Let’s be honest, the job search can feel like a blind date. You show up hopeful, a little nervous, and with a stack of questions.  Wouldn’t it be nice to know a bit about the company beforehand? 

In today’s digitally-driven world, where perusing reviews before dining out or clicking “buy now” is as routine as brushing your teeth, a similar diligence emerges in the job market. Just as consumers meticulously research potential purchases, job seekers scrutinise potential employers. That’s where employer branding comes in – it’s your company’s chance to put its best foot forward and show potential hires (and current employees!) why you’re a great place to work. 

Misconception About Employer Branding

There’s a prevalent misconception that employer branding is merely a recruitment marketing ploy. Some might think it’s all about impressing job seekers with the flashy perks or that fully stocked pantry.

In reality, employer branding is about creating a genuine image that reflects your company’s unique culture and values. Think of it as your company’s personality – what makes you tick, what kind of people you work with, and why someone would be excited to be part of your team.

FACT:
Here’s the kicker: a strong employer brand isn’t just good for attracting new talent, it’s crucial for keeping your existing team happy and engaged.  Imagine this: you’ve found the perfect employee, someone who’s talented, a great fit, and makes killer presentations. But then, poof! They decide to move on. A strong employer brand can help prevent this by fostering a sense of belonging and appreciation among your employees.

So, Why Should You Care About Employer Branding?

• Attract Awesome People: A positive employer brand acts like a magnet, drawing in talented individuals who share your values and get pumped about working with you. This is especially advantageous if your company is in a niche market.
• Keep Your A-Team Around: When employees feel valued and like they’re part of something special, they’re more likely to stick around. Think of all the time and money you’ll save on recruitment and onboarding new hires.
• Happy Employees = Happy Customers: A positive work environment translates to engaged and productive employees who provide stellar customer service. Happy customers mean a thriving business – it’s a win-win!
• Save Those Recruitment Dollars: A strong employer brand can attract a larger pool of qualified candidates, potentially reducing your reliance on expensive recruitment agencies or spending lots of money on job postings. And who better to spread the word about your amazing company culture than your happy and enthusiastic employees? More money for, well, maybe some comfy chairs for those post-lunch brainstorming sessions or even more stuff to fill the pantry.
• Stronger Employer-Employee Relationship: A positive employer brand fosters trust and loyalty between the company and its workforce. When employees feel like they’re valued contributors and the company genuinely cares about their well-being, it creates a stronger bond that benefits everyone.

Building Your Employer Branding Superpower

So, how do you craft this employer branding magic? Here are some tips, with a special focus on the HR role:

1. Know Your “Why” (and Get Everyone Onboard): HR plays a central role in defining your company’s Employer Value Proposition (EVP). What makes your company unique? Work with your leadership team to identify core values and translate them into a clear message that resonates with both potential hires and current employees.
2. Be Real, Not Reel (HR Leads the Way): Authenticity is key, and HR sets the tone. Showcase your company’s genuine culture through internal communication channels and employee engagement initiatives. Highlight employee stories, celebrate achievements, and encourage open communication to ensure your company’s true personality shines through.
3. Invest in Your People (HR Makes it Happen): A strong employer brand starts from within. HR is at the forefront of creating a positive work environment. Develop programs that prioritise employee well-being, offer clear career development opportunities, and foster a culture of open communication. Regular employee surveys and feedback sessions can help HR identify areas for improvement and ensure employees feel heard and valued. Train managers and supervisors on the right way to give feedback.
4. Join the Conversation (HR Connects the Dots): HR can be the bridge between employees and the external world. Actively participate in social media conversations, respond to reviews (positive and negative), and showcase your company culture through engaging content. HR can also partner with marketing to ensure your employer brand message is consistent across all platforms. Job seekers have a more positive perception of the company when they see the company responding to both positive and negative reviews in a professional and transparent manner. Taking the time to acknowledge feedback, both good and bad, demonstrates that your company cares about its employees and is committed to continuous improvement. (Isn’t that how you feel too when you read those reviews online?)
5. Walk the Walk, Don’t Just Talk the Talk (HR Leads by Example): Actions speak louder than words. HR plays a critical role in ensuring the company practices what it preaches. From implementing fair and transparent policies to fostering a culture of respect and recognition, HR’s genuine commitment to employee well-being becomes a cornerstone of a strong employer brand. Don’t expect others to do it if you as HR , won’t do it yourself!

