Blog Posts for All Users on ERE.net

Hiring Managers Need You

Pedro Silva — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:23:04 -0400

For most candidates on the job market, getting to the hiring manager is like getting to the the Great Oz. Everyone wants to see him, but in order to get to him or her you have to go through a great journey. Also like in the Wizard of Oz, the hiring manager will likely remain a mystery until the end. And once you meet them, you wind up seeing that they are person just like the candidate that has been searching for them. Understanding this is where your opportunities lie.

In the job search, there is an overwhelming tendency toward having a one sided view. Many seekers put out enormous amounts of energy to find a job that is right for them without truly thinking about whether or not they are right for the job. They study tips and network for opportunities with organizations that might not really be what they are truly looking for and as a result they come across unconvincingly to the interviewers that will eventually introduce them to the hiring manager. Not to mention they are drained from efforts that seemt o go nowhere. What this blog offers is a way to make every effort useful.

We've already established in previous blogs that every hire reflects upon those that agreed to bringing the person on board. That is the first thing to consider when engaging with interviewers. The second thing is to remember that in most cases you are being interviewed because the organization has a legitimate NEED to hire someone with skill sets similar to yours. There is emphasis on "need" because this word denotes that the candidate has an opportunity to be of service.

Earlier we mentioned that like the Great Oz, hiring managers are people too. Somewhere along the way they have a boss, shareholders, or customers that are looking for them to bring them a solution to their problem. And as a candidate for a particular position you have an opportunity to be that solution or contribute to them finding that solution. That amounts to being of service.

For quite some time there has been talk about how the culture is shifting from being self serving to serving others-from competition to cooperation. This is the essence of networking and relationship building. It starts by asking the question, "How can I be of service?"

At first this idea may seem counterintuitive for people looking for a job, but if you really think about it, your odds of finding an opportunity that suits you can be dramatically increased by taking this position. To put into perspective, consider the following:

If you begin to refer others for a position that you were not selected for it is a good way to stay in contact with the recruiters and hiring managers until they come across something that does match.
If you are keeping out an eye for others they will eventually keep an eye out for you as well. It always helps to have others looking on your behalf.
As you learn about the needs of companies, you turn your job search into an intelligence gathering mission making you sharper as you move through your search
By helping other job seekers as well, they can share their experiences with you and give you insight on companies that you may be interested in or possibly never heard of.
By helping recruiters find people, they may be able to connect you with other recruiters that could lead you to other opportunities.

These are just some of the benefits of adopting a more servant oriented approach to your job search. Another added benefit is that you will be able to measure success by more factors than whether or not you land one of the first few positions you interview for. Seeing your search from this perspective can also have an effect on how you approach your resume. (For help with your resume register for our free webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/804459466.)

As you start to make your goal to help hiring managers achieve their goals you will soon see that reciprocation is a very powerful ally in your job search-possibly the most powerful-and that it will contribute greatly to your lasting success.

Generation Why?

Daniel Smith — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:36:44 -0400

I have read 1.3 million articles on recruiting for the next generation. Interestingly enough, they all talk in third person about what the needs and wants are of the youngsters. It seems that every "expert" understands the need to recruit differently and offer a greater diversity of benefits to attract this younger generation. I will be the first to day that I don't understand it.

I get that through the use of new and different technology, recruiting is becoming more accessible....my question is why do we have to say that we need to change it for Generation Y. If new technology makes applying for jobs easier, or finding candidates easier, shouldn't it be targeted at everyone?

In regard to Generation Y, and again according to the "experts", "Companies need to offer greater flexibility and technological perks to attract the next generation".

(Sigh...)

Why does a new or recent grad today think that he or she should be given a Blackberry, every other Friday off and the opportunity to travel abroad? What is he or she bringing to the table in return....a degree?

Don't get me wrong, I would like those things too....but what happened to recruiters selling the idea of an opportunity to advance your career through hands on learning and mentorships? What happened to recruiters selling opportunities based on values of a company versus a laptop?

There is more to a position then the perks that are involved, and I blame recruiters for trying to sell "jobs" instead of "careers". Generation Y didn't want anything different than every other generation, they simply asked for it....and through no one's fault but our own, Corporate America said "yes".

I say we go back to the good old days when perks were earned through hard work and experience....otherwise Generation Z is going to ask for the company car, access to a private jet, a lake home, and an opportunity to spend half the day tweeting on their Facebook about the new streaming audio they got through iTunes on their iPhone work gave them because they have a Bachelor's degree.

