There’s a saying by Steve Jobs which goes: “It’s not the tools you have faith in – tools are just tools – they work, or they don’t work. It’s the people you have faith in or not.” He knew that one very important secret, which is that your business will only ever be as good as your employees. When you need to run a company and make critical spending decisions that can either make or break you, one of the most important decisions that can help in driving your company to new heights is hiring the right people.
It may seem like a daunting task; having to filter through hundreds of hopefuls, shortlist the ones with the greatest potential, run through multiple interview sessions, and then select the one who’s (hopefully!) the best fit. It can even seem scary when you find out there’s research which proves that hiring the wrong people will actually pose a significant cost to your company. For example, the average cost of a bad hire is estimated to range from 30% to 150% of an employee’s annual salary (re-hiring costs, lost productivity, lost manager time, lost training investment, training of replacement).
From the receptionist desk to the executive offices, every single one of your employees represents a facet of your business to clients, and to the community at large. Which is why when you make the wrong hiring decision, that can cost you more than just money, such as the following:
Every new employee will need some form of training, and time to acclimatise to the job. The wrong person won’t be able to grasp the job scope and responsibilities quickly enough, and may even decrease productivity, especially if he/she requires frequent follow-ups, retraining, and even disciplinary action. As time is money, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether your employees are getting the job done (and done right), or holding their hand for as long as they work there.
When you hire someone who’s wrong for the job, not only will you and your business suffer, your company’s image may take a beating too. This is because what people say about you and/or your company does matter – and you wouldn’t want word to get around that there’s a high turnover rate, because that’s not a place most jobseekers want to join. Additionally, you wouldn’t want the bad hire to go around talking negatively to either existing employees or outsiders about their experience.
If someone doesn’t want to grow with you, they’re essentially working against you, and that’s the last thing you want on your plate when you’re trying to focus on growing the business. You want people who are able to help you in not only contributing to the company’s overall success, but working to stabilise and improve the business, as well as reducing the need to rehire – over and over again.
Let’s face it, having so many people come and go in such a short period of time may have an adverse effect on the existing employees because it can cause them to feel uneasy and/or unsettled. Furthermore, a bad hire is able to sow discord and cause tension among their teammates and other departments, where it may not have even existed before, thus causing an upset in the daily workflow, overall people connectivity, and company culture.
For many small- to medium-sized companies, having a dedicated in-house HR team won’t make much fiscal sense, which is why many opt to turn to external recruiters to facilitate hiring. With only a small team, every new hire is crucial for the company’s success, so turning to an outside expert who has a talent pool of qualified and experienced candidates as well as an array of tools and resources to draw upon is often the preferred choice. However, bear in mind that external recruiters/agencies have various pricing structures which can quickly add up, no matter whether it’s in the form of a role’s annual salary, retainer-based, or flat rate.
It’s true that an experienced and skilled Human Resources (HR) team is a crucial asset for any company’s recruiting efforts. Even if you’re only able to hire one dedicated HR person at a time, the tasks that will need to be carried out for the hiring process are valuable: Setting up the job posts, putting them out on job boards, screening and selecting the candidates, assessing and interviewing them, all the way to making an offer and training them. But wait, they have more than that to do too, such as drafting corporate policies and procedures, which is why all this can come at a high cost.
Now that you’ve got the best in-house HR person/team ready to start hiring for you, you’re going to have to start getting those job posts out in the open. Writing a compelling ad is no small task, and it can make the difference between attracting the top talent, or just another average person who needs a job. When it comes to boards to post, there are several free options to consider like LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter, but those come with limited features. Other popular job board options that charge for you to use them include Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, and Dice.
After you’ve got a shortlist of who you think are the “right” candidates, you need to screen and run background checks before making an offer to one of them. First up, a lot of time will go into discussing with various department heads to whittle the list down further, and setting up screening calls. Then the background check lets you learn about them more by verifying basic information like the individual’s education and previous employers, right up to criminal databases, so that you have peace of mind that they’re as good as they seem.
Did you know that your new hire’s onboarding and training process would need to be factored into the total cost of hiring an employee? Here’s a rough example for you to consider: According to a report by Training Magazine, it would “cost” companies an average of 46.7 hours to train an employee, plus an additional USD986 in training expenses. Apart from that, there are also IT equipment costs (laptop/desktop, work phone, WiFi dongle, etc) and formal training costs (in-person/online courses, onboarding materials, etc) to factor in. But don’t worry, the training you provide is to get the new hire up to speed quickly, and prepare him/her to make key contributions!
Once the new hire has accepted and signed the job contract, it’s time to start paying their monthly salary when they begin work – which is the more obvious cost associated with hiring. When calculating your ongoing cost to hire though, make sure you also consider the taxes, benefits (like health insurance, retirement plans and employee growth initiatives), and bonuses (if relevant). You also need to bear in mind that most employees will expect their salaries to rise over a period of time, usually in line with their work contributions and keeping with your country’s inflation.
Apart from the most common methods of job boards or external recruiters/agencies, there are other methods which can prove successful, such as referrals, your website’s job availability page, or attending/hosting career/industry events. While it’s not easy to create an effective and enticing referral programme, the high-quality candidates it can generate actually makes it a great recruiting tool for many companies because you’ll be relying on the network of your existing employees, which can turn up many top talent yet untapped. As for the other methods, they too may have an associated cost, all of which must be taken into due consideration.
There are two main costs to look at — cost of recruiting and cost of dislocation due to hiring time. On top of that, there’s also a variable — time to hire that will affect how the cost is being calculated. Let’s dive into it:
Typically, working with a recruitment agency will cost you an average 22% of the employee’s annual salary. Meanwhile, if you are utilising in-house HR resources to help with the recruitment, considering the amount of hours and tools like job boards that are used, it will cost you an average of 12% of the employee’s annual salary.
Say you are looking to hire a Senior Software Engineer with an annual salary of $84,000. This will amount to:
Many companies underestimate the financial impact of the hiring process duration. Typically, it takes 10 to 12 weeks for a role to be filled, depending on the route they took to hire, be it in-house or with recruitment agency. The wait time will result in either no productivity or the need to redirect resources or hire contract labor.
As mentioned above, if this is a role that requires immediate productivity, we will need to factor in productivity losses and/ or contractor cost. For the same role of Senior Software Engineer with an annual salary of $84,000, productivity of 2x salary, and contractor rates of $50/ hr; we can roughly estimate the additional cost incurred during the hiring process.
| Agency | In-house | |
| Avg time to hire | 10 weeks | 12 weeks |
| Productivity loss | $32,307 | $38,769 |
| Contractor cover | $20,000 | $24,000 |
Based on the cost of recruiting, time to hire, and cost of dislocation due to hiring time, we can roughly gauge the total cost of hiring that is so much higher than what we have anticipated in the past. Here’s a summary of the total cost of hiring a Senior Software Engineer with an annual salary of $84,000:
| Agency | In-house | |
| Cost of recruitment | $18,480 | $10,080 |
| Cost of dislocation | $20,000 to $32,307 | $24,000 to $38,769 |
| TOTAL | $38,480 to $50,787 | $34,080 to $48,849 |
Another major cost is the time which is spent by whoever is involved with managing the recruitment process; they’re tasked with specifying roles, reviewing CVs, arranging interviews manually, collecting feedback and, as over 50% of offers made are rejected, they then have to repeat the process!
We’ve already discussed that almost all recruitment solutions are reactive, which is the act of sourcing candidates only when the need arises. The immediacy of that need means that companies are entirely reliant on candidates already in the market: Signed up with agencies, looking at ads, on job sites, or on databases. But studies have shown that this only represents around 20% of the qualified candidates in the marketplace, and even then, to access all of that you have to use every agency, database, and advertising medium.
A limited access, to only people who really want or need a new job, has a dramatic impact on the quality of talent. Most companies know that the candidates who apply to their job post(s) are irrelevant, which still significantly reduces their talent pool. If a company is able to access the wider pool of talent, as is achieved by the GRIT Talent Platform, there’s a demonstrable improvement in quality of talent, and as a result, an evident increase in productivity per head of between 10-30%.
