Consider a trio of recent studies done by a web-monitoring firm, an anti-virus company and the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Cyclope-Series, which produces computer monitoring software, found that 24% of employees spend more than one hour on social networks during working hours and are checking personal email up to 5 times per day. Interestingly, you’d think that the study would be biased since the company is selling productivity software to employers but the employees in the study knew they’d be monitored and even signed agreements permitting the recorded activity.

Trend-Micro, makers of anti-virus software conducted a similar study and found that 66% of employees checked personal email, 51% browsed websites not directly related to their jobs, 39% did personal online banking, and 31% made a non-business related online purchase.

Certainly if you’re looking at all this activity from an employer’s perspective it seems like the majority of workers are slackers. But how to explain record worker productivity? Enter the University of Melbourne. Flying in the face of conventional wisdom, researchers there have amazingly found that employees who use the Internet at work for personal reasons are 9% more productive than employees who don’t. They reason that perhaps surfing the Internet for pleasure or personal reasons increases worker’s concentration levels or eases anxiety about other parts of their lives, enabling them to concentrate more on their work. “People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration,” said Dr. Brent Coker from the University of Melbourne’s Department of Management and Marketing. “Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days work, and as a result, increased productivity.” Of course, even the researchers admit there are limits. Workers spending 20% or more of their time at the office watching YouTube or bidding on eBay auctions aren’t likely to be improving their productivity.

As with everything in life the whole issue comes down to one of moderation. Short personal breaks on the Internet seem to be okay but overuse cuts into meaningful work. The solution, as it’s always been, is strong management and personal oversight. However, in today’s technologically connected world perhaps companies feel their management has become overtaxed and are fighting technology with technology. Cyclope-Series has found that in 2009 54% of US companies have decided to block social networks at work.

As more and more of us work from home on our days “off” and telecommuting becomes more popular, it’s interesting to note that not being seen in the office can have a detrimental effect on your career. 

According to a recent article in the Sacramento Business Journal, the University of California Davis conducted the first-ever academic study of “passive” face time – when workers are seen in the office without any interaction. They found that bosses think more favorably of employees who are present. 

“Merely being seen – often from a distance and without any interaction or real understanding of what a person is doing – that in itself has value,” Professor Kimberly Elsbach says. “People notice.”

Workers who telecommute or have flexible hours often focus on quick and constant communication via phone or text messages. Others send e-mail late at night to show their dedication. But if you’re a telecommuter it pays to periodically come into the office–to see and to be seen because researchers have also found that face time has a direct, and sometimes unconscious, effect on how managers view employees. 

Career mobility still hinges on working hard, working smart and reviewing accomplishments with superiors. But even with all new technologies swirling around us, it seems that in 2010 good old face time still carries much weight when being evaluated in the workplace.

Obviously, as every company’s situation and definition of “overqualified” are different, there is no clear cut answer. But several recent studies, as reported in the International Journal of Human Resource Management, have shown that, however defined, an overqualified employee is more apt to perform at a higher level. The problem, as you HR pros know, is that an overqualified employee is more likely to be dissatisfied with his/her job and leave the company more quickly when a better opportunity arises.

The Journal of Applied Psychology concludes that some of these negative effects can be mitigated based upon the way workers are treated. A sense of autonomy and respect from supervisors and co-workers can have a big impact on lessening job dissatisfaction, causing a win-win situation for the company (high performance for a longer time) and the employee (a feeling of accomplishment and value even in a lower level position).

It seems that with the right supervisors in place, hiring the overqualified can be a smart strategy that can move a company forward.

In February US companies cut the fewest jobs in two years according to a private report from ADP and a positive Labor Department report. Jobless claims are falling and productivity is surging, and The Conference Board, which monitors online advertised job openings, reports a “positive sign of a turnaround in employer labor demand.” All of which point to a coming time when job seekers will have their choice of jobs-and companies–they want to work for. So it’s imperative to begin (or enhance) your dialogue with applicants in order to cultivate a relationship that lands you “A” talent.

No longer are applicants content with the bare minimum of an employment site. They demand a user experience that is interesting, informative and easy to navigate. The first order of business is to act like a candidate and take a good, hard look at what your site is delivering. Does it engage applicants in a visually appealing manner or does it just have a link to a mission statement, a list of benefits, and job openings? Consider a dynamic video that positions your company as a vibrant employer that values its workers. Deliver job-specific mini-sites or videos that take an applicant through a “day in the life” of a current employee, spotlighting a department, its achievements, staff and technology, and showing typical career progression. Consider FAQs, message boards, chats, blogs and other means of communication. Beef up your social media presence and make sure you have functioning backward and forward links. And don’t forget about that initial email: make it interesting, visually appealing and offer the opportunity for two-way communication. Also consider re-targeting those who visit your site (retargeting is the act of delivering specific advertising to those who have landed on your site and are now surfing the web somewhere else, either right away or maybe even weeks and months down the road.)

The time has come to cultivate applicants with relationship-based recruiting. You don’t have to fear the numbers–technology can help. Top talent will love it and you’ll be positioned as an innovative employer everyone will be clamoring to join.

