Working with a recruiter is like dating; you are building a relationship with a person and earning trust.  If at any point a moment of dishonesty is found the entire foundation of the relationship begins to lose credibility.  This is the point where you start to wonder, “If this was a lie, what else has this person not told me?”

When I work with candidates I like to explain that in order for us to have an effective relationship we must be open with each other.  This includes if you are currently interviewing anywhere, if you like the client that I am pairing you with, even down to the little things like transportation or criminal history.   If I know the whole picture I can be effective and go to bat for you.  If you withhold information then how am I to help?

We are a team – when you tell me that you are going to do something, follow through.  I certainly will do so for you.  My goal is to help my candidates find the next step in their career and without honesty it is impossible for me to find the right fit.  Lies, excuses and not following through are all things that I cannot work with or represent.

Be honest, be relentless.

Ashley

This is important when you are a professional – whether you are seeking a new career or not.  If you want to be taken seriously then you need to put yourself out there in a serious fashion.  Think about a person’s reaction when they call you and some explicit rap song is your call tone – or some hard core grunge rocker is yelling at you.  Is this really the message that you want to send to any of your co-workers, clients or anyone who is calling you on a professional basis?

So say you don’t have that crazy ring tone – say you have the voice mail I hear so commonly “Yo this is (insert name here), you know what to do.”  Yeah I do know what to do, hang up and NOT leave a message.  How about leaving a bible verse and a God Bless you at the end of your voice mail you might ask?  It might seem like a nice idea but it is yet another way to put off a non-Christian client, co-worker or so on who might call.

Remember people – unless you KNOW who is calling answering the phone in a professional way might be a good thing.  If you screen your calls leave a professional message on there.  When in doubt I suggest the canned one that your cellular provider offers.  It is better to be safe than sorry.  You never know when your next opportunity might be calling you!

Be Relentless,

Ashley

However, I do believe we have a couple players on our team now….! They are going to allow us to take everything to a different level.   Nicki who has been completely amazing with her approach to what we do.  The connection she has with her network is matched by no one!  Ashley is the newbie in the office, but definitely not a newbie to Doug and I.  We worked with Ashley a few years ago and we know exactly what she is capable of.  All I can say is look out !

Doug Rowe already talked about the amazing client list we have and some that we have decided to part ways with so I won’t go there.  However, I will mention how lucky I feel for being a part of what most of our clients are doing!

Sometimes I wonder what it is I have done to be so blessed.  Doug and ProfyleTracker have given me the opportunity to be able to do the things I have always wanted to do.  In the past year, I have been able to go places I haven’t , help the people that I have always wanted to help, and make sure I see my kids regardless of where they are in the country.  That to me is worth more than anything else that can be given to me.  For that, I truly have to thank ProfyleTracker for and only hope for many more years of success.

Lastly, I believe we set a standard and an expectation with not only our clients but future clients.   It is our goal to not only meet those expectations, but to exceed them.  This is why we have been so successful and this is why we will continue to be successful for years to come.

Be Relentless,

Justin

We’ve all seen the movie Jerry McGuire. It’s a classic.. Right up there with E.T. (Extra Terrestrial, not ExactTarget), in my opinion. This one-minute segment of the movie couldn’t be more significant of what the day in the life of a recruiter looks like. As a recruiter, or as we call ourselves at Profyle Tracker, Profyler, I want to help you. I know how hard it is to find the perfect job, or hell, even just a job. You’ve, no doubt, uploaded various versions of your resume to CareerBuilder, Monster, Dice, HotJobs, industry specific job boards, and multiple employer websites. If you were successful in rapid firing your resume to every platform that exists, you would probably not be reading this blog post right now.

My assumption is that you are reading this blog post because you are either considering a career move, are another recruiting agency hearing about the moves our company is making, or may be just a friend of mine interested in what I have to say. Either way, please take this advice to heart, and even if you are not looking for a job, you surely know someone that is, and this piece of my mind will help you in the process.

Each week, I regroup and refocus on the priority of job orders that we have to fill. This focus is determined by a few different factors, and each week it changes. That said, you, as a candidate, may be my priority on any given day, and I need your cooperation. I know that your life can not revolve around me or the companies that I represent, but if you are serious about landing the job that I contact you about, you will adjust for the 1-2 week timeframe in which it takes to get the interview process completed. This may mean that I need you to be available within 24 hours or less to meet me or my client. We operate on a fast track, and while this could be inconvenient, it is also very conducive to getting you in front of the company you are interested in and is interested in you. Please bear with the process. It is for your benefit.

