Thursday, November 28, 2019

How to Conduct a Cold Call Campaign Find Your Dream Job

How to Conduct a Cold Call Campaign Find Your Dream JobHow to Conduct a Cold Call Campaign - Find Your Dream JobToday you will conduct a cold call campaign, in which you contact your target employers to discuss how you can add value to their companies. Many people do not enjoy cold calling they worry about bothering the person on the other end of the line, or fear being rejected. However, cold calling is a crucial job search technique. When done correctly, cold calling can greatly increase your chances of landing a dream job. Why Cold Call? Cold calling a company will not necessarily lead to an immediate job offer. However, there are a number of possible benefits of a cold call, all of which can enhance your chances of getting a job. Firstly, cold calling expands your professional network, putting you in immediate contact with an employer. Even if the company has no current job openings, you have a new professional contact, who may be able to point you towards a job opening in the future. Cold calling is also a great way to find out about unadvertised jobs. Companies often have job openings that they do not promote on job sites or even on their own websites. Speaking to an employer may give you inside tips about particular positions. Finally, cold calling can save you money. You do not need to hire a professional recruiter to contact employers for you when done properly, cold calling can be extremely effective and much less expensive than using a recruiting service. Tips for Conducting a Cold Call Campaign Contact target companies only. Cold calling isnt about contacting every company in your industry. Only call companies for which your experience and skills make you an ideal employee. This is the only way that a cold call can turn into a job offer.Contact the right company representative. Typically, you do not want to call the company executives. Try to contact someone in a functional role, such as a hiring manager, who will recognize your tauglich keit value. Do not call a human resources representative the HR employee likely will not be able to give you the insider information that a hiring manager might. Figure out exactly who you will be calling, and research a bit about the persons professional background online. Making the call more personal (and less like a cold call) will increase your chances of getting a positive response. Precede your call with an email. Consider sending a targeted titelbild letter and resume before calling the hiring manager. In your cover letter, explain how you can add value to or address a current problem or issue at the company. Mention that you will be calling within the week to follow up. This is especially a good idea if the idea of cold calling intimidates you sending the cover letter and resume gives you a reason to call. If you do not want to send a long cover letter, consider sending a value proposition letter instead. Call at the right time. If the person you are calling seems annoyed or busy, offer to call back later. You can also call or email the persons assistant to make an appointment for the phone call. Typically, calling early or late in the day is best.Explain how you can add value. Remember, you are the one initiating the conversation, so you need to explain why you are interested in the company, and how you think you could add value. Explain how you fit into the companys mission, or how you can help address a problem or challenge the company is facing. Make the conversation about the company, not just about you. Dont expect a job offer. Again, dont expect to get an immediate interview. At the very least, you are expanding your network, which might help you find a new opportunity further down the road. Do not sound too disappointed or push too hard if the employer cannot offer you any information on job openings.Be sincere. Try to convey your genuine interest in the company to the employer. Keep your tone upbeat and polite if you give off a positive at titude, people will appreciate your aktion and genuine passion for their company Follow up. To maintain your new professional contact, follow up your cold call with a thank-you email. You can also connect with the employer on LinkedIn and/or Twitter.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

COBRA - Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act

COBRA - Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation ActCOBRA - Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation ActCOBRA is a United States law that allows a covered employeeand his or her family to continue their group health care coverage when faced with a qualifying event that could cause them to lose it. An individual covered by this law is known as a qualified beneficiary. Examples of qualifying events for employees include leaving or quitting your jobor having your hours reduced. The law also allows the spouse and children of the employee to continue their coverage should either of those events take place or if the covered employee dies or becomes eligible for Medicare. Additionally, it includesprotection for the employees spouse if he or she would lose insurance benefits due to divorce. COBRA, which Congress passed in 1986, stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Why You Need to Understand Your Rights Under COBRA The group health insurance your employer offers can keep you from financial ruin should you or one of your dependents become ill. If you lose your job, or some other event threatens your coverage, it is important that you know about COBRA and how it can protect you. Group health insurance is one of the most valuable components of your compensation package. Some employers pay the entire premium, but many require employees to pay a portion and sometimes even the entire thing. In any case, participating in an employers group insurance plan is almost always cheaper than paying for an individual health insurance policy. When you leave your job, whether you are fired or quit, you shouldnt have to go without health insurance because you cant afford an individual policy. That is where COBRA comes in. It allows you to continue to participate in your employers group health insurance plan by paying for your policy on your own. Here are answers to some questions you may have. The information provided here is general in nature. The end of th e article tells you where to go for more information. Are All Group Insurance Plans Subject to COBRA? Not all group plans are subject to COBRA. Only those plans maintained by businesses and state or local governments with more than 20 employees are. Group insurance plans that the United States federal government, churches and certain church organizations provide for their employees are bedrngnis subject to it either. The Federal Government offers something similar for their employees,however. Does COBRA Protect You and Your Family? If you or your family has a qualifying event, for example, you loseyour job for any reason but gross misconduct,quit your job, or your employer reduces your hours, you die or you and your spouse divorce, AND you answer yes to any of the following questions, you are probably eligible for COBRA Do you work for a private sector employer or state or local government with 20 or more employees?Are you covered by the group health insurance plan provided by your spouses or parents private sector or state or local government employer?Were you or your family covered by a group health plan on the day before the qualifying event occurred? Reasons to Elect Continued Coverage Through COBRA You should opt to continue your group health insurance benefits when Your plan is better than other plans that may be available.You or your dependents wont have coverage without it.Youare satisfied with your plan and your health care providers. Reasons You Should Elect to Not Continue Your Coverage You shouldnt use COBRA to continue your coverage if You can get coverage from your spouses, or other parents, employer.You find a better plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. You should note that while under other circumstances you must wait until an open enrollment period to sign up for a health insurance plan, HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, provides an opportunity for those who have lost eligibility for cove rage to enroll during other times. Thisis called special enrollment. How Much Will You Pay to Continue Your Coverage? The amount you will pay for your insurance premiums depends on the cost of the plan. You will not pay more than the combined cost the employer and an employee payfor the same policy (plus 2% for administrative costs). 3 Things That Should Happen After a Qualifying Event Your employer must notify its health insurance plan within 30 days of your employment ending, a reduction in your hours, or your death.Once it receives notification, the plan must then send an election notice to you and other qualified beneficiaries within 14 days of receiving notification from your employer. It will explain your rights and tell you how to elect to continue your coverage.You will have 60 days from the date you received your election notice or the date your coverage ended to elect to continue your coverage. How Long Can You Continue Your Coverage? You and your family can e lect to continue insurance coverage for at least 18 months if you qualified for COBRA because you lost or quit your job. If you fail to pay your premium, or you begin coverage under another group plan, your coverage will end. If at any time your former employer no longer provides a group health insurance plan to employees, you will no longer be able to participate. Where To Get More Information About COBRA Individuals who work for private sector employers should contact the Employee Benefits Security Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. Either calltoll free(866) 444-3272, or visitdol.gov/ebsa/contactEBSA/consumerassistance.html. If you work for a state or local government, you should contact the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services at 7500 Security BoulevardMail Stop C1-22-06Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 Disclaimer The information contained in this article is for guidance, ideas and assistance only. While the author makes every effort to offer accurate advic e and information, she is not an attorney. Therefore, the content is not to be construed as legal advice. Check government resources or legal counsel when in doubt about your particular situation. Sources Department of Labor. FAQs About COBRA Continuation Health Coverage.NOLO. Your Rights When You Leave a Job.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

