The Whites of Their Eyes - Video Interviewing</h1> <article> <h1>The Whites of Their Eyes - Video Interviewing</h1> <p>Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT</p> <p>“We hired Skype Guy,” a colleague of mine proudly announced at our team meeting. Skype Guy, who had reached near-mythical status with our team the prior week, represented an interesting challenge for our recruitment team – a break into video interviewing. Skype Guy, a candidate that presumably had a real name, presented a not-unfamiliar challenge – he could not travel to an in-person interview, but the hiring manager insisted on “seeing the whites of his eyes” before making a hiring decision. It’s not an uncommon sentiment. Non-verbal cues that we get through in-person or video interaction help reduce ambiguity and uncertainty. For a hiring manager making an important decision, it’s not surprising that they’re looking for as rich of a media as possible. It would be easy for a recruiter to let this fall apart, simply blaming the circumstances and saying “it didn’t work out.” But in a technological world, top recruitment teams can do better. </p> <p>With the proliferation of broadband, webcams and reliable software, video interviews are easier now than they’ve ever been. If you’re looking to connect with candidates via video interviews, you’ve got a wide range of options, each with its own pros and cons.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Skype</strong> – Skype is the most widely used video calling software in the world. It’s free to make a Skype-to-Skype call which you would most likely do for a video interview. The downside is that it requires the installation of software, which in many corporate environments can involve contacting the IT department and cutting some red tape. </li> <li><strong>Google Hangouts</strong> – A recent solution to video interviewing is a Google Hangout. A feature of Google’s social network, Google+, Hangouts don’t require software and can be private. For the culture of some companies, Hangouts may be a bit too informal, but it can be a quick, easy solution to getting some face time.</li> <li><strong>Montage</strong> – If you’re looking to use video interviewing on a larger level, you may decide to go pro and contract with a paid service like Montage. Montage and similar paid services offer a full suite of features – live tech support that logs in to each call, no software to install, recording and playback, and a scheduling system. If it’s something your company gets excited about, a pro service can add a lot of depth to your interviewing experience. </li> </ol> <p>Video interviewing doesn’t suit every organization or every purpose, but all signs point to increased use of video interviewing each year. It will come up in your organization if it hasn’t already. A perked up hiring manager will visit your office with a bright-eyed exclamation – “I just thought of the coolest idea…what if we did interviews through Skype?!?!” As you acknowledge the idea, you can tell him all about the options available to make it happen and volunteer him to help with the pilot run. That way, your next team meeting can begin with “We hired Skype Guy/Gal” instead of “we couldn’t make it work.”</p> <p><em>Post contributed by Adam Godson</em><br /><em>Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/adamgodson" title="@adamgodson" target="_blank">@adamgodson</a> or connect with me on <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgodson" title="LinkedIn" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></em></p> </article> <article> <h1>Manage that cowlick... and get a stellar talent process.</h1> <p>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:29:00 GMT</p> <p><em>Post contributed by Jeff Jurinak. Follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffreyJurinak<br /></em></p> <p>The more I started to think about Cowlicks, HR and Recruitment Process Outsourcing the more interested I became, so I jumped on Google, to search for articles on Cowlicks…Page after page of results yielded definitions and stories on how to “manage” cowlicks, work arounds such as electrolysis, waxing and even cosmetic surgery!</p> <p>Have you ever thought how many hairs you have on your head? Just for you to know, an average person has about a 100,000 hairs…so many of them going in the same direction and they work to fit seamlessly with your style. Compare this to your sales, manufacturing, distribution and research teams; they are on the same page with your goals and direction. Then you come to your recruitment/talent need s, no matter how many people you hire to find talent, your shortages stand out like the famous cowlick. Eventually you face the facts, that cowlick is there like it is for a great many people or companies and how does one manage that?</p> <p>Managing your cowlick means embracing it. Understand it is that unique part of the whole that has its own approach to success. The cowlick goes in just as many and unique directions as your talent needs. Recruitment Process Outsourcing can embrace a swirling and unique need and mold a process around your unique identifier (or cowlick), adapt to manage it (hiring needs) and bring that cowlick back into line with the rest of your business by operating a system across strains to understand, locate, and satisfy those needs and deliver a strategy that brings that cowlick back into place and makes its fit with the rest of you. That is what is great about RPO and conversely challenging for a traditional HR department.</p> <p>Cowlicks are invetiable as we all have at least one, just like most of us have at least one specific talent challenge or need considering the alternatives to solutions other than plastic surgery can be an excellent strategy!</p> <p> For a different view on Cowlicks view my colleague Barry Diamond’s blog on <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/rpolosophy/" title="RPOlosophy" target="_self">RPOlosophy</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Facebook Changes: Click "Like" to Build Your Talent Community.</h1> <p>Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:49:00 GMT</p> <p><em>Thanks to Pinstripe Social Media Specialist Brittney Horn for this timely post.</em></p> <p>As the competition between Google+ and Facebook heats up, Mark and team are turning out revisions to stay at the top of the market. Like, love or despise the changes, we all have to accept and adjust. Much has been written about the new Facebook features and what they do. But what about what they mean?</p> <p>At this point most companies have jumped on the Facebook page bandwagon, and smart companies have learned that using dedicated pages for recruitment can pay off. The buzz term “talent community” has taken off in the last few months, with most uses meaning nothing more than a replacement for the standard “sourcing pool.” But with the new Facebook, the best companies (that are truly trying to build strong communities of interested people with business-imperative skills) are being handed an amazing opportunity… if they have the content to take advantage of it.</p> <p>This new Facebook can be a game changer when it comes to truly engaging fans and potential employees. Sharing a brand’s message is going to be simpler than ever, but so is ignoring it. With the redesign, company sites have the potential to be more “sticky,” in the words of Mashable.com. The “Subscribe” button allows people to fully control what comes up in their news feed. So if a company’s content is light, irrelevant or just plain boring, it isn’t going to be viewed, circulated or shared. To attract people into a talent community, companies need to drive engagement with their postings. Companies have to work harder than simply posting open positions and press releases. It is necessary in the new social environment to share news articles, engage in discussions, address comments and concerns, and encourage users to interact with your organization. Oh, and automatic responses and robotic postings isn’t going to cut it anymore. People want to share and be heard by a real human representing your organization. </p> <p>500 million people log onto Facebook every day. The talent you are looking for is on Facebook. Facilitate conversation that is interesting to the talent you want to attract and they’ll share it, and they’ll share it, and they’ll share it, and they’ll… </p> <em>(And yes, “investigating” latent candidates will be easier too thanks to the more transparent options for sharing, but that’s not popular to talk about publically, so you didn’t hear it here first.)