Brighton Search Group

Profit from Referrals

2010-04-14T15:26:00-07:00

How would you like to earn an extra money just for a simple referral? We all know that the business world moves through networking and connections. It is because I have either spoken in the past or you yourself have been referred to me, that I am asking for your assistance in my search for the top software professionals in the Bay Area.

I am the Founder of Brighton Search Group (BSG). BSG is committed to creating relationships between Bay Area A-list companies and software professionals. For your assistance in helping BSG find these top-tier professionals, I am willing to send you a referral bonus if I can play matchmaker between your friends and these great companies.

So take a few minutes and think about:
(1) the smartest person in your college class
(2) the top five people you have ever worked with
(3) your friends who have projects outside of work?
and send them my way.

We have a lot of great things happening here at BSG! Check out our site for a sampling of opportunities that you should check out for yourself and/or someone you know!

If you're not in the market, but you want us to keep a lookout for your dream job, just respond and let me know what it is! Become a fan on Facebook for updates.

If you are looking to add great talent to your team, please let me know who you need. If you are looking for a new position, or are just open to hearing about new roles as they become available, please send me your resume.

Thank you in advance for your help and I look forward to hearing from you.

How To Successfully Onboard Your New Hire

2010-04-07T17:13:53-07:00

One of the largest mistakes companies make is thinking the recruiting process ends after their new hire signs their offer letter. So often we see companies losing the loyalty of their new hires before their first year, and sometimes before they even get started. Harvard Press reports that 64% of new hires will fail – even worse, 4% leave after their first day. Additionally, these days counter offers are coming 14-28 days after the start date. Aside from the general recruiting process, there is a precise effort that must go into place from the moment the offer letter is signed to the start date and on into the first 6 months.

Before the start date

Send a welcome email
It’s the smallest of gestures, but nothing takes less effort and feels better to receive than a welcome email from either management or the team – or both! It’s something we have seen instituted many office and it has had great success and done wonders for retention. Setting that “good feeling” in motion before the new hire reaches the office leaves a positive impression leading up to their first day.

Have their desk/office set up by the first day
Nothing says “home” and permanence like the feeling of ownership. A new hire needs to be able to walk in on their first day and find a space that is purely theirs. This includes: computer, office supplies like pens and staplers, phone, and some kind of storage in the form of shelves or drawers. They should also have a list of passwords, user names, and any other electronic information they will need to set up their station.

Have a schedule prepared in advance
Despite promising that they can hit the ground running, no new employee can get themselves around on their first day on the job. Try to have the first day to week organized on a spreadsheet with scheduled meetings, trainings, lunches, and free time for personal exploration. Knowledge about the events in one’s day gives a sense of control and comfort and abates the general unease and fear that comes with first day jitters.

Make sure management is aware
This one should be obvious, but on occasion things are so busy that by the time the new hire has finished their obligations at their previous employer and taken any extra personal time, management forgets who they hired in the first place. This has led to some embarrassing moments when the new hire comes in on their first day, sees the hiring manager, and is greeted with, “Wait, who are you again?” Write a post-it, put it in a calendar, or set an electronic reminder, but whatever is done, let it not be management forgetting the new hire’s start date.

On the start date

Share the company vision
Having a conversation that reinforces the company’s goals, deadlines, branding, team mantras, and anything else that can solidify the new employees understanding the vision they have become a part of is an important onboarding step. There is still a selling aspect involved here – being informative about what the new hire should expect in regards to structure and company/team aspirations means he can feel attached to the vision and hopefully want to immediately contribute to it.

Set clear goals and expectations
In one of the first day meetings, the new hire should be sat down by a manager/executive and made very clear what his goals and expectations should be. From a broader perspective, they should know why they were hired and what their long term objectives should be.

Treat to lunch
Someone on the team should be prepared to offer to take the new hire to lunch every day during their first week. It’s another simple gesture that goes miles in helping new hires appreciate the team environment they’ve ended up in. Most new employees, whether they were an active or passive candidate, are always keeping their eyes on an exit strategy should the job not be what was promised in the interview process.