By taking a proactive and genuine approach to these strategies, HR can become a champion for employer branding, fostering a work environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and proud to be part of the team. Ultimately, a strong employer brand attracts top talent without straining your budget on expensive recruitment fees. (Remember: there are more costs incurred in every hiring than just the recruitment fees) This win-win situation allows you to invest in your people and build a thriving company culture.

The post Beyond Recruitment – Strategies For Building An Employer Brand That Attracts And Retains Top Talent appeared first on BrioHR.

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For HR executives, the ability to conduct effective job interviews is not only essential for finding the right candidates but also for representing the organization positively. This article outlines a comprehensive guide for HR executives to conduct interviews that yield valuable insights and help in making informed hiring decisions.

Preparation is Key

A successful interview begins with thorough preparation. Prior to the interview, HR executives should review the candidate’s resume, cover letter, and any other application materials. This will help in identifying areas of interest, probing deeper into certain aspects, and tailoring questions accordingly.

Additionally, ensure you are well-versed with the job description and requirements. Having a clear understanding of the role allows you to ask pertinent questions and gauge the candidate’s suitability more accurately.

Create a Structured Interview Plan

Structure is crucial to ensure consistency across interviews and fair evaluation of candidates. Develop a standardized set of questions that cover both technical skills and behavioral competencies. Behavioral questions are particularly effective in predicting a candidate’s future performance based on past experiences.

Divide the interview into sections that address various aspects such as skills, experience, situational judgment, and cultural fit. This helps in maintaining a focused discussion and ensuring all key areas are covered.

Build a Rapport

Establishing rapport with the candidate is essential to create a comfortable environment conducive to open communication. Begin the interview with a friendly greeting, an overview of the interview process, and a brief introduction about yourself and the company. This sets a positive tone and helps the candidate relax.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions encourage candidates to provide detailed responses and showcase their thought processes. Instead of questions with one-word answers, frame questions that require candidates to elaborate on their experiences, challenges faced, and solutions implemented. For example, “Can you describe a situation where you had to navigate a complex project with a tight deadline?”

Employ the STAR Technique

The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is an effective approach for eliciting structured responses from candidates. It helps in understanding the context of their experiences, the tasks they undertook, the actions they implemented, and the results they achieved. This method allows you to delve into a candidate’s abilities and decision-making skills in a systematic manner.

Actively Listen and Observe

Listening actively is a skill that separates great interviewers from good ones. Pay close attention to the candidate’s responses, ensuring you understand their points fully before proceeding to the next question. Observe their body language and non-verbal cues to gather additional insights into their confidence, honesty, and demeanor.

Ask Follow-Up Questions

Don’t hesitate to ask follow-up questions to clarify or dig deeper into a candidate’s response. Follow-ups show your genuine interest in their experiences and enable you to uncover more relevant details. This also showcases your expertise and attention to detail.

Evaluate Cultural Fit

Cultural fit is a critical aspect of hiring. Assess whether the candidate’s values, work style, and personality align with the organization’s culture. Ask questions that explore their collaboration skills, adaptability, and how they approach challenges within a team.

Provide Ample Opportunity for Questions

At the end of the interview, invite the candidate to ask questions about the role, the team, or the company. This demonstrates their interest and provides you with insights into their priorities and concerns.

Be Respectful and Transparent

Regardless of the outcome, treat every candidate with respect and professionalism. If you decide the candidate isn’t a good fit, provide constructive feedback on areas they can improve. Transparency and honesty reflect well on the organization and enhance the candidate experience.

Collaborate with the Team

Involving team members in the interview process can provide diverse perspectives and insights. Collaborate with the hiring manager and potential team members to ensure a well-rounded evaluation of the candidate’s suitability.

Document and Evaluate

After the interview, document your impressions, the candidate’s responses, and your overall evaluation. This documentation aids in objective decision-making and helps in providing feedback to candidates.

Continuous Improvement

Reflect on each interview and seek opportunities for improvement. Consider what worked well and what could be enhanced for future interviews. Regularly update your interview questions and techniques based on feedback and changing hiring needs.

