WEB REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

By Karen Masullo for Facet

I commented on a recent conversation on LinkedIn that I believe holds value for any job seeker; that of web reputation management firms.

The idea consumers get about these types of services is a bit flawed;

there is no legal technology tool that “scrubs” the web.

The only way to get rid of negative content is to create new content, however, if the site hosting the negative content is older and more established than the new content, new content may have no effect.

These reputation management companies may send letters to the sites hosting the negative content requesting removal – it occasionally works as most sites will remove questionable content to avoid possible litigation – I did this myself for an artist whose work had been lifted and watermarked by someone else – each site I contacted agreed to re-post the work with the correct artist credited or remove the original items.

The Reputation sites may then create new sites, using a “spinner” application (“spins” duplicate content so it does not appear to be duplicated) to post content with slight variations to avoid a Google duplicate content penalty – in the case of an individual this may include resume sites, bio sites, etc. For companies, similar info including Free Press release content, again slightly spun.

They then use a variety of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to push down the new content and sites, with the hope that this new content will inded push the old content down in search results. Some of the techniques some companies use are absolutely Black Hat SEO (bad SEO), and can actually create more problems than originally existed.

The most important tool an individual or company can have in its brand protection tool box is a monitoring tool – while Google Alerts is great, there are many others that complement alerts such as Radian6, Alterian, Tracx, Trackur, SocialMention and others.

For individual users and job seekers, there are many free reputation monitoring tools. If you are active in using social media, http://sproutsocial.com/ is a good one.

The bottom line is it’s all about sound, organic, White Hat SEO and active monitoring. Invest the money in a good SEO effort and create new, real, valuable content if there is negative, job-killing content about you on the web.

Also, establishing a professional Google+ profile is very helpful, as Google will generally display this in the top 3 results.

Why am I telling you this? I believe this news article is telling:

EXCLUSIVE: Online reputation management, in which companies monitor search results and try to bury unfavorable pages about their clients, is a booming business, but are some breaking the law to purge critical posts? Breaking the Law to Fix Your Rep:

EXCLUSIVE: Online reputation manager hacked websites to ‘inject’ illegal code

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/20/google-cide-online-reputation-managers-can-wipe-from-web/#ixzz1k1dXBdtx

Be aware, and if it sounds to good to be true, keep your money in your pocket.

Karen Masullo is EVP, Social Media for Firestorm. In addition to serving as Firestorm Solution’s own in-house social media advisor, she also serves on the Firestorm Solutions Expert Council and delivers social media strategy and policy services for Firestorm clients. Prior to her work with Firestorm, Karen worked in the Career Transition industry for more than twenty years.

You can read more of Karen’s articles here: Karen Masullo Articles
]]> http://facetgroup.wordpress.com/2012/01/23/web-reputation-management-dont-be-fooled/feed/ 2 facetteam shocked http://facetgroup.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/3-check-points-to-minimize-the-potential-of-workplace-violence-during-a-reduction-in-force/ http://facetgroup.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/3-check-points-to-minimize-the-potential-of-workplace-violence-during-a-reduction-in-force/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:21:15 +0000 facetteam http://facetgroup.wordpress.com/?p=146 ]]> Workplace Violence Prevention

3 Check Points to Minimize the Potential of Workplace Violence During a Reduction-in-Force

By Carolyn Greco, Expert Council, Firestorm, President, FACET

Workplace violence is an issue that no company, regardless of size, must ignore. The adage of ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ cannot be overstated on this issue.

Smart business owners and managers now realize that it is not a matter of if the company will be touched by workplace violence at some level, but when. Here are 3 Check Points to minimize the potential of workplace violence, particularly during a reduction-in-force (RIF).

CHECK POINT #1 in preventing workplace violence:

Predict.

Consider the following three scenarios, names changed:

~ Brendan Callaway, a Lead Product Test Engineer at a small start-up technology company, was RIF’d individually, not as part of a general reduction. He had 25 years of experience at startups and well-established high-technology companies, and had been with the current employer for four years – since its inception. He was asked to leave immediately.