I understand that things come up… I understand that you have a job, a family, car problems, that you are moving and have stuff packed up, etc.. But I am also helping you bypass those black holes called resume submissions to random job postings. I am contacting you about a real live job, not a possibility. I’m not contacting you to date you, I’m not contacting you to cause any inconvenience in your daily schedule, I am contacting you about a new job. If you want this job, you have to help me help you.

If you tell me that you can interview at __:00 a.m/p.m., please don’t email at 11:30 p.m. (which just happened to be the golden time for candidates to email me to cancel during my first month) to let me know that you just don’t feel ready, or you can’t make it for whatever reason… If I give you times that I am available for a phone call, please respect that and call me during those hours and not a time smack dab in between. I am here to help you. Help me help you. It is that simple.

I love my job. I have always loved helping people. I have been a resource for multiple sources of information for many years, and I want to help you. It makes me happy to help someone make a career move. Give me the best possible opportunity to do so.

Nicki’s “perfect” candidate:

• Answer my calls and emails, or if you cannot, please call or email me back within a few hours.
• Proofread your resume before sending it-this includes spelling, grammar, dates of employment, and education.
• Keep your appointments.
• Show up on time and dressed professionally to interviews.
• Openly communicate with me what you want and need in a career. Know your ideal position. Know the top three things, outside of salary, that will make your day phenomenal when you go to work. Know what salary you NEED, WANT, AND WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT CONSIDER.
• If you have something on your record that you think may have an effect on a hiring decision, please tell me during the time of our one on one interview-not right before the employer sends me an offer letter.
• If you have concerns about a job, company, commute, or anything else that I should know, be up front with me. I am an open minded person, and respect that not every situation is 100%, and I want to address these things right away.
• Most of all, respect the fact that I am your career agent. I am here for you; I am essentially “selling” you. Give me every ounce of confidence that I need to “sell” you to the companies that have put their trust in Profyle Tracker to find qualified and trustworthy talent to join their team. These companies are growing, and they have high hopes for the people that they bring on board. I know that this is you, and I just need you to show me that!

If you Tweet, I’m here: @nickilaycoax. Let me know your thoughts!

Be Relentless,

Nicki

So it feels like it has been forever since we last posted here….and frankly that is not too far from the truth. Rather than try and explain why we have been neglectful, it is more my style to simply jump back on the (proverbial) horse and get to pontificating. So without further ado, let’s go…

The Good:

Bouncing market- We are seeing a huge jump in recent hiring throughout the country. Even locally, the paper is full of local companies talking about their aggressive hiring needs (Cummins, Slingshot, and more start-ups than I could mention). The difference is that companies are being smarter about how the source their talent, and frankly what they are looking for.

New faces-This is both a descriptor of new clients and internal changes. We have added several new favorites to our client list and two new faces internally. @nickilaycoax and Ashley Cornachione are the newest Profylers. It still is the coolest thing to watch people get excited when they realize we change lives, as well as help companies grow.

New connections- We were blessed enough to travel to Portland and spend some time with Alex Yoder at WebTrends. I have heard him speak before, and meeting him in person did not disappoint. We also have gotten to know Jennifer Holmes from IWL and ICL. What an absolutely cool and pioneering leader. We also have reconnected with some old friends, and made new. Has been an incredible process.

Wow’ed Clients- When we set out to grow this, the one thing I was certain about, and it may have been the only thing, was that we wanted to exceed client expectations. That is how we decided we wanted to grow, and what we have stayed true to. It is paying off…..we are seeing more and more clients refer us to others. This type of organic growth is what we envisioned the entire time we have been building this. As a very smart President of a local company said, always deliver more than expected.

A new address- We have decided to move offices. Though I love…did I mention love?…having Scotty’s Brewhouse (@brewhouse) in our backyard, we are moving south. DeveloperTown and a client of ours will be our new neighbors. ..In Broad Ripple. There may be a Thr3e Wise Men nearby…I guess we will survive.

Podcasts- We started a podcast with @brandoncorbin called @jobexpose. Imagine this blog, with less editing and possibly a few drinks to go around.Oh, and Brandon’s cursing as a backdrop. You should definitely check that out, and the 8ify podcast in general.