5 Exorbitant Costs of Making a Bad Hire

5 Exorbitant Costs of Making a Bad Hire5 Exorbitant Costs of Making a Bad HireThe manager is an essential part of an organization. Their responsibilities become more diverse depending on how elaborate their organizations chain of command is. But, every manager has three fundamental responsibilities. These responsibilities include Hiring Great EmployeesDeveloping Great EmployeesRetaining Great Employees If you dont get number one right, the rest becomesalmost impossible. A manager is better off spending more timehiring great employees. Prioritizing time towards hiring great employees means there will be a smaller chance that youll have to spend timedealing with difficult employees. While there are many ways to calculatethe cost of turnover(recruiting costs, training costs, severance, etc.), I would argue that the cost ofnotlage firinga badeanstalt employee far outweighs the turnover cost.This article outlines the high cost of making and keeping a bad hire in your organization. Dont Fall for the Warm Body Fallacy When faced with open positions and under pressure to hire, or tolerating a poor performer because of a freeze on hiring replacements. Ive heard numerous managers say Well, a thermisch body is better than nobody. I would beg to differ. In most cases, a warm body (or bad hire) isfar worsethan leaving a position vacant until you can find a great hire or firing a poor performer, even though the person cannot be replaced. When a manager hires a bad employee, they are often blind to the employees shortcomings because the hire is a reflection of their ability to select employees. Theywantthat employee to succeed, and will often miss the warning signs of poor performance and become defensive if someone else points it out. Its possible to get candid feedbackif you suspect that you might have a blind spot. And, dont be worried about having to do this because other managers have done this before you. And, business is business, especially when theres a budget to consider. The Five Costs of a Bad Hire Impact on the Rest of the TeamWhen one employee is underperforming or carries around a consistently bad attitude, it has a devastating effect on the rest of the team. They have to pick up the slack, cover up mistakes, and put up with all kinds of obnoxious work habits from theirslacker coworker. Good employees will resent having to put up with the nonsense, morale will suffer, standards will drop to the lowest denominator, and eventually, great employees will quit.Impact on CustomersBad hires cant seem to grasp their job responsibilities, and even if they can, are always looking for shortcuts, or making customers upset due to their lack of customer service. The cost of gaining a new customer is way more expensive than keeping existing customers, and one negative interaction with a bad hire may cause that customer to walk away. Eventually, your brand and reputation will suffer. Time Spent on Performance ManagementA bad hire will suck up the time and focus of a manager. Instead ofcoaching and developing other employees, they get sucked into an endless cycle of having to listen to complaints from others, give corrective feedback,micromanaging, handing out discipline, and eventually having to be dragged through a painful disciplinary process. Trying to get a bad hire to meet even minimum expectations is like playing management whack-a-mole. One problem (showing up late) may temporarily go away, but it is soon replaced with another issue (calling in sick). The Managers ReputationEvery manager makes a bad hire now and then. No one is perfect. However, if a manager establishes a pattern of bad hires, then they get a reputation as an incompetent manager. No manager can make up for a team of bad hires, so it wont be long before the manager is the onebeing coached out of their job.The Cost of Turnover This is the quantifiable cost that most refer. These costs are real recruiting costs, relocation costs and training costs all a dd up to big numbers. Unfortunately, its these sunk costs that often causes managers to subscribe to the warm body theory. The Bottom Line These are just a few of the costs you incur from making and keeping a bad hire. Im sure there are more, depending on the type of organization and employee roles. It doesnt matter if you are hiring an entry-level minimum wage employee or senior executive. The cost of a bad hire is significant and can bring down a team, manager, or entire organization. While there are no guarantees, taking the time to cast a wide net anddoing your due diligence in selecting employeesis well worth the effort and will minimize the chances of a bad hire.