Sitting on the sidelines is ok, as long as you do not become complacent and fearful of acting.

In the financial world 2009 turned out to be a great year to stay put with your investments and do nothing. Since March, many investors who stuck with their stock index funds watched portfolios rise 60%, a $1.5 trillion return to American’s nest eggs. But remember, workers’ 401(k)s and savings plans are still below their peaks and with inflation and tax hikes on the horizon other actions to gain returns are going to be necessary. So, staying the course works to an extent. And now with GDP and worker productivity rising, workweek hours getting longer and temp hiring continuing to rise, signs point to companies getting ready to add staff. If you’ve been waiting out the recession, there’s a change in the air when it comes to recruiting. Be active or have strategies in place in order to act or you’ll fall behind.

One of the biggest changes occurring in the past year has been the realization that one of the most effective ways to recruit talent in the new recruiting landscape is through candidate engagement. It’s the impetus behind the rapid adoption of utilizing social networks and talent hubs as an essential recruitment strategy. Remember, though, that technology is a tool, not a crutch, and shouldn’t replace common courtesy and common sense when dealing with candidates. So many companies still view recruiting as a chore and candidates as a bother. Witness what happened to Anne Kadet, author of a great SmartMoney article entitled “My Battle For A Sales Job.” She tells of her desire to land a part time holiday job in the retail industry to get first hand experience in what candidates are going through in today’s job market. Her experience shows that many HR departments still don’t get the idea of cultivating candidates and engaging them in meaningful dialogue. Curt replies from irritable company representatives, computerized interviews with no human interaction, and harshly worded email responses that end the interaction between the candidate and HR were the norm. Admittedly, her experience is with the retail industry but I bet there are other companies and even whole industries that operate this way. Even though there are record numbers of potential employees out there, make sure you treat them in a fair, thoughtful and professional manner in order to promote your company in a way that reflects a positive image. In other words, your employment brand must be enforced on all levels and with all strategies you employ.

The time is now to act as a forward-thinking recruitment function and engage those candidates who will be crucial to your firm’s success. Be ready for 2010.

We’ll be taking over the 16th floor of yet another historic Center City building, allowing us to showcase our work in exciting ways that are reflective of the times. Much of that work is electronic, from graphic e-mail campaigns, websites and microsites, and candidate relationship management tools to talent hubs, videos, social networking pages, and other Web 2.0 tools. 

We won’t have a fountain, framed front pages, or the mannequins that greeted you when you visited our park. What we will have is a contemporary look that’s more in tune with the direction Alstin Communications is traveling and, most important, the talented teams that continue to drive our success. 

Thanks for your continued business (and be sure to stop by our new space the next time you’re in Philly). 

· We’ll be up and running in our new space on Wednesday, September 30th

· Our phone/fax numbers and our email addresses will stay the same.

· Check out our blog  for updates on the move. We’ll have photos posted in October.

· Look for us at the Phillies’ next World Series Championship parade along the “Avenue of the Arts”- we’ll have great seats!

6. Resume Searching/Mining
Most organizations purchase access to resume databases because they see the need to proactively recruit new talent. Unfortunately, usage of this important resource is usually lacking, either through difficulty in their inherent search platforms, the complexity of setting up search agents or just having too many different databases to search.  But it doesn’t have to be so hard. We’ve come across a powerful platform that unifies search efforts and screening steps for all your sources from one single central location. It even offers automatic advice for search strings, sweeps all job board subscriptions (and free web sources), matches and ranks results and delivers them to the recruiter’s inbox. Search results can also deliver new candidates to market to – even if you don’t have a current need. That way you can build relationships with top talent that can be acted on in the future.

7. Develop an Alumni Networking Program
This idea is referred to in many ways: ex-employee recruiting; alumni networking; boomerang employees. Whatever terminology you use, reaching out to your organization’s best former employees is a great idea. We’ve all had employees we were sad to see move on. Try to entice them back or use them for referrals. Developing an online community may not be as daunting as you think!

8. Develop a Search Engine Marketing Campaign
Although this is listed further down on my list it should definitely be top of mind. Studies have shown that tons of job searches are started from the search engines, and not with a specific site like Monster or Careerbuilder. If you’re not implementing an SEM campaign you’re missing out on a lot of talent. Purchasing search keywords from Google that are specific to your industry, region or specialty will generate clicks and spread your employment brand awareness for a surprisingly modest investment.

9. Optimize Your Career Site
You have lots of jobs that need to be filled. Trouble is, they’re buried in your ATS/TAS and only accessible to candidates if they’ve visited your site. So, a physical therapist who takes a shortcut and uses Google or Yahoo to search for jobs won’t see that you have openings. We’ve come across an ingenious solution that unlocks those jobs. Consequently, you won’t have to post all of them to job sites in order to get exposure, thus reducing your job board expenditures.

