Recruiting In 3D

Too many tools?

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Doostang, Plaxo Digg, I could go on and on. Is it possible that we’ve acquired too many tools in our “Recruiter’s Toolbox/Arsenal”?

Pick your poison.

In all reality, how many sites can you really keep as current and still be effective at your job? I’m a fan of the “master a few, but be aware of as many as possible”, school of thought. I mean, you never know what tools are going to start to emerge as a premier source for finding talent.

I once thought that I should get on as many of these sites as possible, network ad nauseam, connect, connect, connect and make sure everyone can find me. I learned a few things there.

1. Everyone WILL find you, even if you don’t want them to. I Learned the benefit of a “qualified network” from that.

2. If you get on too many of these sites, your quality on each will diminish, and you’ll spend more time finding your passwords than you do networking. Unless of course your job is Chief Networking Officer. (In which case, e-mail me for my resume)

🙂

I really like the approach of looking at networking like a starting pitcher. Sharpen skills in a few key areas, and like a pitcher, throw 3-4 solid types of pitches as your bread and butter (the “outs” pitches) and a few that you throw in for some changing up.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to go off on some “Less is More” rant, like Jerry Maguire. I just think that focus in important when considering your networking approach. We’ve already become an ADD-riddled society with our technology, and the recruiters are supposed to be the very epitome of the ultimate multi-tasker, so don’t fall prey to spreading too thin.

My personal favorites right now, are LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter and ERE, as well as being an avid reader of numerous blogs (Thank you AGAIN, Google Reader). This style won’t work for everyone, but as with the networking sites, its a choice.

What do you think?

1 Comment

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Pete Radloff

LinkedIn, networking, Social Media, The Hiring Process, Twitter, Uncategorized

are you SERIOUS?, Facebook, LinkedIn, networking, Philosophy, Social Media, Twitter

Does Your Organization TRUST Your Recruiting Team?

Trust is a simple enough word. Easy to define in most generic scenarios, and fairly commonplace to know it when you see it in action. We see this often in the sports world, where a quarterback will have a favorite “go to” receiver, someone he knows will run the route correct, who will instinctively know when to break off the route, and who can improvise in sync with the QB. The QB also knows that the receiver studies the playbook, watches film relentlessly and asks questions where needed.

Heard this before?

It’s not always so simple in the business world, especially as it relates to the HR and recruiting departments. We all know that the pervasive thought in most , not all companies is that HR/Recruiting are service groups who are not revenue generating, therefore a spike lower on the totem pole. We’re not going to address that here today, because that could hijack this whole post. But do they realize the value that you deliver in time-savings, candidate sourcing, and support? Do they trust that your team is capable of delivering what they need? If you’ve ever been in an organization where they don’t trust recruiting, then you know what this looks like: (just a few examples)

Managers don’t tell you someone is needed until they are ready to make a hire (read: please draw up an offer letter)
You get a job description and no further information
The candidate is not a fit – and that is all the feedback you get
You only find out about needs when it comes through the system, you don’t know the pulse of the organization

Recruiting teams can build trust in the organization in simpler ways that you might think. But it takes time. Don't expect miracle results overnight. Here are a few things you can do:

Lay it out – Sit down with each of your hiring managers and lay out the expectations that you need from them – 24 hr turn around time on resumes, phone screens, etc. and then let them know what you can deliver to them. But make sure you DO deliver it. Keep your word.
Investigate and Understand – When you get a job description from a manager, make them sit with you to get some of the “off-spec” peripheral information. Smart managers will see this as a clear sign that you are vested in getting them what they want for this role. They will realize that you want to find them they “type” of person they want, instead of just a body with skills.
Deliver and communicate – When you say that you’ll have them resumes in 72 hours, then do that. Or at the very least be communicating what the hiccup is. (Lack of qualified applicants, can’t find people in the salary range) Let’s face it, people want to feel like they are the center of your world, and this aids you with that.
Be Seen – take some time each day/week to be pacing the halls, dropping in for informal conversations with managers – “how are things going with the XYZ project? Are we planning any more needs there?” “How is John Doe doing in the 1st 2 weeks? Are you hearing good/bad/indifferent things?” Again, this clues them in that you are not there merely to put butts in seats, but that you want to be a partner in the level of success that your clients “(hiring managers and teams you work with) have.