Enhance the Interview Process with BrioHR

Before even getting to the interview stage, it’s important to pre-screen qualified candidates to rule out the possibility of a wasted interview. And once the interview stage begins, it’s important for HR to collaborate with hiring managers to come to a mutual decision.

With BrioHR’s recruitment module and applicant tracking system (ATS), you can:

• Create a professional-looking careers page
• Screen candidates using pre-assessment questions
• Schedule interviews with candidates and the hiring manager, with notifications for both
• Rate candidates after the interview with a customizable score card

The post 14 Tips to Conduct an Effective Job Interview appeared first on BrioHR.

This is where an applicant tracking system (ATS) comes in. It streamlines the hiring process by bringing in automation and organization, making it easier to sort through and select the best fit for the job.

What is an Applicant Tracking System?

As its name implies, ATS is software that enables HR to gather and organize information about job candidates. ATS provides recruiters with the ability to screen all incoming applications, so that they can focus only on the profiles that best meet the job requirements.

ATS works by filtering applications that only meet certain criteria, such as keywords, skills, years of experience, schools attended etc. Alternatively, employers can also set screening questions that candidates have to answer before proceeding with the application.

In addition, ATS enables candidate ranking at the interview stage, for example by using a star rating system. This way, HR and hiring managers can come to an agreement on who the best candidate will be for a given position.

Top 5 Reasons to Adopt an Applicant Tracking System

1. Save time and resources: ATS can automatically filter and rank job applications, allowing HR staff to focus on the most qualified candidates rather than sifting through a large number of resumes. This can save a significant amount of time and resources.
2. Improve efficiency: ATS can automate many of the tasks involved in the recruitment process, such as scheduling interviews and sending rejection emails. This can help streamline the process and make it more efficient.
3. Enhance organization: ATS can help organize and store all of the information related to job applicants, including resumes, cover letters, and interview notes. This can make it easier to keep track of candidates and make informed hiring decisions.
4. Provide insights: Many ATS have built-in analytics and reporting capabilities that can provide valuable insights into the recruitment process. For example, an ATS may be able to show which sources are producing the most qualified candidates, or which stages of the process are taking the longest.
5. Foster collaboration: ATS often have features that allow multiple staff members to work together on the recruitment process, e.g. HR and hiring managers sharing notes and collaborating on decisions. This can help ensure that all relevant information is considered and that the best candidates are identified.

Level Up Your Recruitment with BrioHR

Standing out in a competitive job market can be difficult. Your company needs every edge it can obtain, and that’s what you can get with BrioHR’s recruitment and ATS module. With this, you can act fast and win the talent you need.

BrioHR’s recruitment module not only includes ATS, you can also create a professional-looking careers page to boost your employer branding. What’s more, BrioHR lets you create your own interview scorecards and feedback forms that can be filled up by multiple interviewers. You can even give candidates a rating and keep their profiles for future positions in a searchable database.

With a secure, scalable, user-friendly platform, BrioHR covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post Why Your Business Needs ATS Recruitment appeared first on BrioHR.

However, many businesses’ recruitment practices are firmly rooted in the preferences of older generations. The new cohort of Gen Z employees have a different ethos to those that came before them. This is due, in part, to the rapidly changing world in which they grew up in.

Therefore, to successfully recruit and retain Gen Z employees, you need to bridge the generation gap and know what they are like. In short, Gen Z is:

• Digital first: Gen Z has never known a world without the internet. The smartphone was invented when most of them were toddlers. Previous generations adapted, sometimes unwillingly, to innovations like social media, on-demand entertainment, and an ‘always-on’ lifestyle. On the other hand, Gen Z takes these for granted, with little to no memory of the pre-smartphone age.
• Socially conscious: Gen Z came of age amidst climate change, political polarization, and increasing social and economic inequality. It’s no surprise that this has shaped a progressive worldview, in which Gen Z feels like they have to make a difference through their choices. They want to be associated with brands and organizations that share their values.
• Financially pragmatic: The parents of Gen Z-ers were hit by the Great Recession, economizing on everything from daily necessities to housing costs. Many families never really recovered from the financial shock of 2007-2008, driving their Gen Z children to adopt a pragmatic, thrifty attitude towards money.
• Astute customers: When it comes to making decisions, Gen Z have a wealth of information at their fingertips. As tech savvy customers with access to social media, Gen Z can and do make more informed decisions than their older peers, in every aspect of life from purchasing to job seeking.

