Why Management Is a Career and Leadership Is a Calling

Why Management Is a Career and Leadership Is a CallingWhy Management Is a Career and Leadership Is a CallingAsk anyone, and theyll tell you. Theres a difference between managers and leaders. Ask them what that difference is, and they may have a bit more difficulty providing a clear answer. Suddenly the words become amorphous and undefined. Somehow leadership is an intangible - a charismatic component that some people have and others simply dont. Thats why, according to the ubiquitous they, it is such a rarity. We disagree with this perspective. Career Versus Calling The difference between being a manager and being a leader is simple Management is a career. Leadership is a calling. You dont have to be tall, well-spoken and good looking to be a successful leader. You dont have to have that special something to fulfill the leadership role. What you have to have are clearly defined convictions - and, more importantly, the courage of your convictions to see them manifest into reality. Only when you understand your role as guide and steward based on your own most deeply held truths can you move from manager to leader. The Power of Trust Whether the group you oversee is called employees, associates, co-workers, teammates or anything else, what they are looking for is someone in whom they can distribution policy their trust. Someone they know is working for the greater good - for them and the organization. Theyre looking for someone not only that they can - but that they want to - follow. Because it is only when you have followers -people who have placed their trust in you - that you know you have moved into that leadership role. And the way you see it is that your organization is transcending all previous quality, productivity, innovation, and revenue achievements. Youre operating at such a high level of efficiency that youre giving budget back to the corporation - and youre still beating your goals. Youre achieving what you always dreamed could be achieved. A nd not only that, but its easier than you thought. Because youre a leader. Because the classic command and control management model - which, contrary to popular belief still applies even in our most progressive 21st-century companies - is no longer in play. Sure, controls are in place. Sure, youre solving problems that arise. But its not just you alone. You have the people in whom youve put your trust - and who have happily and safely reciprocated - to help you create organizational success. First Steps Where to departure? Begin by discovering exactly what your convictions are. Clarify and codify for yourself what you believe in. Then, take a nice step back and see how those beliefs are playing out in the organization as it stands today. Dont start with an organizational assessment based on the numbers or your opinions about others. It is not about them. It is all about you. Ask yourself What is important to me? What are my values, beliefs, ethics?How am I demonstrating those va lues, beliefs, and ethics every day?Is the larger organization designed to support my values, beliefs, and ethics?Where are the disconnects within my immediate organization and for myself with the larger enterprise?What can I do to change how I behave with my immediate organization to demonstrate my belief in them?What additional assistance do my employees need to succeed V and how can I ensure that they get everything they need and more to create personal and organizational success? Realistically, youll go through this process not once, but many, many times. It is a periodic reality and cross-check to see how youre doing in your own context and, as you begin making changes, in the larger context. Because, while you can and should expect yourself and your immediate organization to make changes, you cannot - and should not - expect the larger organization to respond or follow suit immediately. It is a personal journey designed to assist you in being more - and helping those whose li ves you touch to be more. Give the organization time. Itll get there. Its just a little bit slow. Whats Next? As you identify your convictions and begin aligning your behaviors with those convictions, you are going to need to take steps to build a collaborative culture based on where youre going. To do that, seek input from your employees about what they need and what their dreams are for their jobs and the larger organization. (They have them, you know). Talk to internal and external customers and suppliers about their needs. Find out what more and what else you can be and do to create success. Enroll and engage in conversation and communication. Sit back. Listen. Take in as much as you can. Look for trends and themes. Find out where the possibilities are - the connects and disconnects that you can effect. Be more. Be all those things you always believed about yourself - and usually bring to the rest of your life. Leaders arent made or born. Leadership is a choice - a belief in and commitment to everything that is good and noble within you. Be a leader. Leslie L. Kossoff is a leading organizational thinker and consultant. Her firm, Kossoff Management Consulting, has provided guidance in the areas of executive and management development, and organizational strategy and excellence for over twelve years. Her current focus is the next generation of leadership and the generation after that. Updated by Art Petty

