SCG police recruitment

The Challenge to Recruit Police Officers

by AdvertisingMarketingRecruitment AdvertisingUncategorized

SCG police recruitment

The events of 2020 led to changes in all areas of life, many of which we are still feeling today. In the recruitment world, one of the major impacts was an increased difficulty in the recruitment of police officers. For years, hiring police officers had already become a challenge; but it was accelerated by the COVID pandemic and George Floyd protests in the 2020.

 

Police departments across the country are severely understaffed and struggling to attract applicants. For instance, late last year the Philadelphia Police Department was down nearly 1,000 officers with another 600 set to retire in the next 2 years including 121 on a single day in January 2025.

 

At SCG, we’ve partnered with police departments to bring our expertise in recruitment advertising to address this challenge. Through interviews with officers, we gained an understanding of the different paths that led them to a career in law enforcement. For many of them, becoming a police officer was not their first choice and chose it because they were not satisfied in their current career; while others truly wanted to make a difference and help others in their community. We used this information along with feedback from the people within the communities being served to develop effective messaging that appealed to potential candidates who have not considered law enforcement as a viable career.

 

Creating an effective message was the first part of the challenge. Delivering it to the correct audience is just as important. To that end, our advertising included a blend of traditional (Indeed, radio, billboard, Facebook/Instagram) and non-traditional media designed to reach candidates through multiple touchpoints. We also incorporated media designed to specifically reach minority audiences that were under-represented in the police force.

 

Some of the more unique options we’ve utilized are:

 

  • Securing a NASCAR sponsorship featuring a car wrap
  • Advertisements and a recruitment table at local gyms.
  • Geo-fencing music festivals.
  • Endorsement from a retired professional athlete who is now a local media personality
  • Snapchat filters at targeted events

 

This forward thinking to look beyond conventional media combined with our expertise in developing a message that addresses each client’s specific challenges. Specifics are key to helping our law enforcement agencies in overcoming this challenge they currently face.

To read more on our work with law enforcement check out our other article on police recruitment and the NASCAR event for NJSP!

 

recruitment marketing and cats

Recruitment Marketing and Cats

by AdvertisingMarketingRecruitment Advertising

recruitment marketing and cats

Monday, August 8th is International Cat Day!

I was never a cat person. We always had dogs. Then a mama cat gifted me with kittens, twice, and my journey to crazy cat lady began. Don’t worry. We found homes for many and with the support of my favorite vets, we got everyone checked out, vaccinated, and made sure there wouldn’t be more kittens.  Cat behavior is interesting and got me thinking about how it correlates to my recruitment marketing business at SCG.

#1 – Cats are like passive candidates. You can’t force your intentions on them. They have to come to you. If you dangle the right toy/treat/message and wait patiently, they will eventually acknowledge and respond.

#2 – Looks can be deceiving. Our cats are adorable but have a killer instinct, keeping birds, chipmunks, mice, etc. on notice. In recruitment marketing, you need to review resumes carefully and don’t judge too quickly. You also shouldn’t judge on appearance. Some very talented employees may come with tattoos, piercings, or non-traditional hair choices.

#3 – I often find “gifts” from the cats that aren’t necessarily on my wish list. Sometimes it’s about aligning background and experience with the appropriate open requisition and not just judging against the job applied for.

#4 – I’m a morning person. Many of the cats are night prowlers. I try to understand their behavior and adapt accordingly. When hiring for different shifts, think like your candidate. Put your message out on late night radio or tv. It’s usually less expensive than those coveted drive time radio slots or prime time tv. Host a virtual hiring event or just have a chat bot available for questions overnight.

#5 – Like people, cats need to feel welcomed as part of the team. We recently took in a new cat that needed to be rehomed. He hid under the bed for days. Super timid. Then we put a collar on him and his personality dramatically shifted. Suddenly, he engaged with humans and cats alike. It seemed he needed to feel secure in his new home. In recruitment marketing, whether it’s a branded polo shirt, computer bag, coffee mug or something else, welcome new hires with something that says they are part of the team. For those working onsite, also consider a special badge or pin that identifies new hires so that coworkers can spot them and help when they seem lost or might need assistance.

