When was the last time you were hunting for a job? If it’s been awhile, you may be astounded the next time you fire off your resume, and receive a text message back from a recruiter or hiring manager. Yikes! New territory for many of us. So, how do you respond? Is it appropriate to use emojis even if the recruiter used them first? How quickly should you respond to the text?
 
The concept of text messaging during the interview process has been around for more than a few years, but this trend is becoming increasingly popular, and it is here to stay. Employers are looking for ways to grab the attention of candidates and provide frequent touch points with them, so they’ll remain engaged and don’t think their resumes have fallen into a resume abyss. It also speeds up the process from resume qualification to the time of hire, which is usually a win-win for everyone involved. In addition, not only is it fast, convenient and an easy way to communicate, it is the preferred form of communication for many millennials and most Gen Z’s.
 
Provided below are some tips on how to wow your potential employer when you receive a text message from them.

1. Let the hiring manager text you first. Even if you have their cell phone number, be sure to stick with email or phone calls over text messages until they initiate this form of communication. Your phone number is more personal than your email address. Texting a recruiter can feel like an invasion of their privacy and be construed as intrusive, casting you in a negative light. Obviously, the same goes for the recruiter that is texting a candidate. They should always ask your permission to communicate in this manner first. You have every right to say you prefer another method.
2. If you are interested in the job, respond timely. You can impress a recruiter by being prompt and professional when sending your reply. Leave a lasting impression of yourself and stand out from other candidates just by responding quickly. A recruiter will assess your grammar, communication style, and how you follow instructions if they decide to invite you to meet for an interview.
3. Never provide personal information in a text message. If a recruiter asks for your social security number, date of birth or address in a text message, beware of identity theft or fraud. Most recruiters are going to use text messages for short, simple communication such as scheduling of interviews and follow-up after an interview. Text messages should not be used to make job offers or discuss salary negotiations and should never require you to give up personal information about yourself.  
4. Text during business hours. This is critical for a number of reasons, but since the phone is a more personal means of communication, be cognizant of the time you are texting someone. Ask yourself this: would you call the same person at the time you are texting? If the answer is no, wait to send the text until morning.
5. Whatever you do, don’t use acronyms, abbreviations, gifs or emojis Even if the candidate did it first, try and avoid using these because you will most likely come off as unprofessional. Instead, write complete sentences and check your spelling and grammar. Make sure autocorrect hasn’t changed your words before you hit send.

 
So, the next time you receive a text message from a recruiter, have no fear. Follow the five tips provided, and chances are, the recruiter will reply back with an interview request. Keep your head up and go get ‘em. It’s your year to shine. 

The job market is unlike anything our nation has seen in decades. In 2019, unemployment rates hit a 49-year low. To top it off, companies added 18 percent more jobs than in 2018 and the turnover rate is at the highest level since 2001 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).  

The reality of this new environment has left companies reeling for talent. Many firms have shifted quickly and changed their paradigms on how they recruit, but most are baffled and a bit dumbfounded – left scratching their heads on how to attract the best talent, let alone retain them once on board. 

It doesn’t help that every day 11,000 “Baby Boomers” retire (4,000,000 per year) and the US birth rate continues to decline (3.78M born in 2018) – its lowest rate since 1986. Finally, to add to this perfect storm is the fact that entry into the US via work related visas have been limited in the past few years due to new legislation. 

This job environment is ripe with frustration when it comes to the part of the employer. The very best candidates will likely receive multiple offers.  These candidates demand higher salaries, outside existing ranges, and often far above industry averages. If firms aren’t willing to pay top-dollar, they will lose the best candidates to their competition or anyone willing to pay up.

As a result, decisiveness and fast acting strategies become a requirement in this environment. Acting slowly only becomes a barrier to hiring the best talent. However, recruiting faster doesn’t mean abandoning one’s hiring standards. It doesn’t mean hiring quickly and irrationally, but it may require speeding up the process in a strategic way. 