First month and on

Make time for weekly one-on-ones
Management should arrange for one 1:1 session weekly in order to check in with the new hire and make sure they’re making their way. These sessions should proceed for the new hire’s first month at the very least. This is a great opportunity for both sides to express concerns, exhibit any questions, and generally get everyone on the same page.

Share the culture

Feeling like you’re the only one who missed the joke is uncomfortable. An easy way to build quick camaraderie is to share some of the team funnies and happenings so the new hire knows what to expect and when to laugh. Additionally, make sure the new hire knows of any regular rules or celebrations. “Casual Fridays,” intra-office softball leagues, trivia or poker nights, and organized bonding events are all things that can be shared with minimal effort but receive large amounts of gratitude

The ultimate goal of orientation and onboarding is to immediately create a sense of ownership and loyalty with your new hires. By maintaining this cycle, you will find that new employee retention will increase significantly and contribute greatly to the team or company’s overall success.

The above post was from a site that is no longer live, so the link is broken. It is Copyright to BINC

Why You Shouldn’t Accept a Counteroffer

2010-04-07T17:03:06-07:00

To be clear, a counteroffer is something a candidate receives from his current employer to entice him to turn down an offer from a new employer. The word “counteroffer” has long been loathed and feared in the recruiting community. Candidates are under the assumption that recruiters work so hard against counteroffers to save themselves a commission check, but the truth is, counteroffers hurt everyone. Below is a list of solid reasons why you should think twice before you invite or accept a counteroffer.

It should be stated that no candidate should enter the recruiting process purely with the intention of receiving a counteroffer. If you have no desire to leave your current company and are purely looking for a way to make more money, you should reconsider your options. Never enter negotiations with a potential new employer unless you are intentionally looking for a new opportunity.

Just the facts

According to the National Employment Association, about 80% of people who accept a counteroffer from their current employer are not with that same employer 6 months later. The fact of the matter is, a counteroffer does not solve the issue of why you were looking to leave in the first place – it only prolongs it. A candidate once said it’s like postponing a dental visit – you only succeed in letting things deteriorate more while continuing to suffer the pain.

Professional courtesy

It’s easy to imagine taking an offer with a new company while it’s on the table only to keep considering your options after the fact. If a potential employer presented you with an offer that you then signed and returned to them, you would consider the deal closed. If the company then turned around a few days later and stated that they have found someone better, you would cry foul play. It is very much the same thing when a candidate accepts a counteroffer from their current employer. The company has made a commitment to that candidate by dismissing other candidates and counting on adding that candidate’s skill set to the team. It is simply not professional to accept an offer only to turn around and take a counteroffer. And it could quite possibly be occupational suicide.

Burning bridges

There’s a misconception that accepting a counteroffer only hurts the company you are turning down – not true. Besides forever ruining your chances with the newer company, you have also left the door open for this company to share their history of you with others in your professional field. Do not be so naïve to think these things do not spread. You will find that the industry is surprisingly small and that a name can spread very quickly.

Additionally, you have now proven to your superior that you can be bought for a price. Now that your co-workers know you were looking to leave, it leaves the door open for them to ask for more money as well.

A bribe by any other name is still… a bribe

It has many times been stated that it costs a company more money to hire and train a new employee than retain an old one. Therefore, when the company chooses to give you a counteroffer, that decision is based on their own well-being, not yours. Bribes are always in the best interest of the briber; which also means that they can hold their “bribe” over your head for as long as they wish every time they need something else. It never stops at the counteroffer alone.

Looking to the future

Where is the money for your counteroffer coming from? Your next promotion? And if the company should falter unexpectedly and be forced to cut corners, they will remember that you once wanted to leave. As far as your co-workers are concerned, you’ve changed the office dynamics. Your lack of dedication to the team means that they now view you as having one foot out the door. All of these pressures hit candidates who accept counteroffers less than six months after doing so. Which is why people end up leaving anyway.

*The bottom line is that if you wish to stay with your current employer, don’t offer your resignation; if you do offer your resignation, don’t stay.