</em> </article> <article> <h1>A parent's view of a Pinstripe win</h1> <p>Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:56:00 GMT</p> <p>HRO Today’s RPO Baker’s Dozen list recognized Pinstripe for the first time in 2008. Coincidentally, 2008 was also the year that I started working for Pinstripe. Since that momentous year, Pinstripe has been included each year the survey was conducted, including our most recent ranking announced last Friday. While my mother believes that Pinstripe’s consecutive recognition directly correlates with my presence in the office, I think that our consistent ranking in the top ten is a team effort. Pinstripe’s success is a direct result of the talented recruiters and employees who blog on Recruitalicious, <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/talentboost/" title="Talent Boost" target="_blank">Talent Boost</a> and <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/rpolosophy" title="RPOlosophy" target="_self">RPOlosophy</a> and the business development team, and strategic leaders who guide the company down untraveled paths. We have clients who trust our expertise enough to let us implement creative (and sometimes crazy) recruitment ideas that differentiate us from the competition.</p> <p> </p> <p>Click <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/news---events/press-and-media/" title="here" target="_self">here</a> to view the official press release about the 2011 HR Today announcement.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Responding to Challenges in the Recruiting Process</h1> <p>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:00:00 GMT</p> <p><em>Post contributed by Jeff Jurinak. Follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffreyJurinak</em></p> <p>Today’s unemployment, restructuring and outsourcing have really put the recruiting function in an interesting light. Giving a quality experience to candidates and hiring managers is essential – but it can be difficult. Given the high volume candidate flow some recruiters contend with, dealing with over-anxious candidates can be challenging and push recruiters to venting in inappropriate ways. If you are in HR or in recruitment, I would imagine you have all experienced the “stalker candidate.” The one that calls an extreme number of times a day/week, sends disparaging emails, and is just bewildered that he or she has not been selected for the opportunities to which they have applied. It’s ok to admit you know what I am talking about. It happens to us all. How do we deal with this?</p> <p>On one hand, we want to deliver a positive experience to all of our candidates and hiring managers to ensure good relations now and in the future. The solution I have found is trusting your HR “gut” feeling and staying consistent. I understand that staying consistent can get boring and not what you feel like doing, but it is important.</p> <p>As recruiters, we have to demonstrate our commitment to our process. As we all know there is a huge difference between good follow up and stalking. In the conversations we have and in emails we send, we must put forward the same consistent message. Our first instinct is usually good, if we are prepared and good at what we do. There is a reason why we did not move that person forward in the first place, and if they are following up in an aggressive way, we should not let ourselves feel manipulated. A firm but friendly consistent message stating that we actively consider all candidates’ information against the skills, qualifications, and eligibility of all interested applicants, said repeatedly can go a long way to help stave off that stalker candidate and allow us to get back to the other work we have waiting nearby.</p> <p><em>Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day.</em> ~ Emerson</p> </article> <article> <h1>Technology Recruiting: Finding the Best Candidates in the Technical Workforce</h1> <p>Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:38:00 GMT</p> <p>By Kara Baskett</p> <p>We’ve recently discussed the <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/recruitalicious/bid/81088/Technology-Recruiting-The-Talent-Landscape">technology talent landscape</a> and how we, as recruiters and hiring companies, can <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/recruitalicious/bid/83920/Technology-Recruiting-Nurturing-Up-and-Coming-Talent">help to build and find emerging talent</a>. Today, I’d like to talk about some ways we can not only find, but present the best of the talent that is currently in the technology workforce. There are individuals out there with the skills we need, but they can be difficult to find.</p> <p>Companies often hire based on an exact skill set that is necessary for the position instead of looking at candidates for what they are capable, given their current skill set. Because of the lack of jobs a couple years ago, hiring managers grew very accustomed to being able to hire someone with the exact skill set, technologies, languages, industry experience, etc. that they wanted to fill their limited open positions. Now that the market has opened back up, we should act as partners in advising our clients and companies on the new competitive landscape.</p> <p>We should ask our hiring managers to remember back to how they were hiring prior to the recession. We should coach new hiring managers to look at candidates for what they have done AND could do, versus just their previous experience. I’m not saying to hire a candidate who isn’t qualified for a position, but looking at candidates from a different perspective can lead to finding qualified technical talent.</p> <p>As recruiters, we can volunteer our time not only to our hiring managers, but also to technical candidates. We can offer interviewing and resume review assistance. Many technical candidates aren’t taught how to write a resume, let alone how to interview for a job. A candidate may be extremely intelligent and have the skill set that we’re looking for, but because they don’t have much experience in this area, their resumes are thrown in ‘No’ piles, and/or if they make it to an interview they clam up. By advising candidates, we may be reaching a talent pool that others have overlooked. One of my all-time best hires had one of the most poorly written resumes I’d ever seen. Fortunately, I met him at an event where we were doing resume critiques and was able to help him write a solid resume that resulted in multiple offers. He just didn’t know how to write a resume showing his strengths.</p> <p>Building and cultivating relationships with talent is important. It’s important that we cultivate those relationships when hiring is hot and even when it cools down again. Candidates remember the recruiters who worked with them, reviewed their resume and offered advice, when hiring wasn’t as hot. When the good times return, these candidates will return to the recruiters who were helpful during the bad times.</p> <p>What other thoughts do you have on finding the best technical candidates to present to our hiring managers?</p> </article> <article> <h1>Technology Recruiting: Nurturing Up-and-Coming Talent</h1> <p>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:30:00 GMT</p> <p>By Kara Baskett</p> <p>In my <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/recruitalicious/bid/81088/Technology-Recruiting-The-Talent-Landscape">previous post</a>, I addressed the hiring environment for technical talent. So, we know there are technical jobs to fill. But, as recruiters, how do we win the war on talent and get the best candidates for our hiring managers? We can start by working together. I know, I know. It’s a competitive landscape. Why should we work together?</p> <p>In the technology industry there are positions that are going unfilled. One of the biggest challenges is finding qualified candidates, with the skills to do the job. Is there really a lack of qualified technical talent, and if there is how do we build up our pipeline?</p> <p>One way technology companies can find more technology talent and strengthen the up-and-coming talent pool is by forming more robust and collaborative partnerships with universities. If technology companies are doing more outreach and sponsoring programs at Universities, this will help in the promotion and retention of talent in engineering disciplines. Perhaps we’ll begin to see a positive impact on the quantity and quality of talent coming from universities. More students graduating from quality engineering programs is good for everyone.