Posts Tagged ‘Dallas IT Recruiters’

Social Recruiting: Highlights of the last year

Friday, January 27th, 2012

KevPart Three: This is the part 3 of the 3 part series The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Social Media: Stories and Lessons from the Recruiting Desk

In the previous 2 parts of this Blog series, I’ve covered everything from the communication of shady competitors to the upside and downside of Social Networking tools. I would like to end the 3 part series focusing on the positive by providing my individual professional highlights of the last year as well as my company and colleagues accomplishments using Social Networks.

2011 ended the debate once and for all about the validity of Linkedin as an invaluable IT Recruiting Resource – My Company had an increase of over 400% growth in 2011. While not all of the growth was attributed to just “one thing”, Social Networking for candidates helped us increase our candidate headcount. We saw an astonishing 15% plus increase in candidates that were placed as a direct result of Linkedin and an astonishing 20% plus increase in candidate responses utilizing Social Media posting platforms.

 

Social Media Postings / Social Recruiting Tools

More tools became readily available last year to help expedite the posting process and making more jobs accessible to candidates that utilize Social Media for Job Searches. Most ATS Systems were using Automated Posting features but new “Social Recruiting” tools such as Bullhorn Reach and Job Magic made it easier to manage postings either directly or indirectly from your company’s ATS System. I personally benefited from posting more jobs to my Linkedin Network using Social Recruiting Tools. The ability to automate the postings directly from my ATS system  and scheduling the postings to refresh twice a day, gave me more time to actively source, direct recruit and work the “Underground Job Market” that is more networking and referral based.  

 

Increased Social Media Smartphone Functionality

The best thing about having an iPhone or ANY phone running iOS / Android / Windows is the ability to respond quickly to candidates that are interested in your jobs posted on Social Networking sites. New Smartphone Social Media functionality allows you to post and work with candidates on the go. Our company recruiters are synced to our ATS through our Smartphones and that has allowed us to get candidate information quickly and has enabled us to add Social Networking App functions that may not be readily available to competitors or our clients. If you do not have a Sync function, I encourage you to download Linkedin for your phone OS.

 

 

Building Successful Networks

Social Recruiting is only as successful as the networks that you build. The recruiters that have been successful are those that build networks of the candidates that they market. In part 2 of this series, I mentioned that you need to be careful when including other recruiters in your network. I should have elaborated to further state that it is an ABSOLUTE that you grow your network of talent to include .NET / Java / UI / Mobile developers, ERP (Oracle, SAP, etc.), Business Intelligence / Data, Infrastructure, PM’s/BA’s, QA’s.

Today might be a good day to disconnect with a large number of recruiters and send invitations to anyone that you’ve screened, interviewed (Internal and client) and placed on contract/contract to hire /direct hire.

Building a network of technical talent was HUGE for me over the last year to year and a half. This “Push” to secure more talent in my network was one of the highlights of my year in that I saw a bigger return of interest in my Job Shares and Posts.

 

Going forward in 2012

I encourage you to increase your talent networks, utilize Job Posting and Social Recruiting Tools including the proper software / hardware. I guarantee that you will see similar success in the coming year and, hopefully, less of the Bad and Ugly!

When Candidates Attack!

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Tigers-and-Candidates-398x600

Being a Recruiter can be a lot of fun…in a very bad way.  Most Recruiters have a few horror stories that are hysterical, though maybe they didn’t seem so at the time.  In a business where we deal with people day in and day out, most often strangers, there are a number of variables at play.  As Recruiters it’s our job to identify the unknown, address it and quantify it.  But sometimes something slips by even the most experienced Recruiters.

While each Recruiter has a hand full of entertaining anecdotes about a ‘crazy’ candidate, the truth is that little things slip by us a lot more often than the big ones. I’ve had candidates show up in teal tuxedos to an interview (it was his only formal attire.)  I’ve had a candidate climb out of a bathroom window prior to an interview (No one knows how he got out unseen).  I’ve even had people show up to tell the hiring manager they couldn’t take the job because they didn’t trust the people they knew they might be working with.  (I’ve clearly been in the recruiting business for too time.)  But most often, we get a laugh out of those situations.

The real problems are the more common candidate problems faced by Recruiters on a semi-regular basis.