I say again, Generation Why?

Twitter's major limitation in advertising & sourcing.

Matthew Franzen — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:52:33 -0400

It's no secret, the amount of information on the Internet is its greatest strength and weakness. It's wonderful to have such resources at your disposal, but it can be difficult to provide or locate key information when it's needed at a particular time.

With its short message and limited ability to hold one's attention span Twitter has difficulty providing a effective level of persistence. There is no doubt it will play a role in the world of social networking and hiring, but a major shortcoming is the lack of information being conveyed and staying presence.

In order for job postings and advertisements to be effective via this medium they need to be repeated multiple times in order to ensure coverage. However constant repetition can OVERWHELM the target audience with information. Human nature adapts to routine which includes developing an immunity to repetitious events the mind deems to be irrelevant. Simply mass marketing job posts via a Twitter service will be little different from spam mail or mass mailings.

Additionally, no job description can be adequately outlined in 140 characters or less. Twitter's ultimate business fit will be as a notification service linking to more substantial information but only for target audiences that frequent and use the service. (For example: Promoting concert tickets in the LA area would be a good fit. Whereas advertising motorized wheelchairs in Florida would have limited results)

So before investing time and resources into Twitter, first ask yourself what your business model is trying to accomplish then match it up against the strengths and limitations of Twitter. If it fits into the role you wish to use it for, then proceed. If you're trying to do something ill suited to what Twitter can provide, you may want to reconsider the business strategy or use another communication mechanism better fitted to your needs.

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MyJobReferrals.com is an online job referral application enabling individuals to refer qualified candidates for open positions and receive a finder fee if their candidate is hired. © My Job Referrals, LLC

RE: FMLA Extension to 1 year for mothers

Jo Prabhu — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:38:16 -0400

It is incomprehensible to me that mothers are given only 4 months leave after childbirth. I am even more amazed that since many HR professionals are women that they do not advocate change.

I am a mother and grandmother and know as a fact that babies need 24 x 7 care. Childcare is not only expensive but finding the right or affordable nanny or caregiver is even more difficult. Many families resort to inexpensive and undocumented care-givers because they are all they can afford. More than the care itself, Sleep deprivation for both parents is a major issue and I would like to see more mothers be given work from home options until at least a year after childbirth.

These infants and young children are the future leaders of our country. Do you want them raised by uneducated caregivers?

Mothers and Dad's: What are your thoughts?

Agency agreement changes I would like to see in Recruiting

Jo Prabhu — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:26:53 -0400

Time and again I have seen the most appropriate candidate being rejected by companies because they do not have and will not sign an agreement with any more agencies.

This is not only doing themselves a disservice because do not see or get to hire the best candidate but only get the applicant provided by the agencies they sign up with.

I would like to see is an open policy where they will sign up any recruiter or agency who has the best and most appropriate candidate.

Is this difficult to achieve? I'd like to know your pros and con thoughts on this.

Recruiting Carnival on CruiterTalk.com Launches today...

Sarah White — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:37:20 -0400

and I have the first posting!?! (Are you recruiter enough to handle a MILH?) If you haven't heard about cruitertalk.com - check it out - Starting today they are hosting a Recruiting & HR Blog Carnival with a New Featured Blogger each day for the rest of the month.

See the full list of blogger's here Some of the postings I am most excited to see are:

Michael Goldberg - Really interesting guy that I met at Kennedy's Recruiting Conference in Vegas
Steve Levy - Always an interesting read!
Jim Stroud - Random, Funny Guy - video blogger on recruiting
Dan Harris - One of the nicest guys and the silent, intelligent one who when he talks, you listen.

And that is just in the first 2 weeks!

Clichés, tautologies, vagueness and other rubbish found in recruitment advertising

Ross Clennett — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:28:50 -0400

Amongst the many great skills that recruiters do possess, it appears advertisement writing is not one of them.

There is no excuse for poor literacy and the predictable, dull and cliché-ridden recruitment advertisements that are a dime-a-dozen in the press and online media.

Here are my major dislikes:

‘born leader' If you gained any of your leadership skills after you soiled your first nappy then don't bother applying.

‘exciting opportunity' or try 'fabulous opportunity' - every other job seems to be advertised as one or the other.

‘team player' You need to be as much of a ‘yes-person' as everyone else in the team.

‘proven track record' As distinct from an unproven track record.