The above post was from a site that is no longer live, so the link is broken. It is Copyright to BINC

Questions You Should Expect In Your Interview

2010-04-07T16:48:21-07:00

It never fails – no matter how much homework you do on the company and how much you prepare, you are inevitably hit with any number of interview questions you were not expecting. The more prepared you are heading into an interview scenario, the better you look to the prospective employer, which is a winning combination for everyone. Truly the best thing to expect is the unexpected, so along with your preparation, go into your interview with an open mind and avoid making snap judgments about your progress.

General Questions

1) Give an example of one of your biggest strengths and one of your biggest weaknesses. (This is an oldie but a goody, and it never fails to come in one form or another. The only way to tackle this is to think it out in advance so you aren’t stumbling during the interview itself)

2) Describe your most recent / favorite project. (You should know all of the details related to the project including: your role, team composition, where you fit in on the team, related technologies/languages, challenges you encountered, how you dealt with them, and finally the outcome of the project)

3) How do you envision this role?

4) What is your ideal role?

5) Where are you in your career currently? What do you see for your career path over the next few years?

6) What did you like most about your last role? What did you like least? (Please avoid badmouthing your previous employer at all costs)

7) Tell me about a time your boss or a co-worker made you angry. How did you respond?

8) Tell me about a time you failed to meet an objective. Where did the project go wrong? How did you recover if at all?

9) Why should we hire you over other candidates?

10) Describe a time when you were faced with a challenge and explain how you solved the problem.

*Extra tips: Know your résumé backwards and forwards and study it before your interview, as many questions relate directly to skills and projects that you’ve listed.

The above post was from a site that is no longer live, so the link is broken. It is Copyright to BINC

Questions You Should Ask In Your Interview

2010-04-07T16:41:15-07:00

Often candidates forget that an interview is a two way street. Throughout the process, it is just as important for you to interview the company as it is for them to interview you. You should always have a list of 5-10 questions prepared FOR EACH INTERVIEW. This serves to show the company you’re interested as well as providing you with answers to vital questions you may not have known you needed answers to. By the end of the interview you should have your answers and know whether or not you’re prepared to take the next step in the process – whether it’s another interview or a final offer. The following are a list of questions that you should be prepared to ask in an interview:

About the Company

1) Tell me about your team/company and how you feel I could fit in.

2) What are some of the current challenges the team/company is facing? What are some challenges you anticipate you will be facing over the next year? (The second part of this question is excellent for testing to see if the team or company has a vision beyond the immediate future)

3) What is the 1-5 year goal of the company/team?

4) Describe the company culture and work environment.

5) How are you faring against your major competitors?

6) How are you distinguishing yourself in your marketplace?

About the Role

1) Why is this position open? (Is this position new, or will you be replacing someone? This is important in knowing what the company’s angle is)

2) What are your expectations for this role? (This is a good way to relay the expectations of the hiring manager/interviewer against the job description, which could have been written by someone else entirely)

3) What could I do to make an immediate impact? OR How can I hit the ground running? (This one is excellent for showing your enthusiasm)

4) If I joined your team today, what would you expect my growth to look like? What is the normal growth path for people in my role? (This question should be left for a face-to-face scenario as it is sometimes hard to get your intentions across over the phone – you don’t want to sound uninterested in the role you’re interviewing for)

5) Who would I report to in this role?

6) What is a day-in-the-life like?

About the People

1) Where did you work before you were here? Why did you leave? (This question seems direct, but it’s an excellent way to get at the perks of the company and get the interviewer talking about themselves. It’s a great way to build rapport)

2) Why do you still work here? What has kept you at the company?

3) Describe the dynamic of the team.

4) What are some common characteristics that successful people in this company share? (Interviewers are usually surprised by this question and think very hard to get the right ones across. It’s a great way to divert the attention away from yourself for a moment)

The above post was from a site that is no longer live, so the link is broken. It is Copyright to BINC

How to Resign From Your Job

2010-04-07T16:30:06-07:00

Logically speaking, resigning from a job is easy. The reality is far more emotional. Giving notice is a precise action that should not be mixed with any others. And though it’s easy to imagine quitting as deceitful and disloyal, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, your career is of the utmost importance and therefore should be your top consideration. Millions of people before you have given notice and will continue to do so. The following is a list of steps you should follow when offering your resignation to make the process as smooth as possible.