#6 – Every cat has their own language. Who knew…purring is not the official cat language. Some cats vocalize with sounds that are almost words. Our Amelia has a high-pitched trilling meow. Others are almost silent unless they feel threatened and may hiss or growl. Candidates also have different communication styles. In this market, be open to communicating via phone call, email, text…at least in the beginning. Unless it’s critical to the job function, listen to words as much as communication style. Interviewing can be a stressful situation and well qualified candidates may not perform well. When looking for bilingual candidates use bilingual messaging in ethnic media and be mindful of cultural differences/sensitivities.

Catalina is the cat who started it all and is now Queen of the clowder. From a homeless girl in trouble to a beloved family pet who never strays, she’s found her place. May your recruiting journeys be equally rewarding.

Tina Davis

Tina Davis
VP, Account Services
SCG Advertising & PR

Trendwatch

SCG Trendwatch: Recruitment Industry News & Insights – June 2022

by Recruitment Advertising


Trendwatch







Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy HR professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the recruitment landscape. Check in each month for the latest updates from all over the web. 

Survey: Half of companies didn’t meet hiring goals last year

Hiring woes have followed employers throughout 2022. At the beginning of the year, local chamber of commerce leaders reported that businesses in their respective regions were struggling to find new workers and that a lack of workers was the biggest factor affecting their local economies.

GoodTime’s report notes the difference between in-office hiring and remote hiring, which may reflect ongoing tensions regarding the choice between moving to a hybrid or fully remote structure versus retaining a mostly in-office workforce.  Read more…

 

Finding it hard to get a new job? Robot recruiters might be to blame

Martin Burch had been working for the Wall Street Journal and its parent company Dow Jones for a few years and was looking for new opportunities. One Sunday in May 2021, he applied for a data analyst position at Bloomberg in London that looked like the perfect fit. He received an immediate response, asking him to take a digital assessment.

It was strange. The assessment showed him different shapes and asked him to figure out the pattern. He started feeling incredulous. “Shouldn’t we be testing my abilities on the job?” he asked himself.  Read more…

  

Employers Grapple with Surge in Mental health issues

More employees are struggling with mental health conditions, and, as a result, employers are fielding more requests for accommodations and dealing with increased absenteeism. Pandemic-related stress at work and at home was a significant part of this trend during the last two years.

Under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and other nondiscrimination laws, most employers must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with mental health conditions.  Forty-three percent of employers have seen a spike in reasonable accommodation requests related to mental health since the coronavirus pandemic started, according to a new survey from law firm Fisher Phillips.

“We are seeing an increase of employees requesting remote work or a hybrid schedule to accommodate their anxiety and depression,” said Emily Litzinger, a Fisher Phillips attorney in Louisville, Ky. “Additionally, there have been an uptick of requests relating to bringing an emotional support animal to the workplace to help ease the stress related to in-person work.”   Read more…

  

Candidate Ghosting now #1 Challenge for Talent Acquisition Teams

Candidate ghosting is now the number one challenge for recruiters and TA teams.

That’s the inside scoop from our latest global survey of 375 TA practitioners, which we conducted in partnership with Brazen, a leading virtual hiring event and online career fair platform. Aside from their top challenges, our survey also delved into the activities, tactics, and technologies participants are leveraging to attract and source new talent these days.  Read more…

  

Tech Industry Job Market Drops After Decade-Long Immunity

For the first time in more than a decade, the tech industry doesn’t seem to be immune from the downturn hitting other parts of the economy, reports Bloomberg. Job cuts and a disagreeable investment climate are hitting big companies like Stripe and Instacart, and may affect smaller organizations as the financial damage spreads. Read more…

 

A wave of layoffs is sweeping the US. Here are firms that have announced cuts so far, from Carvana to Wells Fargo

Layoffs are sweeping across American businesses in the first half of 2022.