Finally, up to half of new hires leave within the first twelve months, and the average is over 20%. The reasons are simple: The 6-8 weeks of contact with a company during a standard recruitment process is not enough to develop a cultural rapport between candidate and company. In short, the new hire starts work and then only finds out if they do ‘fit in’ or otherwise, any concerns they may have are amplified by the pressure of the new job.
In short, the true cost of hiring is not just how much you pay for recruiters (whether internal or external) but also include loss of productivity costs and more. An unplanned and unoptimised hiring process can result in the hiring cost soaring well above five times to eight times of their monthly salary.
At GRIT, we understand the importance of keeping the cost low when it comes to hiring. And with that, we have came out with an incredible solution — GRIT Talent Platform, where our AI-powered talent platform allows you to achieve the below:
With GRIT Talent Platform, we are able to reduce your hiring cost by a whopping 80%! It is achievable when our intuitive talent platform with support of our experienced talent advocate team are able to source, curate, and qualify talent for any roles in just 3 weeks! With our recruitment fees of just $999 and an incredible fast time to hire, GRIT Talent Platform is the most effective and efficient way you’re really going to address the fundamental issue of recruitment costs!
Join over 500 companies that are hiring (effectively and efficiently) with GRIT!
In industries all over the world, many people still place a high value on skills, experiences, and education. They’re one of the main factors that employers will consider before hiring the right talent. Or what people will look at to determine whether one is qualified for certain tasks. The reason for this, is that every job has a specific set of hard and soft skills requirements. So, to find the ideal job, you must match your acquired skills to the qualifications needed for the position.
However, with all the commotion surrounding the need for specific skills and qualifications to carry out a job, some individuals occasionally overlook or underplay people skills. That’s why it’s common to hear in the workplace that those hired are not given the job they’re supposed to, are being compared to others, are kept stagnant with no career advancement, or are even downgraded to lower positions.
Nonetheless, while this is inevitable, one of the major concerns about employee skills is observed in the digital realm. As countries and businesses digitally transform, the issue of providing workers with the right skills at the right time is becoming increasingly important to governments and many digital technology companies.
According to a Digital Talent Insight report released by international consultant Korn Ferry, Asia Pacific will face a 47 million tech talent deficit by 2030. Along the same lines, consulting firm PwC discovered in a survey that more than 50% of chief executives in the region found it difficult to hire digital talent with the necessary skills.
In Singapore, 54% of companies reported that a lack of understanding and knowledge of digital tools among employees is a challenge for successful digital transformation, with only 35% of companies able to implement more sophisticated digital tools such as AI, data analytics, and IoT. This demonstrates how employers are constantly on the lookout for people who possess the necessary set of skills.
Aside from understanding the importance of skills in the workplace, as job seekers, you must be aware that there are two types of skills: hard skills and soft skills. Understand the distinctions and which skills fall into which category so that you can incorporate them more effectively during job searching and application.
Investopedia describes hard skills as technical skills required to perform a job or land a new one. They’re categorised as learning skills that can be developed and improved through education and experience. Typically, they’re industry-specific. A financial analyst, for example, will require a different set of hard skills than a carpenter.
A relevant certification, portfolio, or skill assessment test can serve as proof of one’s competence in hard skills. Different professions will have different standards for expertise. Advanced degrees and stringent testing will be required for some occupations, such as medical professionals, to demonstrate hard skills. Other professions, like content writers or designers, can learn the necessary skills on the job or on their own time, and they can demonstrate their proficiency with a portfolio of completed work.
Here are a few examples of common hard skills:
(Source: Investopedia)
Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal abilities that define a person’s relationships with other people, according to Investopedia. In the workplace, soft skills are viewed as an addition to hard skills, which are a person’s knowledge and professional competencies. Sociologists may use the term “soft skills” to describe a person’s emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) rather than intelligence quotient (IQ) (IQ).
Even though these interpersonal skills are hard to define or quantify, they’re still important in the workplace. They include your personality, teamwork skills and how you participate in the workplace. For instance, individuals working in the event industry need to be excellent team players and communicators, and sales and marketing positions may require relationship-building abilities.
Soft skills come in a variety of forms, just like hard skills. Here are some examples of soft skills required for success in the workplace:
(Source: Forbes)
Employees need soft skills, in addition to hard skills if they’re to succeed. The main difference between the two is that hard skills are quantifiable, measurable abilities, whereas soft skills are not. Soft skills are more intangible and more difficult to teach. While soft skills concentrate on attitudes and personalities, hard skills are concerned with practical knowledge and abilities.
Consider hard skills as your technical knowledge, and soft skills as your interpersonal or workplace competencies. A soft skill could be the capacity to perform well in a team, while a hard skill may well be proficiency in a second language.
Check out the table below to see the differences between the two types of skills and some examples of top skills in 2022, as reported by LinkedIn.
There’s a famous saying in the job search world that says “Hard skills will get you the interview; soft skills will get you the job,” implying both play an equal role in recruitment. When you apply for a job, your hard skills will be evaluated. If your hard skills match the requirements, you will almost certainly be invited to an interview. During the interview, soft skills are tested. The way you present yourself, respond to questions and communicate.
Once you’re working, you’re not only dealing with the task at hand, but you’re also dealing with people and your surroundings. Hard skills are what it takes to do a job well, whereas soft skills assist in coping with and responding to situations. Therefore, it’s crucial for everyone to have both hard and soft skills because they show that you are knowledgeable about practical implementation and can contribute to a supportive and constructive work environment.
Since both skills are important when it comes to getting a job. It’s essential to understand how to include hard and soft skills when writing a good resume and how to demonstrate them during an interview.
Your resume and cover letter should highlight both your hard skills and soft skills. These are the particular skills that employers are looking for. Employers give preference to candidates who have a balance of technical and interpersonal skills, so it’s crucial to demonstrate that you have both of these skills.
There are more than 100 essential skills to choose from, but how do you list them on a resume? It’s important to lay out your skills on your resume to catch the attention of employers. On your resume, include a section titled “Skills” where you can list all of your hard skills.
Below is an example of how it may look like:
| SKILLS Computer Skills: Microsoft Word (Advanced); Microsoft PowerPoint (Advanced); Microsoft Excel (Intermediate); Language: Writing English & Malay Translating English to Malay, and vice versa SEO articles Online research Creative writing Copywriting Creative thinking |
Important To Note: You may have a long list of skills, but there’s no need to list them all. Select a few of the most important ones, preferably those that are relevant to the position being applied for. This allows you to talk about your skill set during the interview.
Soft skills should be included in the job descriptions that you create for previous experience. Referring to the job description can help you decide which soft skills to highlight on your resume and cover letter. You should look for any requirements that touch on your motivations or interpersonal skills.
For example:
The interview session is the next crucial step in the hiring process where employers will evaluate candidates after reviewing resumes and cover letters. Make sure to prepare for your interview beforehand and keep in mind all the information from your resume’s skill requirements and job description.
In an interview, describing your hard skills is somewhat more straightforward than presenting your soft skills. You’ll inevitably show that you have the necessary hard skills as you discuss your relevant educational background and work experience.
While soft skills call for a little more application and explanation, the STAR method is a fantastic approach for describing them. It’s a methodical way of answering a behavioural-based interview question that involves outlining the precise Situation, Task, Action, and Result of the circumstance you are describing.
When discussing your soft skills in an interview setting, you will be answering questions that demonstrate how you personally manage certain situations.
For example, if you were asked to “Describe a difficult work situation and how you handled it,” you could begin by discussing the situation, what you were tasked with, and how your decisions and soft skills assisted you in taking specific action to achieve a specific result.
Your response could be:
“I once had a superior who yell and berate everyone whenever something went wrong. Although I will admit that those kinds of abusive behaviours do affect me, I remained composed at work. I do realise that he was going through a trying time, which is why he occasionally brought that into the office and changed the mood. It didn’t affect my work because I could understand his situation, but it was a challenging situation.”
If you’re concerned about a lack of hard and soft skills, there are strategies you can use to improve them. These can be extremely helpful when applying for a job that may require additional certifications or abilities that you do not have or need to improve.