The Other:

Fallen faces- We lost a couple of faces internally; one I was glad about and one that bothered me. I guess some times in my profession; I forget what companies go through, and why our services are needed.  We also had a couple clients that we parted ways with. I know…I know…people in my business typically never quit a client. That may be one of the problems with recruiters. Companies have to understand that when we attach our names to them through a search, we are aligning with them. This then means their issues become ours. Sometimes cutting the cord is the best option.

High School Shenanigans- Sometimes as adults, we revert back to cliquish, high school ways. We recently witnessed that. I will not give credence to the issue, but know dear reader that it has caused me large laughs at the sheer ignorance and “leap in logic” it has taken some to buy in. One day, I am going to write a book.

My daughter-She received her Indiana driver’s license. That should be enough to send both sympathy and copious amounts of crown royal to me. Just saying.

Re-tooling-With the addition of new faces and clients, we are altering a few of our processes. I am sure there will be some pushback, but I honestly believe that our clients and candidates will benefit from it.

There are many more things, but as I would like to begin writing these again, I will save some for next time. I do appreciate the patience and support we have received from many people. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the upcoming months.

Be Relentless

Doug

One of the things that drive me nuts is watching people take for granted what they have.  I see people get lazy all the time because they are use to other people being there for them when things go wrong.   I know how this is because I have been there myself before and I didn’t like it.  Knowing that you always have someone there to clean up your mess, have your back or take care of you when you screw something up is laziness.   In these situations I don’t know who is more at fault, the person who is getting lazy or the person who “Enables” them to be lazy.  Regardless, it doesn’t benefit that person in the end.

At some point those people need to be able to do things on their own, clean up their own mess, and actually work for what they want.   Don’t get me wrong, everyone needs help at some point and help is good, but that is all it should be.  It shouldn’t get to the point where they rely only on your help.   For instance, if your child wants to go to the movies every week and you give them money to do so every week then all of a sudden you say nope….you have to earn it.  What do you think is going to happen?  They are going to look at you like you are crazy and say, earn it?  How?   And because you have always just given them what they want they have not learned how to get it themselves.

People, understand that no one is going to just give you want you want or need.  You have to go out and get it.  If you don’t someone else is going too!!!  I know I am hungry and I have the determination to get what I want and that will never go away.  My passion leads to my success and that passion will always be there for me.   From that is where I draw my strength.

It almost seems like people need that one day to say “today is the day I am going to do…..” whatever it is they want to do.  I say to myself if you need a specific day to motivate you, what makes you think you are going to stay motivated?  Motivation isn’t something you can teach.  It’s that drive inside someone and if they truly want something…..they will go out and make it happen.  If you’re one of those people who say they want to lose weight, why wait?  The sooner you start the better it will be.  Same for the smokers!  Why wait?  You don’t do yourself any justice when you wait.

The same could be said when you are looking for another job!  The best time to look for another job, is when you don’t have to.  Who could ever be mad or justify being mad at you for wanting to better your life for you and your family?  Every ones been there at some point…..the times when your company is downsizing or during a slow season you get laid off temporarily?  That’s done for the betterment of the company and your plans or your future are not taken into consideration.  I can tell you that when you need a job its not the most opportunistic time to search.  You are either on a deadline, only have so much savings, and not to mention you’re stressed to no end during the interview, which in turn effects everything about you.

I guess the purpose of this rant is to challenge everyone this year and many years to come.  Motivation isn’t a lesson someone can give you.  It’s not a pill you can take or a lotion you can rub on you.  It’s a fire that burns inside of the people who want to be successful at something.  So the challenge is to make a resolution this year, NOT to make a resolution!  Instead, make everyday the start of something better for you or your family.  That could be a new job, to lose weight, to spend more time with your kids, or whatever it is, just make sure today is the start date!

Of course we talk about money but money is secondary.  Once we establish the base line for opportunities you’d be willing to consider we have more time to focus on what really matters…being happy where you work.  Unless you’re a gold digger, being in a relationship that is based solely on financial gain often doesn’t work out long term.  A minimum of 40 hours a week most of us spend at work and that is just Monday through Friday, so if you’re going to put a price on your happiness take that into consideration.