</p> <p>By helping future generations of technology candidates, we elevate the talent that is available to high-tech employers. Ultimately, this should lead to quality hires for our own companies and a stronger industry.</p> <p>What, specifically, do you think our companies can do in our outreach and collaboration with universities to help grow the crop of computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering graduates?</p> <p>Helping future talent isn’t the only way to find the high-quality candidates we need for our hiring managers, we need to be able to uncover the hidden treasures who are currently in the technology workforce. The last post in this series will discuss ways of finding presentable candidates within this market.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Technology Recruiting: The Talent Landscape</h1> <p>Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:03:00 GMT</p> <p>By Kara Baskett</p> <p>Technical companies seem to be ramping up their fleets of technical recruiters. If you’re a technical recruiter or have ever hired for a single IT position, you’ve probably heard from one of our peers regarding new employment opportunities. So why are tech companies hiring so many recruiters? We seem to be entering a battle that technology companies are all too familiar with: Finding enough quality technical talent to satisfy the demands of hiring managers. Companies are sparing no expense when it comes to going after and bringing in top talent. With companies like Google, Facebook and Zynga placing offices in technology hubs outside their Silicon Valley headquarters, what exactly is the war for technical talent going to look like this time?</p> <p>How did we get here? Only two years ago we were in the middle of a recession, and now we have one of the most competitive landscapes we’ve seen – maybe ever. Are there too many technology companies in the market? Is there a lack of technical talent? Are we going to run into a situation like the .com bubble? Is the real answer shuffling talent from place to place? So many questions – I definitely can’t answer them all; however, it’s great to open the dialogue, to see how we can help one another and ensure that we’re all getting great talent for our hiring managers. Let’s step back for a moment and consider the pipeline of candidates. We’ve definitely grown into a global talent community, when it comes to technical talent. Many of the larger technology companies do not care where a candidate comes from, as long as they are the best candidate for the job. Smaller technology companies often don’t have this luxury, and some don’t have the budget to cover relocation of talent. Even with all of these companies recruiting from around the globe, recruiters are still direct sourcing into competitors. Talent seems to be on a consistent move from organization to organization.</p> <p>In addition to the established players, we’ve seen the return of the start-ups. Not that they ever went away, we just seem to be hearing more about them and their hiring practices. Many of these organizations are luring top talent with promises of titles like CTO and potential stock options. Some start-ups are using developers’ desire to be part of a fun, cool, and hip culture by coming up with clever gimmicks and fun tricks. Larger companies in turn are raising salaries, offering larger bonuses, valet parking, and expanding ‘perks’.</p> <p>As recruiters, there are few key methods we can use to bolster the level of talent we find for our hiring managers. In the next two posts in this series, we’ll discuss ways that we can help to win the war on technical talent.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Announcing the Winner of the Pinstripe Social Recruiting Contest!</h1> <p>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:24:00 GMT</p> <p>Happy <a href="http://mashable.com/smday/" target="_blank">Social Media Day</a>!</p> <p>Last week, Pinstripe announced a social recruiting contest in honor of Social Media Day 2011. All we asked was that you share with us your stories of social recruiting success, for the chance to win an iPad2.</p> <p>We received some great entries. And, the winner is…..</p> <p><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenhaymond" target="_blank">Lauren Haymond</a>. Lauren, we’ll be shipping your iPad soon!</p> <p>Lauren shared her story of success at a boutique technology consulting firm that did not use outside search firms and had no access to job boards. She was able to determine that a large community of IT professionals use LinkedIn to network and manage their career information. “Through the use of LinkedIn, I was able to identify and network with candidates that would have never heard of my company. I used all of the basic search tools, joined groups and consistently added contacts. Working the network I built through LinkedIn, I was able to make better placements faster,” she wrote. Lauren was able to build a solid network of IT professionals and ultimately make more than 30 hires and increase the overall caliber of talent in the organization, with no applicable search fees.</p> <p>The honorable mention goes to our friend Bill Boorman, who shared the story of his <a href="http://recruitingunblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/hard-rock-firenze-part-3-120-hires-in-4-weeks-socialrecruiting/" target="_blank">social recruiting project for the grand opening of the Hard Rock Firenze</a>. If you aren’t familiar with Bill, check out his <a href="http://recruitingunblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> and <a href="http://recruitingunblog.wordpress.com/tru-diary-tru-places-and-tru-tickets/" target="_blank">#TRU Events</a>.</p> <p>Special thanks to all our contest entrants – we, at Pinstripe, enjoyed reading your success stories!</p> </article> <article> <h1>Social Media Day is June 30th and Pinstripe is Celebrating</h1> <p>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:20:00 GMT</p> <p><em>Post contributed by <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/about-us/team/barry-diamond/" title="Barry Diamond" target="_self">Barry Diamond</a>. Follow Barry on Twitter @bddiamond</em></p> <p>Social Media Day is June 30th and Pinstripe is celebrating by hosting a contest open to all innovative and creative recruiters.</p> <p>The contest is simple: DM @pinstripetalent to share your best social recruiting success story.</p> <p>One fabulous recruiter will be chosen as a winner and given a brand new ipad2!</p> <p></p> <p>This post was originally published by Barry Diamond on the <a href="http://www.pinstripetalent.com/RPOlosophy/" target="_blank">RPOlosophy blog</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>What is LinkedIn's Game Plan Now?</h1> <p>Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:44:00 GMT</p> <p>By Phillip Marquart</p> <p>What is next for LinkedIn? The professional-social networking site <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/05/19/linkedin-ipo-valuation-2/" rel="nofollow" title="has gone public" target="_blank">has gone public</a>, and <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/06/01/linkedin-shares-tumble-again/" rel="nofollow" title="while their stock price flutters" target="_blank">while their stock price flutters</a>, the question is exactly what the game plan is for LinkedIn now that they have stockholders they must answer to and growth numbers they must meet. Surely going public changes the landscape.</p> <p>Make no doubt about it, currently LinkedIn is one of the, if not the, most important tools to have in your recruitment marketing arsenal. Right now, having recruiter access (meaning basically unlimited access to search and contact sites users) to LinkedIn is a HUGE tool for a recruiter because you have access to the 100+ million LinkedIn users. But if I was forced to put all my eggs for the next five years into LinkedIn’s proverbial basket, I am not sure I would. I am not yet convinced that LinkedIn’s future is more Facebook, and less like the failed social networking site MySpace.</p> <p></p> <p><strong>The main reason I fear for LinkedIn’s future is that too much of their value rests on users reading <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=about_inmail" rel="nofollow" title="internal messages called InMail" target="_blank">internal messages called InMail</a>.