~ Jayne Chin, an oilfield executive with a 22 year tenure, was fired one Friday afternoon by a total stranger. She was told bluntly to “pack up her things and leave ASAP.” A security officer stood by her desk as she cleaned it out and then escorted her to her car. Jayne flew into a rage that lasted months.

~ Jim Caruthers was a trusted, 18 year employee of a local bank. He was scheduled to attend a meeting at a nearby Starbucks and told by four people, the Branch Manager, the HR Manager, and two Regional Sales Managers, one of which had flown in that morning from headquarters, that his services were no longer required. They told him that he could not return to the bank and to go straight home. He felt betrayed and humiliated. He later sued.

Any of these three scenarios could have easily have become violent. One did.

“Brendan Callaway” is really the Santa Clara company, SiPort, Inc., the tragic scenario of a downsized employee who returned to work that Friday for a meeting with the CEO, VP of Operations and the HR Manager and killed all three. In 2008, when the incident occurred, SiPort was a small company of only 39 employees.

Employees at start-up companies put in very long hours expecting pay-off when the company is sold or IPO’d. They feel betrayed and taken advantage of when the people they worked so hard with to get the company off the ground release them from the ‘vision.’ The three senior executives felt that they knew the employee well enough to agree to meet.

What could have been in place to prevent this?

Checkpoint 2:

Plan.

Planning is critical for an uneventful RIF. What needs to be in place related to general Workplace Considerations is a written policy on violence in the workplace which includes threat(s) identification, be they direct, veiled, conditional or implausible, appropriate concerns about safety, standards of conduct and fair and consistent discipline; this is mandatory.

Additionally, hiring and pre-employment practices are critical, particularly if an individual has made veiled or conditional threats, or have a history of intimidating co-workers or bizarre behavior. Are there adequate pre-employment screening procedures and background checks in place? Even for outsourced, temporary or contract workers, copies of background checks should be obtained well in advance of any staff reduction.

CHECK POINT #3:

Perform.

The worst RIF mistake is surprise. If an employee is performing poorly, address it appropriately. Document and discuss poor performance as it arises—not just at the annual review. Warn problem employees if their work is unsatisfactory, and advise what needs to be done and when. If their job is on the line, let them know.

Unfortunately, a common occurrence is the release of employees with good performance appraisals or no warning of a release. A glowing appraisal followed by release due to performance is not only nonsense, it is the catalyst for anger and rage and puts the company at risk.

Perform:

Elevate the RIF Process to an Art Form

• Identify behavioral issues and concern of employees being considered in a reduction in advance. Carefully plan the location and timing of exit interviews and provide managers with a written script that outlines exactly what to say and do. Role-play the script – at least three times. Know who will deliver the message, who should witness delivery of the message, how remaining staff will be told and identify which individuals will react emotionally, and of course, how the extra workload will be distributed.
• If any concerns exist, provide security and ongoing surveillance as needed.
• Create a generous severance package and explain it in writing. The last thing a departing employee wants to do is guess about money and benefits. In addition to actual severance pay, severance may include medical benefits, continued access to the company Employee Assistance Program (EAP) during the severance period and outplacement assistance.
• Arrange for an experienced outplacement consultant to be a part of the RIF process at least three weeks prior to the event and provide the best outplacement counseling program that you can afford. Remember, ex-employees remain a concern to the company until they are re-employed. Outplacement is designed to minimize corporate responsibility and maximize the employee’s future.

Perform includes Follow Up

Err on the side of caution. If a RIF’d employee wants to meet afterwards, conduct that meeting via conference call (refer to the tragic ending of SiPort, Inc.) and identify who will do that follow up. Conduct a targeted Debrief Session and identify what went well, what did not and what improvements can be made for future RIFs.