  • The No Show: This one is self explanatory. I think every Recruiter has had at least 1 candidate blow off an interview.  It’s absolutely maddening.  As a Recruiter we want to have an answer for our client.  Or we want to throw the candidate under the bus.  Or we want to call the candidate and let them have it.  But we don’t.  Because there might be a plausible explanation. No shows are always tough to deal with because the Hiring Manager feels more let down and frustrated than even we do. They usually get ticked off at the Recruiter who scheduled the interview. Indeed, the Hiring Manager tends to believe that we should have known the candidate was a flake in the first place. Most people that that a flaky person is wearing some sort of sign.  But the truth is that sometimes, people put on a great game face and slide one by us.  Even a Recruiter can be fooled.
  • The ‘I Wish He Didn’t Show’:  Recruiters are busy people and while this often strikes debate, they don’t always have time to meet candidates in person before an interview.  A lot of the time a Recruiter must rely on their skills, their history and their professional knowledge to help them interview and qualify candidates virtually.  Most of the time it works.  Sometimes it doesn’t…big time.  I think everyone has had an interview go off and waited for that Manager feedback to come rolling in.  But sometimes you wish you hadn’t picked up the phone.  Case and point; the guy who showed up in a teal tux.  Candidates can do a lot of strange things during an interview and unless you’ve met each and every candidate personally beforehand, it’s easy to miss some of the non-verbal issues.  Dealing with a bad interview isn’t always so bad, particularly if you’ve been open and honest with the client about not always meeting each candidate.  If you have let the client think you meet everyone prior to the interview, you’re in for a rough ride.
  • The Personality Disorder: That brings us to the great candidate you did meet and interview. The candidate was spot on, interviewed well, and was well met and personable. But then Dr. Jekyll called out and sent Mr. Hyde in his place.  Have you ever had a candidate do a complete 180° from submission to interview?  These are the times that the Hiring Manager’s feedback legitimately stumps the Recruiter.  The stumped Recruiter will then pick up the phone to see what happened on the interview to cause the Hiring Manager to miss the mark so badly.  And voila! You call the previously friendly and personable candidate only to get a different guy on the phone…surly, difficult and trying rush you off the phone.  Just another day as a Recruiter eh?  This one is a lot easier to explain than either the previous two, mostly because the Recruiter is undeniably confused and shocked.  Sometimes letting a Manager know that you have no idea what the heck happened in the last 48 hours is a real plus.  Other times candidates can do great and get the job…only to do something ‘off’ at the Client.  For instance, why would a working consultant tell everyone that she lost her toothbrush and hadn’t brushed her teeth for 3 days?  And why would the client call and ask the Recruiter to talk to her about her hygiene problems?  Oh boy…

Being a Recruiter can be a lot of fun but part of the fun is the constant change and variety that we get to deal with day in and day out.  It’s a fun profession, but sometimes the crazy stuff and wild candidates can give you some white hairs.  But hey, they make for great stories once they’ve had a chance to age a little.

You can find this article and others like it at  www.recruiter.com

10 Things I Have Learned About The IT Staffing Business

Saturday, October 8th, 2011

KmacksimageAfter about 20 years in the business of IT Staffing and Professional IT Consulting Services, I have had many experiences that have molded me into the ornery SOB I am today.  I have previously worked and continue to work with exceptional people and am fortunate to have a great business partner. I have had the pleasure of seeing many people that I have worked with attain tremendous success and have also witnessed people at their worst. The reason that I’m writing this article is to share some advice, personal rules, insights and opinions.

For this particular article, I would like to share 10 thoughts with you in the hope that you can learn from my successes and failures.

