Pay Transparency And The Evolving Job Hunting Landscape

iStock | Be-Art

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article, “Salary Ranges Bring Changes to the Job Hunt,” that describes new state laws that mandate employers must include a salary range in their job postings. Already in effect in Colorado, and soon to be in California and New York, pay transparency laws are a game changer for everyone involved – the employer, the recruiter, and the job seeker. As more states adopt pay transparency laws, it may soon transform the job-hunting landscape in significant ways.

For employers and recruiters, posting a salary range reduces the time and expense of recruiting talent. First, online submissions will substantially decrease. Potential candidates only apply if they qualify for compensation within the posted range. Otherwise, recruiters and hiring managers could invest time and resources in candidates that ultimately refuse a job offer because the range falls below their needs or experience.

Additionally, as pay transparency becomes more prevalent, businesses that implement it may have an advantage in hiring top talent over ones that don’t or do the minimum required to be in compliance. Think about it. If you’re looking for a job, it is likely you will gravitate toward job openings that include a salary range and away from employers that do not.

Pay transparency doesn’t solve all of an employer’s issues. Studies show that job seekers believe they are at the top of a posted range when they most likely are not. That could lead to some awkward moments, but, overall, pay transparency benefits businesses.

From the job seeker's perspective, pay transparency has multiple advantages starting with the hope it will help eliminate pay equity issues. Pay transparency’s impact on equity issues can’t be measured and assessed until enough data becomes available, but in our current environment women and minority groups continue to experience pay gaps for the same work. In theory, if people can see the pay range employers can’t get away with paying less to whomever they can.

Pay transparency streamlines the hiring process. You won’t waste time pursuing a job that won’t pay your bills or whose range is below market (more on that below). The laborious stages of a job hunt can sometimes border on the ridiculous. A series of interviews may be spread over weeks, or even months. A marathon interview process that ends with a lowball offer is a demoralizing waste of your time. Pay transparency spares both parties from engaging in what will ultimately prove to be fruitless. A little knowledge can go a long way.

Pay transparency empowers job seekers to negotiate final compensation packages, but there are some important components to keep in mind:

• When companies post salary ranges, they can be broad. For example, a salary range can have a variance of tens of thousands of dollars between the bottom, midpoint, and top end of the range. Where a candidate falls in the range is based on education, experience, skill sets, and a host of intangible soft skills that may vary from job to job. However, your bargaining position increases with pay transparency. If you know the floor, you can negotiate from there.

• Employees are lines in a budget. There is a good chance that a company already knows where in their salary range they intend to pay. For example, a job posting lists the salary range as $65,000 - $80,000, but the company knows the offer will be $72,000.

• In states with pay transparency laws, employers may be forced to include pay ranges, but those ranges are still created by the employer. It is incumbent on the job seeker to verify the fair market value of the range. Use platforms like Payscale to research what you should be making. That way, you can be more discriminating during your job search by eliminating businesses whose salary range is below market value.

Lastly, pay transparency has a halo effect on the employed. It allows people to assess whether or not they are being paid market value in their current positions. If you believe you’re being underpaid, it is natural to think you should move jobs. However, if you see salary ranges for similar jobs at other companies that prove you’re being properly compensated, you’re more likely to stay put, value your current position more, and increase your overall job performance.

---

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

What Are Resume "Keywords"? And How Can I Use Them?

iStock | Eugene Zvonkov

One of the more difficult elements of resume writing is keywords. We all kind of know what keywords are and why they are important, but when the time comes to seed your resume with the right ones it’s a step that is often skipped and forgotten. Let’s review what keywords are, why they are important, and how you can use them to your advantage when searching for a job.

Keywords are the terminology employers use in job descriptions to specify the type of person and skill sets they want to fill an open position. Your goal is to include the right terminology in your resume so it matches what potential employers want. Loading your resume with keywords helps it slip past Applicant Tracking Systems employers use to filter online submissions and makes it easier for you to be “found” by recruiters and hiring managers. Your LinkedIn profile should also include keywords as it will undergo a thorough review if you’re in contention for a job.

Here are some examples of keywords:

Field: Accounting – Accounting, Finance, Financial Reporting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Payable.

Field: Information Technology – Network Administration, Help Desk, User Support, Database Administrator

Field: Project Management – Agile, Waterfall, Business Analysis, Project Management, PMP

Here are some general guidelines to help you choose and use keywords.

1.     Study job descriptions to determine your benchmarks. Let’s use the accounting example. If you notice the term “cash flow statements” in a majority of posts it’s a benchmark and you should include it on your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Please note: if you put something on your resume it should reflect your actual skills. You can’t include keywords for the sake of it.

2.     Seed your resume with keywords. Use them as appropriate. Avoid using so many keywords that it fundamentally alters the prose of your work experience and skills (also known as “keyword packing”) – it would be obvious, and likely dilute the effectiveness of the content.