Hard skills are typically acquired through education or practical experience. Soft skills, on the other hand, resemble personality traits that you have innately developed throughout your life. For instance, typing would be a technical skill. Nobody has the innate ability to type. Instead, it must be learned over time, typically through learning or education.
As previously stated, soft skills are more interpersonal than technical. Soft skills are typically things that you are already proficient in without having to receive a formal education or practical training. You can still, however, develop your soft skills in the same way that you can develop your hard skills. Here are some suggestions from InsightGlobal.
Learning a new technical skill can make you stand out from other job applicants. A few methods for acquiring hard skills are listed below:
If you already have a job, look for learning opportunities there. Even if you’re actively looking for a new job, you can benefit from your current employer’s classes, webinars, and workshops.
Improving your soft skills is more difficult, but it’s still possible. First, decide which soft skills you want to improve. Conduct an honest self-evaluation. You can also solicit input from your boss, co-workers, family, and friends.
For example, if you are frequently late for work or frequently miss deadlines, you may need to improve your time management skills. If you want to advance in your career, you may need to hone your leadership abilities.
To improve your time management skills, you could first watch a productivity webinar and then apply each tip. To hone your leadership abilities, you could take on a new project at work or request more responsibility in your volunteer role.
Once you’ve determined which soft skills you want to improve, it’s time to get to work. Some soft skills can be acquired through education. All soft skills can be developed through practise. After all, as they say, practise makes perfect!
Hard skills and soft skills are essential for success in any field you choose to work in, as well as in all aspects of life. Understanding your hard skills may not be difficult since they involve the techniques or knowledge you acquire while in school or while receiving on-the-job training. Consider your positive traits, attitudes, and manners when assessing your soft skills. This extends to how you dress as well as how you speak, listen, make eye contact, and how you interact verbally.
The most crucial aspect is that you must provide compelling examples of how and where you have used each of your skills when identifying and expressing them to employers. In the end, they want to see your work, not just hear about it. Just keep in mind that everyone has a distinctive set of skills, so be sure to properly describe yours to convey who you are.
When it comes to the Human Resources department, they can sometimes be misunderstood and mistaken for the enemy when in actuality, part of their day-to-day duties involve taking care of employees and their well-being! You see, one of the greatest assets of any company is the people, so by treating them fairly as well as providing them with opportunities to grow, they’ll then be able to help you achieve your ideas and hit your business goals! The company’s HR team plays a vital role in helping to achieve the above, in addition to developing a positive culture, improving employee engagement, and productivity, as well as championing the wellness and personal development of all employees (themselves included!).
With the above said, the HR department is also responsible for coming up with the company’s various policies and procedures that not only protect the employees, but are also crucial in keeping the company running efficiently. In simple terms, these are guidelines for various important functions, such as hiring, work processes, compensation, leave, training, promotion, work environments, and termination, to name just a few. These policies and procedures also outline how the company will treat its people and property. They’re developed by HR managers with the help of company management, so that in any situation, those who are responsible will thus know how to respond accordingly.
You may still wonder what exactly is the main point of having HR policies and procedures in place, and we’re here to tell you that it’s definitely NOT to make anyone’s life difficult! On the contrary, company owners and leaders would want their businesses to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, while staying compliant with all relevant laws. How can this be done? Well, when you have solid and well-planned frameworks in place, you can then make consistent decisions, ensure your employees are treated equitably, as well as adhere to corporate governance and regulation of employees. These policies and procedures basically add structure and provide consistency in employment and workforce matters.
Although the exact details of each company’s HR policies and procedures may differ from others, they should all have the same goal in mind: To be based on the employment best practices and regulations. In other words, they need to keep both the company and people’s best interests in mind, should be transparent, and universally applied to all employees. Key elements of each one include purpose, procedures, and who needs to follow the guidelines, among other things.
Creating and implementing HR policies can reduce liability. Since they’re meant to ensure employee-related practices are consistent and fair across the organisation, well-written policies will offer leaders guidance based on compliance requirements. For instance, HR policies should help managers fairly interpret company guidelines and apply uniform treatment to all employees, regardless of age, gender, race or sexual orientation. If issues do occur, there will be policies in place to address the concerns.
By clearly listing policies, when problems do occur, you’re able to act promptly and save time by not repeatedly analysing ways to solve similar issues. Additionally, you may be legally required to communicate some of this information. And formalising a policy and then helping employees understand where to find things like the leave policy makes navigating requests like time off easier for the employer and employee.
Plainly listing policies encourages employee engagement and helps them better understand how to navigate key moments in their career growth, such as onboarding, promotions and offboarding. Specific policies may vary by industry. But whether you’re working in retail, manufacturing or the restaurant business, employee engagement and retention is vital, and HR policies help lay the groundwork for success.
This is why we’ve created this comprehensive guide of templates to some of the more common HR policies and procedures for you so that you would be well-prepared (for yourself and to assist others) in taking the necessary steps, no matter the situation!
Some people collect Coca-Cola bottles. Some collect stamps. Some prefer to collect official company merchandise like lanyards, plushies, T-shirts, commemorative mugs, and anniversary jackets to celebrate a job well done year after year.
However, one thing you might’ve missed out on “collecting”, is an employee verification letter!
The first few days of joining a new company is often a mix of exhilaration and stress. But once you’ve gotten used to your newfound pace and day-to-day tasks, it’s time to seal the deal of employment in the form of a letter of proof of work.
An employment verification letter is an official document issued by a company to an employee for the purpose of confirming their current employment.
Although this document can be issued once an employee begins their first day of work, it can also be issued only after they have passed their probationary period.
For employees, an employment verification letter comes in handy for background checks, financial aid applications, custody-related proceedings, and many more. This document primarily serves as a verification of their income and employment history.
The best (and most formal) way employees can request a work offer letter is via email. While some companies may be more casual by using online messaging channels, an email represents professionalism and is a black-and-white proof of correspondence.
Here’s an email template you can refer to in the future:
Hi [HR personnel or employee’s manager],
My name is [Employee’s name], and I would like to request for an employee verification letter to confirm my current employment under [Company name]. The reason is because I [state the reason you need the letter for], and they have asked to verify my [details of employment].
Their address is:
[Bank/Embassy/Said company’s mailing address]
Please let me know if there is any further information you need.
Thank you.
[Employee’s name and contact information]
If such a letter does not yet exist within the company, HR may take some time to craft a suitable template for all future requests. Hence, depending on the circumstances, here are two plausible replies for employers!
Hi [employee’s name],
Thank you for your email and noted on the request. We will get back to you regarding your request in [x working days].
Best Regards,
[HR’s name and contact information]
Hi [employee’s name],
Thank you for your email. Please find the employment verification letter attached in this email with the details as requested.
Best Regards,
[HR’s name and contact information]
An employment verification letter should contain these main components:
[Date letter is issued]
[Employee’s name]
[Position]
[Company]
[Company’s address]
Re: [Employee’s name] Employment Verification
To whom it may concern,
This official letter is to confirm that [Employee’s name] is employed at [Company] with the job title of [Position]. The employee was hired on [First date of employment] and currently earns [salary per month/annum].
For further questions, please contact our HR department at [phone number].
Sincerely,
[HR manager’s name and signature]
[Company stamp]
A great job comes with great responsibility, like buying a home, getting your first ever credit card, or going on a holiday to far-off destinations!
Some of these common scenarios are where a work proof letter will come in handy:
Because mortgage loans are hefty sums of money, banks and financial institutions need to ensure you’re financially stable to meet the monthly mortgage repayments.
Similar to mortgages, as credit card bills can rack up to thousands. Applicants need to show they have a stable source of income so they can repay their monthly bills.
Landlords will usually vet through prospective tenants’ documents to ensure they are stable enough to fulfil their monthly rental. Plus, it helps landlords identify if their tenants are responsible enough!
Depending on the country and its requirements, you may need to submit a letter verifying your employment. For tourists, it ensures they’ll return home after their holidays instead of overstaying and becoming an illegal worker.
If you’re making a wishlist to travel to the Schengen Area in Europe, an employee verification letter is a must-have document for your visa application.
Without proper background checks, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can claim to be who they are not. Resumes, CVs, referrals – even LinkedIn milestones can be forged! Hence, the need for an employment verification letter to authenticate that said person is a genuine employee.
