Employer Extra: New year, new tools to make your hiring easier

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Employer Extra: New year, new tools to make your hiring easier

It’s a new year, and everyone – job-seekers and employers alike – are dusting off resumes and cover letters, job descriptions, hiring plans and timelines, etc.

As an employer, you have a wealth of resources available to ease the pain of the hiring process. We wanted to share two particular ones with you: a new “Toolkit for Business” from O*NET; and some tips on how to get the most out of NCWorks Online.

Introducing the O*NET Toolkit for Business

O*NET Online (the Occupational Information Network) is an often-overlooked power tool for employers and human resource (HR) professionals. This searchable online database provides detailed information on more than 900 occupations common to the U.S. economy. O*NET is a valuable resource for strategic business operations including job descriptions, human-resource planning, organizational development, succession planning and training-needs analysis.

You can save hours of time and money with O*NET’s employer toolkit, which includes a quick reference guide, an online guided tour and resources for HR planning including employee reskilling and retention. It also provides important labor market information so you can set expectations for education and experience and offer an appropriate salary.

The toolkit’s guide to writing job descriptions is especially valuable. It helps you or your HR staff develop job descriptions using standard language while customizing the tasks to be performed and identifying the specific knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position.

O*NET is a project of the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.

NCWorks Online for employers: Keys to better job-matching

In 2015, more than 13,000 Mecklenburg County job-seekers registered on NCWorks Online, a free, one-stop online resource for North Carolina job-seekers and employers. Employers who used the system accessed a vast array of talented individuals to meet their staffing needs.

When you post jobs, NCWorks Online generates a list of potential candidates that match your position. Here are a few tips that can help you save time and money by getting the best possible matches from the system:

Select the right occupation. The first step in posting a job order is to list the position title and select the proper occupation. NCWorks Online will use this to match potential candidates. The system will suggest occupations based on the job title, so take the time to make sure it’s a proper match. To ensure accuracy, select the “Search for an occupation” link and then the “Occupation Listing” tab. Hovering the mouse over an occupation produces a definition. Selecting the occupation attaches it to the job order and will match the job to candidates.

Select the necessary skills. NCWorks Online gives you the option to attach a default set of skills to your job order. It’s best to select the default, but make sure to review the specific skills and add or remove any that don’t pertain to the particular position.

Provide salary information. NCWorks Online does not permit job listings that don’t provide a minimum and maximum salary range. This is important because it affects real-time labor market information. However, you have the option to hide the salary figures from job-seekers by checking the box labeled “Do not display salary requirements to job seekers.” When the system seeks potential matches, it will factor salary requirements from both you and job-seekers.

Select the best job application method. You can choose a combination of nine different application methods. The system default/recommended method is “Provide a NCWorks Resumé Online.” If you select this, you can only see applicants by logging into NCWorks Online and viewing them. To contact an applicant, you must select him or her, select “contact” and send that person a message. A better choice may be “Via email:” this provides the most efficient way to reach out to your applicants.

Check the Message Center for matches. All new job orders are placed in a “Veterans Hold” status for the first 24 hours. On the second day after you post the job, NCWorks Online will generate a list of matching candidates. To view it, you must log into NCWorks Online, enter the Message Center through the dashboard widget and read the message titled “Potential Candidates Matching Job Posting.”

 

Need help with O*NET or NCWorks Online? Reach out to any member of our business services team for assistance! And check out all our resources for employers

 
Jim Korth - ArticleJim Korth is the business services programs manager for Charlotte Works. He has served on the business services team since January 2013. Prior to Charlotte Works, Korth worked at the N.C. Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions, where he was an employment consultant, TAA (Trade Adjustment Assistance) case manager, WIA (Workforce Investment Act) case manager and special programs coordinator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible from Cairn University, a master’s degree in religious education from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and a graduate certificate in public administration from Liberty University.



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