</strong> Right now these internal messages are the main form of communication from recruiter to job seeker/candidate. Sitting through a sales call a few months back with one of LinkedIn’s senior sales folks, they definitely hammered this home as <em>THE</em> way to communicate; however, he danced around the question of ‘what happens when users block communication?’ Sure, presently very few users block InMails, but think back to when Farmville first came to Facebook. Remember? When that game first arrived, my Facebook feed became a dumping ground for requests to help friends find chickens, grow crops, and buy tractors. I didn’t play the game, but my friends on Facebook could easily spam me these requests to help themselves earn points. It wasn’t until then that I learned how to block communications from Facebook applications. Eventually, as more and more companies recruit via LinkedIn and recruiters use those InMails recklessly, they are going to be seen by an increasing number of job seekers as little more than a request for Farmville, forcing users to learn how to block InMail. Less and less of the InMails will be read, and InMail becomes quickly less relevant.</p> <p><strong>Plus, there will be the constant threat of competition now that LinkedIn is making money.</strong> Right now LinkedIn is lonely in the professional networking/social networking world. How long will that last? How long until Facebook makes a play? Or Google? Or both? Or a site we haven’t heard of yet? LinkedIn charges, in my opinion, an absurd amount for their ‘recruiter access’ and they are not flexible in creating packages that work for RPOs. They charge these prices because they can. Simply put, they have a tool no one else offers and recruiters need. Right now, they can overcome their steep prices and inflexible options because they are the only player in the market. Does this change when a competitor starts stealing their market share?</p> <p><strong>So where does LinkedIn go from here?</strong> How can they cement their place in the social networking landscape while maintaining a growing revenue stream to keep Wall St. happy? Since recruiters and HR professionals are going to be where they make their money, I would do everything in my power to keep LinkedIn as a relevant tool to them. I believe you have to regulate, monitor and limit actions on the site to keep InMails and recruiter-to-candidate communications from becoming spam. I fear that with the pressures that come with being a publicly traded company, that LinkedIn will become less and less relevant; however, I could definitely be wrong. This post could easily be thrown in my face in five years as I apply for a promotion or new opportunity by some hiring manager asking me “you call yourself a recruitment marketing expert, yet you thought LinkedIn wasn’t going to be relevant in five years?”</p> <p>This begs the question, what do YOU think? Where do you see LinkedIn going? Do you see them as the most useful tool currently? Do you see them remaining as one of the most important recruitment tools over the next 5 years?</p> </article> <article> <h1>Will You Accept This Rose? The Similarities of Dating and Recruitment</h1> <p>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:06:00 GMT</p> <p>By Jen Bluemner</p> <p>I was watching ABC’s The Bachelorette when I made an amazing discovery. I discovered I wasn’t wasting time on a silly reality-show; I was doing some serious industry research! Amidst the cheesy music, rose ceremonies, and bad come-ons, I realized I was watching the world’s most famous high volume recruiter, Bachelorette Ashley, filling her hardest position.</p> <p>Is it a stretch to say that recruiting is like dating? Probably not. I see a lot of similarities between match-making in love and in recruitment. Successful matches come from doing a lot of the same things. Reading the signs. Weighing the options. Finding the right fit.</p> <p>It, of course, remains to be seen whether Bachelorette Ashley will find the right match (and, those familiar with the show will know this is no sure thing!). But, it struck me that there are things in dating that people intuitively understand, when it comes to picking the right person. Some of these same things that come so intuitively in dating can get lost in the shuffle when it comes to recruiting.</p> <p>Take for instance the first date. It’s a lot like the first interview. It’s the time to get to know each other. It’s an opportunity to see if there is potential there. It’s not yet time to get down to the pressure of the deep questions or making any final decisions. There is significance to candidates recognizing this fact. It has to do with the ability of an individual to understand the importance of interviewing and dating protocol and to understand what moves are appropriate when. It’s no less appropriate for a recruiter to be off-put by a candidate who doesn’t understand this protocol, than it is for someone in the dating world.</p> <p>The daters of the world also seem to be highly tuned into reading the signs of interest. If there hasn’t been a call after that first date or you’re sending mixed signals, there’s a problem. Daters know this and so should recruiters. Yes, we all want it to work out. But, if the person’s interest isn’t coming through loud and clear, it is a problem. And, if it’s not a lack of interest, it could again be a failure to understand the protocol of the situation.</p> <p>There are, of course, a lot more steps to finding the right candidate for a job, just like there are a lot of steps from dating to marriage. But, often the first steps are the ones that turn out to be the most important. Just like in a dating situation, follow your gut and don’t be afraid to recognize the red-flags when you see them.</p> </article> <article> <h1>The Path to World Class Recruiting Service</h1> <p>Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:22:00 GMT</p> <p>By Amanda Gold</p> <p>Recruiting is not just about finding, sourcing, interviewing and hiring candidates at all hours of the day and night. It has to start with an evaluation of the client and their needs. Often a hiring manager who is up to the neck with other responsibilities will call asking to please, pretty please, get someone in here ASAP because someone just resigned, was terminated, retired, etc. Since we are here to serve our clients, we need to be sure that we are doing two things:</p> <p>1) servicing the immediate need of filling a position so that our client can remain effective and productive, as well as<br /> 2) doing our homework and educating our hiring leaders in order to give the client the most bang for their buck.</p> <p>Now, when I say educate, I don’t mean that the hiring leaders we work with don’t know what they are doing, because generally they do. But we specialize in this! We are world class recruitment professionals and we know our business forward and backward. So, why not share our knowledge and expertise where it counts?</p> <p>I work primarily with coordinating requisitions and there are five things that help me to provide the world class service we all strive toward.</p> <p><strong>1) Know the client</strong><br /> There are quirks to any company, and knowing them is what can take your service from being average to extraordinary. What are the staffing goals in each department? Are there certain departments that can only hire one or two types of positions? Who needs to be contacted when a hiring leader asks for a position that doesn’t really exist?</p> <p><strong>2) Anticipate needs</strong><br /> Example - For us, when spring hits, we get slammed with requests for on-call workers who will be able to pick up shifts all spring and summer long for people going on vacation, spring break, birthday parties, etc. Knowing this helps us prepare a pipeline of candidates well in advance and therefore fill positions quickly.</p> <p><strong>3) Research requests</strong><br /> Many times a leader will say “I need a full time replacement for Jane.” When I double check Jane’s position it turns out she is only part time. By bringing this information back to the client every time, we are helping to maintain a steady positive impact in their position and budget control.