  1. Always do more than what’s expected of you. Without fail, the most successful recruiters in our business work extra hours. If you are an 8 hour a day person and quality of life is important to you….good for you BUT I will kick your ass in the end because I will work harder. I will reach candidates after hours and on weekends if I have to. I will enjoy my quality of life when I retire. Until then, this is a competition and I will do what I can to win. The easiest thing that you can do is to put in the extra time. If you don’t agree, I don’t give a s### because it’s true.
  2. If a competitor is talking trash about you or your company, you’re doing something right. Listen… I have had many competitors talk trash about my company, co-workers, consultants, software, clients, etc….we call these people “Haters” and for good reason. I’ve found that the more successful you become, there is a tendency for competitors to try and take you down a few notches. Whoever heard of a competitor talking trash about a company that WASN’T successful….doesn’t happen. Don’t get mad…….get successful. The best vengeance is a successful company.
  3. Spend your time on your performers. I have found that a number of leaders, managers, mentors, etc. spend an exorbitant amount of time on team members that aren’t performing. Unfortunately, this is not where your time should be focused. I understand that, as a leader, you want to build a team and that you feel obligated to fix the “weak link” but your time is better spent with the performers. At the end of the day, these are the individuals that will contribute the most to your company.
  4. Clients are the last to know if the candidate market is hot or not. It is your job to educate them. If you are a Business Development/Account Manager/Recruiter your clients will respect your guidance. I’m sure most of you in the DFW IT Staffing market are aware that C#/.NET and Java Development resources have the shelf life of Oysters on a hot day. It is your duty to “drive” the process and educate your clients by shortening the interview and offer life-cycle. I understand that some of your clients and prospective clients still don’t get it and, if they are unwilling to change with the time, maybe it’s time to get new clients….I’m just saying.
  5. Invest in tools that will generate clients and candidates. I know that most of you reading this blog understand the importance of a good ATS, Job Boards, Advanced Linkedin memberships, Sales Tools (Discoverorg.net, Hoovers, Lead Generation, Sourcers, etc.) but are you making a significant investment?  Remember, sales and recruiting tools are the type of investment that provides your company a direct and measurable ROI.
  6. You should always be interviewing top talent. It doesn’t matter if you have maxed out your head count on your Business Development/Account Management and Recruiting teams. You must have a pipeline of candidates to insure that you will hit your numbers. You never know when that top producer may get restless or your best recruiter may experience burn out. Be prepared.
  7. Relationships, relationships, relationships. Whether you are a Business Development/Account Manager or a Recruiter, you must have a pipeline of established relationships….a “go to” if you will. The relationships that you build can help you when the market is up or down. Example: If you are a recruiter, a pipeline of IT Professionals with marketable skills will provide you with referrals of passive candidates that are not readily available to your competitors or clients. Think about it, would you rather have a candidate that you found on a job board that has countless IT Staffing Service companies contacting them about multiple jobs OR a referral from someone that you trust? The referred candidate is likely to be more selective and you will have more credibility since you were referred by a friend.
  8. Prep your candidate for the interview and get feedback from the candidate as soon as the interview is complete. I cannot stress the importance of these simple processes. If you are in a candidate market, it is even more important. You need to prepare a candidate for the interview by providing information about the company, culture, project, team, technology, management/leadership, hot buttons, processes and compensation. After the interview, you need to get immediate feedback while it is fresh in the candidates mind. Ask the candidate some of the following questions: Who did they interview with, What is the role, What technology will they be working with, What questions were asked during the interview, How does the opportunity compare to their current position or other opportunities that they are interviewing for, Is the client interviewing other candidates, Did the client ask when you could start. Most important, ask the candidate if they would like an offer from the client and, if so, will they accept an offer at (insert salary or hourly rate here). Even if the candidate did not do well or the candidate is not interested in moving forward, you have information to prep the next candidate.
  9. It’s a small world after all………the IT market is smaller than you think. After being in this business for close to 20 years, I have ran across the same people for a number of years – clients, hiring managers, HR, Procurement, Competitors, IT Professionals…you name it. Remember that something you do today can, and most likely, will come back to you. Be careful how you treat people and be consistent. Always try to do the right thing no matter how difficult. You can’t make everyone happy and, if you read number 2, sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF. Once you find great people to work with hold on to them and surround yourself with the best people you can find.
  10. Finally……be yourself and embrace your uniqueness (if that is a word). There are a lot of people in the IT Staffing business and a great number of them operate the same way and adhere to the same doctrine. Do what you can to set yourself apart. There will be a number of competitors, co-workers, talent, clients, etc. that will try to place you in the same box as everyone else. It is our differences that can set us apart from our competition. Whether you are a Staffing professional or an IT professional, let your freak flag fly.

 

It is my hope that you have at least one take away from my list above. I have spent many years in the IT Staffing Services business and I absolutely love it. I have been lucky enough to ride a few waves of success and meet challenges head on. After 20 years, I still get excited to drive into the office. If you are part of this business, I am truly happy for you.

It’s not too late to get connected, but you need to hurry up and do it

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Kmacksimage

If you are in the business of recruiting, you have got to be plugged in to Social Networks, Special Interest Groups and Industry Bloggers. I also believe in being plugged into the technology that supports our industry Software as a Service (SAAS) / ATS, Job Boards and Smart Phone Technology.

Social Networks

You should have at least 500 Linkedin Connections as a recruiter (Joining LION or Linkedin Open Networkers may help you get started). In addition, you need to join sub-groups that allow you to post your open jobs. If you are a Technical Recruiter, I suggest joining Java, .NET, Mobile Apps, SAP, Sharepoint, etc. These groups will help you in adding candidates with marketable technologies to your network.

 

Special Interest Groups (SIGS) AKA Networking Groups

Join as many groups as you can locally. Attend their events and sponsor as many events as possible. This is money well spent. SIGS have accounted for my company’s fast growth and continue to be an excellent source of both client and candidate leads. As a matter of fact, ask your candidates and clients about the networking groups that they have joined.

 

Industry Bloggers

Follow people in your industry that can provide you with updated and valuable information. There are a number of good staffing bloggers – I suggest joining recruitingblogs.com which gives you access to articles that cover just about every recruiting topic.

 

 

As far as technology is concerned, there are a few tools that you should have at your disposal.

 

Application Tracking (ATS) and SAAS

First, whether you are working for a large organization or as an independent, you must have an ATS that is designed with the Software as a Service (SAAS) model. Some of the products that are available include – Send Outs, Bullhorn, Bond/Adapt, PC Recruiter, Acquire, etc. The typical functions of an Applicant Tracking System should include Creating job requisition, Job board posting, Online application, Applicant screening, Applicant scoring and knock-out, Workflow automation, Resume search, Self identification / EEO tracking and reporting, Standard and ad-hoc Reporting.

 

Job Boards

If you are in the business of IT Staffing, Recruiting, Consulting Services, etc. you must have access to Job Boards. The 3 “must haves” are DICE, Monster and Careerbuilder. There are other additional boards but these are the boards that will help grow your ATS and get you a few placements. I do not recommend using only Job Boards but you must be plugged into at least 2 to compete.