This won’t work for every manager, as there are just some people who you will never get through to, no matter what you do. But as with all things, word of mouth is a powerful tool. Convince a few powerful decision makers in your organization, and your reputation as a key asset is going to spread. And many of the “non-believers” will be converted by hearing it from people they already trust.

What have you done to build trust with your hiring managers, teams or clients?

Found Your Ideal Candidate? Good. Make a Good Offer.

One thing I never understand is why companies have a habit of making low-ball offers. As recruiters, we go through painstaking processes in order to source, attract, screen and move candidates through the hiring process. In many cases, a full write up is sent to hiring managers (or other KDM’s) and the vetting begins.

So why is it with so many apparent QC checks in place, that companies still tend to make offers that are clearly so far below candidate expectations? I know that the market is bad, and the sky is falling – this too shall pass – but that doesn’t mean we should not be planning for the future, with the hires we make in the present.

I said to Jessica Lee the other day, when she was pondering taking the SPHR exam, that the more bullets you have in your gun (i.e. the more training and depth you have) the longer you stay in the gunfight. Couldn’t then, the same be said for making an offer to a candidate that is compelling and fiscally savvy? If you know what the candidate makes and have spent the time making a a point to know what they want, and you know what the budget can handle, why would you then not make your most compelling offer up front, getting the candidate to accept quickly, and instilling an immediate sense of excitement that this is the right opportunity for them. You may also be DRASTICALLY reducing the rate of counteroffers as well, since if they feel wanted and satiated in their comp needs, then they may be less likely to even consider a counter offer.

Know the facts up front, hit the offer head-on, and make your organization one that is not pigeon-holed into being “one of those “low-ball” shops. Candidates will appreciate the candor, hiring managers will love knowing that you can close the deal, and they can get their 1st choice candidate.

5 Comments

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Pete Radloff

candidate relations, Closing the Deal, Job Hunting, The Hiring Process

candidate relations, hiring managers, job seekers, Offers, Recruiting, Recruiting process, salary

How not to do a job fair – Yes, YOU.

Ok, so after the last of the fall job fairs ended today, I really had to just take a deep breath. And, finish that last drink of beer here in the airport (What, a guy can’t imbibe after a long day of repeating the same phrase 647,…no, 648 times? I also decided to craft a list, a dummy-proof list of things to do AND not to do/say/spew at a job fair. Yes, I’m an equal opportunity whiner.

DO:
1. Have your resume with you. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to picture your resume in my mind’s eye like before the first time I went to Disney and pictured Space Mountain.
2. Research us a bit. Give me 1 sentence that tells me you have internet access and had the sense to show some (even feigning) interest in us.
3. Dress the part. It’s not an interview, but remember, I’m half-deciding if you are someone I want to interview.
4. Have a smile, and a story about who you are, and why you are a person I want to know. Half of all communication is non-verbal, and a smile says, “HI! How are you today?”
5. Know what you are looking for. Telling me that you majored in Marketing because you like marketing, or IT because you want to work with computers is redundant.

Do NOT
1. Invade my personal space. I can hear you from 12 inches away. (Caveat – DO talk loud enough for me to hear you from 12 inches away.
2. Recite a pre-rehearsed speech that tells me about every project, skill, tool, building you ever worked in or on. That’s why you have a resume. All this tells me is that you have no ability to quickly and concisely disseminate information to another person.
3. Be combative when I tell you that Astrophysical Material Science is related to our business, and I am wrong. Remember, I am the keeper of the keys/resumes. (wow twice in one week I pulled Astrophysic-somethin, BONUS POINTS)
4. Ask what our company does. Check the Interwebs.
5. Have a resume that looks like my 14 month old wrote it. Really? REALLY? This applies 100-fold if you are a PhD candidate, unless that is something you’ll learn at the dissertation stage.
6. Go off on a 10 minute diatribe about how I MUST be wrong about immigration and that you are eligible. I play by the rules set by the lawyers, not make ‘em. I could have lied to you, but I gave you the straight story on why.

Job fairs suck. We all know this. On our side of the table, we stand for 5-7 hours, repeat the same message, and collect all sorts of germs. On your end, it sucks to be herded like sheep at a pageant. But we can make it easier on both of us by doing things the right way.

Stay tuned for a recruiter’s version of the “million man” promise to candidates.

4 Comments

Posted on October 15, 2009 by Pete Radloff

Bizarre But True, candidate relations, college recruiting, Job Hunting

are you SERIOUS?, college recruiting, job search, job seekers, Recruiting

Why that interview DIDN’T get you a second date.

