Do this to scare off great candidates.

Discover top hiring hacks and social trends to strengthen your team in 2025!

Welcome to The Manual Weekly – LI Edition, the can’t-miss newsletter for business leaders. You’ll find snackable bits of news highlighting emerging trends, actionable resources, and proven best practices that can help take your business to the next level.

This week’s must-reads:

• How to master the art of interviewing.
• Three social media trends to keep an eye on.
• Upskilling and compliance training made easy.
• And how to retool your hiring process for the new year.

Template of the week: Hiring Interview Process and Guidelines

Interviews can be tricky! When everything clicks, you boost your odds of snagging an amazing candidate and showing them what your company is about. But if things go off the rails, you could miss out on a potentially great hire.?

Here are some fun (and effective) ways to stand out as an interviewer:

• Button up the timeline. Leaving a lasting impression can be as simple as prioritizing organization and informing candidates about what's next. (Psst… Did you know you can use Trainual for a smoother hiring process?)
• Give feedback. Remember, 95% of candidates expect feedback after an interview, but only 41% receive it. Don’t miss another chance to shine!
• Ask with intention. Thoughtful questions show you’ve done your homework and care about the candidate — these unique questions are a great place to start!

?? Ready to up your interviewing game? Our Hiring Interview Process and Guidelines Template is designed to guide you through every phase of finding the ideal fit for your team.?

Check out our entire template archive of free and customizable policy, process, and role starters. New to Trainual? Get a demo.

How to tame social media like the bull it is

Let’s talk modern-day social media. We know how powerful it can be — nearly 90% of marketers say posting video content has boosted their sales.?

Turns out social media is crazy fast, too. New trends like AI influencers and live shopping are rapidly emerging… and don’t even get us started about TikTok. Sigh, the clock is ticking.

Here are three social media trends for 2025 that will keep you ahead of the curve:

?? Bye bye, mega influencers. People crave the genuine vibes of smaller creators, not the out-of-touch content influencers post. If you are on the come-up, building your community one comment at a time is where the real value lies!

?? Corporate messaging. Truth be told — people are over the generic jargon. You risk losing your audience when you don’t blend education with entertainment. Just look at Duolingo’s big green owl — it might seem silly, but it’s incredibly effective at boosting brand awareness!?

?? Employee content. Going forward, expect more brand advocacy from within. After all, who knows your business better than your team? Our team creates OG content to showcase our brand and culture in action.

Invest in your team with 2025 premium courses?

New skills, who dis??

We’ll tell you one thing: This is not the year to coast by with just the bare minimum. As a matter of fact, this is the year for main character energy.?

It’s the year to invest in training training that fuels real growth, empowers your team, and keeps everyone ahead of the game.?

We know, we know. You’re too busy to revamp training right now.

But what if we told you we’ve got you covered with unlimited access to 360+ pre-built premium courses? That’s right — these babies are automatically updated and created by experts. Plus, they protect your business and set your team up for long-term success.

Here’s just a taste of what’s available in the premium courses library:

Professional development courses.

Soft skills and wellness training, like:

• ?? Leadership Essentials.
• ?? Emotional Intelligence.
• ?? Conflict Resolution.
• ?? Driving Innovation.
• ??? Presentation Skills.
• ?? Burnout Prevention.
• ? Time Management.
• ??? Using Inclusive Language.

HR and employee compliance courses.

Legally-mandated and best-practice training for your region and industry, like:

• ? Harassment Prevention.
• ?? Title IX.
• ?? Diversity and Inclusion.
• ?? Active Shooter Response.
• ?? Bloodborne Pathogens.
• ?? Code of Conduct and Ethics.
• ?? Fall Protection & Ladders.
• ?? HIPAA.
• ?? Cybersecurity.
• ?? Workplace Bullying.

Premium courses start at $104/mo. Buy now!

?? New to Trainual? Get a demo.

The game of hires begins...

After a chaotic Q4 grind, you may have realized it’s time to add some more folks to the crew — perhaps those with the leadership skills of Jon Snow and the sheer intellect of Ned Stark.

January is prime hiring season, featuring a 30% boost in applications and a 13% jump in job searches.

Here are four A+ hacks to nail the hiring process:?

1. Start from the inside out. Birds of a feather flock together. Engage your team to identify top-notch job seekers in their network who fit your culture.
2. Use AI to automate. Streamline the hiring process by automating resume screening and interview scheduling — this keeps talented prospects flowing through your pipeline!
3. Act fast. If you find a candidate you love, don’t wait! The early bird gets the worm — especially regarding top talent.?
4. Consider Gen Z's priorities. Today’s candidates are looking for meaningful work, diversity, and flexibility — highlight these aspects in your job offers!

?? Don’t know where to start? The Hiring Process Checklist Template provides a step-by-step framework from defining a role to signing on a new hire! Think of it like part two of the template we dropped above.?

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