As a Practice Leader here at Helios I have an opportunity to work with many government contractors grappling with the record-keeping requirements of maintaining their Affirmative Action Plans. Commonly referred to as an AAP, it's a program that outlines the equal employment opportunities and advancement, specifically for businesses with federal contracts or funding. As a government contractor, whether you are a prime or a subcontractor, your company must demonstrate the application of good faith efforts to increase the pool of qualified minority, female, veteran and disabled candidates when recruiting for open positions. The AAP plan is subject to scrutiny by the Office of Federal Contracting Compliance Programs (OFCCP) if your organization is selected for a compliance audit.

After weeks of combing through resumes and conducting interviews you have finally hired the right candidate for the position. The salary has been agreed to, the offer letter signed, and the start date is on the horizon. It is time to check the box on the to-do list; the office is fully staffed, right? Think again! The hard work is just beginning.

The hardest part about being a Recruiter, in my opinion, is letting a candidate know that they were not selected for the position for which they interviewed. Over the past six years of recruiting, this was never an easy task, nor does it ever get any easier and it is safe to say it is my least favorite part of my job. While recruiters should try to avoid developing personal relationships with their candidates, the Human factor of Human Resources always comes into the picture when disqualifying a candidate, especially if you have been working with them throughout a lengthy interview/selection process forming a bond. While these tips/techniques may not alleviate the knot in your stomach when you relay the unfortunate message, it may provide you and the candidate a bit more comfort:

It's that time of year again where every holiday imaginable hits at the same time: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year's Day. Oh and let's not forget about Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Despite the holiday season, the business must move forward and there is still a need to recruit for quality candidates. This can actually be a great time of year to make strategic hires.

Have you ever considered an Up or Out personnel policy? While traditionally used in the military and academics, I recently had a client shift their career development approach to an Up or Out policy in order to attract, retain, and motivate high performing individuals.

Your resume may often be the initial introduction to a prospective employer. In many cases, long before you have an actual in-person meeting, your resume has already said hello. And with such a competitive workforce, many job seekers have given in to the urge of tapping into their creative sides and doing whatever is necessary to make their resume standout. However, creating a professional masterpiece and a creative mishap are two totally different things.