I’m always concerned about making first impressions, whether it is in my personal life or professional settings. They say you get one shot at it, and you’d better make it count. Recently a few situations have come to light that really make me wonder if first impressions are a lost art.

When you think about it, going for a job interview is a lot like going on a date. You may have been introduced to or made aware of one another by a mutual acquaintance. Additionally, with all of the tools we’ve got available to us these days, the likelihood is increasing that the connection was made blindly on a website – be it Monster or AshleyMadison.com (I’ll leave finding out what the heck the latter is to all you Howard Stern fans.

Think of all the things you do when preparing to go on a first date – you (hopefully) shower, shave, potentially buy new clothes, etc. Nowadays, it’s also likely probable that you use Google, Facebook, MySpace or some other form of research on your date prior to going out. Let’s be real, it’s a kooky world out there, and people want to know if they are going for Sake at Nobu with the next Ted Bundy. People will go to great lengths to find out as much as they possibly can on the other party before going on these dates.

What is AMAZING to me then, is that a vast majority of these folks do none of this before interviewing for a job! Sure, dating someone could lead to some life-changing events, but are any of them likely going to be as impactful as the next job that can change the entire scope and direction of your life. True story, about 3 months ago, I spoke with a candidate over the phone, who was referred blindly to me by a former colleague who knew his skill set would be perfect for our company. (It was spot on, and my recruiter “Giggity Meter” immediately went off the charts.) I pretty much dropped off whatever wasn’t an offer for the next few minutes so I could schedule time to talk to this candidate. I knew going into this that all the standard needs for us were there: deep knowledge of and visible footprint in the industry, pedigree school, all the right contacts, and innovations we would look for. Right now you are thinking, “whoa…perfect slam-dunk hire”, right? WRONG. We set up time to talk later that week, since I’m big on having people’s undivided attention when trying to change their life, and can’t expect they are always ready to take my call. Here’s where it all went wrong:

About 20 minutes into the conversation after all the normal who/what/when/where/why’s were exchanged, things went awry.

Me:So how familiar are you with us (company name not disclosed, as always)?
Candidate: Not at all actually. You guys are one of those companies that puts mailers in the newspaper right?

(This is about as far off as me being a Harvard-Trained Astrophysicist with a post-grad degree in Swahili)

Me: Pardon?
Candidate: Yeah, you know, insert mailers.
Me: Actually, no…………(deep, deep breath). We actually do Market Research for the Web (I went on in more detail, yadda yadda).
Candidate: Oh how about that. Well, I guess I could be interested in that too.
Me: Have you seen our website, or any other material out there, like out Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube pages?
Candidate: No, plus I think the Twitter thing, I’m not on it. Frankly, I don’t know if it’ll last.

This was really where I knew things went downhill. I work for an incredibly progressive web company, and if you aren’t in tune with the web, why would you passionate about working here? But the thing that got me most, was the complete lack of any research at all. I would have completely given a pass if it was a “cold call” and the candidate had no time to prepare. The person had an EMAIL from me, stating the day and time we were talking, and the role I wanted to discuss. But, instead I was so turned off by the utter lack of preparation and disinterest shown, that I politely ended the call and said we’d be in touch if anything came to light matching the background. After having ended the call, I realized that it may have been beneficial to the candidate to mention doing some prep work in the future, but there is just no helping some people. I suppose I would have been more inclined to do this if it were a recent grad, as opposed to a 7-10 year vet who should have known better in my book.

In the end, with all of the tools available to candidates to do all sorts of extensive research on a company – down to where the hiring manager graduated from and what they majored in – why are people seemingly doing LESS research now. We’ve got LinkedIn, Google, Facebook Pages, Twitter, Plaxo, and I could go on, but too many people do a quick scan through the mission statement and benefits pages without really researching things that help them to stand out from the crowd. If a candidate was able to tell me about the two newest products we released to the market, or the new acquisition a company has made in our industry, or a new promotion from a press release, that would impress me.

My point is, people do more research for a cheap steak and margarita than they do for a potential six-figure job. You can do endless things to make yourself a more appealing mate, why not apply that to your career?

Don't be THAT guy

Recruiting In 3D

Too many tools?

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Does Your Organization TRUST Your Recruiting Team?

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Found Your Ideal Candidate? Good. Make a Good Offer.

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How not to do a job fair – Yes, YOU.

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Why that interview DIDN’T get you a second date.

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