Here are eight things you need to be doing right now to hire Gen Z talent.

1. Be Authentic

Disillusioned by the ‘perfect’, curated images on social media, Gen Z craves the messy reality of authenticity, warts and all. This should be reflected in your employer brand.

If your company has any shortcomings, don’t try to sweep it under the rug – Gen Z will know about it from social media. Instead, own your mistakes and clearly communicate your plan to fix these mistakes. At the same time, encourage your people to be open and honest about their experiences at the company.

The same goes with your job listings. Don’t set unrealistic expectations for candidates, for example requiring an entry-level job to have three years of experience. While it’s important to weed out inexperienced jobseekers, you could also potentially miss out on younger, suitably qualified candidates.

2. Work Towards Something Bigger

Closely related to authenticity is the purpose of the company. Prospective Gen Z talents look for companies that align closely with their values – to do good, to make a difference, to make the world a better place. In short, they want to find meaning in their work.

Hence, your organization’s mission and values need to be spelled out clearly to attract Gen Z talent. HR also needs to talk about how these values are translated into the job scope and its day-to-day functions. Show your talent how their role – no matter how insignificant – can make a difference.

3. Emphasize Learning and Career Growth

Gen Z employees have a different set of career priorities compared to their older counterparts. In particular, they want opportunities to develop and grow. This does not just mean climbing the corporate ladder – instead they are looking for ways to learn new skills and new responsibilities.

Furthermore, Gen Z is infamous for job-hopping, but they’re not job-hopping out of spite. Career stagnation sets in much earlier for this cohort, especially when they see the options available to them on social media. Employers can take advantage of this restlessness by showing them internal pathways to development, encouraging them to job-hop internally instead. This gives them the chance to find what they like and chart a long-term career path – hopefully with your company.

4. Connect Face-to-Face

Despite their digital-first mindset, Gen Z jobseekers desire face-to-face contact with potential employers. They can feel overwhelmed by the massive amount of information online, and they need to talk to a real person to validate their choices.

Hence, physical events like job fairs and open days are still key to recruiting Gen Z talent. They get the chance to talk to a real representative of the company, while the business is able to ‘sell’ its employer brand to the younger generation of talent.

5. Encourage Referrals

Similarly, when searching for a job, Gen Z candidates value referrals from a company’s current employees more than any other option. Of course, online job boards and company careers pages are important sources of information, but nothing beats a personal testimonial from someone they know.

6. Be Fast

Gen Z is used to getting everything instantly. This translates to job offers as well. Not only do 17 percent of Gen Z jobseekers expect an offer less than a week after the interview, they also expect to receive more than one job offer.

When communicating with recruiters, they also expect replies to be instant, with information available at their fingertips. Companies will need to step up and streamline their hiring processes in order to compete for young talent.

7. Be Flexible

The pandemic let the flexible working genie out of the bottle, and there’s no way to put it back in. Flexibility in terms of where and when to work has emerged as one of the most alluring perks for employees during the Great Resignation. And it’s even more crucial especially for the newest generation of talent.

Hybrid working will be the norm for Gen Z, and its all to do with work-life balance. For example, if your company emphasizes employee well-being, truly mean it by investing in employee benefits and giving flexible perks like remote working.

8. Communicate Openly

More than anything else, fairness and openness feature greatly in Gen Z values. Your company’s hiring process should also reflect that.

Subjecting candidates to paper applications, making them jump through multiple hoops, and ignoring their questions are surefire ways to turn off Gen Z talents. As they enter the workforce amidst the Great Resignation, Gen Z candidates have myriad job offers to choose from if the recruitment process is slow, cumbersome, or both.

What companies can do instead is to clearly communicate to Gen Z talents the interview process, e.g. how many interview rounds, any tests needed etc. During the hiring process, companies should also let interviewees know if they have passed the first interview round, second interview round, and so on in a timely manner. Even if they are rejected, letting them know with a simple rejection letter is much better than ghosting them.

Recruit Generation Z with BrioHR

With BrioHR’s digital solution, your company can keep up with Gen Z’s speed of thought. BrioHR’s recruitment module allows HR to collect and share feedback from candidate screening and interviews, boost collaboration between departments, and make faster and more robust hiring decisions.

This speed and openness will give your business the edge in hiring the next generation of talent.