‘can-do attitude' Can-do what exactly?

'strong candidate' We ask you to bench press 80kg as part of the interview process.

‘true visionary' As distinct from a false visionary.

‘you need 5 years experience in...' Too bad if you have the necessary competencies to do the job but only have 4 years experience, we aren't interested.

‘previous experience' As distinct from future experience.

‘highly motivated person' Highly motivated by what? Finishing work at 5pm, going surfing, gossiping about others, sitting on Facebook all day?

‘dynamic organisation' Thankfully for job seekers, the number of ‘dynamic organisations' matches the number of ‘exciting opportunities'!

‘flexible person' If you can't touch your toes without bending your knees then you're no good to us.

‘outstanding communication skills' Written? Verbal? One-on-one? Small group? Large group? Internal? External? Up-line? Down-line?

‘suitable for a man or a woman' As distinct from a cat or a dog.

I'm not expecting recruiters to be penning prose like JK Rowling or Dan Brown but I do expect more time, thought and care to be apparent in the billions of dollars' worth of job advertisements that appear in the various forms of media every year.

Remember - the more general and bland your job ad reads, the more general and bland the ad response is likely to be.

The more distinct and interesting your job ad reads, the more distinct and interesting the ad response is likely to be.

There's no excuse for the rubbish that's served up daily to candidates.

If your own name or your company's name is on the job ad then make it an ad to be proud of.

America...

Simon Meth — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:03:41 -0400

July 2009 - HELP IS HERE

Nancy Dube — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:21:33 -0400

According the to the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, lay-offs are still happening. As a Job Coach and Professional Resume Writer, I can help you maximize your opportunities.

In today's competitive market, it's important that you present results focused resume that:

Is professionally designed and developed to maximize impact and provide you with a competitive advantage

Has customized content adapted to meet the employers expectations through the use of persuasive language that compels them to continue reading

Uses a concise format that creates interest and is easy to read, ensuring that the employer recognizes your accomplishments and expertise

Employs a marketing method that portrays you in a positive manner, concentrating on achievements and abilities that relate directly to the role

Conducts a comprehensive audit that identifies your unique skills and talents to articulate the additional advantages of considering you for the job

Don't become another statistic. Job coaching services, active business networks, targeted opportunities. Call Dube Consulting today for your consultation at (508)769-2294.

Mass Lay-offs Peak Again in May

Employers took 2,933 mass lay-off actions in May that resulted in the separation of 312,880 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month. The number of mass lay-off events matched the peak level from March 2009, with data available back to 1995.

Source: US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

Healthcare spending comes to light in a little Texas town. Read the article!

Russell Podgorski, CIR, PRC — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:11:29 -0400

Click to read.

http://thephysicianrecruitmentblog.blogspot.com/

Recessionary Fallout

Sarah Welstead — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:08:13 -0400

There was an interesting article recently in the Globe and Mail looking at some of the possible long-term effects of the current recession on employment, company cultures, job development and other areas. I found the changes for young workers (the oft-discussed Gen Y) particularly of note.

[M]any young people I talk to have significantly, and resentfully, lowered their expectations. They didn't imagine themselves in this situation in their wildest dreams.

Nor did many others. Generation Y will be most affected by the cutbacks, downsizings and marked change in organizational cultures over the past few months, but the recession will take its toll on every generation's attitudes and expectations. The question is how long-lasting the reverberations will be in reshaping the way people think, feel and act toward work and their careers.

Management Consultant and Trainer to the recruitment industry.

Bill Boorman — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:34:26 -0400

Over the last year I have been a regular commentator on my views of how the recession has changed the market, and in particular how clients are now seeking value and something different from their suppliers. Value being the key factor in decisions on who to use and what they are willing to pay for it. When facing this challenge, it is easy to forget that the needs of the candidates have also changed in line with the market. In the first of a series of blogs, I'm considering this and giving you my views.

In my view, in an applicant rich market, it's harder to find the right people. Might seem strange, and the clients need to be convinced of this, but you have to look at a lot more CV's on order to identify the right people to submit and those that are suitable need a lot more hand holding before they are willing to take the leap and change employers. This is why the decision making lead time is taking longer on both the applicant and client side. Our research indicates that the average lead time between vacancy and placement has doubled from 3 weeks to 6 weeks over the last twelve months. (Some sectors may take even longer).