Do it now!

This is the first mistake most candidates make, and it’s usually one of the biggest. Like many other unpleasant things, we like to put them off until the last possible moment. This is not one of those times. As soon as you accept your new offer, you should immediately put in notice. If your supervisor is not in the office, it is acceptable to make a call. Give your company as much time as possible to do what is necessary to find a replacement. Depending on your relationship with your supervisor or your company’s policies, you might consider having a resignation letter prepared in advance. There is a sample letter available below.

Tell your friends

Your colleagues are much more likely to be supportive of your decision to leave, and therefore can provide moral support and additional insights before you see your superior. Additionally, if your supervisor attempts to provide a counteroffer, it’s much more difficult when they know that other people in the office are aware of the course of events.

Keep it short

This is not an exit interview or a chance to rehash the past x years and months you’ve spent with your employer. This is an informational meeting only, and as such should be kept to no more than 10-15 minutes. If the meeting lasts longer than that, then you have reached emotional issues. Your statement should cover the following: you’re resigning effective immediately, you’re giving x weeks notice, and your decision has been carefully considered and is final. Remember that this is a business event and not a farewell!

Never reveal what you know

Feelings of guilt usually prompt candidates to answer their employers when asked where they’re going and how much they’re getting paid. Your new place of employment is your business and no one else’s. Do not provide your supervisor with any ammunition to use against you during the rest of your tenure at your company. This is especially true of compensation packages. While you are still with your current company, that information is not for public consumption. You can begin sharing more information on your last day or at your final company Happy Hour.

Be gracious

Finally, since there is no reason to burn bridges behind you as you move forward, make sure you are accessible and helpful in your remaining time. Offer to help ease the transition and be available as much as possible. In the present market, you never know if you’ll be in a situation where you end up working with your current employees once again.

John Doe
12345 Main Street
Springfield, CA 90000
555-555-5555

July 3, 2010

Manager’s Name
Company
Company Address
Business Phone Number

To NAME:

I recently accepted an offer from another company, so I am formally giving my resignation. My last day with COMPANY will be July 13th, 2010. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work at COMPANY. I have thoroughly enjoyed my experiences here. I would respectfully ask to not receive any counteroffers or objections as my decision is final.

Yours respectfully,

NAME

The above post was from a site that is no longer live, so the link is broken. It is Copyright to BINC.

How To Do Your Best in a Technical Interview, Part III: Questions I’d Like To Hear

2010-03-23T16:21:18-07:00

http://tedyoung.blogsome.com/2009/12/01/how-to-do-your-best-in-a-technical-interview-part-iii-questions-id-like-to-hear/

The following post was written by Ted Young (Copyright by Ted Young http://www.tedmyoung.com) This is probably the most relevant interview help we have found anywhere...

There are three categories of questions I’d like to hear from a candidate:

About the company itself: products, finances, market, etc.

About the culture: work-life balance, level of formality, number of meetings, etc.

About the development process: roles, requirements, testing, state of the code base, etc.

The first one is important, because you’d like the company to be around for a while. Hopefully you’ve done some initial research about the company before you walk in the door.

The next two categories require some thought. Think for a minute: what would your ideal day be like at work? Would it be sitting at your desk at 7pm, debugging through some hairy code, trying to get a build out the door for the next day’s demo to users (or management)? Most people will probably not choose that scenario as an ideal day, though there are those who are quite attracted to that kind of pressure and love living on the edge in that way.

Not me.

After going through many years of being a consultant, founding or co-founding three companies (four if you count the one I co-founded with my father), working for a consulting company, and then working for some “real” companies (eBay, Google, etc.), I’ve gotten to the point where I know a lot about what I want in a company’s culture and development process. No company is perfect, but I’ve learned through lots of experience (i.e., mistakes) what environment works well for who I am.