Customize this CAE Engineer Resume

Customize this CAE Engineer ResumeCustomize this CAE Engineer ResumeHighly technical minds deserve challenging careers that put them to the test. Computer-aided engineers have unique and complex skills that should be displayed in nuanced resumes so they can continue to utilize them in their ever-extending career path.A CAE resume needs to explain previous projects youve worked on, along with your role in them. Dont be afraid to use technical language that demonstrates how deep your knowledge of systems, software, and hardware extends. When applying for promotional roles, include incidents where you acted as a leader or supervisory responsibilities. Illustrate in-house training and further certification youve gained along the way and a passion to continue learning and grow your career.Check out the detailed CAE engineer resume template below when constructing your own resume for future job applications. Create this Resume Mario Mackenzie300 Ashcraft CourtLa Mesa, CA 92041(666)-142-68 91m.mackenzietmail.comObjectiveSeeking a career as a high-level CAE Engineer in a reputable company to develop solutions for the company and give high quality results for the jobs and duties being undertaken.Summary of QualificationsExpertise in using CAE methods and processesExcellent in developing solutions Knowledgeable in vibro-acoustic analysis methodsExtensive experience in automotive industryProfessional ExperienceCAE Engineer, January 2007- Present ACL Group of Companies, Fort Wayne, IN ResponsibilitiesDeveloped automotive body structures both trimmed and un-trimmed using FEA.Defined wertmiger zuwachs targets specifically global static and localized dynamic stiffness.Analyzed CAE baseline and summarized results and feedback conclusions.Collaborated with design teams to develop solutions within timelines.Developed solutions by being aware of potential design contraints in packaging and manufacturing.CAE Engineer- Associate, May 2004- December 2006Havok Inc., Arlington Heights , IL ResponsibilitiesModernized and organized timing of product design programs.Rendered technical support for resolving assembly plant troubles.Led engineering activities for pilot line programs.Conducted engineering activities for model year of production programs.Evaluated design proposals.EducationMasters Degree in Mechanical Engineering, 2004New York UniversityBachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, 2002New York University Customize ResumeMore Sample ResumesBuilding Superintendent Resume Business Owner Resume Buyer Planner Resume CAE Engineer Resume

The best advice Steve Case gives entrepreneurs

The best advice Steve Case gives entrepreneurs The best advice Steve Case gives entrepreneurs As the founding CEO of AOL, the first internet company to go public, Steve Case is an icon of the first wave of the internet. Case left AOL in 2005, and has since built a large portfolio of startups through his venture capital firm, Revolution.He’s spent the past five years traveling the United States, often in a bright red or blue bus, investing in cities outside of the centers of American venture capital- Silicon Valley, New York City, and Boston - as part of Revolution’s “Rise of the Rest” initiative. Whether it’s a place like Louisville, Kentucky or Salt Lake City, Utah, Case and his team don’t simply pass through for a day and drop off some money, but build long-term relationships with founders and local power brokers to ensure the startup scenes thrive.And as he told us in an episode of Business Insider’s podcast “This Is Success,” the best advice he gives is, “It ultimately comes down to people and teams, that entrepreneurship is a team sport, it’s not about any one person.” He warns against the ego boost that can come from external expectations of the founder. “The founding CEO tends to get most of the attention, but it really is a team effort,” he said.Case said he’s a fan of the proverb, “If you want to go quickly, you can go alone. If you want to go far, you must go together,” because it’s a pithy expression he sees as capturing the importance of partnerships.In the interview, he explained that AOL became a massively successful company in the 1990s because of its founding team, even though being the face of the company could give the perception most of it rested on his actions. It was also, he said, the lack of strong relationships between AOL’s and Time Warner’s teams was a major factor behind that $162 billion mega-merger’s ultimate failure.Case believes that the US is at the start of the “third wave” of internet companies, ones that will turn “the internet of things” from a gimmick into the indus try-changing “internet of everything,” and that success in this environment will make partnerships between startups and established companies, and with government regulators, far more important than they ever had been.It’s why he’s built bipartisan relationships with politicians on both the federal and local levels, and why he’s built a diverse Rise of the Rest team that includes “Hillbilly Elegy” author and former Valley investor JD Vance and former Google for Entrepreneurs director Mary Grove.“If you get the people right, almost anything is possible,” he said. “If you don’t get the people right, I’d argue nothing is possible.”Listen to the full episode and subscribe to “This Is Success” on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.This article first appeared on Business Insider.