Identify potential issues, deal with threatening situations and develop clear policies and procedures. Treat people fairly and with dignity and they will mostly respond in kind. If they do not, you will be well prepared.

Take the threat of workplace violence seriously.

If you need immediate assistance, please contact Carolyn Greco at

200 South Audubon Boulevard
Lafayette, LA 70503
337.233.8973 • 888.868.8973
Fax: 337.593.0828

eBook Available to Facet Readers

Our friends at Firestorm have an outstanding eBook available for our readers: Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America

Given the recent disastrous wildfires Texas has experienced, this is a timely benefit for your company and employees.

Firestorm founders Harry Rhulen and Jim Satterfield wrote Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America specifically to address the need for disaster preparedness at home, and the book has become a cornerstone of many personal and corporate preparedness programs. ”Remember:  you are your own first responder,” the book reminds readers as it guides them through a comprehensive program of readiness.

 DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK

Employee Preparedness

Many companies have used Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America as a promotional tool/gift for their clients, who in turn use the book to encourage their own employees to develop plans at home. In every crisis or disaster, family concerns override work commitments.  If the impact of a disaster or crisis can be lessened, the benefits to the employee, their family, and the client are enormous. The process of addressing these exposures sends a positive message to every employee that their family’s well being is valued.   In addition, the client’s operational and financial impacts can be lessened. Firestorm has customized the Disaster Ready People book for several companies, utilizing their corporate logo on the cover and a foreword written by their CEO.

Standard versions of the book can be shipped from existing inventory within five business days. In checking with the publisher regarding the printing of a custom, client version of Disaster Ready People, Firestorm can easily modify the book to meet client needs. Upon publisher receipt of the camera-ready logo and CEO foreword, a proof will be provided to the client within three business days. After proof approval by the client, the book will be printed and shipped within 45 to 60 days.  Furthermore, if additional pages of specific content relating to the client’s corporate plans or services are requested, Firestorm can arrange to add a custom chapter up to 10 pages to the client version for a small, additional incremental charge.

PURCHASE SINGLE OR MULTIPLE COPIES FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

Currently, Firestorm is enhancing the Disaster Ready People book series to address the remaining four out of five common failures – Failure of Critical Supply Vendors, Failure to Identify all Vulnerabilities, Failure to Update and Test Plans, and Failure to have a Crisis Communications Plan. These books will focus on the impacts on corporations and contain insights and case studies from key C-level executives. The series will also reinforce the strategic governance responsibility and compliance.

Most of us recognize presence when we see it. We also recognize when we don’t see it. When successful individuals hit a career obstacle, a lack of presence may be the issue.

Presence is conveyed by:

What you say

Knowing your subject is critical. Communicating expertise through intelligent questions is very effective. Concise remarks that reflect insight have a much greater impact than a lecture.

How you say it

Use a warm tone of voice to project confidence rather than arrogance. Persuasion doesn’t necessarily require volume, but you must speak loudly enough for everyone to hear.

What you don’t say

Posture is power. Whether standing or sitting, you want to command attention and confidence. Sit slightly forward in your chair and lean in without compromising personal space. Avoid distracting habits like drumming your fingers or clicking your pen.

Cheryl Smith Bryan, a member of the International Coach Federation and a certified Birkman® consultant, assesses and advises high potential employees and teams and coaches executives for career success.

May 26, 2011, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HOUSTON, TX − Few events are as devastating to a company, and its people, than the need to reduce its workforce.  This type of crisis requires immediate action to ensure business continuity and forward movement for the affected employees.

Enter Carolyn Greco, who has been tagged by crisis management services agency Firestorm to serve on its expert council for Corporate Outplacement, Executive and Management Rescue and Pre-Employment/Background Screening.

Firestorm, whose expert council includes such dignitaries at Russel Honoré, C. Everett Koop, MD and David Satcher, MD, PhD.,  assists companies in preparing for the worst and managing the decision required in an immediate crisis. Firestorm was most famously called in following the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings.