</p> <p><strong>4) Act as a resource</strong><br /> Be willing to explain things to your hiring leaders and teammates. Having everyone on the same page helps any process run more smoothly. To have everyone understand and participate in the process creates a sense of ownership that can drive even better results.</p> <p><strong>5) Be Flexible</strong><br /> Strange situations always arise in this business; being able to bend the process when necessary can go a long, long way with client/candidate/team satisfaction.</p> <p><em>What would you add to the list?</em></p> <p>We work in a dynamic field and accommodating our clients while keeping their guidelines, missions, and goals in mind is the door to providing world class service.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Recruiting Lessons From a Second Grader</h1> <p>Tue, 24 May 2011 16:27:00 GMT</p> <p>By Tara Cassady</p> <p>Last month my second grade son was studying careers. Over the course of several weeks, I, along with family members of the other second graders, was invited to talk about my career.</p> <p>I had the privilege to talk to about recruitment – and it made re-realize the importance of the work we do!</p> <p>I looked at all these bright, young faces as they were telling me they are planning on being vets, marine biologists, or police officers. Not surprisingly, no one said recruiter (well, at least not until the end of my presentation)! Charlie (my son) told me my presentation was unique, at the end I made his friends want to be recruiters. I am natural, I guess – recruit them young!</p> <p>I spent my time telling them what they have to do to get the jobs they want:<br /> - Gain experience<br /> - Develop reliable references<br /> - Write a resume<br /> - Get an education<br /> - Express interest in the job<br /> - Plan and prepare for the interview</p> <p>I let them know they can do all of these things, but that they aren’t the only ones who want the job they want …… here enters my career – RECRUITER! That puts it in perspective, even for a second grader, I thought.</p> <p>I spent some time talking about how recruiters:<br /> - Review your resume and experience<br /> - Have to choose YOU out of a number of other people who also want the job<br /> - Screen your qualifications and personality for a hiring manager</p> <p>It was those three things, put so simply, that made me reassess the work we do as recruiters and what an important function it serves. As an effective recruiter you have to :<br /> - Assess your hiring leader’s recruitment need very well<br /> - Ask the right questions to provide the hiring leaders with the best talent<br /> - Know what your hiring leader and organization is looking for on and off the resume</p> <p>That is a great deal of responsibility- <em>getting the right people to the right seats!</em></p> <p>After I spoke to his class, we had to tackle Charlie’s project. He had to put together a project that demonstrated his understanding of my career. How do you think he did?</p> <p><em>For all you candidates out there – He asked for the job!</em></p> <em><br /> </em> </article> <article> <h1>Extreme Couponing and the Value of a Virtual Employee</h1> <p>Tue, 17 May 2011 16:37:00 GMT</p> <p>By Amanda Liimatainen</p> <p>My minor in college was Economics. I’ve always enjoyed Micro Economics, the study of supply and demand, and the <a href="http://www.economicshelp.org/microessays/costs/diminishing-returns.html" rel="nofollow" title="Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns" target="_blank">Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns</a>. My Econ 101 professor always referenced food when he explained the latter. I’ll still eat an extra cupcake, even if it didn’t taste as good as the first two . “If the variable factor of production is increased, there comes a point where it will become less productive, and therefore there will eventually be a decreasing marginal and then average product”. The point of this story as it relates to diminishing returns is that, at some point, you’re not making money.</p> <p>The latest craze is <a href="http://thekrazycouponlady.com/extreme-couponing/" rel="nofollow" title="extreme couponing" target="_blank">extreme couponing</a>. I’m intrigued. If I felt that I had extra hours in the day, I’d like to try it. Thinking about it exhausts me. I cannot imagine spending 8 hours a week or more, clipping coupons, pouring over ads, and looking for 5 cents in savings on my son’s favorite yogurt. On triple coupon day that would be 15 cents, but that could be at the store 15 miles away. I would drive past five other grocers to get there, or shop at three stores to obtain the total savings. With the price of gasoline near $4/gallon, is that a smart investment? It also means that I spend more time in the grocery stores. Try entertaining two young boys while you grocery shop, make healthy choices, compare deals, and rifle through your coupons. There are people that manage it, and manage it well. I am not one of those people. My <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/valueproposition.asp" rel="nofollow" title="value proposition" target="_blank">value proposition</a> plays a large part in the decision.</p> <p><strong>Relevance to recruiting, hiring and HR</strong><br /> Before I started working virtually, I commuted 45 minutes one way or 7 ½ hours a week. That assumes that I didn’t encounter construction or traffic issues. I like round numbers so 8 hours a week in commute time is realistic. I drove my economical soccer mom minivan, that gets 28 miles to the gallon when I drive it ( as opposed to 24 when my husband does, a topic for another post). I would use 2 ½ gallons of gas a day to drive to work. This equals $10 per day or $50 a week in gasoline. When I worked in that office, I also ate out at lunch quite a bit for $5-$10 a pop. Let’s say I only ate out twice in a week. On average this would be $15 a week in food, plus at least 2 hours in non productive time.</p> <p>My savings in virtual employment = $65 a week and 10 hours. </p> <p>What does my organization save in having me as a remote employee?<br /> Rent/lease of cubicle or office space<br /> Utility cost<br /> $ in office supplies<br /> +5 hours in lunch breaks that I don’t take<br /> Potentially, +8 hours weekly in productivity since I have no commute </p> <p>I could spend that 8 hours a week practicing my extreme couponing. Instead, I spend it in productivity at work and time with my family. But, if I can figure out a faster way to get $1000 in groceries for $20, I’ll jump on board.</p> <p>Organizations do spend money on virtual employees - there are travel and technology costs. Is there a point of diminishing return in having remote/virtual staff? In HR and as recruiters, we should be aware of both the savings and the costs of remote employees.</p> </article> <article> <h1>The Road to Working Smarter as a Recruiter</h1> <p>Tue, 10 May 2011 16:52:00 GMT</p> <p>By Melissa Pipkin</p> <p>As I forge ahead in the fabulous world of recruiting, I find myself trying to figure out how to balance not only my day, but my candidates’ day, and hiring leaders’ day. I can’t help but stop and say, “<em>whoa, I need to step back and restructure the plan</em>.” And then, of course, I ask myself, “<em>well, what is the plan again??</em>”<em> </em>Oh yes, the plan. <strong>The plan is to ensure my efforts are being communicated clearly to all involved parties and with as much detail as I can muster.</strong> I don’t like to assume people know what I am talking about, so I put the details down in such a way there is limited room for confusion. For me, this lends itself to a much smoother process. How? Let’s try and sum this up categorically…</p> <p><strong>Recruiter:</strong> I ask every detail I can think of that will help me identify if this candidate is the “right one.” i.e. do they meet all the criteria; can they work the schedule. If the candidate answers, “open” to anything, in my mind I say... no, not a good enough answer, let’s go deeper. So, working the 12:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. shift is good for you, then? Oh, it’s not… well, then you are not "open". In my business, that is a viable shift.</p> <p><strong>Candidate: </strong> When they are headed to an in-person interview do I tell them the address? Sure. But, should I include the conference room or suite number if I know it? Of course! I include the manager’s name and contact number- if the candidate gets lost, this would be helpful. We want to ensure the candidate experience is seamless and allows for less confusion during what will be a nervous day for the candidate. The candidate should only have one job: to knock the socks off of the hiring leader and win the job!