Thank You Email After Interview - 2019 Guide & Examples

Thank You Email After Interview - 2019 Guide & Examples Thank You Email After Interview Interview Follow-up Email â€" 2019 GuideWhat should you do after a job interview? First, let out a deep breath. Regardless of how it went, you can relax. The hard part is over. But don’t think you are in the clear completely.It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that once the interview is over, you should just wait to be contacted with a decision. This is not the case. Within an hour of being interviewed, there are steps you can take to improve your chances of being hired.This guide will cover what you should do at various stages once an interview is complete. Specifically, we will look at:What to do right after a job interviewWhen and how to send a thank you email after interviewWhen and how to follow up after an interviewWhat to do if you are invited for a second interviewWhat to do when you are declined or selected for a positionThe chances are good that all of these steps will apply to you at some point. Follow each of them, and hopefully, you’ll soon be thinking of h ow to prepare for your first day on the job.What to Do Right After a Job InterviewResist the urge to go straight to the pub. Of course, you should celebrate a bit, assuming all went smoothly. However, whether you feel you aced the interview or not, you should immediately look for an opportunity to write down some notes.I know what you’re thinking, “I just spent days stressing over this interview, and now you want me to spend more time thinking about!?” Yes, that’s exactly right. But don’t worry, it will be over soon enough.While you interview it’s a good idea to take notes on what the recruiter tells you; however, it’s also easy to miss jotting something important down if you are focused on being responsive. So, when you finish an interview, whether you go home straight away or sit down somewhere else, take a moment to reflect on any important information mentioned during the interview, compare this with your notes, and write down anything you may have missed.The reaso n behind is that you will capture information that may help you prepare for a second interview or to help you make a decision should you be offered a job. Salary information, job responsibilities, requested references/portfolios/work samples, and even the names of all of your interviewers are good to capture on paper for future reference.Writing a Thank You Email After an InterviewWondering when is the best time to send a thank you note after an interview? The short answer is three hours. You’ll often hear of a 24-hour rule, but it doesn’t make sense to put this off so long. At the same time, you don’t want to seem pushy or desperate â€" sounds a lot like a first date, right?The reasons for writing a thank you email after an interview are three-fold: first, to show courtesy and good manners; two, to leave one last reminder of why you are suited for the job; and three, to reiterate your interest.Don’t worry, this interview thank you note should be short and sweet. Here is a s ample of what an interview thank you letter should look like:Example of Thank You Email After InterviewDear (Mr./Ms. recruiter last name),Thank you once again for meeting with me earlier today and for discussing the (Position name) role. I enjoyed learning more about the position and (Company X).As I mentioned during our conversation, I think that my (skills/experience in a given specialty) would be particularly valuable in contributing to your work on (area or project types).If there is anything else that I can provide in order to assist your decision, please let me know. I look forward to hearing from you soon.Kind regards,(Your name)This type of note assumes that you ARE interested in the position. Sometimes an interview will make you realize that a job isn’t in fact suited to you. If this is the case, and you are sure that you will not accept a job offer, use the interview thank you email to politely state that you are no longer interested in the position.When and How to Follo w Up After An InterviewOne of the questions you should ask during a job interview is “What is the next step in your hiring process?” This gives you an idea of when you will hear back from the company.It’s important to respect the job hiring process that recruiters go through. If the person that interviewed you told you that a decision will be made by next Wednesday, don’t contact them before this apart from your thank you note.You may be really interested in the position, and you want to try to persuade the company that you are the right person for the job. But don’t. It runs the risk of a recruiter perceiving you as a bad listener or disrespectful of other people’s time.However, let’s say that the recruiter said you could expect to hear back by Wednesday, and it’s now Wednesday afternoon. Well, in that case, it’s time to act. There is nothing wrong with sending a short interview follow-up note to see if the company has made a decision.Example of What Should an Int erview Follow-up Email SayDear (Mr./Ms. recruiter last name),I hope all is well with you. I am just following up to see if you have come to a decision regarding the position (Position name). If not, could you please let me know when a decision might be made?Thank you kindly, and please let me know if you require further information regarding my qualifications.Sincerely,(Your name)After you send this email, you should expect a reply within 24 hours. If you don’t get one, your best bet is to give the recruiter a call to inquire about where the company is in the process of making a decision.What to Do If You Are Invited For a Second InterviewDepending on the company you are interviewing with, you may be asked to come in for a second interview. This often happens with larger companies with more elaborate recruiting systems. However, small companies also use multiple interviews to ensure you are the right fit for their team.If you receive a phone call or email asking you to come in for a second interview, you want to collect as much information as possible about who you will be speaking with and how it may be different from the first interview.For example, you will want to ask questions like:“Will I be meeting with the same team members as the other day?”“Is there anything specific that I should be ready to discuss?”“Should I expect to be tested on any particular skills?” (E.g. computer programming, writing)Make a note of all of this information and then prepare accordingly.What to Do When You Are Declined a PositionYou will not always get the job you want. It’s hard to fit perfectly into a company’s needs. So don’t take it personally if you are contacted following a job interview and told you didn’t get the job. Instead, treat this as a learning opportunity.When a recruiter contacts you with the bad news, thank him/her again for the consideration but also ask a couple of questions. First, explain that you would like to improve your interviewi ng skills and ask for suggestions on how you can interview better in the future. Second, ask if there any qualifications or experiences that would make you a more appealing candidate.