Peloton has already laid off thousands of employees this year. Online car dealer Carvana slashed 12% of its workforce. Even traditionally layoff-resistant companies like Netflix are making cuts, and now real estate brokerages are cutting hundreds of jobs. Read more…

 

Zoominfo acquires Comparable, provider of culture compensation data

ZoomInfo has acquired the recruitment marketing and employer branding platform Comparably. The company said the transaction is intended to help customers proactively attract and engage talent.

A destination for employee reviews and salary data, Comparably attracts job seekers looking for information on company cultures and employee insights. The platform also provides employers with SaaS solutions to amplify and enhance their employer brand and recruitment marketing. Comparably offers custom content, search engine optimization and media recognition through the company’s Best Places to Work awards. Read more…

Energize your Recruitment Efforts

by Human ResourcesRecruitment Advertising

As a woman of a certain age, I’m actively working to slow aging and stay physically fit, looking forward to an active retirement.

A good friend convinced me to join Orangetheory Fitness (OTF). OTF works for me because I get bored easily and no two workouts are quite the same. Our coaches push us through a mix of treadmill, rower and weight floor activities that build strength and endurance.  I often sing, dance and joke through a workout. Today wasn’t one of those days. We ran hills (treadmill elevation) and I was doing okay. No speed records but getting it done. Then the weight floor did me in. As coaches swung by to offer advice and adjust my form, I struggled with arm work using light weights and was left frustrated and discouraged.

A lot of my talent acquisition friends are feeling the same way about Recruiting. They do the work, modify their form and if they are lucky enough to get applications, the candidates ghost the process or don’t make it through, all while employees are leaving out the back door.

There are NOW HIRING signs everywhere you look. So why is recruiting so difficult?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) allows you to get results faster than working out at a steady moderate pace. We all need to work smarter rather than harder. Progress comes when you push yourself.

  • Are you posting and praying that candidates will see the ad and apply, or actively sourcing?
  • Are you crafting your message and strategy from the perspective of the target audience? You have to understand your target and speak their language.
  • Are you giving them a reason that they should consider working for you? I passed several billboards recently that said JOIN OUR TEAM! and WE’RE HIRING. That’s it. No reason why I should work for that employer? What do you have to offer that another employer doesn’t?
  • Are you creating brand ambassadors within your current employee population by using testimonial videos, social media sharing, and a culture that they want to brag about?
  • Are you taking your message to the candidates in their day-to-day life with Mobile Display Ads, Streaming TV, branded coffee sleeves, text messaging, Pizza Box ads, and more….
  • Are you actively retaining your current employees?

If you didn’t answer yes to every question, you have some work to do. I’d love to help you fill in the gaps and I’d be happy to share an OTF class pass so you can build the strength to continue pushing through. I will be back at it, starting fresh, next week and will running the annual Atlanta Mission 5k tomorrow.

Managing Your Employer Brand During The Pandemic

by BrandingHuman ResourcesPublic RelationsRecruitment Advertising

 

As we approach one year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time for companies to do some self-reflection.

  • Did you do everything you could to help your employees and customers during the time of crisis?
  • How will your employer brand reputation be remembered once all of this has passed?

 

Employer branding has always been an integral part of recruitment marketing but the current pandemic has shone a light even further on the role branding plays in candidates’ choice of workplace. Typically, SCG’s process of employer brand development starts with helping our clients define their Employer Value Proposition (EVP) which forms the foundation of their employer brand. In today’s landscape, managing an employer brand looks a little different and requires organizations to be ready to pivot to meet the current climate, plan for contingencies and adapt to employee needs including remote working.

 

During the peak of the pandemic, when uncertainty was rampant and budgets were tight, employer branding often took a back seat but it was actually the most crucial time for organizations to consider how they were treating their employees, customers and community. This would be a key factor not just in attracting talent but also how their reputation would be remembered in the future. Job seekers were paying attention to which employers stepped up during the crisis – how they took care of their employees and customers, and how leadership reacted and led during this time. Did they put people over business?