With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post 8 Things You Should Be Doing to Recruit Generation Z appeared first on BrioHR.

One of these types of candidates are boomerang employees. Basically, a boomerang employee is someone who previously worked for the company and left, but then gets rehired.

We frequently think that quitting a job is a permanent decision that cannot be reversed. In fact, some organizations have policies against rehiring. However, amidst a historically tight labour market, more and more employers are open to hiring former colleagues.

The boomerang phenomenon is also more common than you think. According to this survey, 15% of employees said they had boomeranged back to a former employer, and nearly 40% said they would consider going back to a company where they previously worked. HR practitioners also use several channels to keep in touch with former colleagues, such as email newsletters and alumni groups.

There are also many reasons why a former employee would wish to return. Perhaps they left to pursue other interests that didn’t work out. Or they had a major life event (parenthood, caregiving duties) and are ready to return to work. Either way, boomerang employees would feel familiar with the company – and in some cases, even gain skills elsewhere to grow in a new role.

But do take note that employees should have left the company recently to be considered a ‘boomerang’. An employee that left more than 10 years ago should be treated as a new hire.

Why Hire a Boomerang Employee

Hiring a boomerang employee can be of mutual benefit to the organization and the employee concerned. Here’s why:

• Companies can save time and money when rehiring boomerang employees. Less time is spent on training and onboarding, and they can reach full productivity sooner.
• Boomerang employees already know the company well. They will be a familiar face to their former managers and teammates, making them a good culture fit.
• The company can benefit from the expertise gained from the employee’s time away.
• Boomerang employees can return to a place where they feel comfortable and rebuild a long-term relationship.
• Rehiring former employees conveys a powerful message to current employees about your business. They are proof that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and can further strengthen organizational culture.

Interviewing a Boomerang Employee

If you think it’s a good idea to rehire a boomerang employee, the interview process will be slightly different from that of a completely new hire.

From the interview, you want to ascertain the employee’s intentions for rejoining, as well as their reasons for leaving in the first place. It’s also a good idea to check with their former colleagues to determine if they left on good terms, as well as any performance or behavioural issues to be aware of.

Importantly, during the interview session, you want to encourage boomerang employees to be open and honest about why they left and why they want to return.

Here are some interview questions you should ask prospective rehires:

• Could you tell me why you first left the company?
  • With this, you can gain an insight on the circumstances that led to their departure, and whether they are suitable to be rehired.
• What skills and experiences have you gained since then?
  • Often, the most valuable thing a boomerang employee can give to the company is the skills and experiences they have gained. This is especially helpful if they are applying for a different or higher position than the one they left.
• How has your perspective on the company changed since, and how do you think you can improve?
  • Time away from a relationship gives you the space to reevaluate the good and bad about it. The same goes with an employment relationship. Returnees can give you a unique perspective that you can’t get elsewhere.
• Why are you looking to return? Could you tell us what excites you about this role?
  • This shows their reasons and motivations to boomerang back. From there, you can evaluate if they remain a good fit for the role they are applying for.
• How do you see your future with the company?
  • There’s always the probability that a boomerang employee will bounce straight back out. From here, you can gauge whether they are a flight risk, or whether the factors that led them to quit remain an issue.

Recruit Boomerang Employees with BrioHR

Whether you’re recruiting boomerangs or new hires, BrioHR’s recruitment module enables you to hire faster, better, and smarter.

The built-in applicant tracking system allows faster and more robust hiring decisions, where you can collect and share feedback from candidate screening and interviews, between colleagues and across departments. This way, you can gather feedback on any boomerang employees and their past record with the company.

With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post Boomerang Employees: Guide to Interviewing and Hiring appeared first on BrioHR.

However, the evolving nature of work means that full-time employment is not the only option available to employers. A growing number of people are freelancing or participating in the gig economy, as their main or supplemental income. In 2020, the Department of Statistics Malaysia reported that almost four million people – more than a quarter of the workforce – engaged with the gig economy in some form.

Businesses love the flexibility of freelancers, yet hiring full-time employees shows commitment and engagement. So, which one is right for your business?

When to Go Freelance

When You Need Them Immediately

If your business needs to do something immediately, it may be better to hire a suitably-qualified freelancer. The process of finding a freelancer and briefing them about the project is much faster than going through the hiring and onboarding process for a full-time employee.