I’ve talked about New Year’s resolutions in a previous blog but along the same thread is setting your priorities.  If you are at a job where the pay is great but you leave work pissed off every day and bring that negativity home to those you love, that’s just a bad situation to be in.  Believe it or not happiness and a great salary aren’t mutually exclusive.  These opportunities do exist but if you aren’t looking you’d never know it.

I know searching for jobs is a time consuming task, but networking takes next to no time.  Get on Twitter and follow some people.  Get on Facebook and reconnect with old friend and colleagues.  Absolutely utilize LinkedIn to expand your professional network.  A large number of the people I interact with come from social media networking.  The people I have placed at various companies from these resources are not only happier, but make more money now too.  Find a job where you’re not only happy but can MAKE IT RAIN!!

This keeps running through my mind as we have a new person in the office. She is our first member of the stronger sex (sorry guys, truth hurts) and has acclimated incredibly well to the culture-maybe the lack of- in the office. She has also demonstrated that effort and action produce results. In her short tenure here, she has shown on repeated occurrences how this is true.  There is something so profound in watching someone execute a plan and see the wealth of success. From a personal perspective, I truly enjoy seeing my guys realize this success more so than I do by doing it myself. Something to be said for teaching someone a very simple formula and watching them excel at it.

The opposite is unfortunately also true. I have witnessed some very talented people who had literal tons of potential fall off due to inactivity. Sedentary workers…not stuck in a chair, but stuck in a paradigm that produces nothing of value……are a cancer to an organization.  They are a succubus that take the very life from an organization. They stick out like boils, and should be lanced. The unfiltered truth as it were, based on where I sit. I have seen this in the recruiting world as well as industry-People that on paper were perfect for their role, but would not execute. Notice I said would, not could. That one letter makes all of the difference. Could is the physical ability…would is the choice you make when you get out of bed in the morning.

I think the other catalyst for this thought is the time of year.  We have committed to assist a couple families through the holidays. We are committed to giving back for what has been a great year. I say this to most assuredly NOT toot our horn, but because we are morally and characteristically motivated to do certain things. The point here is that there are certain people that through life circumstance are in a position where assistance is needed. That is something I can support. Those that are complacent and content on doing nothing to better themselves make me want to gouge out my eyes. It is that “would not” attitude that establishes this as a baseline. These are the people that wonder how they arrived at this destination and frankly garner animosity rather than sympathy.

At the end of the day, it simply is a matter of choice. You choose to get out of bed and make it happen…whatever that “it” is, or you choose to wallow in your predicament.  There was a tweet this morning from Matt Hunckler (@hunckler)..and I will not quote verbatim…but the gist was that there is no pill, app, or similar that replaces hustle. Simply stated, get off your butt and do it. The sentiment there is so spot on.

So for this holiday season, my wish for you is a huge, heaping dose of hustle. That you take that dream you have, and execute a plan that takes you to where you need to be. That you find that internal motivator that nothing will be allowed to stand in your way.

Oh…and a copy of the Call of Duty “Black Ops”….great way to release tension and kill some time (and bad guys).

Be Relentless,

Doug

This year I’ll try something different…so here are my resolutions.  Short list, but important and reachable nonetheless.

• Make sure that those who have helped me get to where I am today know how much they are appreciated.
• Continually strive to learn from mistakes so that they are not repeated.
• Communicate more directly.  Cut out the dancing around a topic or pre-framing.
• Work hard to be an asset and make those around me better.

I came across a blog by Pam Moore “The Marketing Nut”.  I’m not sure if the nickname is self-proclaimed or by reputation, but if you visit her site you’ll see it’s very fitting.  I really enjoyed her blog Green Eggs & Facebook: 15 Social Media Tips from Dr. Seuss.  The list in the blog wasn’t meant to be New Year’s resolutions but many of them easily could be.  They fit my 3^rd resolution.  Dr. Seuss had a way of being repetitive and pointing out the obvious, however, the obvious is sometime overlooked or forgotten.

Rather than making a ridiculously long list of resolutions, 90% of which you won’t meet because they were unreasonable or simply forgotten, focus your list to the things that really matter in your life.  Some people make one list for work and one for personal, coincidentally, mine is fitting for both.  Many of our clients are gearing up for the New Year rather than waiting to see how the last quarter of the year ends.  We should each be doing the same.