This requires a new approach to candidate take on, vacancy take on, response handling and offer management that is much more involved and personal. A lot like we used to do it in the B.C. days. (Before Computers!) The key trends to consider here are:

High volume of candidate flow
Increase in "speculative" applications
Falling quality and relevance in ad response
Candidate need for on going communication and relationship
Candidate need for feedback and guidance
Longer candidate decision making time
Working candidates cautious and risk averse
Skilled candidates in "war for talent" sectors harder to find and move
Financial stability being the key factor in any move over reward

Considering these trends, recruitment businesses are having to review their applicant strategy and approach (on the basis that they have one in the first place!). My top 10 tips to consider in this are listed below. They may not all work for you, but if they don't, come up with your own:

1: Search your data-base before you advertise anything. You will probably already have what you need with a bit of work.

2: Prepare a "rejection" pack that gives applicants more than a no thanks. A well crafted letter with some additional tips on things like CV writing, useful job sites, other agencies, advice on identifying transferable skills etc. This will protect your applicant brand particularly as these applicants may become useful down the line.

3: Align your sales strategy around the candidates you have. Target companies that are likely to have vacancies in the areas you have candidates. This will open doors and ensure the vacancies you win will be the vacancies you can fill.

4: Register candidates by interview. Face to face or on the phone should have little difference over the process. Dedicate part of the interview to identifying exactly what they want, why and what concerns they have. This is invaluable for matching and for reinforcing why a position is right.

5: Take full Job Specs (Not descriptions.) This means understanding exactly what the company can offer and in particular why they will provide a secure home. Essential information up to offer stage.

6: Get to know your candidates. Focus your time and effort on "hot" candidates who are marketable or a good source of referrals. Have regular conversations, offer opportunities and give regular feedback. A small number - 20 - 30 are manageable, and the relationship of trust will become key during the interview process.

7: Brief both your candidate and client at every stage. Continually check for reservations or curve balls. Make sure the client reinforces why they are the right choice and that the candidate has discussed the opportunity with all their family.

8: Talk to clients about the difficult to find skills essential to them, target these areas via headhunting, networking, blogging etc. This will enable you to open doors to new business by having candidates that clients actually want and need.

9: make the phone and face to face your favored method of communication. Use e-mail as a back up only when you can't reach someone or you want to confirm a conversation. This is where relationships are built and you get a real feel for the emotion.

10: Engage with your inactive candidates. The easiest way to do this is to run a weekly conference call. You can update on the market, ask for referrals and ask questions. Much appreciated by candidates.

This is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully has got you thinking about what the candidates as well as the clients want in the current market.

I will be discussing this with Allan Whitford and other guests on the internet radio talk show ready for lift off at 12.00 - 1.00 GMT and the international edition between 6.00 - 7.00 on Monday 3^rd July.

You can listen in during or after the show on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Bill-Boorman

You can take part by calling 01-646-727-3988

Hope to see you there!

Bill

Supreme Court Ricci Decision: Cliff Notes Version

Gerry Crispin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:35:05 -0400

My eyelids droop when I hear lawyers or Phds explaining anything. And when they explain something legal, my head hurts. And when they explain the legality of testing, my head droops, hits the desk and I hurt even more.

(There are exceptions and among them I happen to love Charles Handler who recently wrote an ERE article on this subject)

However, while I think staffing leaders want to understand what is going on in all relevant corners of their world the recent Supreme Court decision on the Ricci case (which may eventually have some bearing on testing) is confusing.

The problem is that it is a complex finding and, while it will certainly be dissected for the next few months offering lawyers, EEO experts and psychologists extra exposure on webinars, my simplified [and arguable biased] take in a few somewhat declarative sentences follows:

- The City of New Haven uses a written test to determine whether to promote firefighters to a "command" position.

- The test adversely affects minorities i.e. they do significantly poorer.

- The City refused to accept the results of their own test because the results were "discriminatory". (The guys and gals who took the test and came out on top were upset and cried foul.

- The Supreme Court refused to accept the city's argument. The results stand.

- In sustaining the original results, the Supreme Court said that the City gave the test and now they need to live with the results.

-The Supreme Court also said that the City poorly argued that the test wasn't valid in the first place and so they had to assume it was valid until it was proven that it wasn't. (Lots of experts support the notion that the written test in question aka the "book learning" approach lacks any connection to the reality of what it takes to lead firefighters. Unfortunately, the [so called] experts argue among themselves about the best way to measure validity and ended up confusing the court.)