Through freelance job boards like Fiverr and Upwork, you can usually find a freelancer that can start work within the week. If you’re working on a tight deadline, or if you’re trying to get something to market fast, you can minimize downtime by going the freelance route.

When You Need Specialized Skills

Certain jobs like video production, web design, and copywriting requires skills that are hard to find in the workforce. With the growth of the gig economy, more and more skilled freelancers are realizing that they can use their skills to earn more money while staying flexible.

Hence, your business can utilize this vast pool of talent to plug a gap in your employees’ skillsets. What’s more, you don’t have to limit yourself to local talent. With the rise of remote working, you can engage freelancers from all across the globe at competitive rates.

When You Want to Save Costs

Hiring a full-time employee is expensive. Depending on jurisdiction, you can save on benefits like health insurance and statutory deductions. If your business is just starting up, you can also minimize your commitments by engaging freelancers as work starts to trickle in.

Furthermore, if your business is highly seasonal, you can manage costs by hiring freelancers to cover the busy season, while the rest of your team can handle the rest of the year.

When to Hire Full-Time

When You Want to Build Relationships

Developing customer relationships is one of the most important things a business can do to sustain its growth. Compared with freelancers, a full-time employee will more likely be aware of other internal company processes. They can then leverage that knowledge to help build the best customer experience.

Plus, customers like seeing a familiar face when dealing with your business. Hiring someone full-time guarantees that they can develop that relationship over a long term, contributing to the business’ success.

When You’re Building Institutional Knowledge

Knowledge and knowhow are the cornerstones of a successful business. Maintaining this institutional knowledge and translating it into action is critical. Full-time employees are the custodian of this knowledge. They are the ones who will apply it in day-to-day business, as well as during unusual scenarios. Freelancers are not privy to this knowledge, and thus are unable to build on it.

When You Need Someone to Care

Of course, freelancers are motivated to do good work, as they want repeat business. But ultimately, that’s what it is – just business.

With full-time employees, you can get them to be motivated by the company’s mission and vision – to give more than just their time and skills to the cause. The development and reinforcement of a cohesive culture based on shared narratives, guiding principles, and deeper ties between people is a vital resource that can only be built among full-time employees.

So, Full-Time or Freelance?

Whichever route you choose, both offer pros and cons. It really depends on which sector your business operates in, which stage of growth it is in, seasonal personnel needs, and a whole host of other factors.

Nevertheless, according to BrioHR’s 2022 SME Employer Sentiment Survey, over 50 percent of survey respondents would still opt for hiring full-time employees. This may be due to company confidentiality, as freelancers frequently work for multiple companies at the same time, often in the same industry.

The survey, which polled over a thousand SME industry leaders, captured employer sentiment during the first half of 2022. Thus, despite it being the norm in other economies, Malaysian businesses still prefer the steady growth and cultural engagement built around a full-time team.

Empower Your Team with BrioHR

Whatever your team’s composition, you need an all-in-one HR solution to automate routine processes and make things go smoother. This way, your HR team can focus on strategic tasks like increasing engagement or focusing on better recruitment.

With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post Should You Hire Freelance or Full-Time Employees? appeared first on BrioHR.

So, of course, you send them the offer letter and they sign it. However, before their start date, the candidate contacts you to say that they are declining the job offer, due to a better offer somewhere else.

For seasoned HR practitioners, this situation comes up fairly often. It can be a frustrating experience, so here’s what you need to know: what if a candidate declines the position before the start date, but after signing the offer letter?

All About the Offer Letter

Typically, the offer letter begins the relationship between the company and the candidate. The terms and conditions of the offer (e.g. salary, benefits etc) would have been negotiated – often verbally – beforehand. The offer letter puts it in black and white.

But the crux of the matter is: does the offer letter create a binding relationship between the employer and employee?

By creating a binding relationship, neither party can walk away from the relationship without paying a penalty. Ordinarily, this would take the form of monetary compensation.

And, to create a binding relationship, you need an employment contract. Is the offer letter equivalent to an employment contract?

Basically, according to Malaysia’s Employment Act 1955, an employment contract or ‘contract of service’ means “any agreement, whether oral or in writing and whether express or implied, whereby one person agrees to employ another as an employee and that other agrees to serve his employer as an employee.”