While some may think nothing of it, a proof of employment letter is one of the most important official documents to confirm your job status. As many of us tie our identities to our work (introducing ourselves like “Hi, I’m Ashley from Company Y”), it’s so our presence can be noticed and confirmed by our employers too.
As an employer, providing this work proof letter is a courtesy and shows that you’re looking out for them – whether it’s settling down in a new home or expanding their horizons to different countries. Even if your employees use it to look for a new job, it’s always wiser to part on good terms than create new frenemies.
It’s not just the enthusiasts and advocates who’ve already started buzzing about how Web3 will transform the world of hiring; plenty of people who were once naysayers are now starting to see the value and benefits of this industry. In fact, thanks to the rapid acceptance of blockchain technology, terms like ‘Web3’, ‘metaverse’, and ‘decentralised autonomous organiations’ are starting to sound more familiar.
Not only is the demand for skilled and experienced talent in this space seeing a spike, the methods of recruiting are also radically different from that of traditional methods we’re so used to seeing. Greg Isenberg, CEO, Late Checkout, had this to say about getting a job in Web3: “You apply for a job; it scans the blockchain, and rates your set of on-chain experiences and credentials; if above a certain rating, you’re hired within 60 seconds. No prejudice, no wasted time, no pain. Just a quick yes or no. This is a big deal.”
With that in mind, companies and recruiters the world over are quickly learning how to adapt and find the best methods in order to source, attract, and onboard the top Web3 talent. According to Melbin Thomas, co-founder, Sahicoin, “There’s a massive migration of top talent from mega employers in Silicon Valley (Google, Amazon and Facebook) into the Web3 ecosystem due to lucrative pay packages and exciting opportunities.” He went on to add that in the past year alone, crypto job postings went up by 400% globally!
With industry experts reporting that the majority of newly recruited talent learn on the job itself, it’s no surprise that Web3 companies are also actively hunting for talent who have core traditional skill sets. It has become even more evident how important it is to make a good hire for your company, which is why we’ve come up with this comprehensive guidebook, so you can source and onboard some of the best minds in the industry!
“Is there actually a shortage of developers, or is there a shortage of developers who are able to think about what the next generation of internet will look like? And that’s a more challenging task from a recruiting standpoint.”
Dietrich Ayala
Being part of the Human Resources (HR) team, you would be faced with a myriad of day-to-day tasks like coming up with compensation and benefits packages, assessing the unique training needs of each and every employee, as well as measuring employee retention and turnover rates, to name just a few. If that weren’t all, you would also be required to craft a number of professional emails and/or letters to address a variety of scenarios. Now, imagine if on top of all that, you were asked to come up with suitable job descriptions for a few new positions that have opened up at your company. Don’t worry, because this comprehensive list has you covered for all the more popular tech and digital roles!
Software engineers are computer science professionals who, in the simplest terms, focus on code. Apart from having to build your own systems, a software engineer would also need to test, improve, and maintain software built by other engineers. By taking the first steps into software engineering, you can then progress as a front-end engineer, back-end engineer, full-stack engineer, software tester, mobile app developer, data engineer, security engineer, and many more! Here are job description templates for some of the more popular career paths:
1) Front-End Developer: Front-end developer template
2) Back-End Developer: Back-end developer template
3) Mobile Developer: Mobile developer template
4) Software Engineer (junior): Software engineer (junior) template
5) Software Engineer (senior): Software engineer (senior) template
6) Full Stack Developer: Full stack developer template
7) Software Tester: Software tester template
8) Application Developer: Application developer template
9) Tech Lead: Tech lead template
10) Engineering Manager: Engineering manager template
Just like how the aim of DevOps is for the continuous innovation and faster delivery of software from development through operations, Cloud Operations also call for continuous operations and improvement – but in cloud environments. These branches are so important for companies that not only want to achieve digital transformation, but are also keeping up with the increase in cloud tech, as well as the shift towards streamlined deployments and greater automation. Check out these job description templates for some of the more popular career paths:
11) DevOps Engineer: DevOps engineer template
12) DevOps Architect: DevOps architect template
13) DevOps Manager: DevOps manager template
14) Cloud Engineer: Cloud engineer template
15) Cloud Consultant: Cloud consultant template
16) Cloud Architect: Cloud architect template
As new cyber threats and technological shifts emerge, there’s a more urgent need for companies to defend its infrastructure and boost capability development, such as technical capabilities to detect and analyse malicious cyber activities. As a result, the demand for cybersecurity professionals has become higher than ever. At its core, cybersecurity is all about securing and protecting sensitive data, in addition to protecting critical systems and sensitive information from digital attacks. These job description templates for some of the more popular career paths are what you need:
17) Cybersecurity Analyst: Cybersecurity analyst template
18) Cybersecurity Consultant: Cybersecurity consultant template
19) Penetration & Vulnerability Tester: Penetration & vulnerability tester template
20) Cybersecurity Engineer: Cybersecurity engineer template
21) Cybersecurity Architect: Cybersecurity architect template
22) Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): Chief Information Security Officer template
23) Network Engineer: Network engineer template
24) Network Architect: Network architect template
Talent in product management is one of the most prized (similar to the software engineering expertise), because of their expertise in strategically directing every stage of the product lifecycle. According to Atlassian’s definition, a product manager is the person who identifies the customer’s needs and the larger business objectives that a product or feature will fulfil, articulates what success looks like for a product, and then rallies a team to turn that vision into a reality. We’ve got just the job description templates for some of the more popular career paths:
25) Product Manager: Product manager template
26) Principal Product Manager: Principal product manager template
27) UI/UX Designer: UI/UX designer template
28) Principal Designer: Principal designer template
29) Scrum Master: Scrum master template
With the spike in demand for data science professionals (such as data analysts) brought about by the rapidly growing number of organisations and businesses that recognise the importance of data science, this field is seeing a surge in interest from talent. It’s all about using and preparing data for analysis, but no longer merely about ‘analytics and statistics’; it now encompasses decisions, predictions, and actions – companies are actively relying on data to make business decisions. Refer to these job description templates for some of the more popular career paths:
30) Data Analyst: Data analyst template
31) Data Engineer: Data engineer template
32) Data Scientist: Data scientist template
33) Principal Data Scientist: Principal data scientist template
34) Business Intelligence Analyst: Business intelligence analyst template
35) Machine Learning Engineer: Machine learning engineer template
36) AI Developer: AI developer template
37) AI Architect: AI architect template
Marketing can be viewed as the ‘art’ of building bridges and connecting the gaps between customers, content, data, and technology to deliver better customer experiences. This field is probably one of the most diverse areas with a myriad of career opportunities, from digital marketing and PR/communications, to social media marketing and lifecycle marketing. The choices are many, and you’d need to craft the right descriptions for the job ads. You’ll need these job description templates for some of the more popular career paths:
38) Content Writer: Content writer template
39) Content Marketing: Content marketing template
40) Growth Marketing: Growth marketing template
41) PR/Communications: PR/communications template
42) Event Marketing: Event marketing template
43) Digital Marketing: Digital marketing template
44) Product Marketing: Product marketing template
45) Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing template
46) Graphic Designer: Graphic designer template
47) Lifecycle Marketing: Lifecycle marketing template
48) Trade/Consumer Marketing: Trade/consumer marketing template
49) Marketing Analyst: Marketing analyst template
50) Webmaster: Webmaster template
51) Marketing Manager: Marketing manager template
52) Head of Marketing/Marketing Director: Head of marketing/Marketing director template
This field can be roughly broken down into Sales vs. Business Development – the former is a target-driven, revenue-generating function usually divided into hunting for new clients or farming existing accounts; the latter is on the ideas, initiatives, and activities that help make a business better that creates long-term value. A company would require both to go hand-in-hand in order to ensure continued growth and success for the business. Here are some job description templates for some of the more popular career paths:
53) Sales/Business Development: Sales/business development template
54) Head of Sales/Business Development: Head of sales/business development template
55) Managing Director: Managing director sales/business development template
Where once these fields were very niche, Web3, blockchain, and crypto have now all captured the world’s attention when they set the stage for innovative business models and value relocations.