</p> <p><strong>Hiring Leader:</strong> Should I submit all the details on the meeting request or just say “Jane Smith”? I would include, Jane Smith, where they will meet, the job title, and sometimes the type of employment. The hiring leader may have 7 positions open with the same job title , but with various part-time, full-time, etc designations. Which one is Jane Smith interviewing for? Let them know; they will quietly be thanking you.</p> <p>Work smarter, not harder… being an excellent recruiter and working for a top notch organization should include thinking about the above….and then some!</p> </article> <article> <h1>Candidate Questions on Social Networks</h1> <p>Wed, 04 May 2011 16:58:00 GMT</p> <p>By Ali Webster</p> <p>“It Can’t Hurt to Ask” is just one of Mashable’s <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/07/09/job-seekers-social-networks/" rel="nofollow" title="5 Tips for Job Seekers on Social Networks" target="_blank">5 Tips for Job Seekers on Social Networks</a>. Candidates are posing questions on social networking sites because these platforms provide real-time, efficient communication between a candidate and a recruiter or a candidate and a company. You and your company’s answers to these questions and the way in which you respond will set the tone for a candidate’s potential hiring experience. Keep in mind that other candidates and your competitors also have an eye on your responses that will become part of your company brand and reputation in the social media space. Here are some common questions posed and some suggestions on how you should (and should not) answer them.</p> <p><strong>Where is this position located?</strong></p> <p>While your job site probably has the location of the position listed on your website, this is not an opportunity to admonish the job seeker for their lack of attention to detail. Do not say “That information is posted on the site.” Try taking a more engaging approach by posting, “The position is in the heart of downtown Chicago. Does that location interest you? Where are you located now?”</p> <p><strong>Am I eligible for rehire?</strong></p> <p>Former employees and company alumni will bypass HR and look for an answer regarding their rehire eligibility on these forums. Your company has an official policy. Instead of copying & pasting the exact policy, summarize how rehire eligibility is determined & throw another question back to the candidate “When and how long did you work for us? Are you interested in returning soon?”</p> <p><strong>I have the following qualifications…do you have a position for me?</strong></p> <p>If I had a public place to announce that I had my Master’s Degree in A Really Smart Science Field, I would go for it! And so do these candidates. Use this question to educate this candidate (and others) about the search functionality of your career center. Also take the opportunity to pat these hard-working individuals on that back, “That’s really impressive. Did you see any positions listed that interested you after performing this search?”</p> <p><strong>Will you offer me sponsorship if I get this position?</strong></p> <p>Similar to the question regarding rehire eligibility, your company has an official policy on sponsorship and work authorization status. Do not copy and paste, but summarize using friendlier vocabulary. Pose a question back to this candidate: “Where are you working now?”</p> <p><strong>Can you help me apply to a position online?</strong></p> <p>As recruiters, our goal is to make the online application process as intuitive as possible for job seekers. However, that does not eliminate the occasional technical glitch or incompatible browser issue that the candidate really does need your help with. A candidate comes to a social networking site to get a quick answer. Try to respond as soon as you can & help this candidate successfully submit their application.</p> </article> <article> <h1>The Waiting Place</h1> <p>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:39:00 GMT</p> <p>By Angela Ulm</p> <p>We have all been there. We get so excited about the prospect of a new employment opportunity. We spend hours prepping our resume and filling out a long employment application. And then we wait. And wait. Dr. Seuss certainly prepared us for times like these. As he said, “You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The waiting place…for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go, or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow, or waiting around for a Yes or No…”</p> <p>We all know that while patience is a virtue and for job seekers, it is a virtue that can be hard to come by. As a seasoned HR professional, friends who are seeking a career move will ask me for advice. “I applied for a position two days ago. How long should I wait until I call to check on my status?” “I had a phone interview with a recruiter a week ago but I haven’t heard back. Should I call or email?” These are all very valid questions. In the world of job seeking, it is important to be mindful of not only <em>when</em> you call or email, but how <em>often</em>.</p> <p>So what’s appropriate?</p> <p>Calling or emailing to follow up once a week is appropriate. Reaching out several times a week is not. The last thing you want to do is burn bridges with your recruiter. Keep in mind that the world of recruiters is tight knit. Recruiters know recruiters and they share information with one another.</p> <p>If you applied for a position, but haven’t heard back after a few days to a week, it is appropriate to call to check on your status. Give the recruiter time to thoroughly review your resume prior to making the call. When calling, be polite and always ask if the recruiter has a minute to spare for you. This will show the recruiter that you are mindful of his or her time and will make the recruiter want to partner with you more, even if the position you applied for may not be a match. He or she may be willing to work with you to find a different position that is a better fit.</p> <p>If you are fortunate to get a phone interview with a recruiter, set the stage during your initial conversation. At the end of the interview, the majority of recruiters will ask if you have any questions. Take a deep breath after answering all of those grueling questions and turn the table. Ask about follow up expectations. Ask if you are welcome to reach out to the recruiter if you haven’t heard anything. Any recruiter worth his salt won’t turn you down.</p> <p>As a recruiter, we have all been there with you in the dreaded waiting place, and we can empathize with you if you partner with us. Be patient. Be honest. Be professional. Be kind. And to quote Dr. Seuss once more, “Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky!”</p> <p><em>This is a follow up to last week's post "A Great Juggling Act...," which offered tips for recruiters and hiring managers on handling over-anxious candidates.</em></p> </article> <article> <h1>A Great Juggling Act...</h1> <p>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:44:00 GMT</p> <p>By Angela Ulm</p> <p>As recruiters and hiring managers, we are constantly juggling multiple balls in the air, hoping that none of those balls drop. Phone calls, interviews, reports, client calls, team meetings, and the list goes on and on. I never realized how much Dr. Seuss’s quotes would come in handy when I was all grown up, but he certainly has some words of wisdom for us. As he said, "You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left."</p> <p>Recruitment certainly is a juggling act, and there are times when it can be difficult to keep all of our balls in the air. On top of everything else on your plate, you now have an over-anxious candidate who won’t quit. How do you handle this candidate?</p> <p>Some simple tips:<br /> 1) Don’t dodge calls or emails. The more you dodge these, the more the candidate is likely to reach out to you. Not only is it important for the candidate to be honest, kind and professional; it’s your job too. If you are interested in the candidate, but are waiting on the hiring manager to provide feedback, a courtesy call to the candidate is appropriate to keep them warm in the process. If you are not moving forward with the candidate, let them know upfront.