 

Finally,

 

Smart Phone Technology

I am not merely suggesting to buy an iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, etc. I am actually talking about integrating your Smart Phone with your ATS or recruiting software. Start by integrating your Smart Phone with your Social Networks such as Linkedin and Facebook. All Smart Phones come with this function and it’s free. Next, and probably most important, make sure that your Smart Phone integrates with your ATS and vice versa. When evaluating an ATS, ask about mobile or Smart Phone integration. I would suggest in only selecting an ATS that integrates with this type of technology because of the competitive advantage that it can provide.

 

 Most recruiters utilize the tools and technology that I mentioned above, but there are still some lagging behind. If you are working for a company that is not open to getting “plugged in” to at least all of the things that are mentioned in the article above….RUN don’t walk out of the door and find another employer. There are plenty of companies out there on the cutting edge of recruiting and recruiting technology.

ATTENTION RECRUITING GURUS: There are ZERO absolutes and there is no Silver Bullet….unless you can address the entire recruiting landscape, STFU!

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

KevLet me start this article by saying with extreme arrogance and overblown self worth that I am damn good at the recruiting game. I have made millions of dollars, have grown and sold staffing/services companies, built great teams, placed thousands of contractors and direct employees, and worked with multiple teams consisting of some of the best business development and recruiting professionals in the business.

Now that I have fed my over-inflated ego I would like to address some of the articles and/or opinions that I have reviewed over the last couple of years and call you on your bulls###.  I have left off the names of the authors of the blogs and articles and address them below in no particular order of importance. Here goes:

Mass Emailing candidates is not recruiting

Guess what genius? Your right!  Mass emailing candidates is NOT recruiting, but no one ever said it was. Mass Emailing candidates a job description is just using a recruiting tool to possibly garner the interest of a passive candidate in your ATS. I don’t condone emailing everyone in your database that has a single keyword in a search string: however, narrowing your search results to a respectable number and emailing prospects your position is an effective way to reach a targeted audience. I would go one step further and add the contacts to a call list and follow up for good measure.

 

Social Networking Sites are making recruiters obsolete

HAHAHAHA…on the contrary, Social Networking sites are only increasing the effectiveness of “plugged-in” recruiters and adding another tool to the recruiting toolbox. It’s really a matter of Time Allocation. If you are a Development Manager/Director of Business Intelligence/Manager of Infrastructure do you really have time to grow a network of prospective candidates to fill your positions? Do you also have the time to contact each one to determine if they are a fit for the position? Do you have time to develop interest in your projects and sell your company?…and Oh, by the way, do all of the work  that you do as your core competency. Most of the “Buyers” listed above, as well as procurement group that is responsible for those services already complain about the number of Staffing and Consulting services companies that contact them. Imagine these same people managing the entire process. Look, Staffing and Recruiting professionals use Social Networking Sites as another tool to effectively deliver professional talent on a consulting or direct hire basis in order for everyone else to focus on their core competencies.

 

VMS/MSP Programs are commoditizing agencies and driving down margins

Partly true but, once again, not an absolute. VMS Software as well as MSP Programs are designed to standardize billing, maintain a single point of contact, reduce or eliminate maverick spend and control/manage the number of vendors that provide staffing services BUT… not all VMS or MSP’s maintain standard margin or mark-up percentages. VMS and MSP Programs can be useful to recruiters if correctly utilized. I would encourage staffing companies and recruiters to maintain their contact relationships and develop new relationships within an organization because there are instances where these relationships may be your only differentiating factor. VMS and MSP Programs will continue to flourish at large organizations but, just like any well managed portfolio, should only be one part of your client road map. Small to mid-range companies do not and, in most cases, will not adopt VMS and/or MSP programs.

 

Job Boards and On-line Resume Databases are no longer effective

Absolutely untrue…and laughable.  Job Boards and On-line Resume Databases such as Monster, Careerbuilder and DICE are still VERY relevant for finding contract and contract to hire candidates that are readily available. Once again, boards and on-line resume databases are tools and should never be used exclusively. These tools can be used to develop client contacts and build up your ATS.  Remember that they may not be as effective as a referral, direct source from Linkedin or a passive candidate from an ATS, but me and my recruiting team at Timberhorn continue to place candidates (contract, contract to hire and direct hire) using these tools.

 

There can be a HUGE difference when recruiting for the following:  Agency, Corporate, IT Staffing Services, Contract, Contract to Hire and Direct Hire – Too often when I read a legitimate article or blog, the author attempts to generalize statements regarding recruiting without attempting to specifically address techniques, topics or opinions regarding a specific type of recruiting. Whether you are a Corporate Recruiter, Agency Recruiter, Staffing  Company, IT Services Company or recruiting for different types of positions (Contract/Contract to Hire/Direct Hire)…your recruiting approach will differ. One tool may become more important, sourcing may take a backseat to candidate availability, etc.