56) Chief Commercial Officer/Head of BD: Chief commercial officer/head of BD template
57) Business Development: Business development template
58) Account Management: Account management template
59) Partnerships: Partnerships template
60) Customer Success: Customer success template
61) Institutional Sales: Institutional sales template
62) Chief Marketing Officer/Head of Marketing: Chief marketing officer/head of marketing template
63) Product Marketing: Product marketing template
64) Public Relations/Communications: Public relations/communications template
65) Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate marketing template
66) Social Media: Social media template
67) Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Customer relationship management template
68) Growth/Acquisition: Growth/acquisition template
69) Branding: Branding template
70) Marketing Analytics: Marketing analytics template
71) Performance Marketing: Performance marketing template
72) Chief Product Officer/Head of Product: Chief product officer/head of product template
73) Product Management: Product management template
74) Product Designer: Product designer template
75) Chief Technology Officer/Head of Technology: Chief technology officer/head of technology template
76) Engineering Manager/Team Lead: Engineering manager/team lead template
77) Software Engineer: Software engineer template
78) Blockchain Engineer: Blockchain engineer template
79) Chief Financial Officer/Head of Finance: Chief financial officer/head of finance template
80) Head of Finance: Head of finance template
81) Financial Controller: Financial controller template
82) Fund Finance: Fund finance template
83) Head of Corporate Strategy & Investments: Head of corporate strategy & investments template
84) Corporate Development: Corporate development template
85) Chief Legal Officer/Head of Legal, Risk & Compliance: Chief legal officer/head of legal, risk & compliance template
86) Legal Counsel: Legal counsel template
87) Contract Manager: Contract manager template
88) Onboarding Specialist: Onboarding specialist template
89) Compliance Manager: Compliance manager template
90) Chief Data Officer/Head of Data: Chief data officer/head of data template
91) Business Intelligence/Data Analyst: Business intelligence/data analyst template
There’s a quote by Warren Buffett that goes: “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you’ll work until you die.” So, is money all that matters in life?
Some may argue yes, because it’s better to cry in a Lamborghini than in a beat-up car; others beg to differ, because life is, quite simply put, limitless.
In the lightning-paced, high-stakes world where businesses place a high priority on ‘achieving excellence at breakneck speed’ or ‘going where no one has gone before’, the subsequent workloads for employees can be stressful, strenuous, and even pose health risks.
Instead of money and materialism, modern employees have shifted their priorities to one closer to home and heart: mental health.
According to the American Psychological Association 2022 Work and Well-being Survey, as many as 81% of workers agreed that the methods employers utilise to support mental health would be a strong consideration when looking for future work.
Some methods cited were flexible working hours, a workplace culture that respects time off, remote work opportunities, and a 4-day work week. Nonetheless, businesses can also show their support through sabbatical leaves that helps improve mental health and recharge and reset burned-out minds.
In simple terms, sabbatical leave means an extended period of time away from work. Although similar to Paid Time Off (PTO), the time span of a sabbatical can be up to six months long and is earned after continuous employment with the same company.
Historically, sabbaticals stem from academia, specifically in American colleges where it was used to attract faculty members. Educators could take a semester off (sabbatical) to teach elsewhere, further their studies, or work on existing projects. Over time, sabbaticals have become less restrictive and study-focused, allowing employees to focus on their well-being, explore different interests, and even travel. In a 2018 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), at least 15% of employers started offering sabbaticals as a workplace benefit.
A sabbatical is like a really long holiday. There are no work obligations, you remain employed, and you can do anything you want! Volunteer, travel the world, write a book, refine your existing skills, or sleep in every morning and spend time with loved ones every day.
As mentioned, employees earn a sabbatical after completing a certain amount of years of continuous tenure with a company. It depends on each company’s policy and the eligibility terms, which state if the sabbatical will be fully-paid, partially paid, or unpaid.
As found in the 2018 SHM survey, more companies are beginning to offer paid sabbaticals, rising from 3% in 2014 to 5% in 2018.
On a paid sabbatical, employees will receive their usual wages in full or a specific percentage. It is usually offered to long-term employees – in most cases, for business reasons like professional growth or to pursue industry-related knowledge and certification.
Employees on an unpaid sabbatical will not receive any pay and/or their usual benefits. Short-term employees who have completed a minimum period of time are entitled to it, but it can be restrictive as they may be forbidden to earn paid alternatives.
| Paid Sabbatical | Unpaid Sabbatical |
| Employees get paid their full salary or a percentage of their salary. | Employees will not receive pay and/or their usual benefits will be frozen. |
| Eligible for long-term employees. | Eligible for short-term employees who meet a minimum period of employment. |
| Typically for professional growth or industrial knowledge/skills that benefit the company. | Typically for recreational purposes that do not benefit the company. |
| – | Not allowed to pursue any other form of paid work. |
Alternatively, a company may propose an unpaid sabbatical instead for employees to take leave for recreational purposes.
While on sabbatical, employees get to take their mind off work and focus on other things, be it studies or a new adventure. The long duration gives plenty of time for that, supported by research that you need at least three days to remove yourself wholly from work to enjoy your holiday.
Here’s how taking a sabbatical benefits employees and employers:
| Sabbatical Leave Benefits For Employees | Sabbatical Leave Benefits For Employers |
| Reduces burnout and the risk of overworking. | Positive employee branding. |
| Lower stress levels upon returning to work. | Improves employee well-being and organisational impact. |
| Better overall well-being and health. | Encourages leadership by empowering aspiring leaders to grow and demonstrate their abilities. |
| Has the ability to pursue other interests and develop new skills. | Better preparedness for unplanned absences. |
| Provides a space and time for reflection and working on oneself. | Greater employee retention and reduced turnover rates. |
What should a company include in a Sabbatical Leave Policy? For transparency and better understanding between employers and employees, the eight most important things are:
Besides these, a Sabbatical Leave Policy should also cover the finer details related to extended periods of leave, like what happens after employees return, whether there will be a change in their position, etc.
[Company Name] Sabbatical Program – Purpose
At [Company Name], we believe that employees are at the forefront of what we do, and we believe in investing in you. Taking time off work allows employees to widen their horizons, like volunteering for a charity, travelling, pursuing a degree, or just spending time with loved ones. By investing in our employees’ interests and well-being, business operations can run smoothly while maintaining high energy levels. Our [Company Name] Sabbatical Program aims to accomplish just that.
Scope
The [Company Name] Sabbatical Program applies to [full-time/executive/all/other] employees who have served at least [x consecutive years] in the company. Employees in this category are allowed to take a sabbatical leave of [y weeks/months]. Any parental leaves, sick leaves, [other types of leaves if relevant] taken during this period will not affect the number of years you have worked for [Company Name].
Compensation & Benefits
While on sabbatical, you will receive [full/partial/no salary] for [y weeks/months]. Your employment status, benefits, and contract will [remain unchanged/be subject to changes upon return].
Sabbatical Application
To apply for sabbatical leave, please [fill in this application form/contact an HR representative]. Your application should be completed, sent, and approved at least [number of months] before the start of your sabbatical. For further questions, you may contact [HR representative’s name and contact number].
Once you have submitted your application, you will hear within [number of weeks] if your application has been approved or rejected by your Reporting Manager and HR.
Regular U.S. employees of Adobe who serve five years of employment and above are entitled to sabbatical leaves that span 20-30 business days.
As long as you’re a regular U.S. employee working a minimum of 30 hours per week at Autodesk, you’ll be entitled to a fully-paid six-week sabbatical after completing four years of employment.
One of the most recently unveiled benefits at CitiGroup was its ‘R3’ Sabbatical Leave Program. Under this program, employees can take up to 12 consecutive weeks of leave with a portion of base pay and the same health and insurance benefits.
According to Course Hero’s brief LinkedIn description, employee benefits include a month of paid sabbatical after five years.
By providing a four-week paid sabbatical after five years of employment (among other flexible benefits), employees get to grow, learn, and belong. It’s so encouraging that there’s an inhouse HubSpot article written about it.
The multinational technology company offers a few options for sabbatical leaves, depending on employee eligibility. In fact, this benefit garnered Intel a spot on Glassdoor’s list of 25 Highest Rated Companies for Vacation & Paid Time Off.