Greco is CEO of FACET (http://facetgroup.com/), a Career Management Consulting firm based in Houston and Lafayette, LA. Her organization helps companies through the reduction in force (RIF) process, serving to manage the crisis by minimizing the risk for management, HR and both the affected and remaining employees. Her “Rescue Programs” coach executives and managers in the skills they need to step into new roles, thus advancing their careers and enhancing the company’s overall performance.

FACET and Firestorm agree that ‘every crisis is a human crisis,’ and that absolutely defines the situation when a company is forced to reduce its workforce. The key to minimizing the fallout for all involved is pre-planning and swift action once a RIF is announced,” said Greco. “No company wants to be in this position, but when they have no other options, making a choice to bring in outplacement and crisis management professionals will ultimately ensure the best possible outcome for everyone,” she added.

Once the crisis has passed and the process of rehiring begins, Greco is onboard to provide the necessary pre-employment and background screening of job candidates.  FACET subsidiary Compliance Background Screening Services, a global employment screening company, pre-qualifies candidates using the most accurate and up-to-date information available from direct sources.

“Our goal at FACET is always to help companies maintain their flow of business while managing their human resource needs,” Greco explained.

About Firestorm

For additional information on Firestorm Press, please contact:
Mike Pennetti
Phone: (770) 643-1114
Email: mpennetti@firestorm.com

About Facet

FACET is a Career Management consulting firm specializing in the four facets of the Talent Management Cycle: Attracting, Retaining, Developing and Transitioning of an organization’s human resources.

FACET’s practice specifically addresses facilitation of smooth career/life transitions for individuals leaving organizations as well as career management, leadership training and coaching for employees whose assignments within organizations are impacted by change or other organizational needs.

By application of several directions of pursuit, the corporation accomplishes a single goal: maximum utilization of human resource potential and productivity through efficient hiring, training and career development.

Headquartered in Houston, TX, FACET was founded in 1981 in Louisiana and now has service offices throughout the United States and affiliate offices worldwide. As a founding member of Global Outplacement Alliance (GOA) – the World’s Local Outplacement Experts^SM, FACET shares a parallel philosophy of the highest quality and standards with other owner invested firms worldwide. To address organizational needs outlined by its clients, FACET offers a comprehensive package of workplace consulting services, focusing on providing high quality, creative programs which favorably impact the bottom line.

For additional information on Facet contact:

The Facet Group
200 South Audubon Boulevard
Lafayette, LA 70503
Ph. 337-233-8973 Fax# 337-593-0828
Toll# 1-888-868-8973

Facet is pleased to introduce you to Firestorm Solutions.  They have an upcoming webinar we know you’ll find valuable, and we’ve included some information below on their Violence in the Workplace Self-Assessment & Tool-Kit

Workplace Violence

Workplace Violence Prevention Webinar – Challenges & Approaches

Sponsored by Firestorm Solutions, LLC

Wednesday 20-Apr-11 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT

Speaker Suzanne Loughlin, Esq.

Position: Exec. Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer
Company: Firestorm

Self-Assessment

Firestorm’s Workplace Violence Self-Assessment offers a diagnostic tool that provides an in-depth evaluation of your organization’s readiness. The self-assessment:

1. Measures current performance levels and assesses your readiness to prevent and respond to acts of workplace violence.
2. Establishes a baseline, and sets up process improvement metrics to ensure the best possible return on the resources invested.
3. Is completed in a one-hour interview.

How Firestorm’s Workplace Violence Self-Assessment Works

Description of Service:  The self-assessment is a series of fifty plus questions that are divided across the following areas of a Workplace Violence Prevention Program:

1. Program & Framework
2. Roles & Responsibilities
3. Risk
4. Prevention & Control
5. Monitoring & Triggers
6. Training & Awareness
7. Reporting & Investigation
8. Incident Response
9. Follow-Up / Corrective Actions

Through a single group interview, Firestorm engages in a conversational series of questions with key representatives from your Workplace Violence Prevention Program.   Each question is designed to capture a specific, structured response from a multiple choice selection.