The ultimate guide to crafting your elevator pitch

The ultimate guide to crafting your elevator pitch The ultimate guide to crafting your elevator pitch You just arrived at the office of your dream job for an interview. The elevator dings and you get in, only to see the CEO of said company is already in the elevator. You only have a few floors to go. You’ve got 30 seconds to tell him who you are, what your experience is and why you deserve the job you’re interviewing for.Sounds tough, right? While you probably won’t be in this exact situation, (although you never know!) it’s important to craft a personal elevator pitch so you can prove yourself while you have someone’s full attention in that tiny metal box.An elevator pitch is a 30- to 60-second statement composed of your job experience, aspirations and what you can do for a company. It’s not easy to distill both your best traits and how you can help a future workplace into a short pitch, which is why it’s important to work on.No, it’s not always done in an elevator: You could meet someone of importance at a cocktail bar, conference or job fair and need to pitch them. The whole point of crafting this little speech is that, if you found yourself on a short elevator ride with an important employer, you could easily tell them why you’re right for a job.Not sure where to start? Here’s how to craft a compelling elevator pitch.Nail the basicsYour elevator pitch needs to answer three basic questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for? At a bare minimum, these questions should be answered. Depending on your situation and the amount of time you have to pitch yourself, you could elaborate on other things, such as what your best accomplishment was at your last workplace or an interesting, attention-grabbing fact about yourself.It’s also helpful to address what problem you solve. Is there a need you see in the company that your acquired skills can help? What can you do for the team you would be working with? Depending on the position and amount of time you have, the more questions you’re able to answer the better!Know your audienceYou have to know who you’re talking to, which is also why it’s important to have multiple pitches (see below). You’d probably have different things to say to the CEO in an elevator versus running into the hiring manager at a networking happy hour event.Knowing the audience also helps you use the right language. In general, your pitch should be understandable by the average person. D on’t use technical terms or industry jargon, unless you’re talking to someone you know will understand it.Craft multiple pitchesJust like it’s important to tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for, you need to prepare different elevator pitches. The difference could be based on industry, who your audience is or what the setting is.It’s helpful to have both short and long versions of your elevator pitch - sometimes you only have a brief 30 seconds, while other times you’ll have a few minutes. Be prepared to elaborate on your elevator pitch if asked follow-up questions.Practice, practice, practiceI can’t stress this one enough - you have to practice your pitch(es)! You don’t want to sound like a monotone robot, or come off as impersonal. You also don’t want to be stumbling over words because, let’s face it, you’ll probably be a little nervous in the first place.Practicing should help you build the necessary confidence to appear cool and collected even if you’re freaking out on the inside.Always leave them with a business cardThis step is small, but important. Whether you have a business card with your current company, or make your own personal ones between jobs, you have to give the other party your card. If you run into them in public, or at some type of event, they need a way to contact you if they want to follow up. You could have had the best elevator pitch in the world, but if you didn’t leave them with a form of contact, they won’t be able to reach out.4 things NOT to doNow that we’ve covered what you need to know for an elevator pitch, here’s what you should avoid.Don’t: Ramble or talk too fast Forget to say your name Use the same elevator pitch for every company, job or person you come across Sound like an infomercial It’s not always easy to talk about yourself, especially when face-to-face with a potential employer. Writing a solid elevator pitch can help you to overcome that obstacle, and be able to talk about yourself and career skills with ease. For even more guidance, take a look at these elevator pitch examples. (Note: elevator pitches can also be a helpful tool for entrepreneurs looking to pitch their product or service).If you’re between jobs and looking to use your elevator pitch as a way to get your foot in the door, take your best elements from it and use it for your cover letter. You could also pick up a few work-at-home side jobs to supplement your income - bonus, you’ll have more time to job search and practice those elevator pitches!Jacquelyn Pica is a writer at The Penny Hoarder, a personal finance website that helps you make smart money decisions. Find her on Twitter @JacquelynTPH.