10. When You Do Advertise
Utilize job and niche boards, targeted journals and publications, newspapers for mass market appeal, job fairs, virtual fairs, and other less-traditional means to advertise your message. And, when you do, make sure you’re not using internal job descriptions. Nothing turns off a candidate more than seeing a list of core responsibilities to tertiary tasks that’s twenty items long. Instead, market to them. Let them know how the position fits into the company’s structure, why it’s critical to the organization’s success, and how it’s an entry into a lifelong career path. Just this simple change will bring more top talent to your firm.

And one last word: measure, measure, measure. Track your expenditures, advertising sources, candidates, and hires so you’ll know what’s performing and what isn’t. You’ll refine your strategies and put systems into place that will result in less expenditures.

The recession will ultimately be over. Your company will be faced with growing operations and the need for talent to move it into the next decade. For you and your company, it’ll pay great dividends to follow these sound strategies today because you and your staff will realize better tactical performance tomorrow. Your organization will expand and prosper with help from HR. And your CEO will notice.

Want more ideas, strategies and Alstin’s solutions that will help get this done? Shoot me an email at blog@alstin.com.

Is the recession over? Depends on who you talk to or where you get your information on whether we’re seeing green shoots or just weeds. But the fact is there are indications that the worst is behind us and we’ll be traveling flat ground until Fall, when we’ll start to see an uptick in hiring. So what does this mean to HR and specifically talent management? Time to use this six month period wisely and get your strategies in place for when it’s time to act.

How to get started:

1. Develop/enhance your Employment Brand
There may be a glut of talent on the market but top talent always has a number of options available. You want to make sure your company is among those choices. So first and foremost, you must make sure your employment brand is well defined and implemented/ready to be implemented. A brand is much more than a compelling graphic and a memorable phrase. The most successful employer brands take the connection between organization and audience to an empowering level – encompassing values, systems, policies and behaviors with the objective of attracting, motivating and retaining current and potential employees. Whether the message is translated for immediate gratification or stored away for long-term use, an identity has been introduced. A promise has been made. A relationship has begun. And you’re steps ahead of your competition.

2. Develop a Microsite/Talent Hub to implement your brand
Studies have shown that many HR and talent executives are unhappy with their current career website. That’s because a career website tries to be everything to everybody. An accountant will desire different information than a management trainee. A nurse will want a separate engagement than a pharmacist. The answer, just as it is in advertising to consumers, is in targeting your message. The way to do this is with a microsite/talent hub – a mini-website with content that is a highly personalized, detail-rich window into your corporate culture, environment, benefits, and opportunities for that specific hire. You’re essentially speaking their language and you’ll start to see a higher rate of qualified applicants in the process.

3. Develop Web 2.0 tools
What is Web 2.0? And, why is there so much hype surrounding it? In terms of recruiting, one of the best definitions we’ve come across is one referring to Web 2.0 as the “Writeable Web.” Web 2.0 creates a Web environment where you are no longer talking “at” your customers (or potential job applicants), but “to” or “with” them. It adds interactivity to your web content and a greater experience for applicants. Bottom line, you’re marketing directly to an individual instead of a faceless group. If you’re not currently doing so, be ready to implement employee blogs; social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter; podcasts and videos; discussion areas on your career site; and more. They may not be a panacea, but collectively you’ll open up more sources and better engage candidates, in whatever platform they’re using.

4. Develop Email Sourcing/Candidate Relationship Management tools
A surefire way to target individuals instead of groups? Develop an active sourcing pipeline by finding your candidates (through your ATS/TAS, resume mining/searching, social networks, general advertising and job postings) and market to them on an individual basis by email. Once they’ve visited your career site, keep the communication going with candidate relationship management tools (emails, eCards, animated flash landing pages) to keep interest piqued. You’ll ensure a steady stream of talent that has been cultivated for when hiring does pick up and a “first option” for when a requisition needs to be filled ASAP.

5. Develop an Employee Referral Program
At its most basic level, an Employee Referral Program is networking at its best. One built on solid planning, organized implementation and smart data collection takes networking to the next level, making it the cornerstone of a world-class recruiting plan. Companies with best practice ERPs routinely attribute them to generating around 50% of all hires. An ERP should be in place and marketed to employees on a regular basis.

Want the rest of this 10-Step Plan for HR and Sourcing? Check back next Monday right here at Alstin’s blog for more.

Welcome to the inaugural post to Alstin Communications’ blog! Here you’ll continue to find an objective view of the recruitment advertising and employer marketing landscape as well as an accessible window into what’s happening inside the halls of Alstin – be it new products and services we’re developing, conversations with our clients, solutions to common HR issues, or a snapshot of how our “a-team”, the Account Execs, Interactive department and Creative staff, weave their magic. There will be new posts everyday.

Since blogging is a casual, conversational manner of presenting information we hope you’ll find our blog to be both informative and fun to read. And as with all Web 2.0 tools (that we hope you’re using for recruiting, but if you’re not please let us know how we can help!), interactivity is key. We’d like to hear what you have to say. So, please consider this a forum for you to share your thoughts on our posts, ideas on any topics you’d like to see covered, or anything that’s on your mind. Thank you!