Upon completion of the interview, Firestorm produces a narrative analysis that includes a calculated Preaction Index Rating™ and a chart demonstrating overall scoring by the key dimensions, as well as an overall ranking of program “readiness”.

If needed, Firestorm will propose a strategy for your company to implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Program that will align with industry best practices.

PREDICT. Firestorm’s Workplace Violence Self-Assessment diagnostic tool measures your organization’s current level of readiness, and shows you how to implement improvements with the highest return on investment.

PLAN. With Firestorm’s self-aassessment and analysis completed, you can utilize Firestorm’s  Workplace Violence Prevention Program ToolKit™ to begin building a program that meets best practices in all categories.

PREFORM. By implementing Firestorm’s recommended improvements and adjustments, your organization will gain value from overall preparedness.

WARN Act: Accepting severance means departure was voluntary, says Seventh Circuit

Employees who accepted severance packages didn’t count toward the number of affected employees that would be entitled to 60 days’ notice of a plant closing or mass layoff under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, ruled the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

The court found that the departures were voluntary, even though some employees had only a couple of days to weigh the severance offer. The court noted with approval that the offers were accurate, no managers pressured employees to sign, and employees had seven days to change their minds after signing (Ellis v. DHL Express, Inc., 7th Cir, Jan. 2011).

Do you know the law?

In the more than two decades since WARN was enacted in 1988, courts and employers have treated voluntary departures in a fairly consistent manner. However, the Ninth Circuit Collins decision and the Seventh Circuit Ellis decision-rendered within 10 days of each other-create new confusion about what types of employee separations should be counted as an “employment loss” under WARN.

In Ellis, the Seventh Circuit concluded that hundreds of union-represented employees who accepted a severance package did not suffer a WARN “employment loss.” After DHL announced its plans to stop offering U.S. domestic shipping, the company negotiated severance agreements with the union that represented workers at certain affected facilities.

Employees who participated signed a release and resigned their employment in exchange for severance pay and benefits; those who did not participate retained their seniority status and recall rights, as well as the right to bring legal claims against their employer, but received no severance pay.

Consistent with the DOL’s treatment of voluntary departures as explained in the preamble accompanying the final WARN regulations, the Seventh Circuit evaluated traditional evidence of voluntariness. The court stated that the employees were in an “unenviable position,” but concluded that those who accepted the severance package had done so voluntarily. After excluding those separations that were voluntary, the remaining involuntary “employment losses” were insufficient to trigger WARN’s notice requirements. Consequently, the Seventh Circuit upheld the district court’s grant of summary judgment in the defendants’ favor.

In Collins (Collins v. Gee West Seattle, 9th Cir, Jan. 2011), the Ninth Circuit majority took a much different view, based on the majority’s holding that employees who stop working because a business is closing are not voluntary departures under WARN. The employer in Collins issued a written memo to employees stating it was actively pursuing the sale of the business but, if the sale was not successfully consummated, the employer would terminate the employment of all but a few designated employees. Thereafter, large numbers of employees stopped reporting to work, and the employee departures actually forced the employer to cease business sooner than previously announced because the small number of remaining employees prevented the employer from continuing operations.

Although the number of employees displaced by the actual shutdown in Collins were not sufficient to constitute a “plant closing” under WARN, the plaintiffs asserted that employment losses were experienced by all of the employees, including those who stopped working after the employer’s announcement of a sale and potential shutdown. The district court rejected the plaintiffs’ claims and granted summary judgment to the employer.

The Ninth Circuit majority in Collins reversed the lower court, and held that “if an employee leaves a job because the business is closing, that employee has not ‘voluntarily departed’ within the meaning of the WARN Act. Rather, that employee has suffered an ‘employment loss.’” Rather than applying WARN’s “employment loss” definition, the Ninth Circuit majority focused on WARN’s definition of “affected employees,” which includes all those who “may reasonably be expected to experience an employment loss as a consequence of a plant closing.” 29 U.S.C. § 2101(a)(5).