E-Learning Evolves to the Next Level (Part 2)

E-Learning Evolves to the Next Level (Part 2) E-Learning Evolves to the Next Level (Part 2) E-Learning Evolves to the Next Level (Part 2) Training Corner In Part 1 of our serieson e-learning tools, we explored the myth that new technologies and strategies in the e-learning space are too costly to integrate in these difficult economic times. In fact, new e-learning tools are much easier to implement than in the past and can be equally successful if executed properly. In this article we will shed light on both the emergence of online authoring tools, as well as the move towards We-learning. Emergence of Online Authoring Tools Web authoring tools have experienced an explosion in the last few years. Many organizations are looking for cost-effective and efficient tools to educate their employees. Are there systems out there that can be accessed via the Web that allow you to develop robust learning solutions, deliver them, and in some instances, even track progress? The answer is yes. More and more vendors have made the move to online authoring tools due to the demand for flexibility and simplicity in their systems. The fact is that not every organization has a full-fledged training department with unlimited resources. Online authoring tools can facilitate the development and time required to launch online learning modules, allowing you to do more with less. They require no software installation while multiple people within the organization can access them by logging in through the Web. SaaS Solutions The cloud has opened up a whole new world for this type of e-learning development. Also referred to as SaaS (Software as a service), this type of solution allows an organization to be free of the usual constraints of hosting and application maintenance. There is usually an on demand component to these models, which allows organizations to purchase only what they need, as opposed to all of the bells and whistles available to them. Many of these vendors are also offering boxed courses, which can be extremely useful if instructional designers or content developers are scarce within an organization. Depending on the vendors capabilities, these courses may be offered in various languages, an increasingly important factor as many companies now have offices all over the world. Online authoring tools can also include limited evaluation functionality, collaboration features in real-time, administrative functions and a content review process. Some of the more popular vendors in this space include dominKnow, which has a product named Claro, Rapid Intakes eLearning Studio and Articulate. Moving Towards We-learning We-learning, also known as social learning, informal learning and even collaborative learning, is moving from an intangible concept to something that organizations are actively trying to implement. In theory, We-learning is simple. Its based on the idea that every organization possesses a collective pool of knowledge and experiences that can be collectively harnessed if captured and disseminated in an everyday solution. This trend has been fueled by budget constraints, the increasing ability for all employees to be connected in some form or another and the many tools emerging in this space. Because We-learning relies on knowledge sharing, it removes the need for instructional designers and curriculum developers, thus making the content creation component much more cost-effective. Translating this concept into a meaningful experience for employees is easier said than done. One of the first tasks before undertaking We-learning is to truly understand the audience. Where do they work? How savvy and wiling are they to interact with social platforms? How would they prefer to access and use the information they will gain? In essence, the system(s) you decide to implement must flow organically through your employees everyday routine. This process should never take them away from their everyday tasks. Instead, it should support and enhance the work they are performing on a regular basis. Many organizations are skittish when it comes to allowing employees to publish their own content. The fear is that they will post inaccurate and/or inappropriate material. But the fact is that very few employees would risk doing so, damaging their reputation. The vast majority will make a concerted effort to add meaningful content to the threads and topics. We-learning Tools The integration of We-learning taps tools that are familiar to most people. In fact, with this type of learning, its less about the sophistication and complexity of the tools and more about their innovative application. Formatssuch as Twitter, Facebook, blogs, videos, articles, training materials such as manuals or task aids, etc. are all valid platforms to drive employee engagementand learning. The key is to encourage the use of these tools, while outlining clear expectations in how they are to be used and what the end goal is as an organization. While integrating these types of e-learning solutions might at first seem daunting, it is a valid and economical means to advance employee development. To wait for the economy to turn before engaging employeesin learning is a dangerous strategy to follow. Instead, a little ingenuity will go a long way towards providing employees with fresh opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge, which can only help your organization in the long run.

