You may miss a more suitable candidate because they’re not connected to your employee but this could happen anyway.

A survey from Referral Networks found that employees refer:

• 42% to help a friend,
• 24% to help the company,
• 24% for the reward & recognition, or
• 10% for other reasons.

…and that employees won’t refer because:

• they don’t know anyone suitable,
• afraid of the consequences if it does not work out, and
• the referral process is painful.

A successful referral program will have simple rules, be track-able, transparent and allow anyone to refer, whether they be an employee, ex-employee, client, friend or none of these.

When working with my client, Project Brokers, and first hearing about the referral aspect of MyPeopleBiz, I felt impressed by its uniqueness…. and I’ve been in this game a long time and am rarely impressed by something new!

It was easy to see that it leverages the fact that each employee has around 300 contacts on Social Networks, like Facebook & LinkedIn, and then empowers your referrals by drawing them to the attention of the MyPeopleBiz referrers.  These referrers feel like champions in your corner!

At the time, they were looking for a savvy PA and had been inundated with unsuitable applications from the job boards so felt truly frustrated. Thankfully, simply by adding the role to their MyPeopleBiz portal and ticking “yes” for referrals, they swiftly received a great applicant who they promptly hired and all for just £500!

Like me, I am confident that you will find the system easy to use, transparent and track-able for both internal and external referrals. You’ll see it engage your employees and give power to their professional and social networks. You’ll feel certain that you’ll fill the role and, the best part, is you’ll see your time freed up and recruitment costs cut!

To harness the power of your employee referrals, it makes sense to use MyPeopleBiz.

Have you had success hiring via employee referrals? Have you been a referrer? We’d love to hear from you.

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Today’s post is written by Katrina Collier of Winning Impression. As guest blogger she’ll post tips on social media, recruitment and job search which she has learned in her many years in the industry.

Her passion is combining her social media and recruitment expertise. She trains companies to hire the best talent and jobseekers to get a job opportunity by using social media networks.

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But remember, today’s announcement does not mean that there are suddenly far fewer job opportunities!

In fact, the BBC quoted David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, as saying:

These figures are at odds with the experiences of many UK businesses, which continue to operate with guarded optimism.

So what can you do to feel in control of your job search and beat the double-dip blues?

Here are 5 tips to recession-proof your job search:

1. Give your CV a recession busting overhaul:

• ask a trusted friend for their opinion, though you may not want to hear what they say!
• print it off and hold it at arm’s length – does your CV look like it would make an impact or is it a mess?
• Do you feel it would make a great first impression? Is it scan-able, legible, concise & without typos?

2. Look a million dollars online:

• Use a search engine to look up your name – anything come up that you don’t want others to hear about?
• Look at your profile pictures, these are public, what do they say about you?
• Update your LinkedIn profile with your latest achievements & add a skills box.

3. Show your value by joining a conversation:

• Think about your skills, are they suited to particular companies, try following them on LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook and join in.
• Look for online forums related to your industry and get involved.
• Look for groups on LinkedIn, join some and start or answer a conversation or create a poll.

4. Get networking to hear about opportunities:

• Find your industry’s networking events and use the tips in this great article in Forbes to make new “in person” connections.
• Scan the delegates list, get a feel for them online and open a conversation with “what are you hoping to get out of…”
• Don’t open with “give us a job” make sure you allow them to get to know you and trust you first.

5. Get out more and feel positive:

• If you are struggling to find a role you may feel isolated so take advantage of the longer days and get outside, even just for a walk.
• What about volunteering? You will learn some new skills that employers will be interested to hear about.
• Get some training. Not all training is expensive look out for online courses or free webinars if funds are tight.

As you can see on our site, many employers still have job opportunities, even in these tough times! However, because companies may, for fear of being inundated with applications, avoid advertising or may not have the budget to pay for recruiters, it makes sense to take charge of your job search by using our tips and being creative!

We’d love to hear how you get on in our comments section below!

Do you feel some of the tips work better than others? What’s the most creative way you’ve looked for work?

