2 Workplace Trends the Unemployed Must Know

Not only do the unemployed have to try and keep their own job skills current they also have to stay abreast of workplace trends and changes could impacting their hiring. Here are just two of the workplace trends the unemployed should keep in mind.

Comprehensive Background Screenings

The unemployed must know that employers are conducting comprehensive background screenings on the final selected candidate. In a recent issue of Workforce Management magazine, the Aberdeen Group reported that the current "economic climate makes it imperative that organizations perform background screening on new hires." Although there is an increase in the number of applicants for positions, companies are having a difficult time finding some of the key skills they need. The Aberdeen report showed that companies that conducted comprehensive background screenings, education verifications and reference checks were seeing improvement in their quality of hires. The unemployed should also know that although companies are doing comprehensive background screenings, not everything discovered in a background screening will exclude them as a potential candidate.

Employers are into social media

As jobseekers incorporate social media into their job search, they should know that employers are increasingly embracing social media to screen potential candidates. A recent survey by the executive search firm, ExecuNet showed that 77% of employers said they were using the web to screen potential job applicants. Although this is an evolving concern in Human Resource departments everywhere, the rules are not yet clear about how much of what a potential employer reads online about a candidate can be factored into a hiring decision. The unemployed must know that their online persona could kill a job search.

Resources:
Your Online Persona Could Kill your Job Search
Workforce Magazine
4 Strategies to Keep Skills Current for the Long Term Unemployed