</p> <p>2) Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. Use the Golden Rule. Treat others as you would want to be treated. As candidates gain respect for you and your profession as a recruiter, they will be more likely to take a step back from pestering you.</p> <p>3) Network with your peers. Talk to them about your situation. Ask them what they have done when they’ve been in a similar situation. I bet most of them can relate and have good advice for you.</p> <p>4) Discuss the candidate with your manager so your manager is aware of the situation. We all know there are candidates out there who will go above you. I even had one candidate send a letter asking to have lunch with our CEO after being in for on-site interviews. It’s always best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best in these types of situations.</p> <p>If you keep these tips in mind, “Oh the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.”</p> <p>After reading this post, if you came to the realization that you may be an over-anxious candidate, stay tuned for next week’s post “The Waiting Place”.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Behind Every Successful Recruiter is a Great Hiring Manager!</h1> <p>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:54:00 GMT</p> <p>By Tara Breese</p> <p>One day while reviewing my open positions, it became quite obvious that I was having more success in certain areas and I wanted to know why. I came to the conclusion that it was those departments that I had the most knowledge of and felt the most comfortable with. Those positions all reported to hiring managers who spent more time initially educating me and who were always responsive.</p> <p>Here are four friendly tips for how hiring managers and recruiters can get off to a great start in finding and securing top talent:</p> <p><strong>1. The more the better!</strong></p> <p>Recruiters try to do as much research as they can about a company for which they will be hiring. We will review job descriptions, salary ranges and company benefits. That is all great information but we need more.</p> <p>What is a typical day like? How is the culture and environment? Why would someone want to work for you? The more we can talk you and the company up, the more we can attract those quality candidates. It’s much more challenging when recruiting passive candidates - those who do not apply directly. They are the ones we find through cold calling and deep sourcing on the internet. If we just recite some job duties, they may not be interested enough to consider a new opportunity.</p> <p><strong>2. Work as a united front!</strong></p> <p>Recruiters want to fill positions just as much as their hiring managers do. Working with a sense of urgency is a must. The hiring process needs to move quickly when it comes to securing top talent. No one wants to lose great candidates to the competition. Timing is everything!</p> <p><strong>3. No news is NOT good news!</strong></p> <p>Recruiters and hiring managers should always be on the same page. Ongoing communication and position updates are very important for everyone involved in the hiring process. As a recruiter, I personally have tried to make it a general rule to keep the managers informed before they come to me. Of course, it doesn’t always turn out that way but it’s a good goal.</p> <p><strong>4. Be in the know!</strong></p> <p>As a hiring manager, are there candidates in the past that you already interviewed and know you don’t want to hire? Sharing red flags and prior history is very beneficial to recruiters. The more we know about you, the company and your hiring needs, the more success we are going to have in sending the right type of candidates and not wasting time. Recruiters should also share red flags and any information that may be challenging or holding up the process. This goes back to point #3 – no news is NOT good news.</p> <p>Recruiters know that building relationships is critical to their success and ongoing communication is a must. Recruiters are the liaison between job candidates and hiring managers and want to make sure that both sides are satisfied. It is a partnership that should be mutually beneficial and rewarding. When that happens, it’s a win-win for everyone.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Careful What You Ask For!</h1> <p>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:28:00 GMT</p> <p>By Mary Pat Sutter</p> <p>The other day, a colleague asked me a question, I gave her an answer, but it wasn’t the information she was looking for. Later in the day she forwarded the email that prompted her question, and lo and behold I had the information she needed. This got me thinking about communication.</p> <p>In the world of recruiting we are looking for information all the time; how do we find that information? Well, we have to ask questions. Sometimes we have to dig deep to really get the answers and sometimes we just have to ask the right questions.</p> <p>Asking (and answering) quality questions factors into so many parts of our job. When we talk to candidates we want to get and give the clearest picture possible without promising too much or prying too much. We do this by asking good questions and communicating clearly. When we talk to clients and hiring managers we want also to over-communicate without over promising. When we train new employees we want to answer all their questions and give them all the tools they need without overloading them with information. When we research our companies to stay on top of their latest news and industry trends, we can easily get lost in the tangle of the web and come away with little information.</p> <p>Setting clear expectations and guidelines is a best practice in all businesses and asking the right questions is a big part of that. Figure out what you really want to know, determine your target audience and tailor your questions to maximize your results.</p> <p>Any questions? Just ask!</p> </article> <article> <h1>Job Boards and Dodo Birds</h1> <p>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:12:00 GMT</p> <p>By Phillip Marquart</p> <p>Are job boards dead? This is the question many recruitment marketing bloggers have been discussing lately due to the emergence of social media sites like Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter. Not to mention the emergence of <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com" rel="nofollow" title="Glassdoor" target="_blank">Glassdoor</a> as a resource for job seekers and employers alike.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, <a href="http://www.monsterthinking.com/2011/01/21/job-boards-are-dead/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MonsterThinking+%28MonsterThinking%29" rel="nofollow" title="Jason Lauritsen writes on Monster.com’s blog" target="_blank">Jason Lauritsen writes on Monster.com’s blog</a> that job boards aren’t dead yet, citing the decrease in traffic due to the job climate as opposed to recruitment marketing dollars being shifted elsewhere; however, money talks, and the fact of the matter is that, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704307404576080492613858846.html" rel="nofollow" title="according to the Wall Street Journal" target="_blank">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>, recruitment marketing dollars are being shifted away from the major job boards like Monster and Careerbuilder.</p> <p>One major reason the sites are losing buy-in from employers is that the sites are simply too user friendly for job seekers. Sure, that seems counter intuitive. Shouldn’t the goal of a job board be ease of use? Why would a job seeker use a site that is awkward and cumbersome? The answer is found in many recruiters’ reasons for leaving those job boards: they produce too many unqualified leads. They might get the most traffic, but those sites have made it so easy for job seekers to apply for a job that you don’t get the quality of candidates you would get using a more niche site that requires effort and participation from a user.</p> <p>On a job board you upload your résumé and cover letter and you are mere clicks away from slinging your résumé towards recruiters and hiring managers. Too many job seekers are too lazy to submit a customized résumé and cover letter for the job to which they are applying. Too many cannot be hassled with reading the entire job description to see if they are qualified because they are applying for dozens of jobs over their lunch break without much thought as to which jobs they are applying to. Have you ever called a candidate to schedule a phone screen and had them say “and what job was this about again?” They are the candidates most recruiters can do without but who are enabled by the ease of use on major job boards.