 

Bottom line: Every article that I’ve read has had some important and good information but there are no absolutes and none of us can predict the future. The best solution may be the utilization of ALL the options available to us. I hope that we can continue to share information without trying to position ourselves as having the only answer in this business.  Case in point:  even with all my initial arrogance in this article….I know I don’t!

Now you see ‘em, now you don’t

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

 KevinWomackI’ve got some questions for some of you IT Recruiters in DFW. Had any great candidates disappear on you lately? Take other jobs? Decline an interview? It’s not anything magical, the market in DFW has picked up to the point where candidates have numerous options and opportunities. It is inevitable that you will lose a candidate to other offers, but good recruiters can see it coming and will at least know what the candidate’s options are and where they are at in the process.

Don’t get caught off guard or surprised by candidates taking other positions. Instead, communicate with your candidates throughout the recruiting process. Notice I didn’t say control your candidates, because that’s a myth and I find people that use the term “candidate control” laughable.

Pre-screen and Submittal

During the prescreening process and before you submit the candidate’s resume to your client, ask the candidate where they are at in the job search. How many companies are they submitted to? Have they interviewed? Are they in the final stages with anyone? Do they have an offer in hand? These questions are the same for contractors or direct hire candidates.

 

Interview Process

Prep you candidate for any and all interviews. This will help your candidate with the client interview, but more importantly, it is yet another time to find out where the candidate is in their job search. Ask the questions from the Pre-Screen and Submittal process once again and add a few additional questions such as “Where does this opportunity stand in comparison to the others?” (I know that they haven’t interviewed yet but you will want to know). “What is your timeline for deciding?” “If the interview goes well, how soon can you start?”

 

Post Interview Feedback

Every company and recruiter in staffing should utilize an Interview Feedback Questionnaire and it should be a required step in the process.  After the interview, ask the candidate the same question from the Interview Prep “Where does this opportunity stand in comparison to the others?” (Look for changes from the earlier answer). Ask the candidate if they would like to see an offer from the client. An optional line of questions for your candidate could be “Out of all of your opportunities, where does this rank?” “Who are you in the process of interviewing with and how does my opportunity differ?

 

This article may seem VERY basic and is covering the “Blocking and Tackling” aspect of recruiting but you would be surprised at how many companies and recruiters that I speak to that get away from the basics. Two of the biggest complaints that I hear lately are “Our start to interview ratio is skewed.” (AKA Too many interviews to starts) and “Candidates have more options and are taking jobs quickly.”

 

The quickest way to resolve these issues is to communicate with your candidates during the entire recruiting process and getting back to the basics of recruiting: Screening, Interview Preps, Interview Feedback Questionnaires, etc.

 

Hopefully, some of the things mentioned in this article will help and your numbers will magically increase.

Decoding “Recruiter Speak:” 21 Handy Definitions for Candidates

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

The following is a repost from Matt Charney at Recruiting Blogs. One part informative and two parts  sarcastic and funny. Enjoy:

Every industry and profession carries with it its own distinct jargon. In fact, it is the measure of recruiters’ worth to be able to pick up on the unique lexicon of the positions for which they recruit. Being able to spout off the verbal equivalent of Google Adwords also preempts most candidates’ assumptions that as recruiters, we’re slightly above amoeba but slightly beneath bonobo monkeys on the evolutionary ladder. (The monkeys do admittedly win by default, though like recruiters, they have been known to eat their young, although most of us do this figuratively through the invention of the concept of “entry-level” employment). There’s been a lot of attention paid to the banalities of “corporate speak,” those words such as synergy, deliverables, scalable, and, my personal favorite, paradigm shift, which sounds suspiciously like a Led Zeppelin cover band or a Tom Clancy novel.

Meaningless Catch-Phrases Take Off

Slowly but surely, these buzzwords have trickled into the public consciousness because most of these words are reserved for candidates specifically. The overwhelming majority of our etymology, in fact, was created for less-than-desirable candidates.

 

As recruiters, it is vocational anathema to create a negative impression on a candidate, or to in any way create a negative reflection on the organization we represent. A successful recruiter strives to make each candidate feel like his or her interaction with the company was a successful one, even if it was, in fact, the worst disaster since the Hindenburg.

To prevent further confusion, I’ve provided a quick guide for candidates to decipher recruiter-speak with the hope that it eases the search process by providing the subtext of the terminology recruiters use the most. While corporate recruiters are honest, we are never brutally honest. Our errors are of omission, and we tend to accentuate the positive, whether in presenting an opportunity, rejecting a candidate, or even closing an offer.

A Growing List

This list is by no means definitive, but it is a start?any suggestions or additions are greatly encouraged.