That’s the key: not every environment (i.e., company) works for everyone (as great as Google can be, it simply wasn’t for me). For example, do you like lots of alone time to think and write your code? Or do you prefer throwing ideas (and code) back and forth with other developers. Do you like gnarly algorithmic problems or squeezing performance out of every SQL call? Or maybe you prefer working with users/customers/interaction designers to come up with interfaces for an application?

Or do you just want a job?

If that’s you, and you’re pretty good at what you do, there are lots of places where it’s easy to just have a job. But make sure that’s what you’re happy with, because if you just want a job, you can be sure that the people around you just want a job as well, but don’t be surprised if you find that you care more about things like quality and craftsmanship and good tests than they do. After all, it’s just a job.

Some other questions to think about asking when you’re diving into the development process:

How would you like to get requirements, i.e., in what form? On paper? As a mockup or prototype? Lots of whiteboard discussions?

Do you want things like Continuous Integration? How about bug tracking?

Do you care how available the people who define the requirements (product managers, owners, customer proxies, etc.) are?

How about testing: how much is done by an official QA group and how much is done by developers?

How complex is the code base? What’s the test coverage?

Would you rather deal with a single active development branch, branch per feature, etc.?

How does the team decide what to work on? Is it assigned by a manager or do developers pick what to work on?

One last area to think about is how much will you learn by working at the company? And that’s not just limited to their training budget, but it’s about who are the other people you’d be working with? Are they learners and teachers (i.e., do they like sharing their knowledge)? Or maybe the company’s in an area you’d like to know more about, such as finance or consumer-oriented software. Perhaps the non-developers you’d be working with sound interesting.

I could go on and on, but hopefully you understand that it’s less about the questions and more about what gives you satisfaction and joy in what you do. Figure out what questions you need to ask so that you’re as happy as you can be, because (and here’s where I sound like my dad) life is too short to spend a significant part of your life in some company that is a bad fit for you.

How To Do Your Best in a Technical Interview, Part II: Questions

2010-03-23T16:19:24-07:00

http://tedyoung.blogsome.com/2009/11/22/how-to-do-your-best-in-a-technical-interview-part-ii-questions/

The following post was written by Ted Young (Copyright by Ted Young http://www.tedmyoung.com) This is probably the most relevant interview help we have found anywhere...

After I wrote yesterday’s blog, I knew I’d forgotten something, but forgot what it was that I actually forgot (I believe that’s first-order forgetting). Now I remembered (actually I remembered during this morning’s run): questions. Not my questions (as the interviewer), but your questions (as the candidate). Maybe it’s inexperience, but since we have mainly been hiring senior (as in experienced and skilled, not older) people, I’m amazed that I don’t get asked in-depth questions about our development process, or even about the day-in-the-life of an employee at my company. After all, you should be interviewing the company just as much as they’re interviewing you. After all, you can’t just assume that it’s a great place to work, right? I’ve made that assumption in the past, and I’m too old to put up with certain practices, such as lengthy code reviews before checking code in (I’d prefer to pair program).

So, what are some good questions to ask? I’ll supply some of the questions I used to ask when interviewing (as a candidate) and those I would like to hear in a future blog entry, but I’d rather you give some thought to the kinds of questions you should come in with. Think about what you’d want your day to be like as an employee of the company, then ask questions relative to that ideal. Obviously you’ll never find an ideal workplace, but it’s up to you to find out on which axes the company is not ideal and whether you can live with that for the next 3-5 years.

The Best Question I’ve Never Heard

OK, I’ll give you one great question that I have yet to be asked (and this is after doing 12+ years of interviewing!): how many people have you referred to the company and how many of those have been hired? My answer would be 5. That will tell you a lot about how me, the interviewer, likes the company, more than a typical question I get, i.e., how long have you worked at Guidewire. There’s a world of difference between me working somewhere for a period of time and being willing to ask people I know and respect to work at the same place.

How to do your best in a technical interview

2010-03-23T16:13:41-07:00

http://tedyoung.blogsome.com/2009/11/21/how-to-do-your-best-in-a-technical-interview/

The following post was written by Ted Young (Copyright by Ted Young http://www.tedmyoung.com) This is probably the most relevant interview help we have found anywhere...