</p> <p>A second reason you see recruitment marketing money moving to social media and more niche sites is the ‘cross pollination’ of job board applicants. How many job seekers use Careerbuilder, but not Monster? If you are getting the same results from both, why post to both? Plus, as Indeed.com (which is compiling a new résumé bank) pulls posts from niche site and directs them to YOUR website to complete YOUR application (already a plus as it requires more buy in from candidates than the typical click and apply method), the job board model that worked for the 90s and 00s is quickly fading. If job boards want to avoid going the way of print newspapers (bankrupt) or the Dodo Bird (extinct), they should adapt quickly.</p> <p>What role do you see sites like Monster and Careerbuilder playing moving forward? Do you prefer the major job boards, or do you see value in some of the smaller, more interactive sites?</p> </article> <article> <h1>Is Cold Calling Dead?</h1> <p>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:27:00 GMT</p> <p>By Kara Baskett</p> It’s a Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and your phone rings. You don’t recognize the number, but you wonder who would be calling you this late if it wasn’t important. You answer, and there is an energetic voice that you don’t recognize. What is the first thought that comes to mind? Telemarketer? Are you excited to hear from this individual? Think to your office six hours earlier. Same situation (some energetic voice you don’t recognize), but then your boss was in your office. When you don’t recognize the voice, do you immediately hang up or do you listen to what the individual is saying and tense up that it’s either a vendor trying to sell you something or a recruiter asking you if you want to leave your company? <p>Now, I know all of you are saying, “As a Recruiter, I always ask someone if they are able to talk.” I’m sure we all do; however, do our candidates know that we’re going to ask about their current availability? Does that stop the anxiety they may feel that you might ask something that would cause them to have to make up a story if their boss should ask who just called? For candidates who feel like this whenever they receive an unsolicited call from a recruiter, the candidate may come to associate anxiety with the recruiter. It does not make a good first impression, and you may spend months or even years trying to rebuild the relationship so the individual trusts you and the company you represent.<br /> </p> <p>Is cold calling dead? In this day of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Meet-Ups, conferences, career mixers, and all the other tools we have available, do we really still need the phone to reach candidates who we’ve never introduced ourselves to before?</p> <p>I’m not saying we should stop cold calling all together. I think it’s just time we revisit our approach and think about the candidate’s experience. How do we reach out to candidates we haven’t spoken to before, but we want to contact right away concerning an opportunity? Relationship-building is a key part of our jobs, but how do we do this with individuals we haven’t met or exchanged communication with?</p> <p>I took a very unscientific poll of my network to determine their feelings about cold calling. I should preface this by saying that most of my network is in the technology industry, so perhaps individuals in other industries feel differently. There were mixed results regarding whether they wanted to be contacted through email, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Not one of them said, however, they would prefer to be called on the phone at their employer. In fact, when I brought this up, there was a negative reaction. There were some who said they don’t mind being called by recruiters, as long as the recruiter provides an electronic introduction first.</p> <p>My best recommendation is that cold calling in its traditional form may be appropriate in a few situations, but not all. Think about who your candidate is and what is most comfortable to them. If you want to reach a candidate, consider sending an email, LinkedIn introduction, direct message tweet, Facebook message or another form of electronic communication first. Introduce yourself, your company (or what types of opportunities you have), and let the individual know that you’ll be following up by telephone. Even if you send this information by direct message through Twitter, at least they will not be caught off guard by you contacting them and will be more open to what you have to say. If you are going to cold call, make sure that it doesn’t provide a negative experience for the candidate.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Follow Up to the Interview [From Candidate to Career series]</h1> <p>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:46:00 GMT</p> <p>How and when should you follow up on an interview? In this episode of the From Candidate to Career series, Ellen Parsons shares her tips for following up on an interview.</p> <p>Missed an episode in the series? No worries. The entire series can be found on our <a href="http://bit.ly/pinstripe-YT" rel="nofollow" title="YouTube channel" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>.</p> <param name="align" value="middle" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="wmode" value="transparent" /> <param name="FlashVars" value="configv3=http://cdn.shoutlet.com/service/config/widgetconfig?widgetID=25664&child=http://cdn.shoutlet.com/widgets/flash/SWFProxy.php?s=ShoutletOS.swf" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /> <param name="src" value="http://cdn.shoutlet.com/widgets/flash/SWFBootstrap.php?w=25664" /> <param name="name" value="shoutletWidget" /> <param name="flashvars" value="configv3=http://cdn.shoutlet.com/service/config/widgetconfig?widgetID=25664&child=http://cdn.shoutlet.com/widgets/flash/SWFProxy.php?s=ShoutletOS.swf" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> </object> </article> <article> <h1>When Push Comes to Shove</h1> <p>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:55:00 GMT</p> <p>By Dana Harris</p> As a recruiter, I know how to make a persuasive argument. All day long I sell candidates on opportunities, managers on candidates and sometimes, everyone on myself! Are you still with me? I have to walk a fine line between them all. It is not my goal to be the used car salesman of recruiting. No cheesy schticks here! <p>But the fact is, I do have to sell. I have to push. OK, and sometimes I have to make a deal! Here’s a story for you:<br /> I have an outstanding hiring manager who labels himself as “very picky” and he is, indeed, very picky. I respect that. Any recruiter worth her weight knows that quality hires are good for everyone. He is also every bit as stubborn as I am. We get along well. My only complaint is that he can be so picky that I really have to push him to interview candidates. The following is a true conversation with names changed to protect the innocent:</p> <p><strong>Recruiter: </strong>“Hey Bob, Jim Clark applied to your position. I know you have spoken to him in the past. Thoughts?”<br /> <strong>Bob:</strong> “Oh no! Jim Clark has been stalking me for years. He is not a good candidate for this position or any position in our system! Please protect me from Jim!”<br /> <strong>Recruiter:</strong> “I can protect you, Bob, but you have to do something for me. I have three strong candidates that you must interview this week and you must give each of them serious consideration for your openings. Then, and only then, will I protect you from the likes of Jim Clark.”<br /> <strong>Bob: </strong>“It’s a deal. You’re the best.”</p> <p>So I pushed, I shoved and maybe bartered a little. But in the end, I got what I wanted, the hiring manager knows I have his back, and three good candidates are going to have a shot at working for a really great leader. What’s the moral of this story? Know your manager, know yourself and don’t forget to wear your cape to work in case you are called in to protect the innocent!</p> </article> </main></body></html>