  • Sourcing (v) Usage: “I sourced your resume and thought that you might be a great fit?” Definition: The
    entry of keywords onto a job board.
  • Exciting (adj.): Usage: “We’ve got an exciting opportunity currently available?” Definition: An open
    headcount that needs to be filled as quickly as possible.
  • Prescreen (n) Usage: “I’d like to set up a brief, exploratory prescreen.” Definition: The conversation by
    which recruiters ascertain if they can afford the talent in question.
  • Visibility (adj.): Usage: “This role has high visibility to all levels of management throughout the
    organization.” Definition: The phrase most often used to describe a position with the smallest margin for error and highest turnover rate in the company.
  • Growth (n): Usage: “This position is really a great growth opportunity.” Definition: The naturally
    occurring phenomenon by which workers find fulfillment doing exactly the same job in a different company.
  • Ad-hoc (adj.) Usage: “There will also be some ad-hoc projects required.” Definition: A catch-all phrase
    used by corporations to describe the countless hours of manpower invested in activities unrelated to one’s job function, generally evoked at the whim of departmental heads.
  • Expectations (n) Usage: “What are your expectations for your next position?” Definition: The test
    commonly used during the screening process to see whether the candidate
    is capable of reading a job description and changing tense from third- to first-person.
  • Stable (adj.) Usage: “It’s a very stable business unit.” Definition: When the collective tenure of a
    department’s employees preempt any consideration of change or improvement upon the status quo.
  • Reinventing (v) Usage: “We’ve had challenges in the past, but we’re reinventing ourselves and our
    processes.” Definition: A commonly used tactic employed by recruiters to explain recent or forthcoming layoffs (see: derecruit, reorganization, shared services, offshoring, outsourcing, et al).
  • Competition (n) Usage: “You’ve got some pretty stiff competition for this position.” Definition: A word
    used by recruiters to preempt disappointment for the candidate by establishing expectations upfront. Alternative definition: A tactic employed to make an extremely undesirable position appear more
    enticing.
  • Team (n) Usage: “We’re looking for a team player.” Definition: The intangible qualities associated with a
    candidate who will not make waves and demonstrates the willingness to accept abuse by supervisors and fellow staff.
  • DOE (acr.) see also depending on experience.Usage: “I am unable to provide a salary
    range for the position as it is DOE.” Definition: Whereby a company unable to pay market rate for a position compensates by placing the blame on candidate deficiencies.
  • Best practices (n): Usage: “We’re a best practices organization.” Phrase has not yet been defined. See meaning of life, UFOs.
  • Work-life balance (phrase): Usage: “We put a real premium on work-life balance.” Definition: The ratio ofone’s time at home to one’s time at work. The smaller the ratio, the more likely the employee is paid on an hourly basis.
  • Overtime (n) Usage: “There may be some slight overtime involved.” Definition: An institution imposed
    by corporations to increase shareholder value without increasing headcount by maximizing working hours of employee population, up to and including Saturdays, holidays, and seminal life events.
  • Feedback (n) Usage: “I’ll provide feedback from my hiring manager as soon as I get it.” Definition:
    Generally construed as a one- or two-word answer by which hiring managers summarily reject top candidates.
  • Next steps (phrase) Usage: “We’ll be in touch regarding next steps.” Definition: A phrase used to put
    off rejecting marginal candidates for as long as possible until an offer is accepted by a more qualified party.
  • References (n) Usage: “We’re going to begin checking your references.” Definition: The process by
    which a recruiter contacts previous coworkers of a potential hire from a list provided by the candidate in an attempt to bring objectivity to the hiring process.
  • Background check (n) Usage: “You’re our final candidate, but I can’t extend an offer until your background check clears.” Definition: A control imposed by corporations in order to slow recruiters’ ability to extend an offer for a period of time that perfectly coincides with a candidate’s extension and
    acceptance of other offers.
  • Benefits (n) Usage: “We are proud to offer a comprehensive, competitive benefits package to all employees.” Definition:A tactic used by corporations to attract full-time employees and entice
    temporary ones into menial labor.
  • Offer letter (n) Usage: “Congratulations on joining our team. I’m sending over an offer letter that contains all the information you’re going to need.” Definition: A document or set of documents that contains all information relevant to one’s employment with a company, denoting the last communication between
    recruiter and candidate until the candidate becomes eligible for transfer consideration.

Is your team having a Championship Season?

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

KevinWomackI was recently part of a once in a lifetime opportunity. My daughter’s 4A Soccer team won the Texas State High School championship.  Her mother and I got to witness leadership, discipline, intensity, focus and, most of all, a team having a great time while enjoying the trip.

We witnessed every aspect of a great team that came together over 7 Playoff games, a State Semifinal and the Championship game.  I noticed a little something that every team could use and I would like to share my thoughts.

From the coaches to the senior girls and team captains, everyone was focused on the goal of winning a state championship. Egos were set aside to get the job done and EVERYONE bought into the end result. Here are few things to help you determine if everyone on your team is on board with your company vision and is playing their role.

LEADERSHIP

If you are a Leader, you must set the example and hold people accountable. In order to hold people accountable they need to know THE NUMBERS – Company goal of total consultants on billing by year end, revenue and gross profit, personal quota, number of calls/submittals/interviews/placements. Once some of these numbers are in place, the team members need to be held accountable to exceed those numbers.