 

Most organizations did not know how to respond in this unprecedented time. Many were paralyzed and shut down any communications. Others ignored the crisis. Some came off inauthentic or exploitative. According to Linkedin data from April 2020, only 1 in 4 company posts during that time mentioned coronavirus. The posts that resonated most with audiences were those focused on community and support, on stepping up to help relief efforts and putting people first, as well as posts about working from home. SCG’s team, early on, reached out to their clients and encouraged them to address the crisis immediately, directly and authentically. Transparency and community became more valued than maintaining a pristine employer reputation.

 

While there is a light at the end of this tunnel, organizations must continue to maintain and adapt their employer branding and communications to attract and retain quality talent now and in the future.

 

 

 

Contact Tracing

Contact Tracers: The New Normal for Local & State Health Departments

by Contact TracingHuman ResourcesRecruitment Advertising

An unprecedented recruitment challenge

Contact Tracing

 

They’re not new. In fact, contact tracers helped defeat SARS in 2003-2004, and are used regularly by health departments to combat HIV, measles, H1N1, and even Ebola.

However, the incredible size of the contact tracing workforce will be the new normal as experts say that the Covid-19 Pandemic has created an explosive need for an army of these health detectives. Where now there are approximately 2,000 contact tracers across the nation, it is likely we will be needing a total force of 200,000 to 300,000.

 

This is an astounding number for a job that up until now has not been researched by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a major recruitment challenge for our 50 states, 16 territories and thousands of local health departments – not to mention large corporations that may want their own to ensure the safety of their employees.

 

Experts believe that contact tracers will be integral to preventing a second wave of the invisible enemy. That is why the CDC says, “The time to start building the trained workforce is now.”

 

If you are not familiar with contact tracing (and we bet you are not) here is how it works. The positive person is interviewed by an investigator who then reaches out to those contacts suggesting 14 days of isolation and collecting information on others who have been within six feet for 10 minutes or more of the contact.

 

Some of the states are getting a head start on putting together an effective contact tracing team. Massachusetts is looking at a team of 1,000, New Jersey could have as many as 7,000 while California is putting together a team of 10,000 contact tracers. This is while many states are looking at creative ways of filling these critical roles.

 

If you are a Government Health official, Healthcare Administrator or Talent Acquisition professional with an urgent need to hire high-demand individuals as contact tracers, there is one way you can stay ahead of the hiring curve.  Contact SCG.

 

As a valued client of SCG, you will have the power of an award-winning company with 60 years of experience in public relations, research, advertising and association management.

 

More importantly, we have extensive experience in Recruitment Marketing – handling millions of jobs in all industries including extensive experience in health care and government. By using the PESO model of Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned media, we have the tools to work with your marketing and HR departments to scale up quickly and deliver results.

 

The bottom line is, we have the tools and the experience that equip us ready to hit the ground running to meet your Contact Tracing recruitment challenge. Contact Mike Gatta, Vice President, National Development at mgatta@scgadv.com or call (856) 795-7391 ext. 149.

 

Related information click here.

 

 

 

Trendwatch-R-16x9

SCG Trendwatch: Recruitment Industry Insights – March 2020 “COVID-19 Crisis Edition”

by Human ResourcesRecruitment Advertising

Trendwatch

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy HR professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the recruitment landscape. Check in each month for the latest updates from all over the web.

Coronavirus: How Employers Around the Globe Are Responding

Companies are scrambling to respond as the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19, spreads around the world. During a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) webcast March 10, an official with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked employers to do all they can to slow the coronavirus.  Read more…

Should You Suspend Hiring During the Coronavirus Outbreak?

United Airlines recently announced that it will be implementing a hiring freeze through June in light of the recent outbreak of coronavirus in the United States. Part of its decision stems from the fact that many travelers have suspended their plans, resulting in less air traffic, and therefore, there isn’t as high of a demand for new employees when business is down.   

As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the nation, it leaves us wondering: Should all employers suspend their hiring process until the virus has run its course?  Read more..

How Businesses Should Handle the Coronavirus Outbreak

With the coronavirus still continuing to spread across the world, we’ve put together a handy guide on best practices companies and human resources departments should follow to help their employees stay healthy and infection-free.