- Bottom line, the Supreme Court supports scientific selection which on its face cannot be ignored simply because a specifc group does poorly. The Supreme Court however is not saying that you can get away with a test that discriminates if it is NOT truly valid.

- However, the ruling was close and a minority [no pun intended] decision by Ginsburg championed a new notion- that "diversity" is a "primary objective in staffing". This has a lot of folks up in arms who think (as most of us do) that hiring candidates who will perform well is the primary objective..and that doing it fairly to ensure the successful candidates are, in fact, diverse is what we are talking about.

In the short run, if you validate against performance, you will have fewer problems. If you recruit against criteria you've validated, simply make sure your diverse candidates all meet the same bar. Tom Janz sent me this link to SIOP content and a few notes which prompted my blog. Thanks Tom (another PhD I can understand)

The Impact of the Recession on Recruitment in South Africa

Gillian Meier — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:30:51 -0400

The SA Recruiters Network recently conducted a survey amongst South African Recruitment agencies as well as Human Resources and Hiring Managers of Corporate South Africa to review the impact that the recession is having on recruitment.

The SA Recruiters Network is an online networking community for South African Recruitment and HR professionals. It was formed in May this year by Gillian Meier, CEO of South African Job Portal, Jobs.co.za. Says Meier, 'The network was created to provide a platform whereby recruiting professionals would be able to network, and share recruitment best practices and insights with other industry professionals. In only a month the membership has grown quickly and the activity amongst recruiters is encouraging and demonstrates a willingness amongst recruiters to want to work together towards a common goal under a trying time'.

Throughout the month of June the network ran two separate surveys - one focused on Recruitment agencies and another on HR and Hiring Managers from Corporate South Africa. The surveys were both geared around acquiring insight into the impact that the recession is having on hiring within companies as well as the effects that are felt as a result thereof by the recruitment industry. A second part of the survey focused on understanding how both the Companies and Recruitment agencies are adapting their recruitment strategies to meet their current hiring needs under the financial crunch.

Before the recession many Recruitment agencies were working on anywhere between 20-50 vacancies on average per month, with 15% handling more than 51-100 vacancies in a month. Since the recession this number has dropped significantly with less than 3% of Recruitment agencies handling between 51-100 vacancies in a month and over 70% now only working on no more than 20 job specs in a month. Where more than 70% of agencies were on average making more than 5 placements monthly, 72% are now placing less than 5 candidates monthly. The current economic situation has forced many Companies (22%) to put a freeze on hiring with 56% commenting that they are only replacing critical roles, with several large organisations now hiring less than 20 employees per annum.

Both Companies and Recruitment agencies have recognised a need to become smarter in their recruitment strategies. More Recruitment agencies are realising the value of having their own websites and now frequently make use of these to advertise opportunities that they are working on. Employers and their agencies both feel that having access to a central CV database will provide the most value with regards to filling critical roles quickly at minimal cost. 98% of Recruitment agencies surveyed felt that it is important that they access CV databases while 88% currently subscribe to an online CV database, and 73% of companies surveyed said that they were interested in accessing some form of external CV database. 41% of companies already make extensive use of their own CV databases to find suitable skills and 46% frequently advertise their vacancies on their own website's careers pages. 45% of Companies still make use of recruitment agencies to assist them in filling critical roles in addition to advertising the vacancies themselves on job boards (44%) and in newspapers (22%).

Other recruitment tools identified as key strategies this year include branded job advertising on job boards with the ability to automatically match candidates to job ads with alert notifications; as well as automatic applicant screening, filtering and rating tools. Integration of internal recruitment management systems with existing careers websites, with the ability to automate and streamline job advertising with major job portals, together with centralised application management tools was also considered an important requirement by many Companies.

The adoption of social networks as a recruiting tool is still slow with 24% of Recruitment agencies and only 12% of companies utilising the candidate targeting tools available through these online networks, while both companies (31%) and agencies (52%) are still relying heavily on word-of-mouth referrals to find the best quality talent with the lowest possible cost of hire.

Download Executive Summary:SA Recruitment Survey 2009

How important the recruiter will be!

Allan Wang — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:57:07 -0400

No one is going to waste the time, especially the company who wants to hire new people, I mean probably the best people in the market. Sure you can put an AD online, newspaper, magazine and some recuriting websites, you got a few appliciations if you are lucky. But you can't control the quality, that why the recruiter exist. We find people, select and put forward, we make sure 80% of the profile are match with the JD. The in-house HR need our service! That's why the recruiter are quite important right now, and the future.