 Sometimes you get only one shot to do something great. Whether it’s building a company, winning a sporting event or making more in commissions than you ever have before……buy into your leadership’s vision and focus. If you are not in agreement with your leadership’s goals or vision then “Get to Steppin” because you are wasting everyone’s time.

DISCIPLINE

 People have to show up on time ready to go. If you played sports in school and you were late or missed a practice, you didn’t play or your playing time was reduced. If you are in the staffing or consulting services business, Team members have got to “Show up and BRING IT”. If not, those individuals need to work on the Purple Squirrels and low margin deals until they are ready to get back in the game. Also, hit those numbers mentioned in the previous leadership paragraph – Calls, Submittals, Interviews, Client Visits, Placements. If you are not hitting your benchmarks, you shouldn’t need someone to tell you. If you miss those numbers one week, exceed them the next.

INTENSITY / FOCUS

Once numbers are determined, keep the team’s eye on the ball and maintain the focus of hitting numbers and benchmarks. Too often in the staffing industry, teams can become complacent after a great month. Mentally have everyone hit the reset button. Focus the group on working requirements that are hot and maintaining their benchmark activities until placements are made. Once the placements are made, move on!!

If you have team members that are not hitting their quota and activity numbers, you owe it to the team and the individual to make them aware immediately and get their focus back. This type of intensity is needed to maintain top performing teams but don’t let it burn them out. In order to keep them focused and intense you must…………………………

KEEP IT FUN AND HAVE A GREAT TIME

You have to keep things fun and interesting in our business. In our company we have TV’s all over the office playing sports, cooking shows, etc.;  There is a surround sound system continually playing music; A Kegerator and beverages on hand for after work; A Golden Tee machine to blow off steam. Now, I know that our environment is unique and not everyone has access or wants those things at work. As an employer or leader in our business, you must recognize the stress in maintaining a championship team and keep it fun.

 If you can find out how to balance the Leadership, Focus, Discipline, and keep it fun everyone will be excited about their personal and company numbers and you will have a championship season every year.

Shout out to Wakeland Girls 4A Soccer Team “How about that drive in?”!

Extra shout out to my Recruiting and Business Development Teams on an unbelievable year…so far!

 

Interview Follow-Up

Monday, April 4th, 2011

InterviewThe following is a post by Julie Julie Holmwood is the Lead Consultant at Churchill Brook where she offers both individuals and groups coaching on all manner of career issues.

Your interviews went well. You’ve met all the key people. Answered and asked all the questions. Done an awesome presentation and the Company have said they will let you know within the next two weeks whether or not you have been successful. If you are like me the waiting is the hard part (I even open my Christmas presents at just gone midnight, so it is officially Christmas Day, but…).

 

Well, the first thing I would say is don’t just sit and wait. Send a thank you email to everyone you just met at interview. Most companies have a standard email address format so if you know the names of the interviewers and the address of one, using the same format for the others should work. Thank them for the meeting, reiterate your interest and then state the reasons why this role and their Company really appeal to you;

 

I would like to confirm that I am extremely interested in this position. I gained skills in sales, marketing and business development during both my current and previous roles and I think that I have the right amount of knowledge to be successful over and beyond the key targets you specified of x, y and z. I find selling and all forms of marketing so stimulating and identifying and developing new markets is my main inspiration in my career to date. As a Company you have really sparked my interest because your moral code is identical to that by which I live my life; I too believe that delivering more than I promise and helping clients reach their goals are key to satisfaction for both us and them. I have given this opportunity a lot of thought over the last (length of interview period) and I really believe that we are a perfect fit for each other. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and decision on hiring me for your team.

 

Indicate the key points for both sides; what they are looking for, what you have and where you see the match to be. Then state why you want to work for them. Every Company I ever worked with during my twelve years in recruitment, was looking to hire the person that could not only do the job and fit within the team but the person that wanted to do the job and who would bring passion, excitement and desire to the role. It is a big investment of money but mostly of time to hire someone new and the key decisions post interview are;

 

Will this person fit with us as a team and Company? Will they be able to do the job well? Will they want to do the job well? Will they stay working for us (or is this something to pay the bills in the short-term)? If you believe that they are the right Company for you and you are therefore the right person for them say so. Tell them why you think that. State your positives both in what they will get and in how it will be perfect for you (although stating; this is the ideal job for me because your office is right next to my daughter’s school is probably one to avoid listing)

 

Now, sit back, accept that you will know on the date they have given you. Mark it on your calendar and get on with doing other things. Before you know it that phone is going to ring!

 

For help with the interview process or making the transition from where you are to where you want to be please contact one of our Consultant Coaches at churchillbrook@gmail.com

 

Julie Holmwood is the Lead Consultant at Churchill Brook where she offers both individuals and groups coaching on all manner of career issues. A qualified coach with twelve years as an international headhunter she is ideally placed to help you with any career challenge you might be facing. She has also worked extensively with clients on programmes of career enhancement, so whether you are looking to find a new direction, find a new job, get that next promotion or just fall in love with the role you already have she is able to help you get there faster than you would on your own.

