news
UPFRONT
MANY COMPANIES MISSING OUT ON THE
BENEFITS OF JOB ROTATION
In the quest to develop and retain staff, finance executives recognize
the value of allowing employees to move into roles in different
areas of the company. Chief financial officers (CFOs) in a Robert
Half Management Resources survey said the benefits of job rotation
include giving staff broader exposure to the business, gaining
fresh perspectives and enhancing recruitment and retention, professional
development and succession planning.
However, many organizations have yet to put role rotation into
practice. The majority of respondents, 53 per cent, said they do
not promote these opportunities to their teams.
“Role rotation is a professional and business development opportunity
that most companies do not take advantage of,” said
David King, Canadian president of Robert Half Management
Resources. “It is an effective way for employees to access new skills
and expertise for future advancement within the company, while
opening the business to fresh insight and perspective through
collaboration.”
Allowing staff to experience different areas of the business can
also serve as a useful means of attracting top employees for new
positions.
“Driven professionals want to be a part of an environment that
promotes career growth and advancement; role rotation offers
them the chance to challenge and evolve their current skills, while
preparing them for future leadership positions,” said King.
Robert Half Management Resources highlights who executives
can talk to about whether role rotation is right for their team:
■■ Employees: Do staff members want the ability to move among
different business units? A “yes” means employers should look
more closely at offering these opportunities – and find out
which rotational roles interest workers.
■■ Line managers: Solicit recommendations from your
department’s supervisors about potential job rotation
candidates. Explain to managers the benefits of bringing in
individuals from other parts of the business, and ask about the
skills they would look for in these arrangements.
■■ Consultants: Consulting and project professionals offer an
external perspective and have observed what has worked
at other firms. Tap into their insights about how your
organization could benefit from this type of program and best
practices for implementation.
■■ Network contacts: If your peers outside the company have
overseen rotational opportunities, ask them about dos and
don’ts, benefits and drawbacks.
THE BEST RESUMÉS GET BACK TO THE BASICS
Is it time to ditch the old-fashioned resumé? Not yet, suggests new
research from staffing firm The Creative Group. Nearly eight in 10
advertising and marketing executives interviewed said they would
rather receive traditional CVs in Word or PDF format from candidates
applying for creative roles at their company. This was also
the top response among a majority (70 per cent) of hiring managers
in a similar study conducted three years ago.
Significantly fewer executives today favoured online profiles (14
per cent) and video or infographic resumés (three per cent each)
as their format of choice.
“With only a few moments to capture a hiring manager’s attention,
it’s tempting to develop a resumé with a creative format and
style. However, professionals need to be sure they aren’t sacrificing
clarity in the process,” said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional
manager of The Creative Group. “While a visually unique resumé
may be a great way to initially pique an employer’s interest, successful
resumés must, above all else, be easy to read, concise and clearly
demonstrate what makes the candidate an ideal fit for the position.”
The Creative Group shares five resumé mistakes creative job
seekers should avoid:
■■ Overdesigning it. While it’s fine to incorporate elements of
your personal brand into your resumé, refrain from excessive
embellishments, such as too many charts and colours, which
can be distracting.
■■ Ignoring the user experience. The best resumés feature simple
fonts, standard margins, section headings and bullet points to
highlight key attributes and help employers navigate through
the information.
■■ Focusing on job responsibilities versus results. Hiring
managers are far more interested in the impact you made
than the tasks you handled. Whenever possible, quantify your
contributions to the bottom line.
■■ Including too many extras. Listing hobbies and interests on
your CV is fine if they’re related to your career goals and the
position in question; if they’re not, leave them out. In the same
vein, ditch the objective statement and business jargon.
alphaspirit/Shutterstock.com
Continued on page 13
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ OCTOBER 2016 ❚ 11