Based on this definition, the offer letter is more than sufficient to create a binding relationship of employment. However, a recent Industrial Court decision clarifies the position of the offer letter. The court ruled that:

• An offer of employment to the prospective employee does not mean that the employment relationship had actually started.
• The parties are free to create a new employment contract that will supersede the offer letter.
• However, in this case, the offer letter given to the employee was incomplete and did not contain crucial terms such as pay, annual leave, bonuses etc.
• Thus, the offer letter could not have ‘stood on its own’.

Essentially, we can say that if the offer letter sent to the candidate is complete with the necessary terms and conditions, it can indeed form a binding employment contract.

So What Can You Do?

Technically, by declining the offer after signing the offer letter, the candidate has committed a breach of contract. The company could, in theory, sue for damages.

Practically though, the chances of that working are zero. You will need to prove somehow that the employee failing to follow through with the job offer has caused damages. Given that many companies’ onboarding programs are designed with a probation period in mind, it is very unlikely that any substantial losses would have been incurred.

In the event that the prospective employee gained a benefit before the start date, e.g. by attending an employer-sponsored health checkup, the company can ask for the money back. However, this may be more trouble than its worth, especially when only a hundred ringgit here and there is involved.

So what’s the best course of action for HR?

The answer is: to move on. Let that candidate go and contact the second-choice candidate. Taking legal action for something that’s all too common for HR practitioners is overkill. Plus, the legal (and stress-related) costs are likely not worth it.

At the end of the day, your energies are better used to enhance your recruitment program, including employer branding strategies and better onboarding

Be Irresistible to Potential Candidates with BrioHR

Recruitment can be a tricky process. With BrioHR’s recruitment module, you can track applicants and make the hiring process go by much more smoothly. Besides, you can also create a professional-looking careers page to make the best first impression on a potential hire.

With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post Candidate Declines Job After Signing Offer Letter: What to Do? appeared first on BrioHR.

However, modern office spaces aren’t the cubicle farms or open-plan hellscapes of the past. They are primed to foster collaboration and creative discussion, while also allowing employees to do deep, focused work. What’s more, having a cool, inspiring office is also one of the big draws for talent.

If your business is thinking about an office redesign, here are five of the most inspiring offices in Malaysia. If you’re not due for an office change, we can at least daydream!

Carsome

Malaysia’s first tech unicorn has an equally impressive space to match. Their headquarters is located at KYM Tower, a new Grade A, Green Building Index Gold Certified building at Mutiara Damansara.

The office spans 41,860 square feet across four floors to house Carsome’s growing workforce and leadership team. After working from home for most of the pandemic, the pre-owned car e-commerce company welcomed employees back to the expanded headquarters in May.

Managed by luxury co-working provider Colony, Carsome’s headquarters features tasteful furnishings, automotive-themed decor, and retro-inspired “telephone booths” for taking private calls.

Location: KYM Tower, Petaling Jaya

Mindvalley

Mindvalley was launched as a platform to “unleash the fullest potential of your mind, body, and spirit.” Its office reflects that ethos.

Named by Inc. Magazine as one of the coolest offices in the world, Mindvalley’s offices at Menara UOA Bangsar uses lots of natural light and colourful stained glass to create a kaleidoscope effect. Split-level mezzanine platforms also help to increase usable space by over 30%.

True to the company’s spirit of inculcating wellness, facilities include an in-office gym, hypnotherapy rooms, and bed pods for power naps.

Location: Menara UOA Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

Google

The search giant’s headquarters in Silicon Valley is the dream office address for many. But every Google office location comes with its own flavour of ‘Googleyness’, according to the company.

Google’s Malaysia campus at KL Sentral is no exception. Designed by workplace architect M Moser & Associates, the space takes inspiration from Malaysia’s wealth of natural beauty. Rich plant life decorates the walls and ceiling, while meeting rooms are designed around caves.

Location: Axiata Tower, Kuala Lumpur

CIMB Bank

You may think of a bank’s offices as staid, boring edifices, but CIMB Bank’s new headquarters at Menara CIMB needed to be inspiring from the get go.

The bank’s growth required relocation of four departments into a central tower housing its new headquarters. Hence, the new building needed to be standardized, efficient, and above all, inspiring.