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Today’s post is written by Katrina Collier of Winning Impression. As guest blogger she’ll post tips on social media, recruitment and job search which she has learned in her many years in the industry.

Her passion is combining her social media and recruitment expertise. She trains companies to hire the best talent and jobseekers to get a job opportunity by using social media networks.

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In our series of interviews and profiles, we recently caught up with Charlotte Holden – Marketing & HR Manager at McDonald Butler to ask her a few questions on her career, life at McDonald Butler and everything in between…

1. How long have you worked at McDonald Butler and what is your background?

5 years – I came from a marketing and events background, initially joining McDonald Butler as a Senior Account Manager before taking an internal role.

2. What do you enjoy the most about working in HR?

Ensuring people are recognised for the great work they do. And developing processes so that HR within the agency is given the importance it deserves.

3. Describe the major challenges of working in HR?

Lengthy time it takes to get things done – interviewing and recruiting, legal documents etc.

4. Since you have been at McDonald Butler, you have introduced a recruitment portal, a new career site and completely automated your recruitment processes, how has it improved your hiring process?

We know we have a good network of people out there collectively and therefore that recruitment agency fees are not often necessary. The portal helps us get the word out via social media and other sites.

5. Given that you now have applicant tracking, analytics, interview and agency management, as well as social networking, which single feature of the portal do you feel has been the most beneficial both in terms of time and money and how ?

Automated email system to candidates.

6. Summarise if you can, the biggest challenges facing HR and recruitment in 2012?

Finding the top quality resources we require.

7. If you weren’t in HR, what would you be and why?

Event management – it’s my heritage.

8. Name two famous people you would invite to a dinner party, and why?

Gary Oldman and Javier Bardem because I admire both for different reasons…

9. We recently wrote a blog piece about strange interview questions, so we couldn’t resist, which car best represents you and why?

Anything quick and reliable!

10. Finally share with us the most unusual interview question that either you have been asked or that you have come across?

If you were an animal, what would you be and why.

Is it a job board? Is it an ATS? Is it a Bird?

Listening to some people’s views of online recruitment reminds me of the idiom comparing an apple to a pear and somehow concluding that it’s a lemon.

There seems to be a lot of confusion. It seems that in most people’s minds what they really mean is online advertising and not recruitment.

Presumably this is why many people talk about views, usage, visitors, applications and NOT placements and to me, as a recruiter, all I am interested in is good recruitment i.e. successful placements.

To my mind, online recruitment is the process of advertising and matching (for the matching part, a really good recruitment portal would be helpful) people to appropriate jobs, using the Internet.

So far many people have put a lot of effort into the advertising i.e. job boards and more recently social media in order to generate response. Although, the advertising of roles still needs a lot of work in my opinion, as some job descriptions leave a lot to be desired and it’s not surprising they don’t always generate as good as a response as expected.

Simply attracting large numbers of potential candidates does not complete the circle. The benefit will be achieved by looking at this holistically and streamlining the application process, automating it, widening the choice for the job seeker and the employer and improving the matching ( I am not going to harp on about artificial intelligence in our recruitment portals again…) for better results and better recruitment – not just more recruitment.

In order to undertake more successful recruitment we need to become organised (that needs a recruitment portal) and we need to understand the advantages that the internet provides us, which are:

• Reach

• Speed

• Interaction

• Cost

We also need to understand (here comes one of my bugbears) that a HR system that has a recruitment side kick (sorry, module) is not the same as a dedicated and purpose built recruitment portal and in fact it can turn into a “lemon” the type you can’t use or even eat.

What do you think online recruitment is?

How successful has it been for you and have you managed to do anything more than just advertise jobs?

Recent media commentary has focused on the fact that companies are now processing far more applications than ever before and are typically having to do so on decreased financial resources.

Automating the recruitment processes, therefore not only makes sense, but is essential to cope with the flood of candidates and to organise the recruitment function.

Traditional methods of automation such as applicant tracking system (ATS) or candidate management software have been widely implemented but recently online career centers/recruitment portals have become popular and provide a more integrated approach as they often come as a complete set of features with candidate attraction, applicant tracking, career site and social media functions.