Create a Culture of Engagement

Kathleen Dodaro, Ph.D. — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:47:40 -0400

Did you know?

...The companies on Fortune's list of the "Best 100 Companies to Work For" increased their stock price by 14% per year between 1998 and 2005.

...Highly engaged employees outperform disengaged colleagues by 20-28% according to the Conference Board.

...Towers Perrin found over a three year period of time companies increased their operating margins by 5.75% when their employees were engaged.

The current economic climate has caused many companies to just stick to their core business. However, what companies cannot forget to do is still look for talent that will embrace the culture of their organization and continue to engage their current staff. The reason is simple, "It Affects the Bottom Line" and nothing is more important now than staying profitable!

I Just Don't Care Any More

Bob Waldo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:59:16 -0400

I've had the good fortune of landing a number of interviews recently, and it's dawned on me that I just don't care anymore. That's right, I just don't care. Oh, I care about my job search. I care about landing the right opportunity. I care about my ability to effectively present myself as a viable solution to my next employer's problem. I just don't care about putting up "The Façade".

You know what I'm talking about. Your game face. The interview identity. "The Façade". I don't know that I ever really put one up, but I know that recently I've become much more cognizant of just being myself, and not trying to figure out in this chess game we call an interview, what it is the person across the table is thinking, or what it is they're looking for in their candidate. I just don't care. Sounds pretty arrogant, doesn't it? Frankly, I just don't care.

Let's put this all in perspective if we can. We can all put on "The Façade" when we need to, and we all need to from time to time. The interview is not the pace to do it and let me tell you why. It sets up unrealistic, and in many instances, false expectations. You are who you are, and I am who I am, and trying to be the "everything to everyone" by morphing yourself, your beliefs, and your posture on a given scenario in an interview is plainly just a lie. Why would you lie to someone who's trying to hire you? Don't try to sell an apple to someone who needs an orange. Focus on being the best orange you can be, by letting the real you come out in an interview. More than likely, the interviewer is going to see through "The Façade" of red paint, smooth skin, and stem you've put on and recognize the orange colored, textured skin and navel that comprise the orange that's sitting in front of them.

Imagine the scenario when you get settled into your new job, where your employer expected what they saw in the interview, and you've taken off "The Façade" and fallen back into your comfort zone as something diametrically opposed to what was presented in the interview. Well, better dust off the resume again because the clock is ticking on your short tenure in your new job.

Just be yourself. You can't be anything else, and somewhere out there, someone wants an orange. I'm not even sure what fruit I am, but there is one thing I do know:

I just don't care any more.

How to turn off a candidate AND lose business

Eric Raynard — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:30:32 -0400

A business friend called last week to share an interview horror story. He has managed a $50 million business unit for a major brand and is very highly regarded.

His story was funny and sad at the same time. He was absolutely turned off by the interviewer, the president of the company; was extremely glad not to get the job or even get invited back for a second meeting; and he will probably never buy that company's products because of the downright discourtesy and rudeness of the president.

NOTE: Identities and product categories have been obfuscated to avoid harmful blowback. Don't want my friend to get hurt. Just hope other interviewers learn the obvious lesson: Interviewing is an exchange of information and a chance to build good will. Use the interview wisely and well.

Company X is a popular nameplate of consumer goods looking to expand their brand equity into another item. My friend was very well (perhaps over -) qualified for a category manager position. The president and owner of Company X flew the candidate into his city at his expense.

My friend's $50 million business unit was in the same category at a very large company with a household name. His category at that time was probably as big or bigger than the total size of the company at which he was being interviewed.

My friend met the president at the designated spot in the airport in the president's home city. They exchanged a few social pleasantries.

Almost immediately, as the meeting progressed, the president and owner of Company X proceeded to denigrate and belittle two of my friend's previous companies. Then he went on to dispute several of my friend's statements in a churlish, competitive fashion.

My friend said that he thought to himself, "Why did he bring me into town and ask me these questions if he already knows all the answers?"

Because of the kind of person he is, my friend had done a little research on Company X. He had discovered an issue he wanted to share with the owner in the interests of improving his business. My friend's approach was, "Hey, here's a situation you might want to know about ... because it directly affects market penetration in the category under consideration."