3.     Some keywords have multiple variations. Include them all if you can. Here is a common example – Microsoft applications. They can be individually written (e.g., MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint) or grouped together (e.g., MS Office, MS Suite). It is better to use them all because you can’t know which ones are programmed into the Applicant Tracking System.

4.     Some keywords have sub-keywords. Continuing with the Microsoft example, many people have general MS Excel skills. However, if you are in a field that uses MS Excel as a primary tool, it’s advantageous to include advanced skills such as “pivot tables,” “power query,” or “advanced charting.” If you’re an accountant, there are many “industry” applications, such as JD Edwards. List all the applications you know. Even if it’s not the specific platform used by the company to which you are applying, it will demonstrate the breadth of your experience. Specialized skills that separate you from other candidates should be keywords on your resume.

5.     Use your allotted space. On your resume, every word counts and keywords count twice as much. If putting your best foot forward means a resume that’s two pages, then it should be two pages. LinkedIn gives you lots of space. Use it all. Include everything, but keep it as focused and succinct as possible.

6.     On your resume, stack keywords in a skill section, or box. A great way of showing off your skill set while maximizing keywords is a skill section. A skill box is also an easy way to add or subtract keywords based on the specific job to which you apply.

7.     Weave keywords into the text of your work experience. A skills/keywords section is great, but including keywords throughout your resume will strengthen its overall position. This is true, especially for “soft skills” like “critical thinking,” “creativity,” and “integrity.”

8.     Location, location, location. Words are spelled differently in different parts of the world. If you’re American and applying for a job in London, it matters that “color” and “colour” are the same word with different spellings. Know your audience and remember that Applicant Tracking Systems are customized. There are actually software applications, such as Go Transcript, that will identify such differences and allow you to change keyword spelling where appropriate.

9.     You will never be able to guess exactly what keywords and filters are used by Applicant Tracking Systems. Don’t go crazy guessing what keywords will help your resume slip through a company’s ATS. The algorithms are different for each one and are changed all the time. Only the people who create it truly know. Do your best.

---

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Corporate Culture – And Why It Matters

iStock | trekandshoot

Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Often, corporate culture is implied, not expressly defined, and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires. (Investopedia, 2021)

Corporate culture can be a dry subject. You can research a company all you want; you’ll never know what a company’s culture is like unless you are part of it. However, you should still use your best efforts to know as much about a company’s culture if you are interested in working for it. A company’s culture, and if you fit in it, impacts your overall success.

To go beyond vague phrases like “beliefs and behaviors” and “not expressly defined”, let’s talk about corporate cultures in terms of winning and losing. Nothing speaks to winning and losing like sports. Your job is to win, but you lose – a lot. It’s an interesting dynamic, but, just like any other company, a sports team is in business to make money and college football is a money-making machine. For example, top college football programs earn their schools up to $100 million a year – a winning team makes a lot of money. A losing team does not.

This college football season, an early surprise is the breakout success of the University of Southern California Trojans (USC). USC football has a storied history that began in 1888. The Trojans have won 37 conference championships, and 11 national championships, and boast eight Heisman trophy winners. In 2009, ESPN ranked USC football as the 2nd best program in college football history. To say that USC football has historically had a winning culture is an understatement.  However, in recent years, a series of short-term coaches produced inconsistent results.

In 2021, the Trojans had a record of 4-8 overall, and went 3-6 in their conference. Dismal. As of this writing, the Trojans are 4-0 overall, 2-0 in the Pac-12, and ranked 7th in the nation – their first ranking in the Top 10 since 2017. The season is still young, but the company’s shareholders – the NCAA, the university, the television networks, the boosters, and the fans – are cautiously optimistic. That’s an amazing turnaround in one off-season. What changed? The corporate culture of course.

Just like a company losing money, USC changed management. There is a new coach, Lincoln Riley, who won 85% of his games over five years at Oklahoma (his first job as a head coach), and a new coaching staff. The vast majority of the staff is new to USC and many followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma or had worked with him at some point. Three of USC’s starting players, including quarterback Caleb Williams, also followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma, which was not without controversy.

Now the vagueness of “behaviors and beliefs” starts to take shape. The company, USC football, has a 134-year history and a culture of winning but is underperforming. New blood is brought in that personifies USC’s history and culture (its behaviors and beliefs) and the match exceeds expectations. With the new coach, staff, and players, USC football’s culture already reflects the cumulative traits of the people the company hires.

Regardless of the sport, there are many stories of the “average” player languishing in mediocrity who switches teams and becomes a superstar. The opposite is also true. Star players join a new team and their shine fades. The corporate culture is the difference. Who leads the team matters. Co-workers matter. Mission matters (especially if you’re at a start-up). Every person is part of the cumulative traits that develop organically over time into a company’s overall culture.

That’s not to say that some successful companies have terrible cultures where people suffer for money or prestige or for who knows what reason. Take the time to think about what type of corporate culture in which you believe you would thrive. Research companies and find out as much about their history and reputation as you can. The more you know, the more you can visualize whether it’s the right place for you. You’ll never know until you take the field and play the game.

---

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.