Design firm SL&A incorporated plenty of ASEAN motifs in the design, symbolizing CIMB’s position as one of the region’s leading universal banking groups. Touches of red are also included, the bank’s signature colour.

Location: Menara CIMB, Kuala Lumpur

Time Dotcom

Telecommunications provider Time Dotcom offers the full suite of connectivity and data centre solutions to both businesses and residential customers.

As befits a high-tech company, they have an equally inspiring office to match. The highlight is a slide near the entrance, possibly enabling employees to get downstairs slightly faster.

Location: Glenmarie Industrial Park, Shah Alam

Manage the Office and Employees With BrioHR

Having an inspiring office is great, but you can engage your employees at the next level by using the right tools to automate repetitive tasks. This way, your HR team is free to do more strategic tasks, like employer branding, enhancing the performance review cycle, or even organizing a one-of-a-kind office party!

BrioHR’s all-in-one, cloud-based solution automates repetitive tasks and empowers HR in a user-friendly interface. With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.

This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post Five Offices in Malaysia That Will Inspire You appeared first on BrioHR.

Nevertheless, these seven recruitment methods are widely used by companies and jobseekers alike. Utilizing any one of these will increase your chances of finding the perfect hire – the right person, with the right skills, eager to take on the opportunity.

Online Career Sites and Job Boards

Websites like JobStreet and Hiredly are some of the most common avenues for recruitment due to their popularity among jobseekers. For jobseekers, these platforms are free to use and user-friendly, enabling easy resume uploads and one-click job applications.

For companies, online career sites have a wide reach at low cost. It also takes only a few minutes to set up a job advertisement. Many sites also include candidate pre-screening and resume filtering functions, helping HR eliminate unsuitable applicants quickly.

Recruitment Agencies

Using a recruitment agency is not cheap, but they do offer valuable skill and experience in finding the right candidate for the job. A good recruiter will manage the recruitment process end-to-end, leaving you to run the business instead of fretting about the job position.

Another situation in which a recruitment agency shines is hiring for specialized roles. For example, if your business needs to hire a foreign language speaker, going through a recruitment agency is your best bet. They will have contacts among the language community and are best placed to find potential candidates.

Social Media

Some companies use social media networks like Facebook and Instagram for recruiting, especially if they have a large following. This is a great chance to show off their employer brand as well.

However, the social media platform that is by far the most popular in recruitment is LinkedIn. As a social network focused on professional relationships, it even includes a job board for companies to post openings.

Hiring and Job Fairs

The COVID-19 pandemic put these on hold, but now they’re surging back. In-person job fairs allow employers to show their best side to potential talents, while jobseekers can use this opportunity to talk to their future colleagues and get a feel for the job.

Job fairs tend to attract younger jobseekers – in fact these events are regularly held at universities around graduation time. But with the increase in redundancies due to the pandemic as well as resignations, job fairs are also attracting more experienced hires.

Industry Publications

If you’re recruiting in an industry with specialized skills, it may be worth advertising in industry-specific publications or websites. This way, you will have access to a talent pool that will very likely match the specific job requirements of the business.

Employee Referrals

Don’t underestimate the power of referrals from your staff. There’s a reason why many companies include a referral bonus if their employees refer a successful candidate for a job.

Your employees are your greatest ambassadors for your organization as a great place to work, and they can be great at identifying candidates that will be a good fit for the position. Plus, hiring a prospective candidate who already knows one of your employees will make the onboarding process much easier and will help develop a sense of belonging from the start.

Internal Recruitment

The ideal candidate for your job opening may already exist within your company. Internally, this includes posting your job opening on your company’s website and utilising your HR department, but it also includes looking for potential transfers and promotions within your organisation or among recently retired employees.

Promoting a current or recent employee can create an opening for a position that is much easier to fill, while this type of move can also save your company money onboarding and training a new employee. It also shows employees that there is a career path within the organization.

Recruit the Right Way with BrioHR

With BrioHR, recruitment is made easy. You can create a professional-looking job board to attract the best candidates and enhance your employer brand. Plus, BrioHR’s applicant tracking system makes sifting through resumes easier and faster.

BrioHR’s all-in-one, cloud-based solution with nine powerful modules automates repetitive tasks and empowers HR in a user-friendly interface. This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.

Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.

The post 7 Recruitment Methods to Find the Perfect Hire appeared first on BrioHR.