One thing [Overloaded] Corporate Recruiters value in Recruitment Agencies…

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

RecritingblogsThe following article was written by Mauricio from Recruitingblogs.com. He is a Global Talent Acquisition Recruiter for an Energy Services company in Houston. This is a great article from the point of view of a Corporate Recruiter.

I was a “Head-hunter” (on contingency basis) for over 11yrs and have been on the “other side of the desk” for over 5yrs. Having worked on both sides, I can understand the frustrations both agency recruiters and corporate recruiters feel when dealing with each other.

Ironically, some of the frustrations are similiar such as response time, communication, content of requested information, etc. We both have the same complaints in many cases, the difference is from which side it comes and who has it first. Either way, it can develop into a real quagmire of frustrating issues that eventually get resolved either by Agency pouching from their client (because they decided that it was more valuable taking out of them than working with them), or Corporate Recruiters black-listing the agency (usually done discretely by consistantly telling them that they don’t have any job orders to give them until they fade away…and probably end up pouching from them anyway).

Just as a gentle reminder, Corporate Recruiters have more than just sourcing, qualifying and placing the candidate. We also have to deal with Compliance issues (internal/external), Corporate Initiatives (e.g. Diversity), Constant Meetings with Stakeholders, Training, Posting jobs and documentation on ATS’, “special projects”–lovely term for “more work, more hours, zero reward”, etc. , etc, ETC!

Because we (Corporate Recruiters) are over-worked beyond belief (especially with downsizing recruitment depts to bare bone), this creates a need for what I call, “Recruitment PARTNERS”, not “Vendors”.

So as my Post Title suggestions, I’d like to let all the Agency Recruiters know a particular area that can “set-you-apart” from “Head-hunters”.

The primary value is information. Since our days are spent (including but not limited to) handling 100+emails, managing the recruitment process, creating and explaining endless spreadsheets for each of our 40+Hiring Managers, the last thing we want to have to do is spend hours qualifying ONE candidate for ONE position (of +40 positions we have to fill YESTERDAY)…especially when the candidate comes from an Agency!

“Head-hunters” to me is defined as a recruiter that sends a SANITIZED CV with little to no extra information other than the typical 4-5 bullets such as availability to interview, salary expectations, etc. and doesn’t do any more work except when requested (piece-mealed!).

What a “Recruitment Partner” will do is send their INTERVIEW NOTES TO THE CORPORATE RECRUITER! When you’ve invested the time to FULLY INTERVIEW YOUR (I REPEAT, YOUR) candidate, AND SENDS THOSE INTERVIEW NOTES to the Corporate Recruiter, it saves us:

1) Time
2) Gives us a wealth of information to process in little to no time, and
3) We can then make an informed decision (collectively with the Hiring Manager or with the Recruitment Partner themselves) as to which direction we want to go in with THEIR candidate.

Notice I mention that the candidate is the Recruitment Partner’s candidate? Because the Candidate is YOUR ASSET, not the Corporate Recruiters. And some of you have experienced “Credit-Junkie” Corporate Recruiters but regardless if they want to take an ego trip and claim the candidate as their own, at the end of the day, it shouldn’t matter to you because it all comes out in the open. Did you forget that the candidate knows who placed them?? So don’t get caught-up in that mess. It’s a waste of time. Your stock will go up in the eyes of the Hiring Manager/Stakeholders no matter how political the Corporate Recruiter gets.

You see, the value of information is priceless to a Corporate Recruiter. The more you can do for us, the less we have to do, and the less we have to do, the more valuable you become, and the more valuable you become, the more we want to use you. So just because you work on a contingency basis, or you fear loss, the worst you can do is give limited information. You limit your ability to make a placement and build your relationship when you work with limitations. Don’t worry about the limitations the Corporate Recruiter places on you (e.g. gate-keeper to Hiring Manager), go with blind faith and SET EXPECTATIONS UP FRONT with them! AND REMIND THEM WHEN THEY DON’T MEET YOUR EXPECATION…gently (as you are probably aware that Corporate Recruiters can sometimes have “attitudes” with “HEAD-HUNTERS”). Its up to your savy ways to find a way to connect with your client.

I suggest that the main reason why Recruiters don’t divulge Candidates’ contact information up front, and hold information back is due to trust. My suggestion to you is:

IF YOU DON’T TRUST YOUR CLIENT ENOUGH TO DIVULGE ALL THE INFORMATION UP FRONT, THEN YOU HAVE A TRUST ISSUE. AND IF YOU HAVE A TRUST ISSUE, WHY DO YOU EVEN WANT TO ENGAGE IN A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM? THE SAME PHILOSOPHY APPLIES IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS APPLIES IN BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS. ESTABLISH TRUST FIRST, BUILD ON IT WITH SOME AMOUNT OF BLIND FAITH, AND GO FROM THERE. I can certainly assure you that if a Corporate Recruiter doesn’t trust an Agency Recruiter, believe me, you are of no value to them nor yourself. And at the cost of contingency, what dice do you want to roll?