Realistically, companies should take no more than a month or 5 weeks to identify and interview their prospective hires. By hiring faster, companies report high quality hires, a better candidate experience, better response rates and ultimately better acceptance rates. 

How to Implement a Faster Recruiting Process                   
Here are some tips to consider when adopting a faster hiring process.
 
Write better job postings and descriptions                 
Write clear job descriptions using simple language. A well written job posting helps to eliminate the noise that my come from the wrong candidates applying. In addition, job descriptions should include the must-have skills only. When job descriptions are filled with never ending lists of must-haves, candidates are frequently turned off because they don’t think they’ll meet every single requirement. As a result, they may not apply at all. If you want to list skills that you’d like, but that are not entirely necessary to fulfill the job, you could provide a separate list called “nice to have” or “wish list.”      

Send Timely Rejection Emails                                                   
If you know the candidate isn’t the right fit, send him/her a rejection email right away. Honesty is truly the best policy when it comes to this step, and the candidate will ultimately appreciate your correspondence, allowing them to move on in their process. It nicely closes the candidate experience and doesn’t leave a bad taste in their mouth. 
Make the Application Process Simple and Easy                                                             
Keep the application process simple and easy. Long processes are a turn off and can make the candidate drop off during the process. Instead, provide the candidate with a brief synopsis of the process and what they’ll need to submit before they begin. 

Over Communicate                                                           
Despite best efforts, the recruiting process can be slow at times especially if a company is hiring a more senior position.  If this is the case, it can become much more difficult to keep candidates engaged.

The most important thing to do, in this case, is keep communicating. It’s tempting to wait until a green light is received, but by then, the candidate may have moved on or is feeling deflated because they’ve not heard from your company. Keeping candidates informed on developments will keep them engaged and excited about the open position. At this juncture, it is critical that the company work with the recruiter to provide updated information on the status of the position. The recruiter will work to keep the candidate warm, but will need additional information to nurture them along.  

 As we inch closer to 2020, a statistic by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sits looming as a reminder of the massive gender gap in the technology industry. According to the BLS, there will be 1.4 million computer science jobs available in the US by 2020, but women will be on track to only fill 3% of these positions.

Additionally, the BLS states that 68% of women enroll in college (compared to 63% of men), and women increasingly outnumber men in college graduation rates. Yet women still make up only a quarter of the tech industry workforce.

Where is the disconnect?
According to Code.org, nine out of 10 high schools in the United States fail to offer computer science classes, and in 33 of 50 states, computer science classes do not count towards high school math or science graduation requirements.

In a recent Google study, the company surveyed approximately 1,600 men and women. Their findings indicated that girls aren't taught what computer science actually means, and are half as likely to be encouraged to study it. Females that had no association with computer science used words such as "boring" and "difficult" to describe the industry.

Companies are well aware of these shortages and the disconnect that exists among young women. Therefore, many are taking great strides to change the stereotypes; to engage girls at an early age; and to encourage young women to enter into fields that include technology; whether it is computer science, engineering or IT.

​OpTech is one of these firms. We are partnering with several organizations to change the trend with the ultimate goal of hiring more women for IT roles, even if they haven’t been in the workforce for several years. According to NCWIT, 56% of women in technology leave their employers midcareer. Of the women who leave, 24% take a non-technical job in a different company; 22% become self-employed in a tech field, 20% take time out of the workforce, and 10% go to work with a startup company. This is double the turnover rate of men.

Although this seems like an unfortunate statistic, there is promise within it. There are several women that have taken time out of the workforce, but are looking for a way to get back into it. OpTech is partnering with several stakeholders on an initiative called “Silicon Lakes.” The program’s mission is intended to re-engage and bring tech professional women with a career gap back to work and help them reach their full potential.

Silicon Lakes’ objectives are the following:

• To make it easier for qualified women to return to work after a career break
• To provide avenues through which MI employers can find a pool of high caliber professionals
• To facilitate access to resources, networks, and learning opportunities to succeed and to institute innovative and concrete tactics to ease women back to work.