We’ve been interviewing a lot lately at my company and I’d like to offer some tips on how to do your best. Note that I’m not going to tell you "how to succeed" or "how to get the job", because that will depend on your talent and skills. What I can tell you are the things that will allow you to make the most out of those talents and skills.

1. Communicate. In fact, over-communicate. If I’m interviewing you, tell me why you’re doing what you’re doing. Don’t make me guess. Don’t make me ask.

You may be the best darn programmer around, but if you’re thinking quietly and writing on the whiteboard in total silence, and then you make a mistake (and you will!), I won’t be able to help you. Just like in school where the motto "show your work" helps you get at least partial credit, if you just showed the answer it becomes either Pass or Fail—not where you want to be. So, if you tell me what you’re going to do and why and lead me through your thinking, then I’ll be much more willing to give you some hints or help and I’m definitely going to get a better sense of how you solve problems than if you keep your thoughts inside. As an "Introvert" (on the Myers-Briggs scale), I know that this can be hard, but if you can’t do it in an interview, then how do I know you can do it on the job?

1A. Verify assumptions.

This is the "be a good listener" part of communication. Repeat back what you think you’ve heard from me and make sure that agrees with what I said. For example, saying "so some other code will instantiate my object and I don’t have to worry about that, right?" is a good thing to do, because that may be completely wrong, but at least you found out before you started.

2. Admit when you don’t know something.

It’s much better for you to say "Y’know, I’m not really familiar with X" or "I don’t know Y" than to try and fake it or muddle through. If you admit you don’t know something, it’s unlikely I’ll hold it against you (unless you say "I don’t know Java" when the position clearly requires Java and you have Java on your resume). But if you push on through when it’s clear that you don’t really know it, I’ll be concerned that you’ll do the same thing on the job and not ask for help and therefore make serious mistakes.

3. Admit when you’ve gone in the wrong direction.

Similar to #2 above, but I’ve seen interviewees bomb when they keep pressing forward with a solution that’s not working or won’t work and they know it. If you’ve followed #1, I probably wouldn’t have let you go down that road so far.

4. Check your work.

I’m amazed (or dismayed) at the number of folks who write a bunch of code on a whiteboard and don’t read through it to see if they missed anything. Take a few minutes to read through your code and make sure there’s at least not anything obviously wrong. Pretend you’re the computer and execute your code.

5. Know how to write tests.

Seriously. In Java, main() methods with System.out.println()s are not tests (this isn’t 1996, y’know). One test for your code is not enough. 3 tests for 4 different classes is not enough. Naming a test "testValidation1" and "testValidation2" is going to make me wonder about how you name things (whiteboarding is a bit different, which I’ll talk about in a bit). In an interview I won’t push you to do TDD, but you have to know how you would test your code, since that’s as much part of the job as writing the code in the first place.

6. Know how to whiteboard.

Don’t write out every single little thing on a whiteboard. It’s perfectly fine to say "and then I just do more of the same here" or "normally I’d give this a name such as testWhenUserLoginFailsAnAuditLogEntryIsCreated, but I’ll just write testLoginFails". Time is of the essence in an interview and you don’t have time to write compilable code. As long as you’re following tip #1 and communicate well, you can take a lot of shortcuts on the whiteboard.

There are other things, but if you follow these tips, especially #1, the rest is up to your ability to actually program.

Candidate experience with BSG

2010-03-16T15:13:04-07:00

“Mel is the most organized, efficient and competent recruiter I have ever worked with. She goes beyond the services a recruiter provides to job seekers. For example, she will share her experience with you to prepare you for interviews. This includes pointing out informative resources on the web, giving you interview tips and introducing the interviewers in advance. Mel turns around responses to questions very quickly. She seldom (if ever) drops the ball on tasks for which she has taken responsibility. Plus, she is an energetic, personable and intelligent person. I would recommend Mel to any job seeker as a recruiter, advocate and coach.” March 16, 2010

Badsah - Product Manager