The Ninth Circuit majority asserted that “how many positions will be eliminated by the closing” provided the “starting point” for determining the “actual or reasonably expected employment loss” resulting from a plant closing. In the court majority’s view, an employee’s departure should not be considered voluntary under WARN if it is based on the “unexpected and urgent need to find new employment.” Rather, according to the majority, an employee departure should be deemed voluntary only if “there is some evidence of imminent departure for reasons other than the shut down.”

Applying the Ninth Circuit Collins standard of voluntariness-turning on each employee’s actual “reason for departing”-places employers in the impossible situation of making a determination as to whether a departure is voluntary more than 60 days before any eventual shutdown (i.e., before employees have even decided whether to leave voluntarily in advance of any shutdown’s implementation). The Ninth Circuit majority in Collins did not acknowledge this practical difficulty, as evidenced by a cryptic statement (by the court majority in a footnote) that “an employee’s reason for departing is a factual inquiry better suited for district courts.”

Implications for Employers

All employers face substantial challenges when attempting to determine, prior to major restructuring decisions, whether advance notices are required under WARN or state law variations on WARN. Under WARN, this type of determination must be made more than 60 days prior to significant changes, because the statute requires the issuance of written notices at least 60 days before any “plant closing” or “mass layoff.”

Under some state laws, the amount of required notice is even longer-for example, the New York state version of WARN requires 90 days’ advance notice. WARN determinations also require employers to evaluate the anticipated duration of projected layoffs (since only layoffs exceeding six months in duration are considered an “employment loss” under WARN).

Finally, employers evaluating WARN obligations must determine how many employment losses will occur within up to 90 days of one another (since WARN provides that successive groups of employment losses-each insufficient to trigger WARN-may be aggregated over a 90-day period unless the employer can demonstrate, among other things, that the different groups result from “separate and distinct actions and causes”).

For the time being, employers may wish to consider taking the following actions:

• All employers implementing workforce reductions within the Ninth Circuit should be careful, especially when dealing with planned shutdowns, to regard all employees at a particular site as experiencing “employment losses” under WARN, even if large numbers of employees participate in exit incentive programs or otherwise terminate their employment on a voluntary basis.
• Employers in other jurisdictions, either under WARN or similar state law notice statutes, should more carefully consider the possibility that a reviewing court or state agency may adopt reasoning similar to that utilized by the Ninth Circuit majority in the Collins case.
• Employers should monitor future developments, including the potential appeal of the Ninth Circuit Collins case, and the treatment of similar WARN issues in future cases.
• WARN has always provided that voluntary notices are encouraged, even when not required under the statute. Employers should err on the side of issuing 60-day WARN notices, particularly when it appears that a particular shutdown or workforce reduction may be close to reaching the “plant closing” or “mass layoff” thresholds established in WARN.

For more information on WARN Act compliance consulting, contact Facet at  1-888-868-8973

“Helpful” suggestions, job-oriented advice can range from the eminently sage (“Do what you love”) to the highly questionable (“Do what pays the most”).

Embracing the good advice can lead to a brighter, wealthier future. On the other hand, implementing those bad tips into your professional plan may lead you into a hard-to-reverse downward spiral. What’s the best career advice anyone has shared with you? What’s the worst advice you’ve received?

Share your insight by commenting to this post, and thank you!

Don’t Name Your Resume, “resume” & Nine Other Head-Smacking Tips for Job Seekers

At Software Advice, we’re hiring like mad, or at least trying to. You might think a growing company with interesting jobs, great pay, top-notch benefits and a cool office would find hiring to be a breeze in a recession like this. Nope.

We want A players on our team – we have 19 so far.

However, we typically sort through about 150 candidates for each hire we make. Only about twelve of those 150 candidates get to a first-round phone interview.