What is the end goal?
Our goal is to create a large, rich pipeline of talented tech women in Michigan and bridge the gender gap while promoting creativity, diversity, and experience in the workplace. We want to bring tech women with career breaks together to reinforce their identity, and open up opportunities to re-engage in the Michigan economy.
​
It Makes Business Sense
Customer demographics are changing. In much of our research, woman are changing the way business is done and how it is done. Did you know that 90% of the financial decisions in a household are made by women, and guess what? Women have become significant household earners and the key decision makers. According to the Wall Street Journal, by 2022, women will control over 60% of the wealth in the United States. Companies with women in leadership roles crush the competition according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
 
Over the course of the next six years, it is projected that there will be a gap of 811,000 career openings to fill in Michigan alone. We must act swiftly to change the current patterns and design sustainable pipeline approaches for highly-skilled talent to fill the anticipated open positions. The shortage of qualified talent is a major concern as it poses a real threat to the economic growth and prosperity of our state and our nation.
 
Next Steps
If you or someone you know, in the field of IT or engineering, is trying to get back into the workforce, contact our Director of Recruiting, Debbie Blair at dblair@optechus.com or call her directly at 313-879-6211. To learn more about Silicon Lakes, please contact Director of Marketing, Laura Ziegler directly at 313-879-6234 or email her at lziegler@optechus.com. 

As most of you are probably aware, OpTech believes strongly in charitable activities, especially those having a direct impact on children and STEM Education. Yesterday, OpTech team members participated in Boulan Park Middle School’s A.P.T. to Succeed program.

A.P.T. to Succeed is a project in which local 8th grade students experience a professional interview by members of the Troy business community.  The A.P.T. interview focuses on the following:
A = Academic Achievement
P = Personal Time Management
T = Teamwork

For some of our staff, this is their sixth year volunteering for the program and interviewing students. When asked about the experience, one team member said “I am always impressed by the enthusiasm and talent of the young people I interview. I love evaluating their work and giving them pointers on building their resumes but also encouraging the effort they’ve put forth. It truly is a rewarding experience.”

Thanks OpTech team for representing our firm and giving back to our community.   
 

We have all heard time and time again specifics do’s and don’ts for a job interview. Do be polite and talk to the receptionist. Don’t slouch. Do mimic the interviewers body language. Don’t text or take calls during your interview. Do ask questions. These pieces of advice are incredibly useful to anyone, but what about the lesser known details that truly affect your chances of getting the job.

We’ve revealed six seemingly minor details that could change the future of your career path and whether you land your next job interview.

Drum roll please…Here are the things you should never overlook when interviewing (and that are in your complete and utter control).

