Welcome to “The Most Interesting Recruiting Stories of the Week,” a weekly post that features talent acquisition insights and information from around the web to kick off your weekend. Here’s what’s of interest this week:

Top Articles to Read Now

LinkedIn Adds Tool for People to Explain Resume Gaps

“In the employment history section of LinkedIn profiles there’s a new option to add a ‘career break,’ and choose from a dropdown menu of reasons to explain the hiatus,” according to Quartz at Work. “Reasons, and there are many of them, include things like full-time parenting; bereavement; caregiving; personal goal pursuit; and layoff/position eliminated.”

“I Went to a Metaverse Recruitment Fair”

“I’ve always found recruitment to be about building personal connections so was keen to know whether this could be recreated virtually. I was pleasantly surprised.” So begins this Business Insider story about an event called “Hired in the Metaverse: The New Frontier of Recruiting.”

Why So Many People Became Real Estate Agents in the Pandemic

“The industry is drawing workers while nearly every other job sector has struggled with hiring,” according to the New York Times. “As few as 10% of them will last long enough to make a full-time living selling homes.”

The Drawbacks of Signing Bonuses

“Signing bonuses may help attract talent but aren’t without some traps for the unwary,” being this SHRM article. . Discrimination claims can arise with these bonuses, there can be morale issues among those who don’t receive them, and employers that don’t make the purposes of the bonuses clear can find that accompanying agreements are unenforceable.

Retailers’ Wage Increases to Attract Workers Aren’t Yet Denting Profits

“Large retailers and other employers that hire hourly workers are continuing to lift wages, and so far have kept profits growing as well,” according to the The Wall Street Journal. “Target Corp. said it plans to spend up to $300 million more this year on workers, which includes increasing pay and other benefits. Starting hourly wages at Target for store and supply-chain workers will range from $15 to $24, the company said.”

The New Talent Game to Win Back Workers

“In the past, spikes in voluntary attrition often signaled a competition for talent, where in-demand workers left one job for a similar but better one at another company,” explains a McKinsey Quarterly story. “This most recent wave of attrition is different. Most are leaving to take on very different roles — or just leaving the workforce entirely. They have been operating under extreme circumstances for extended periods and have been unable to find an adequate balance between work and life — so they are choosing ‘life’ until they absolutely need to go back.”

Why Employee Wellness Programs Don’t Work

“Many companies have employee wellness programs with the goal of reducing the skyrocketing costs of health care for their workers. But there is little evidence that these programs are effective,” claims this Knowledge@Wharton article. The authors suggest that “instead of free gym memberships or yoga classes, companies should try to meet the most vulnerable workers where they are by offering support tailored to their needs. Helping those employees find a primary care doctor or transportation to routine appointments, for example, would improve their health outcomes better than cash incentives.”

3 Communication Mistakes That Make Recruiters Look Like Fools

“There are a lot of things we can do as recruiters to make ourselves look like fools,” writes Tim Sackett. “Most of them deal with the way we communicate with candidates and the hiring managers we support. Many of the communication mistakes we make also are from our lack of experience, as you rarely see senior-level recruiters make as many communication mistakes as newer recruiters!”

How to Cultivate Referrals From Rejected Candidates

“Employee referrals are a cornerstone of any sound talent acquisition strategy, especially when upwards of 20%+ of your hires come from referrals. But what about candidate referrals, those made by individuals in your talent pipeline who don’t even get hired?” asks Talent Board’s Kevin Grossman.

Upcoming Webinars

How to Systemize Talent Management for Increased Hiring Efficiency (Wed, March 23)

HR and TA leaders abhor lengthy hiring processes. So do candidates. Systemizing hiring can improve efficiency and quality, but it can be hard to shorten processes without negatively affecting results. Join this webinar to learn how to improve efficiency and efficacy, decrease hiring time, ensure clear job descriptions, and more. Register here.

How to Design and Implement Recruiter Training/Mentorship Programs (Wed, March 30)

Recruiting leaders worldwide recognize the importance of enhancing the abilities of their teams. They want to make their team members more effective in their roles, but often do not know where to begin, especially when it comes to new recruiters. Join this webinar to learn a framework that will help your team make their new hires successful. The processes shared will drive employee development and improve retention through employee empowerment and engagement. Register here.

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Stay in Touch

Join the conversation about all things talent acquisition in the ERE Facebook Group. It’s a great venue to gain information, support, and network with fellow peers. We’re talking about some of the stories above, as well as other hot recruiting topics, so come share your own views in the ERE Facebook Group. We’d love to see you there!

Additionally, got questions? Feedback on a story? Or want to pitch a story idea? Get in touch with ERE editor Vadim Liberman at vadim@ere.net.

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