HR departments should pull together information pertaining to the coronavirus to create a ready-to-refer instructional guide for employees that not only educates them about the viral infection, but also enlists ways to avoid it.  Read more…

Recruiting in an Era of Coronavirus

One of the key tools to developing a successful recruiting program is the ability to pivot on a dime and stay in front of our ever-changing environment. Right now, we’re facing a pandemic of sizable proportions. People are scared. Professional conferences are cancelled. Job fairs shuttered. But some essential personnel positions need to be filled – and you still have an applicant pipeline to populate.  Read more…

U.S. Factories Closing Due to Coronavirus Concerns but Some Must Keep Producing

​Shutting down a factory is never an easy call, but in the face of growing concerns about the coronavirus, more manufacturers are opting to go idle rather than risk spreading infection among employees and their families.

A watershed moment came March 18 when automakers in Detroit announced a complete factory shutdown in the U.S., Mexico and Canada until at least March 30, following news that workers at several auto plants had tested positive for COVID-19.

Read more…

Coronavirus and Teleworking: Tips for Preparing your Workforce

The coronavirus is prompting a wide range of employers to ask employees to telecommute, but many employees are not experienced in working remotely. In fact, as of 2018, only  24 percent of U.S. employees did some or all of their work at home, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers spent more time in the workplace—7.9 hours—than they did working at home—2.9 hours. Read more…

Coronavirus at Work: How Companies Are Responding to COVID-19

With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the world is in the midst of what could turn out to be one the of the biggest pandemics of the century—or, at the very least, a disease epidemic unlike anything the U.S. has seen in over a decade. And it’s hitting people hard where they spend a huge chunk of their time: at work. Read more…

Coronavirus-Related Jobs are Percolating

The unemployment rate peaked at 25% during the Great Depression. Decades later, the United States may soon be facing 20% unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That we might be on the precipice of the Great Depression 2.0 is…well…depressing.

That’s the bad news. Here’s the less-bad news. (“Good news” would be an overstatement.) Our current crisis is also spurring hiring in some areas. Read more…

Trendwatch-R-16x9

SCG Trendwatch: Recruitment Industry News & Insights – February 2020

by Human ResourcesRecruitment Advertising

Trendwatch

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy HR professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the recruitment landscape. Check in each month for the latest updates from all over the web.

Fortune’s 2020 List of the 100 Best Places to Work Is Out, and Here’s What It Reveals

On February 18, 2020, Fortune Magazine released its 2020 list of 100 Best Places to Work for. With some companies finding a spot on the list for years in a row, we assess what has made the top five companies the best place to work in 2020.

When we talk about the future of work and the elements that embody it, these companies offer at least some of the key elements that comes together to deliver a top-notch employee experience. For instance, most companies in the top 10 offer telecommuting options, while others offer fully-funded health insurance. Workplace diversity is also a priority for them, with a higher minority and female representation.  Read more…

What does the Kronos and Ultimate Software Merger mean for HR?

​Users of Kronos and Ultimate Software—two of the largest HR technology vendors—may want to get in touch with their account representatives. The two companies have announced a merger, creating the largest pure HR tech company by market share, which could bring changes and new possibilities for customers.   Read more…

Hireology Simplifies Automotive Hiring With New Mobile App

Hireology, the leading recruitment CRM for multi-location, decentralized enterprises, announced a new mobile application, available this summer.

The mobile application will enable hiring managers to engage candidates on-the-go, hire faster and avoid losing applicants to competing job offers in a tight labor market. The app will be available to all customers and included in the base subscription price.  Read more…

Sourcing Reddit To Find Unique Teaching Candidates

In the world of test prep, the hardest talent to find and keep are MCAT teachers. It’s our biggest book of business and therefore, the highest volume of classroom and tutoring assignments that we fill.  We need to hire a lot of MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) instructors but what makes this pursuit doubly hard is the industry’s turnover rate.  This means that we are sourcing constantly. Read more…