1. The time you schedule your interview Have you ever considered the time of day that you schedule your interview with a hiring manager? The timing of an interview could actually make or break your interview. Here’s an example: Let’s say your competitor schedules his interview on a Tuesday at 10:30 am. The interviewer is ready for him, has checked his email, attended to any issues from the previous day, and is fully engaged in what your competitor has to say. On the flip side, you schedule your interview before, during or after lunch. What is the outcome? You guessed right. Your interviewer could be a) hungry and anticipating lunch, b) hungry and anticipating lunch, or c) in a full food-coma post lunch or worse yet, late to get back from lunch, making you late too. Take it a step further, let’s say you schedule your interview late in the day. Again, it is possible that your interviewer is “out to lunch” (figuratively) as he is anticipating his evening engagements and needs to rush off, therefore not giving you his/her full attention. <insert mind blown emoticon here> So you ask, why hasn’t anyone shared this sage advice before? We don’t know (because we felt the same way when it was shared with us), but from now on, if possible, schedule your interviews at 10:30 am on Tuesday morning or any other day for that matter. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are ideal.  
2. The time that you arrive for your interview It seems advantageous to arrive to your interview early and you should get there 5-10 minutes before the start of any interview, but if you are arriving 30 minutes early, reconsider. Imagine yourself on the other side of the interview. If the receptionist notifies him/her that you are 30 minutes early, it automatically makes him feel anxious and pressured to take you back early. Knowing someone is sitting out in the lobby and waiting is an uncomfortable feeling. In the future, if you arrive early, review your notes in your car. Take a quick power walk in the parking lot to get your blood flowing, or stop in the bathroom and freshen up.  
3. What color you wear Do you remember your very first job interview? Did you wear a navy-blue suit to it? Believe it or not, color choice still affects your interview and a CareerBuilder survey shows that conservative colors still make the best first impression – anything from navy blue, black, grey or brown. Feel free to add a splash of color with your tie or blouse, but stay away from full on bold colors if possible.
4. Whether you are sweaty Sweatiness is a sign of nervousness and is sometimes out of your control, but if you find you are getting nervous and sweaty, first take a few deep breaths. Another great trick is to ask the receptionist for a cold bottle of water. Hold it in your hands and against your wrists. This will help to regulate your body temperature and hopefully reduce the sweaty palm affect in time for your first handshake.
5. Tattoos and piercings According to a recent survey of more than 2,600 people conducted by Salary.com, “a whopping 76% of respondents feel tattoos and piercings hurt an applicant’s chances of being hired during a job interview. And more than one-third – 39% of those surveyed – believe employees with tattoos and piercings reflect poorly on their employers. If you have tattoos and piercing, try to cover them up as much as possible for your interview. If you are thinking about getting a tattoo or piercing, think about its location, the permanency of your decision and how it could affect other parts of your life – like your career path. 
6. The time you send your thank-you note The cover letter may be dead, but the thank you note is alive and well. Timing on sending your thank you note is a critical piece to your interviewing process. If you wait too long, a hiring manager may think you aren’t interested any longer. As a rule of thumb, always send your thank you note within 24 hours of your interview. If you interviewed with multiple people, don’t forget to send different thank you notes. They may compare notes.  

​References:
https://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=11/21/2013&id=pr791&ed=12/31/2013
https://www.salary.com/articles/tattoos-hurt-chances-getting-job/

Did you make a personal New Year’s Resolution for 2019? How about one for your career growth? This year, setting firm, measurable career goals can improve your quality of life and work/life balance. 

Here are some suggested workplace goals:
1) Get Healthy - Getting healthy is the most common New Year’s resolution made among people of all ages. Because you spend a lot of time at work, incorporating a healthy lifestyle while you are there is crucial for your physical and mental well-being. It doesn't have to be complicated either. For example: pack a lunch 2-3 times a week filled with fruits and vegetables. Take the stairs. Drink an extra glass of water each day. Get up and stretch every hour. Use a standing desk or sit on an exercise ball. Think small, and you’ll find that those little things add up to big results.
2) Learn a new skill - No matter what your title is at work, there are hundreds of new skills to be learned that will benefit your performance and ultimately your career. Pick one skill that you want to learn and use tutorials to aid you. You can find these on sites like Lynda.com and even for free on YouTube. Pick just one skill and set it as one of your work goals for the year. Then get it done. Once you do, don't forget to add it to your resume.
3) Read a career-related book - Reading is great for your mental health and does wonders for your body. Instead of reading a fictional book, find one that aligns with your work goals -- maybe one focused on boosting your performance, your outlook, or even focused on your personal habits. Reading a great book on professional development can give you a new perspective, increase your energy and motivate you during the year.
4) Review and improve your LinkedIn profile - Set a calendar reminder every quarter to assess your LinkedIn profile. Your profile is more or less your online resume so make sure it is up-to-date. You might be surprised when a dream job comes your way or a recruiter reaches out. If you don't know where to begin, assess other profiles of people with similar titles or at similar companies. See what you like or dislike from their profiles and make changes to your accordingly. 

Career resolutions aren't required but can set you on a path to success for the entire year. Even if you only choose one of these, it is well worth the effort because you are sure to see results. Best of luck to you in 2019.