One of the reasons to be lovin’ it as the fast food giant offers a paid eight-week sabbatical for every ten years of continuous, full-time service with the business. Fun fact: McDonald’s might be the first company to offer corporate sabbaticals, with the program beginning in the 1960s!
Global team members enjoy a six-week sabbatical every four years, giving them an opportunity to refresh, recharge, and restart their mornings feeling like a star.
The world-renowned financial technology company allows a four-week sabbatical once employees complete five years of continuous service with them. The ultimate winning point? It applies to both full-time and part-time staff!
Coined Zillow R&R (Recharge & Reboot), this sabbatical program allows employees to take six weeks of leave (consecutively) after six years of continuous employment.
The process of applying for a sabbatical might differ by company, but it usually includes a formal application to your employer. Before you submit your application, make sure you’re aware of the full terms of it to avoid any conflict or misunderstandings.
Step 1: Identify who to address your application to.
Step 2: Indicate the duration of your sabbatical and intent.
Step 3: Attach relevant supporting documents (if applicable).
Step 4: Highlight your achievements and create a detailed workflow plan in your absence, including who you will hand over things to while you’re away.
Step 5: End your application with an approval request, and show appreciation and gratitude.
Yes, employers can refuse sabbatical requests. As sabbaticals are non-mandated unlike PTO and annual leaves, they can be rejected as the company may not be able to afford them, or there’s no one to fill in for you while you’re away.
Delaying your sabbatical depends on your company’s policies. Some explicitly state that unused sabbatical leave will be cancelled or restarted from scratch, while some allow a certain degree of delay with reasonable explanation and documentation.
Unless there’s a stipulation in your contract about remaining in the company, you can resign while on sabbatical. However, submitting your resignation after your return is another question, as companies may bind you to stay with them for a period of time after your sabbatical. When in doubt, check with your HR representative and look it over with a fine comb!
Yes, you will still remain employed after your sabbatical. Think of it as a career break to recharge your interests and discover new things to reignite the fire in you. In fact, specific companies encourage sabbaticals as it provides better employee retention and lower turnovers. However…
According to The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, employees who are still employed while on sabbatical can be included in selections for redundancy. As you are still legally employed, you will be subject to the same obligations and risks as the rest of the workforce.
The term ‘sabbatical leave’ might be uncommon in employment contracts and company benefits, but it’s a major draw for prospective talents and so businesses can retain existing employees for longer.
Employers often ask, “What do employees want?!” It’s simple: a career that allows them to enjoy both work and play. A sabbatical can do just that, as a reward for long-term employees while supporting their overall development, career goals, and personal growth, or just rewarding them for being a star.
Not only do employees return from a sabbatical feeling refreshed and with new experiences, but other employees benefit by taking on new roles and responsibilities in a colleague’s absence. A company would not be anywhere without its people, so why shortchange the best asset you have?
If you’ve ever had to look for a job, odds are you would’ve sent application after application, hoping to hear from recruiters or hiring managers. “Good news, we would like to invite you for an interview!” or “Good news, you’ve been shortlisted!” are just the cherries on top of an application sundae, but no one ever talks about the other side of it.
That’s the cold shoulder. The zero calls, texts, or emails weeks after. These days, it’s called ‘ghosting’, where all forms of communication are cut off without any explanation. If you were to talk to a person in front of you and they didn’t respond, it would be like talking to a ghost, hence the term.
When applicants are ghosted or ignored without any reason or communication, it can make them feel like they’ve wasted their time applying for a role in your company. This causes a negative perception of your business, and you’ve just lost a potential customer or talent.
While employers may have more important things to do than reply to applicants, acknowledging them will leave a good impression of your company. It paints a picture of a company that’s capable, positive, and establishes connections for the future.
As the name implies, it’s a reply sent by hiring managers or recruiters to applicants acknowledging their job applications. Moreover, it serves as an update on a candidate’s application status, like whether or not they will be moving on to the next phase.
The reply can take on a formal and professional tone or a casual and friendly manner, but essentially, it’s the equivalent of “We’ve received your order!” on food delivery apps. Like how we converse with people in real life, your acknowledgement email should carry the same language.
Once a candidate has sent their application, the ideal timeframe to reply to them should be within 24-48 hours. Whether it’s an automated reply or personally written during your lunch break, it’s helpful for candidates to know that their application made it into your hands. Even if you can’t reply instantly, sending one within the week still means a lot.
Once the applications trickle in, it’s time to write your thank you note! Get started writing your application acknowledgement email with these three quick pointers:
Reply to the same email address the application originated from. Use an informative subject line that summarises the contents of the email clearly to ensure they open it and don’t regard it as spam.
Is their application still being processed, approved, or rejected? Let them know, and don’t forget to thank them for applying. As an option, you can provide context about the position or application to add value to your words.
End your email with your contact information should the applicant have further questions. Lastly, thank them for their time, and close the email with a polite sign-off.
To help candidates feel valued and to add a touch of personalisation, include these details:
In the email, use a tone that best represents your company culture to help applicants feel welcomed. It can be formal, casual, relaxed, or even include meaningful quotes that tie back to the company’s culture.
Here are some letter of acknowledgement samples you can refer to to kick-start your streamlining!
Subject line: We’ve received your application at {Company’s Name}!
Hi {Candidate’s Name},
Thank you for applying for the position of {Job Title} with us at {Company’s Name}!
We have received your {application/resume/portfolio}, and our hiring team are currently reviewing all applications within {mention timeframe}. If you are shortlisted as a candidate, you will receive a {call/email} from us on the next steps of the process.
Thank you for applying, and we wish you all the best!
Best regards,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
Subject line: Thank you for applying with {Company’s Name}
Dear {Candidate’s Name},
Thank you for taking the time to apply for the role of {Job Title}. We appreciate your interest in {Company’s Name}.
We are currently in the process of accepting applications for this position. We will begin taking interviews {mention timeframe}. If you are selected for an interview, our human resources department will be in contact with you by {estimated date}.
Thank you,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
Subject line: We’re reviewing your application!
Greetings, {Candidate’s Name}!
My name is {Recruiter’s Name} and on behalf of {Company’s Name}, we would like to thank you for applying with {Company’s Name} as a {Job Title}.
We have formally received your application and will review it in the next few days. If you are shortlisted as a candidate, we will reach out to you personally regarding the next steps of your exciting journey with us!
Once again, we thank you for applying and taking the time to apply for this position. We appreciate your interest in {Company’s Name} and wish you all the best in your application.
Sincerely,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
Subject line: Your application to {Company’s Name}
Hello {Candidate’s Name},
We have received your application for the position of {Job Title}. The recruitment process will take {timeframe} and we will notify you if you have been selected.
You can read more about us on our company’s career page, or follow us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to get the latest updates.
If you have any questions, please contact me at {recruiter’s telephone number/email}.
Best Regards,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
What makes your company unique? Is it the meeting rooms named after fruits? Star Wars quotes on the walls and a company-wide celebration on May the 4th? Don’t be afraid to show your company’s personality and character with creative acknowledgement emails too.
Subject line: Hooray, we received your application to {Company’s Name}!
Hi {Candidate’s Name}, we’re thrilled that you’d like to join us here at {Company’s Name!} We received your application for {Job Title} and rest assured, we’re processing all applications as quickly as our eyeballs can.
We will be in touch in {timeframe} if we would like to schedule an interview with you. Unfortunately, the days are short and applicants many, so we won’t be able to meet everyone. Nevertheless, you will still hear from us if you have been shortlisted or not.
All the best, and let’s keep in touch!
Sincerely,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
Subject line: Thank you for applying to {Company’s Name}
Dear {Candidate’s Name},
My name is {Recruiter’s Name} and on behalf of {Company’s Name}, I am writing this email to acknowledge that we have received your application for the position of {Job Title}.
Our company has been growing steadfastly since {year} and we hope you will be able to join our ranks soon. Aside from {company benefits}, we provide numerous opportunities for employees to grow their skills, knowledge, and personality.
We are currently processing applications and it may take some time to get back to you. Thus, we would appreciate your kind patience on this matter. We will contact you via {email/phone} once we receive an update regarding your application.
