Military Times Edge article Features Orion Alum, Compares Job Fairs and Hiring Conferences

In his Military Times Edge article on job fairs versus hiring conferences, Adam Stone explores both hiring methods in depth, and features Shannon Dowdell, an Orion International alumnus. Dowdell, a former nuclear electronics technician who separated from the Navy in 2007, attended Orion’s May 2008 Houston Hiring Conference. When asked about the human touch hiring conferences bring to the business of applying for jobs, Dowdell explains, “I learned just what the expectations are in the real world, what it is like to do a real interview for an actual career. Having never conducted an interview or put together a résumé, that experience was golden.” It was through this conference that Dowdell found his new career as a top drive technician with Canrig Field Service, an oil & gas services company.

When explaining the difference between job fairs and hiring conferences, Stone points out that while job fairs can expose candidates to a broad range of employers, this can lead job seekers “down a few dead ends.” Hiring conferences, however, are more targeted in terms of matching candidate and hiring companies, and can often lead to quicker job offer. For instance, at an Orion hiring conference, hiring managers interview up to ten pre-selected candidates in a single day, as opposed to 20 or 30 candidates who have not been vetted at a job fair. This benefits both the candidate and the client by reducing the candidate’s job search time and the company's hiring cycle time.

According to Ken Eslick of Cintas, “Orion’s recruiting events have simply generated better candidates than any other source I use. Working with a team that understands our culture, hiring needs, etc, eliminates those that do not meet our needs in advance, making my day much more productive. The success of this last event will allow me to lay the foundation for our Sales team in Texas.”

Veterans who found their career through a Military Hiring Conference will frequently enlist the help of the company who placed them once they are in a position to hire, as in the case of Seth Robert, Mid-Continent/West Texas Area Manager for Canrig. Placed with Canrig back in 2005, Robert explains why he now works with Orion when staffing his own team. “As an Orion Alumnus, I am grateful for the service that Orion provided me, and look forward to continuing to utilize them when looking for new employees. In fact, nearly 30 percent of the employees that work for me have a military background.”

To learn more about Military Hiring Conferences, watch this 2-minute movie.

Evaluate a Job Candidate’s Social Skills

Hiring decisions are often made based on a candidate’s technical skills and expertise. It is just as important, however, to evaluate a potential employee’s soft skills. Paying attention to social skills while interviewing prevents hiring an employee that might have superior job skills, but lacks the soft skills required to effectively use them.

Social skills reflect a person’s ability to work in a way that accomplishes short term business goals while strengthening long term relationships. Social skills depend mostly on four primary fundamental characteristics.

Self-awareness: Monitoring how our actions affect the behavior of those around us.
Self-control: Being able to control our actions and emotions, particularly under stress.

Perhaps the two most difficult to assess, one of the best ways to measure self-awareness and self control is to use a role play exercise. If properly planned and conducted, role playing can be one of the most valid ways to measure a candidate’s self awareness and control.

Sensitivity to others: Showing concern toward the needs and feelings of others.

During the interview, ask the candidate to describe conflicts they’ve experienced in the workplace or influences on their career. Answers that are highly judgmental or exclude credit for contributions made by others indicates a low sensitivity to others. References can also be a helpful resource.

Social Intelligence: Understanding methods for influencing others’ behaviors or perceptions. There are several methods for assessing a candidate’s social intelligence. The easiest is the interview. Create social settings such as group discussions or luncheons where you can see the candidate’s social skills in action.

Candidates who possess all the right expertise but lack in soft skills tend to leave quickly due to interpersonal conflict and frustration, or plateau in lower level positions. It’s important to evaluate a potential employee’s social skills to ensure you are hiring the complete package for a long term and valuable candidate.

Click here for original article

Fortune Magazine Article Explores the Role JMOs Play in Corporate America

In his recent Fortune Magazine article, Brian O’Keefe reveals the ways in which Corporate America is increasingly utilizing Junior Military Officer talent. O’Keefe points out that the increasing presence of JMOs in the workplace is evidenced by the fact that G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Employers List has grown from only 10 employers in 2003 to 100 this year. With such an interest in JMO talent, competition to hire these candidates is becoming more fierce than ever before.

O’Keefe cites Wal-Mart as being at the forefront of recognizing the talent JMOs have to offer. When faced with a potential talent shortage, they turned to JMOs and found them to be a “gold mine of talent”. General David Petraeus explains the appeal of this “gold mine” to Fortune by saying, “Tell me anywhere in the business world where a 22- or 23-year-old is responsible for 35 or 40 other individuals on missions that involve life and death.”

Corporate America is not just hiring these JMOs; they are setting them up for success with elite management development programs. GE Energy and PepsiCo are among the many companies who either have a program dominated by veterans or solely for veterans.

Hire a Hero, Hire a Vet believes O’Keefe’s article is a great example of the value veterans can bring to the civilian workplace. You can read the original article here. We hope you will agree!

Reduce On-the-Job Job Stress at your Workplace

The pace in which we live in today’s world is increasingly causing what is known as “super stress.” This particular stress is especially prominent in the workplace. But super stress is a condition you can control. There are a number of things to lessen the reaction your body has to the warp speed of the present-day work environment.

Hit the ground walking instead of the normal run. Plan to arrive earlier than normal and start your day calmly, instead of frantic with activity.

Take time each day to back away from your desk and walk around the office. Your mind needs this little rest to maintain its highest level of productivity. Encourage your employees to do the same.

When deadlines are looming and your plate is full, a sense of humor is one of the first things to go. But it’s the best way to keep the body calm. Make time to see the lighter side of life, and share your humor with employees.

Lose perfectionism and the negative attitude. Perfectionists are often the least efficient. And beating yourself up for not completing tasks won’t help you turn out your projects any faster. Communicate the same message to your staff by giving them positive feedback.

Keep your body well-fueled. Eating processed foods and chugging caffeine taxes the body. Branch out from the usual bagels and donuts and reach for fruit, veggies or yogurt.

Practicing this short list of helpful de-stressing techniques will help your nervous system “remember” how to access that healthy state of mind. Reference these techniques anytime you feel super stress creeping in.