However not all of these career/recruitment portals have the same functionality, most of the differences lie in the workflow process and the adaptation of the latest technology.

MyPeopleBiz use artificial intelligence and semantic logic with a Lens/Xray parsing engine, which is giving our customers a competitive advantage in the recruitment and management of talent.

Consider a very simple example of the difference between the old ATS approach and the new intelligent technology:

The “Artificial intelligence” searches the complete CV’s for patterns rather than the old fashioned way of looking at key fields. This improves efficiency in matching candidates with your jobs and also allows the speedy parsing and processing of CV’s and data extraction with one or two clicks.

Then finally to complement all this technology, you also need to know that it is “living portal” evolving and improving on an ongoing basis keeping you at the forefront of NEW talent developments such as Web 3.0.

Check out what makes MyPeopleBiz portals and our vision of employers, recruiters, job seekers and social media working together through one integrated platform is so different.

If you are looking at an applicant tracking system, why not get more for your money?

For our latest installment of interviews and profiles, we caught up with Sally Phillips , the Managing Director of Ward Williams HR , to ask her a few questions on Ward Williams , her career and everything in between…

1. How long have you worked at Ward Williams HR Ltd and what is your background?

I have worked at Ward Williams for approx 15 years and Ward Williams HR was incorporated 5 years ago.  My background has always been in management, administration and most importantly ‘people orientated’ roles.

2. What tempted you to make the move in to HR and what do you enjoy most about your role? 

I have always enjoyed working with people and I had always identified the fact that the success of any business is heavily driven by having the right people on board, the right staff training and motivation.  Working together with our clients we identified a need for support that was lacking within their organisations.  We can hand hold them through all aspects of HR support and Indemnified employment law advice leaving them free to focus on other areas of their business.  Getting to know their people and their business strengthens our business relationship and enables us to deliver the  best advice.

3.Describe the major challenges of working as an HR advisor?   

Challenges bring variety which makes every day interesting and varied.  Main challenge would always be to ensure that we respond to our clients needs immediately.  When we receive emails or telephone calls from clients it is because they need guidance from us immediately.  Our response and support is acknowledged by our client retention numbers.  We have never had a client want to leave us yet.

4.Ward Williams help SME’s by proving the expertise and training to help them manage all aspects of the HR process. What’s the one piece of advice you wish you had been given at the start of your journey?

I didn’t realise how resistant some organisations would be and to some extent still are with engaging with HR professionals to assist in this important area of their business.  Some still take risks and just keep their fingers crossed that they won’t have any staffing issues.  The reality is that they will experience a problem and that it will need to be addressed.  Usually by then it is too late and the financial risk to their business can be considerably higher, also having all the right documentation in place promotes a professional image to the staff and adds value to the business.

5. MyPeopleBiz strongly believe in automating the recruitment process and your company has developed an automated programme ‘Do it yourself HR’ to help businesses handle aspects of their HR more easily. To what extent does automation benefit SMEs?

We support  our clients and ensure that they get it right, all the time. We provide the resource for organisations to tap into . We ensure  that they are given and have access to up-to-date advice 24/7.  We can provide the latest templates that will save time and ensure correct processes are followed.  By tapping into our knowledge resource is an investment and a  cost effective solution.

It enables clients to cherry pick what they need from our support services depending on the internal resource that they have available.  This promotes a cost effective quality service whereby we can support and guide them as their business needs dictate.

6. Summarize if you can, the biggest challenges facing HR and recruitment in 2012?

The Olympics could be challenging for employers.  They are going to be inundated with requests for flexible working or perhaps experience unauthorized absence and they will need to know how to deal with this  I would suggest they start putting together a policy sooner rather than later.

Recruitment – ensure that you get the process right and you are fair with your selection.  Organizations need to get the right support on board to ensure that they have access to the right candidates in a cost effective way.

7. If you weren’t in HR, what would you be doing and why?

I would definitely work with people.  Social Worker or teacher.  It’s great to make a difference.

8. If you were to go on a month long cruise with any two famous people of your choice, who would you pick and why?   

I wouldn’t want to be on a cruise with 2 famous people for one whole month.