At an appropriate time, my friend said, "I was in [one of the top five US markets] last week. I called your customer service department and asked where in that city I could buy your product at retail.

"The Customer Service Representative said, 'I dunno. Could you call back tomorrow? Or ... why don't you just buy the product online?'"

The president and owner of the company said, "Well, you should have bought the product online." Showing that he wasn't really listening and totally missed the point.

My friend didn't want to buy the product. He wanted to go to a retail venue and see the merchandising. He wanted to understand the product range and line segmentation and to look at competitive products.

Here's the lesson for all interviewers: Represent your company with professionalism. Avoid critical or negative comments about a candidate's previous employers ... or ANYTHING.

Think about it: If a candidate comes into the interview setting and says something cutting about their current company or challenges statements by the interviewer, that would pretty much end the meeting.

Same rules apply to you as apply to them.

And if the candidate makes a gracious suggestion on improving your customer service, make a note and say, "Thank you."

People or Teams?

Vicki Lauter — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:57:34 -0400

Many will agree that people are the most important asset of an organization. More importantly, however, is how well those people work together to accomplish the common goal. Whether a company has thousands of people working in various locations worldwide or just a handful working in one small office, teamwork is vital to success. So, how can you ensure that your teams are performing at their fullest potential? How do people contribute to the team differently? Have you built effective teams?

To begin answering these questions, you must learn how to really understand each member of the team to identify their work style and how it compares to others in the group. You also need to look at the inherent strengths that each person brings to the table. By having a Talent Management process in place to assess each person you'll know what attributes, values and behaviors motivate each individual of the team.

Once you understand the team members, you can not only build a team with the most effective combination of strengths, but you can also learn how to leverage each individual’s strengths for a dynamic team that works at its highest potential. Only then will teams reach goals that have been unattained by individuals, work at levels of productivity no single person can achieve or impact the bottom line more effectively as a group. In fact, maybe we should revisit the assets of an organization. Perhaps TEAMS are more important than people on their own?

Trust: Earned and Lost

Kristen Fife — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:51:37 -0400

One of my professional colleagues posted a question about earning trust over on LinkedIn. It got me to thinking about a conversation I had yesterday with the CEO of a niche recruiting board. He was running through the half-hour sales spiel on the service. And the more he talked, the more of my trust he lost.

He made the sweeping statement that "job postings are the most valuable source of candidates for any organization." Um, not true. When I asked him about the candidate resume database, he dismissed it as being rather unimportant. (He obviously failed to note that my title is "Sourcing Specialist".) But the absolute kicker, to me, was his lack of response to *this* question:

"How does your service handle OFCCP compliance functionality?"

Dead silence for about ten seconds. "What's that?"

Then there is the email and phone call exchange I had with a contact from a local networking listserv we both belong to. She is employed, but not 100% happy at her job. One of her friends sent her a JD at a local startup that piqued her interest. She used LinkedIn to connect up with the hiring manager, had a phone screen, and he requested an interview ASAP as he was leaving for vacation. He put her in touch with the external recruiter they had hired to help with their talent management. My contact's interactions with this recruiter were so bad that she reached out to me to see if recruiting had changed *so drastically* in this economy that she would have to put up with some very disturbing behaviors. (Recruiter asked for her *current* manager's contact info for a reference prior to the interview, told her that her references were all male therefore she obviously didn't get along with female coworkers.) My contact knows that I am very active and well connected in the local recruiting community and reached out to me for a confidential reality check.

The upshot of it all is that this recruiter is going to lose the organization a very qualified, well-connected passive candidate because of her heavyhanded and completely unprofessional behavior.

Conversely, I found out about a position that is opening up in our organization, and I reached out not only to two candidates I know personally and sent along, but also to one of my trusted industry contacts. He had contacted me earlier this week for candidate referrals for an opening at their firm, and I sent him over a LinkedIn profile. In turn, he not only sent me several candidates, but also the LI profile of someone that will be laid off at his company at the end of this week, with the request not to contact her until next week.

I use a metaphor for trust, be it personal or professional. I consider relationships akin to a learning environment, or a class. Everyone starts with an A, and by our own actions, we either keep a high grade, or we get a lower grade. Beyond a certain point you have forfeited the right to my trust (and in turn I'm sure the same is applicable), and once that point is reached, it's nigh impossible to re-establish former levels.

And trust is at the foundation of your professional reputation. As I mentioned in my last post, reputation *is* your business right now. Grow it, nurture it, and guard it well.