Why so few?

It’s not worth our time to interview any more than that. The incremental effort of interviewing more than twelve out of 150 candidates produces a very low marginal yield of qualified hires. There may be a superstar hidden in the other 138, but it’s not worth our time to dig too deep to find her. Yes, we look at each application, but we do so with an eye for why we should reject the candidate, not why we should hire them. That quickly gets us to roughly a dozen interviewees, and then we switch our mindset to start thinking about who we want to hire.

With that as context, I want to share some of the screens I use to whittle down 150 applications to twelve interviews. I’m not talking about the usual hiring criteria; yes, we absolutely look at experience, achievements, academic credentials, etc. That’s all core and critical. Instead, I’m going to talk about the head-smacking, silly things people do that make me click “reject” in our applicant tracking system (ATS).

One more bit of context: our typical hiring profile is a recent college grad, zero to five years out, looking for a sales or marketing job. Keep that in mind. Here goes:

1. Don’t name your resume, “resume.” About a third of applicants name their resume document, “resume.doc.” “Resume” may make sense on your computer, where you know it’s your resume. However, on my computer, it’s one of many, many resumes with the same name. I used to rename them, but then I noticed the strong correlation between unqualified candidates and the “resume” file name. Now I reject them if I don’t see something really good within ten seconds. By using such a generic file name, the applicant misses a great opportunity to brand themselves (e.g. “John Doe – Quota Crusher”). If you’re qualified enough to sell or market for us, you won’t miss the opportunity to at least use your name in the file name.

2. don’t use all lowercase. i’m not sure where this trend originated. is it some text messaging thing? it’s so easy to capitalize properly on a keyboard. how much time is this really saving you? to me, it screams out, “hi. i’m lazy. my pinkies are really heavy and I’d rather not move them to shift. when i start working for you, i’ll look for other ways to be lazy. i’ll also rebel against authority figures like you, just like i’m rebelling against the english teachers that dedicated their lives to helping me become literate.” seriously though, this bad habit buys you next to nothing and is bound to offend countless detailed-oriented hiring managers.

3. Don’t write like a robot. I’ve noticed a funny phenomenon with many grads that are entering “the real world.” While their speech is still littered with “ums,” “likes” and “you knows,” their writing is exceedingly formal, long-winded and boring. The people that are reviewing your application were young once too. They may still be young. Most of them have a sense of humor. They get bored. Please, don’t make them parse dense cover letters and resumes that read like some robot ate a thesaurus and puked. Just use concise, well-written prose. Keep sentences short. Toss in a joke or two. Show us a little bit of your personality. We’re going to have to work with you more than we see our spouses, so show us that we’ll enjoy it. No robots.

4. Don’t spam hiring managers. It’s easy to tell when a candidate is just applying to any job out there to see if anyone will call for an interview. Unlikely. Hiring managers want to know that you are excited about the position. They know that passion for the role is critical to success. Take the time to understand the company and the open position. Write a cover letter or email that explains your interest in the role and your qualifications. Tweak your resume to match the hiring criteria. On our web application, we ask applicants to answer three questions. Why? Because spammer applicants will just enter simple answers of a few words; applicants that care enter well-written, thoughtful answers. We delete the former immediately. Remember, these jobs are competitive; the only way to compete is to stand out…in a good way. Spam won’t.

5. Don’t expose your licentious personal life. We’ve all read about social media missteps – those unfortunate photos of you passed out drunk, covered in flour (“antiqued” as my co-workers call it), profane words written on your face. Honestly, I understand. If Facebook and camera phones were around when I was in college, I’d still be blushing in embarrassment. Now that you want a career, put that stuff behind you. Start managing your reputation online and off. One of our three application questions asks for the applicant’s proudest achievements. Today some guy answered that he had produced and stared in his own music video. Kinda cool, I thought. That is, until I clicked the link and witnessed the puerile lifestyle of which he remains so proud. Reject. As a rule, I’m not going to pry too deep into your personal life, so don’t jinx yourself by showing us you at your worst.