How Chatbots Are Revolutionizing the Hiring Experience

It is no secret that applicants often feel burned out by the job application process, especially when 65 percent of them report never or rarely receiving any notice on their status. This lack of communication can render people dehumanized and fatigued, and it also can leave them with a negative view of these companies. Not only will that opinion prevent them from further interacting with a company, but they are likely to share their experience with others. Read more…

Recruiting firms say employers need to raise wages

Most recruiting firms (77%) responding to a recent survey said employers must raise wages to compete for qualified talent in 2020. Forty-four percent said this need was one of their top three hiring challenges for the next three to five years, up from 30% last year, according to findings released by cloud-computing company Bullhorn Jan. 28.  Read more…

Trendwatch-R-16x9

SCG Trendwatch: Recruitment Industry News & Insights – January 2020

by Human ResourcesRecruitment Advertising

Trendwatch

Welcome to your monthly round-up for busy HR professionals. Each month, we share the latest news, strategies, tools and trends affecting the recruitment landscape. Check in each month for the latest updates from all over the web.

20 HR Metrics You Need to Track in 2020

Over half of HR functions across the world already have analytics capabilities, and this number is expected to grow even further in 2020. But analytics must rest on a robust foundation of data and the right HR metrics. Find out which HR metrics you should measure this year to stay ahead. Read more…

iHire Releases Second Annual U.S. Job Industry Recap & Outlook Report

iHire announces the publication of its second annual U.S. Job Industry Recap and Outlook Report, a review of the 2019 job market and predictions for 2020. Exploring insights from the 33.2 million job postings shared across the company’s 56 industry-specific talent communities in 2019 – and using 2018’s data for benchmarking.  Read more…

How One Gaming Company Leveled Up Its Inclusive Culture

In an industry with a subpar reputation for D&I, Versus Systems builds culture directly into its hiring process, head of people Amanda Armour told HR Dive.  Growing up, Amanda Armour was very much into gaming and technology. “I have always been around a lot of people of color who love games and gaming,” Armour, head of people at gaming software company Versus Systems, told HR Dive in an interview. “That has been a huge part of my personal canon and narrative.”   Read more…

Glassdoor Introduces New Tools to Help Job Seekers Land the Right Job in 2020

Company Compare by Glassdoor Offers Job Seekers A Side-By-Side Comparison of Two Companies Across Fourteen Workplace Attributes and Insights Based on Employee Feedback

According to a new Glassdoor survey (1), one in three U.S. adults (34 percent) are looking or plan to look for a new job in the next year.  As job searching heats up, Glassdoor is unveiling two new tools to empower job seekers: Collections and Company Compare. Collections is designed to help job seekers manage their entire job search process in one, seamless experience, while Company Compare aims to help job seekers compare potential employers faster and more efficiently. In addition, Glassdoor is debuting several other product improvements designed to help both job seekers and employers. Read more…

LinkedIn Global Talent Trends 2020: Latest HR Trends Revealed

From a growing focus on employee experience to a decided move toward applying people analytics, from recognizing the value of internal recruitment in winning the war for talent to the benefits of embracing a multigenerational workforce, LinkedIn’s 10 Annual Global Talent Trends for 2020 reveal the a move toward a people-centric workplace centered on empathy and the human experience.  Read more…

5 Reasons To Attend SmartRecruiters’ Annual Hiring Success Conference on February 11 and 12.

Be a part of history and help shape the future of talent acquisition.

Hiring Success is just around the corner! On February 11th and 12th, over 1,200 talent acquisition leaders from across the world will gather together at SmartRecruiters’ annual conference to learn from industry leaders, engage with peers, and dive deep into the most important topics in the world of talent acquisition.  Read more…

Want Workers To Stay? Promote Them, Survey Says

Internal career opportunities go a long way in keeping turnover rates low, research has shown. LinkedIn data found that employees who have opportunities to change roles within an organization remain onboard longer. LinkedIn found that after three years of tenure, employees who advance career-wise have a 70% chance of remaining on staff. And the findings show that even an internal lateral move increases an employee’s chances of staying on the job by 62%.  Read more…