Thank you for your time and interest, and we hope to see you soon.
Sincerely,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
Subject line: Greetings, from {Company’s Name}
Greetings, {Candidate’s Name},
We are pleased to have received your application for {Job Title}. It must not have been an easy journey, navigating through mazes of code and defeating pesky viruses.
On behalf of {Company’s Name}, we are delegating great resources to process your application the soonest we can. If you are the Chosen One, you will be summoned to speak with us within {timeframe}. If it is not your time yet to wear the crown, you will be notified as well.
We thank you for your patience, and may the odds be ever in your favour.
Best,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
For busy recruiters and hiring managers, it can be time-consuming to manually reply each applicant, day in and day out. Fortunately, that’s where automation comes in.
Regardless if you’re a small mom-and-pop shop or a multinational conglomerate, automated emails can work wonders in streamlining your hiring process through Applicant Tracking Software (ATS).
Here are several tools you can use, depending on the email complexity needed and the volume of applications you typically receive.
Price range: Free.
Price range: USD 0/month – USD 299/month.
Price range: USD 45/month – USD 3,600/month.
Price range: USD 25/month – USD 300/month.
Price range: USD 60/month – USD 90/month.
Price range: USD 129/month – USD 559/month.
Price range: Upon request.
Besides this, an email guideline tailored solely to career applicants will come in handy to keep everyone on track. Here, the hiring process and timeline are clearly outlined, from the first “Thank you for applying!” to how to reply to an angry “Why didn’t I get the job?” email.
Maybe an applicant has a medical background and is applying for a position in the cryptocurrency field. Or perhaps their Adobe Lightroom skills are not yet on par with what you’re looking for. Even if they aren’t shortlisted or meet the requirements, acknowledging their efforts won’t hurt. Why?
A generic “Thank you for applying” email can come across as less warm and friendly, compared to those which are genuinely earnest and appreciative. Emails of the latter types foster healthier relationships between the applicant and recruiter/company, leaving a positive experience all around.
As busy as you are, try not to ignore applicants too. Instead, something that might help would be to insert a disclaimer when advertising your vacancy. It can be as simple as:
“If your experience meets the requirements of our company, we will contact you. If you receive no feedback, it means that currently there are no available vacancies for you.”
Based on this, potential applicants will know what to expect if they don’t hear from you at all!
Subject line: Your application with {Company’s Name}
Dear {Candidate’s Name},
Thank you for applying for the position of {Job Title} with us at {Company’s Name}. After studying your resume and background, we’re delighted to inform you that we would like to meet you and get to know you better!
We would like to invite you to an interview {at our office/via Skype} so that we can get to know each other better and learn more about the role. The interview will take {timeframe} and will entail {details of the interview}.
Please let us know which of the following dates and times work best for you.
Looking forward to meeting you!
Best Regards,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
Subject line: Your application with {Company’s Name}
Dear {Candidate’s Name},
Thank you for applying for the position of {Job Title} with us at {Company’s Name}. We sincerely thank you for your valuable time and effort.
After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that we will not be moving forward with your application right now. {Optional context why}
Once again, we thank you for your time and we greatly appreciate your application. We wish you all the best in your job search!
Best Regards,
{Recruiter’s Name}
{Signature}
As much as businesses need talents, abundant opportunities in the job market also mean that candidates get their pick of the litter too. And one thing 95% of job seekers consider is the company’s reputation.
From the details of a job ad to the letter of offer or rejection, every step of the hiring process impacts the employer branding and the overall experience for candidates, who are often the company’s very customers too.
For instance, if a candidate encounters a negative experience with a recruiter during their interview, they would be less likely to recommend their peers to apply. The same goes when their applications are ghosted without even the courtesy of a reply!
Building and maintaining a strong, positive brand presence from start to finish solidifies a business’ image in the eyes of talents and consumers, capable of attracting talented candidates. Plus, when internal employees are happy and part of an impactful experience, they’d be just as open to referring talents.
It’s on the Human Resources (HR) team to come up with well-written and non-ambiguous letters/emails that are used for clearly communicating a myriad of happenings and notices to staff/company-wide. Since the HR team needs to be all-hands-on-deck to effectively manage the various situations that require an email and/or letter, it can be quite overwhelming to have to come up with the body of content for so many different types of scenarios. That’s why we’ve decided to put together 38 of the more common scenarios plus templates that would require the HR team to send out an email or letter below, so that it’s easier for referencing!
1) Internship offer
When your company is ready to formally extend an offer to an internship candidate, this letter will work as a formal agreement between you and the intern. An internship offer letter should contain details about the internship, such as the position and the terms of the agreement (stipend, working hours, duration of the internship, etc).
Check out our template: Internship Offer
2) Internship completion letter
After the completion of an internship, the HR manager or the company’s leader will be providing the candidate with a certificate for the work they did during the internship. This serves as proof that they have successfully completed the internship, and now have the basic corporate know-how to work or take on a job.
We’ve got just the template: Internship completion letter
3) Formal job offer letter or email
This template is suitable for use when your company would like to offer a job to a selected candidate. It’s a confirmation of the terms and conditions of hire (salary, job position, working hours, compensation, etc) that were usually already agreed upon with the candidate in the interview during negotiations.
Here’s a sample template: Formal job offer letter or email
4) Informal job offer letter or email
If you’re looking for something a little different and want to welcome your new employee in a more warm and personal manner, you can use the sample below. It allows you to be more brief yet straightforward when reaching out to the candidate to confirm the job role plus terms and conditions of hire.
This is the template you need: Informal job offer letter or email
5) Employee termination/dismissal letter
If you need to let an employee know that they’ve been fired in the most professional and tactful manner, sending a job termination letter stating the reasons and circumstances of letting them go will help reduce the risk of lawsuits, plus provide all the necessary information for a smooth ending of the working relationship.
You’ll need this template: Employee termination/dismissal letter
6) Annual bonus letter
Bonuses are usually given out annually and to announce this exciting news in a private and confidential manner (as each individual would be receiving a different amount based on performance), this letter basically talks about the bonus the employee has worked hard to receive, how much it is, and by when they’ll receive it.
Refer to this template here: Annual bonus letter
7) Appraisal letter
This is sent to employees after a performance appraisal exercise. It usually has an attachment which is the appraisal report, and is aimed at showing the receiver how valuable they are to your company, and their hard work is always appreciated. If done correctly, it can be a great motivator for employees.
Check out our template: Appraisal letter
8) Demotion letter/reduction in rank letter
There’s never an easy way to deliver bad news, but with a professionally written letter that clearly and properly explains the matter, it may help to ease the tension. This letter contains the new role of the employee, why the demotion is taking place, who their new manager or supervisor will be, and when will the demotion take effect.
We’ve got just the template: Demotion letter/reduction in rank letter
9) Probation extension letter
Sometimes, some things just need more time to work well. With that said, this type should be used to inform the new hires who are on probation that it has been extended. Within the letter, it should contain the reason for the extension of the probation period, and set goals for the employee to improve, grow and work better.
Here’s a sample template: Probation extension letter
10) Resignation acceptance (relieving letter)
One of the first steps in a good resignation policy is to acknowledge that you accept an employee’s request to resign. Having an established policy in place to communicate with employees who are leaving the company will help you to handle an employee’s departure in a positive and respectful manner.
This is the template you need: Resignation acceptance (relieving letter)
11) Salary increment letter
Employees who consistently perform well and deserve to be recognised for it would find increments like this very rewarding and motivating. This letter is essentially an official notification telling the employee how much their salary has gone up and by when this new pay will come into effect.
You’ll need this template: Salary increment letter
12) Suspension letter
The tone should be formal and firm, as this letter will be very clearly stating the reason why the employee is being suspended in the first place, as well as their right to oppose the suspension if they think it’s unfair. You should also mention things like when the suspension will come into effect, and the duration of the suspension.
Refer to this template here: Suspension letter
13) Transfer email/letter
Sending this to an employee can either mean shifting departments within the company at the same location, or shifting locations within the same company. The email/letter should contain the necessary information such as effective date of transfer, location of transfer, and reporting manager’s name.