6. Don’t talk badly about your former employer. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. This is especially relevant in the hiring process. When I read negative comments in an application or cover letter, I’m shocked. My problem with this is twofold. First, it typically takes two to tangle. I assume there is a high likelihood that this applicant finds trouble wherever they go. Moreover, talking badly betrays a lack of “political judgment” – a critical skill set for the workplace, whether you like it or not. When I hear a candidate say that their last employer was incompetent, a micro-manager, or unfair, I assume I’m next on their list. The candidate may be right; their former employer may be horrible. I’ll pass on the opportunity to find out.

7. Proofread your resume. It’s unbelievable the number of spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes I see in resumes. Again, this is a blaring clue telling the hiring manager that you don’t check your work and you don’t pay attention to detail. More than one error and I’m clicking reject. Why so harsh? Because I don’t want to have to double check your work when I hire you. Hiring managers want leverage, not more work. It’s really easy to have someone review your resume. Friends, family, career counselors – all these folks should be willing to give it a quick read. Fresh eyes can catch those typos you’ve glanced over ten times. Take the extra effort and avoid the nearly automatic “reject” reflex that hiring managers have when they spot your errors.

8. Format your resume nicely. Take the time to format your resume nicely. It’s one of those small clues hiring managers look to for an indication of your attention to detail, organization and pride in your work. If you send me a sloppy resume, I’ll reject it knowing that you are likely to do sloppy work if I hire you. There are standard formats out there; use them. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Don’t get creative (unless you are applying for creative jobs in design, advertising, etc.). For sales, marketing, finance, administration, etc., stick to a clean, one-page format like the Wharton School Template. Don’t make us figure out your resume format when we’re busy trying to figure out you.

9. PDF your resume. Not everyone uses the same operating system and word processor that you do. I use a Mac. I don’t have Word – don’t want it. My ATS can’t handle .docx files. A lot of the resumes I see come through horribly garbled. So much for that nice formatting you did (Did you?). PDF, or portable document format, is a simple solution. Anyone with Adobe Reader - most any corporate computer has it installed – can open a PDF file and see exactly what you intended them to see. Most ATSs read PDFs just fine. Most any Mac application can print/export to PDF. If your Windows apps won’t, go download one of the many free PDF creator applications and PDF your resume. It’s so easy. It’s so free. It’s so appreciated.

10. When you get a job, don’t job hop. Finally, here’s one last piece of advice that goes far beyond the job application. When you get a job, try your very best to stay at it for at least two years, preferably more. We understand that the job market is fluid and you are not likely to stay with us long enough to get the gold watch. However, we do want to get a couple years of productivity from you if we’re going to invest in training and mentoring. One of the first things I look for on a resume is some demonstration of tenure. Had three jobs in your first year out of college? Reject. Four jobs in your first five years out? Reject. I’ve got to assume that you were fired repeatedly or you’ve got a bad case of career ADD. Got a good story about all that job hopping? Unfortunately, I can’t afford to take the risk.

I know I sound like a grumpy old man. I just can’t help but share this inside scoop on our screening process. I know it might reduce my screening effectiveness if I share my criteria. However, if you read this and fix your application, that tells me you are coachable and you care. Let’s interview.

If you are an A player, I hope you’ll get a good laugh out of this. Moreover, I want you to know that there is a company out there working hard to find you. We’ll hire you. We’ll appreciate you. We’ll reward you handsomely. Please apply! Just take your time on the application.

Don Fornes is the CEO of ERP Software Advice, an online resource that reviews HR and ERP software. This article was originally featured at: RescueResumes.com and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

About the Author

Bill Eveleth is one of Facet’s own, as our Senior Consultant & Career Coach in Pensacola, Florida.

Bill has an MBA and more than 26 years of business experience with companies like AT&T and Citicorp.