Make the Most of Your Job Advertising Budget

Make the Most of Your Job Advertising Budget Make the Most of Your Job Advertising Budget Many business leaders struggle with the budget process each year, perhaps none more than those in talent acquisition. They attend conferences, keep abreast of the latest trends and seek counsel from consulting firms. Often they create projects only to find that the funds are unavailable. No budget increase. No new initiatives. No innovation. As a marketer with 15 years of experience, the annual budget has become a challenge I look forward to. Many times the process involves the take-over of a department by a new leader. In this scenario I have learned that in order to get the initiatives you want executed within your mandate, you often need to get creative with your budgeting by making room. The same process I have used over the years in the marketing world can easily be applied to talent acquisition. The largest obstacle I have encountered, budget-wise, has been within advertising and lead generation, or in the case of recruiting, the funnel of candidates to open positions. The best advertising programs in the marketing world use multiple channels for reaching an audience (print, online, e-mail, social media, trade shows, search engine marketing). Similarly, talent recruitment strategies use a multichannel approach (job search engines,  job boards, social media, job fairs). The biggest opportunity for making room in your budget is in advertising. The reason for this is something I call “the legacy approach” to budgeting. This is when your approach to ad spending remains unchanged from year to year because it appears to be effective on the surface. However, this is rarely the case, because your return on investment is being assessed as a group of advertising activities, not by individual actions, initiatives or channels. Few leaders actually audit the results by line item, and they miss an opportunity to spend strategically. The following strategies may be common sense to many. Sadly, we often forget common sense or basic initiatives in our race to manage existing strategies and keep up with the competition. The three steps below are effective tools for every talent acquisition leader to undertake not just once, but on a regular basis, in order to keep their budget on track. 1. Audit Your Advertising Channels Allocating your budget towards a job board, social media or similar channel without knowing the return on investment is dangerous. This is also the first place to find savings you could be allocating towards new initiatives. One of the initial steps you should undertake is an audit of the previous year’s spending and the number of candidates received. If you can further measure the number of hires from each advertising channel you are in even better shape. Evaluate each supplier, determine the per-hire or per-candidate costs and, if possible, benchmark it to other companies. If you cannot compare these metrics to other companies, at least look for any odd performance levels or spending across your mix of advertising channels. If one or more suppliers have a per-hire or per-candidate cost significantly higher than the others, flag them for review. Many people would stop at this step and simply eliminate the advertising channel that was the most expensive. However, you can’t only look at costs as factors for eliminating spending. You also need to look at your audience and goals. 2. Re-Align Advertising Channels and Spend Strategically The second major activity I highly recommend is an analysis of the roles you are recruiting for and the various advertising channels you utilize to reach them. In marketing, we would use the argument that not all customers are the same. Some customers spend more than others and a good marketer is willing to invest more to access a customer with a greater lifetime revenue value than a one-time transactional consumer. Clearly the same can be said about the roles for which you are hiring. Entry-level or transactional roles (receptionists, customer service agents, servers) are often less challenging to recruit than specialized roles (engineers, accountants, salespeople). It would not be