Check out our template: Transfer email/letter
14) Warning letter
This will contain details about the employee’s misconduct/failure to perform, and the corrective measures that will occur if the behaviour is not fixed. After the warning, either the employee corrects their behaviour, or they don’t (in which case you might just end up using the suspension or termination letter template!).
We’ve got just the template: Warning letter
15) Rejection letter/email to pre-interview applicants
For reaching out to job applicants who did not qualify for an interview for your open position, we have this template for you. When you write and send a rejection letter that’s clear and professional, this ensures a great employer branding, and is crucial to improving the candidate’s overall experience with your company.
Here’s a sample template: Rejection letter/email to pre-interview applicants
16) Rejection letter/email to first round interview candidates
It’s very important that you take the time to briefly but clearly explain the reason(s) why the candidate wasn’t able to advance to the next round of your hiring process. This isn’t only a kind gesture, but the proper and professional way to address your candidates, as they would appreciate receiving an official notification so they can continue the job search.
This is the template you need: Rejection letter/email to first round interview candidates
17) Rejection letter/email to final round interview candidates
Having a shortlist of potential candidates means that you’ll still have to reject quite a number of people for the specific job role. It’s important to keep in mind that these same candidates may be a good fit for some other current or future job opening down the road, so it’s best to send them a polite response post-interview, and remain in their good books!
You’ll need this template: Rejection letter/email to final round interview candidates
18) Formal thank you letter/email to employees
Make saying “thank you” to employees or even other superiors a norm in your company, by sending formal thank you letters/emails as part of your daily routine. It doesn’t hurt to show gratitude and appreciation for the hard work they put in, and can even be a good motivator. In fact, you could be setting a good example for other leaders to follow!
Refer to this template here: Formal thank you letter/email to employees
19) Informal thank you letter/email to employees
You don’t have to wait for that “right moment” to say thank you for help received from a colleague, or guidance from a senior; just some common courtesy and the desire to make a good impression. So, if you want something simple and quick to send, this template will help you express your gratitude in style.
Check out our template: Informal thank you letter/email to employees
20) Formal recognition letter/email to employees
Don’t forget to send an appreciation letter to employees to thank them for successfully completing an assignment/activity/specific project/etc. It’ll not only make them feel good about themselves and motivate them for future work, it’s a crucial part of your employee recognition program.
We’ve got just the template: Formal recognition letter/email to employees
21) Informal recognition letter/email to employees
Having a good employee recognition program can really bring your organisational culture to the next level and significantly reduce your turnover rate. This is why it’s important to make it a routine for you to send recognition letters/emails! This informal template allows you to connect with your employees on a more personal level.
Here’s a sample template: Informal recognition letter/email to employees
22) Preboarding email template
This is a great way of showing you care about new hires, and that you’re excited about having them on board. Writing and sending an upbeat welcome letter/email to a new employee is an important step in creating an effective onboarding process, plus helping them to be integrated smoothly.
This is the template you need: Preboarding email template
23) Welcome letter or email to new employee
Your goal is to make your new employee feel at ease, and to come prepared on their first day. Make sure you include practical details, like where they can find the bathroom and nearest eateries! You can also attach employment paperwork, benefits plan and/or company policies to give them a heads-up.
You’ll need this template: Welcome letter or email to new employee
24) Onboarding email template
Many employees believe that companies should have an excellent onboarding job. The following template will ensure that your new hire has everything important settled, such as their bank account details and that they’ve settled in properly with their new equipment.
Refer to this template here: Onboarding email template
25) Employee onboarding feedback email
Regular feedback can improve employee retention. By asking the new hire(s) for feedback, you’re helping yourself. Ask the employee to list anything they felt was missing from their first day. We recommend sending the feedback email at the end of the employee’s first week.
Check out our template: Employee onboarding feedback email
26) New employee announcement email
Sending an email like this to the entire company ensures that everyone is aware of the new addition to the team/department, and will be able to help make them feel welcome. It’ll also act as a sort of opening where other colleagues will be able to approach them with some nuggets of information.
We’ve got just the template: New employee announcement email
27) Event reminder email
By sending event reminder emails, it’ll help your employees to keep your event in mind, and be able to make the necessary arrangements to attend. You can also ask for feedback in the email in case some of them have other suggestions or want to voice their concerns (about location/budget/food/etc).
Here’s a sample template: Event reminder email
28) Internal promotion announcement email
Employee promotions are important moments that show how much you value their dedication, skills, and leadership potential. There are a variety of different ways to announce the promotion of an employee; smaller companies may announce during meetings when all employees are present, whereas larger companies tend to use email.
This is the template you need: Internal promotion announcement email
29) Refer a friend for a job email/employee referral
Some companies allow their employees to refer friends/suitable candidates for available job openings. Internal communication with employees is one of the best ways to let them know what kind of job openings are there in the company, as well as what skills and knowledge are required for those jobs.
You’ll need this template: Refer a friend for a job email/employee referral
30) Requesting employee feedback
Getting meaningful and honest feedback isn’t always easy. Employees may feel uncomfortable revealing their true thoughts, so you’d need to be careful in how you word your email, in order to encourage them in a way that increases the likelihood that they respond with helpful, actionable feedback.
Refer to this template here: Requesting employee feedback
31) Email tips for employees to ace performance review
It’s no secret that employees will be nervous about an upcoming performance review process, so it’s up to you to do your best in allaying their nervousness, or provide tips for them to do well. Sending an email like this will show that you care about them, and that you want them to do well.
Check out our template: Email tips for employees to ace performance review
32) Email reminder for employees (performance review)
It’s only human to forget about certain things, especially if someone has a lot to deal with on their plate. This is why it’s important for HR to send a reminder email nearer to the final date of the performance review, so that it jogs the memory of those who have yet to complete theirs – in a gentle yet professional way!
We’ve got just the template: Email reminder for employees (performance review)
33) Invitation to join career training
This is to announce a group training or orientation to the employees, so that they can have all the relevant information in one place for easier reference. It provides details on the training’s purpose as well as information about the date, time, and location.
Here’s a sample template: Invitation to join career training
34) Request rejected/denial email
Many management responsibilities require decision-making, which may result in delivering rejections via denial emails/letters. There are many reasons you may need to write one, so understanding the details behind a denial email/letter and the circumstances which may lead to one, can help with your day-to-day management duties.
This is the template you need: Request approval/denial email
35) NDA (non-disclosure agreement)/confidentiality clause
Almost all businesses nowadays have sensitive information that needs to be protected, which is why getting your employees to sign an employee confidentiality agreement may be the best way to preserve privacy and ensure the integrity of your business’s data.
You’ll need this template: NDA (non-disclosure agreement)/confidentiality clause
It can be said that by creating several email and/or letter templates will be able to help you speed up your HR’s recruitment and onboarding processes. Having these on-hand means that with just a few clicks, you’ll be able to get them up and ready to hit “Send” in no time, saving yourself the hassle of having to think of what to write!
The demand for skilled software engineers in every industry and sector is currently experiencing a rapid rise, as they’re required to power the world’s softwares and most promising innovations. Many companies are turning to the global market in order to fill urgent roles, which is now made easier thanks to the easy access to remote hiring that play a crucial part in successfully sourcing and onboarding some of the best individuals possible. Now, are you thinking of doing the same, but are unsure how to start?
With our comprehensive guide, we’re not only going to walk you through the basics of who a software engineer is, we’re also going to be equipping you with valuable knowledge on their core job responsibilities, key terminology/jargons, crowd-favourite programming languages, as well as experience and education, among others. We’ll even provide you with sample job descriptions, approximate salary ranges, and popular platforms to source some of the top talent (you can thank us later). You’ll be able to better understand and familiarise yourself with all things software engineer-related, to the point where you can expertly and effortlessly screen through candidates to select the right fit!
Pro tip: Another method you can consider would be to develop and improve your company’s DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programme. By focusing on a more diverse talent pool, your company would find that it’s better equipped to manage the severe software engineer shortage.
“A well-functioning team of adequate people will complete a project almost regardless of the process or technology they are asked to use (although the process and technology may help or hinder them along the way.)”
Alistair Cockburn