9. We recently wrote a blog piece about strange interview questions, so we couldn’t resist, which car best represents you and why?

Probably a convertible, as you can adapt according to the weather.  In HR you have to change depending on the circumstances.

10. Finally share with us the most unusual interview question that either you have been asked or that you have come across?

I can share with you a response from an interviewee when asked the following.

In our series of interviews and profiles, we recently caught up with Ian Hicks -HR Director at KPSS UK ltd a division of The Kao Group, one of the world’s leading consumer product businesses, to ask him a few questions on KPSS, his career and everything in between…

1. How long have you worked at KPSS and what is your background?

I have had 5 wonderful years in a B2B environment with KPSS in the highly competitive hair and beauty sector.

Prior to that 6 yrs at Asprey and Garrard, luxury retailers, as Global HR Director.

I learnt about the retail industry with J. Sainsbury for over 10 years and served 4 years with House of Fraser in various HR teams.

2. What do you enjoy the most about working in HR?

I actually quite like the recruitment aspects of finding the right people for the right roles, right on time and seeing them grow and prosper. It’s the biggest contribution we can make to the business.

3. Describe the major challenges of working in HR?

For me getting the recruitment right is key, as described above.. The more you can build into your selection process, the more safeguards you have. I am a realist life is never perfect.

The old saying ‘trust people and they’ll let you down, don’t trust people and they’ll do you down’ is still true especially with new generations entering the career ladders.

4. Since you have been at KPSS, you have introduced a recruitment portal, a new career site and completely automated your recruitment processes, how has it improved your hiring process?

I am more in control of the talent acquisition process and not distracted every 5 minutes by a caller needing the low down on a vacant role. It’s all there on our career site powered by MyPeopleBiz. I can drive direct applications to the site, can apply agency rates depending on the role we are hiring for and it really simplifies and improves the speed of communication between candidates/agents/referrers and myself.

5. Given that you now have applicant tracking, analytics, interview and agency management, as well as social networking, which single feature of the portal do you feel has been the most beneficial both in terms of time and money and how ?

It’s hard to say as they all work together to make the process more streamlined. I like the applicant tracking aspect as I can see at a glance without

having to trawl through files and paperwork, who needs to be followed up on as a badly managed process can damage your reputation.

6. Summaries if you can, the biggest challenges facing HR and recruitment in 2012?

Global business and economic trends seem to leave us with peaks and troughs of talent pools.

I want to continue to engage KPSS employees and make the company an employer of choice and when I need new hires find the very best I can utilising the smartest ways of tapping into talent.

I believe the concept of us all becoming ‘mini’ recruiters and recommending colleagues from our networks to businesses far and wide is growing in its appeal.

7. If you weren’t in HR, what would you be and why?

A sales presenter on one of those home shopping channels as I have been told I can talk all day!

8. Name two famous people you would invite to a dinner party, and why?

• Tiger Woods to look at my rubbish golf swing and ask him why he went off the rails.
• Peter Gabriel for a few after dinner songs and stories about life in a professional rock band.

9. We recently wrote a blog piece about strange interview questions, so we couldn’t resist, which car best represents you and why?

Audi R8-a little bit different, stands out in a crowd and gets from A-B without any fuss.

10. Finally share with us the most unusual interview question that either you have been asked or that you have come across?

None stand out but the answers I have had for the ice breaker question in assessment centers ….what is a secret you have never shared? …..would make your hair curl!

We have heard a lot recently about the dangers of social networking, social media and the dangers of those little devices we all carry around in our pockets but this article from one of technology partners UK fast caught my attention.

A Justin Bieber [the floppy haired American pop-star] wallpaper app – changes your mobiles wallpaper, gives access to the makers to spy on you through the camera at any time without you knowing, shows when you are making a call and who to, and pretty much hijacks your device with the permission that you have given it by downloading. Wow!

Click below to see full story:

http://blog.ukfast.co.uk/2012/03/01/evil-app-developers-or-silly-users/

Seems scary to me but, most people seem to be cool about it, what’s your view?