economical to spend the same amount of money on advertising for these two groups. Unfortunately, many use a single channel to reach everyone, regardless of the role or degree of challenge. To make more room in your budget, you should segment these roles and spend strategically. Look at your current advertising channels and the volume of candidates each one delivers. As part of your annual resource planning process, identify the roles you know will require higher budgets and allocate funds accordingly. If you can move your less challenging roles into a more cost-effective advertising channel, do so. The savings can be reserved for other projects in the coming year. 3. Test New and More Cost-Effective Advertising Channels The final piece is to look at lower-cost alternatives. With a greater understanding of your current spending and a segmented audience based on the roles you need to strategically target, it makes sense to look at new solutions. Remember, a lower-cost solution doesn’t always mean lower quality, especially when you are aligning the right job to the right channel. If you are currently relying on one or two advertising channels, now is the opportunity to try new, more cost-effective platforms to evaluate their capabilities. For example, if you currently use job boards for all of your open jobs, regardless of the role, you should test some new channels to see if you can deliver savings. Try using a job search engine such as Simply Hired, and use your previous per-hire or per-candidate spending from a job board as the benchmark. Set performance goals and, more importantly, measure them. A recent independent study by Forrester Research showed that Simply Hired delivered quality candidates at less than half the cost of the two leading job boards. Think about this for a moment. If you can reallocate a percentage of your advertising spending from job boards to Simply Hired, you could be saving over 50 percent of your overall budget to reach these candidates. Depending on the size of your budget, this could be a significant amount to pay for new initiatives. Budgeting Wisdom In Action, An Example I recently had dinner with a colleague who is an HR leader at a major company. She had a mandate to introduce a strategic branding initiative within her department, but she struggled to get the funds approved by the CFO. The proposed program was expected to cost over $120,000. For the short-term, she wanted to allocate $30,000 to the development of the formal program strategy using a third-party consultant. Sadly, her budget was so tightly allocated to other items that she had no money to spare. We later discussed her current job advertising spending. With job boards representing 70 percent of her $150,000 per year advertising budget, we estimated together the potential for finding the money needed for the consulting fees. Roughly 60 percent of her hiring plan for the new year included roles where the use of job boards did not make economic sense, given salaries and volume. By moving these specific roles to Simply Hired, we estimated that her savings for the year would be $45,000.That would be enough to allocate funds to her branding strategy project with some additional money left over for social media tests, as recommended by the consulting firm. The point I’m aiming to deliver is that budgets are often designed based on what was done the year before. As such, it’s a missed opportunity for those who struggle with implementing new initiatives based on cost. You are missing out on an opportunity if you don’t apply metrics and benchmarks to your spending, identify cost savings without sacrificing quality, spend strategically or try new methods. Nothing impresses a CFO during the budget review process more than initiatives that maximize spending to generate greater ROI and productivity. It certainly helps the following year when you ask, cup in hand, for any increases. After all, if you were able to increase your output by 40 percent with your existing budget, the pitch for an increase becomes much more palatable to someone who is focused on the bottom line. Read Related Articles: Is Your Job Posting Budget Optimized? Transform Your ATS Into Your Secret Weapon