Advanced Recruiting Trends's Posts - RecruitingBlogs2024-03-29T01:22:55ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrendshttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1527032193?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=146mo1q3vnd6c&xn_auth=noCandidate Cold Calls Revisited: Making Every Call A Great Calltag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-12-11:502551:BlogPost:20946112018-12-11T20:08:09.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<p>Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of delivering a presentation at the American Staffing Association’s Annual Staffing World Expo in Washington, D.C. I gave a talk entitled, “Going Old School – The Art & Science of Making Every Call A Great Call.”</p>
<p>The basic premise of my program was that recruiting has always been a communications…</p>
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<p>Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of delivering a presentation at the American Staffing Association’s Annual Staffing World Expo in Washington, D.C. I gave a talk entitled, “Going Old School – The Art & Science of Making Every Call A Great Call.”</p>
<p>The basic premise of my program was that recruiting has always been a communications vocation and that while email, texting, and social media are fantastic technologies, there’s no substitute for being able to pick up the telephone and communicate in a thoughtful and articulate manner, especially in a candidate-driven marketplace.</p>
<p>Dale Carnegie, one of the preeminent thinkers on human relations, once said, “There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it.” For recruiters charged with making introductory or “Cold Calls” to passive candidate prospects, Carnegie’s observation about “what we say” and “how we say it” rings especially true.</p>
<p>When initiating contact with passive candidate prospects, a recruiter’s communications style as well as the content of what is being conveyed, have a tremendous bearing on how he or she will be received by the call recipient. That individuals subconsciously formulate an array of judgments upon first meeting another person, has been well documented.</p>
<p>By extension, we all rely on these same intuitive skills to assess the person behind the voice on the other end of a phone line. And, this is why the notion of, “what we say and how we say it,” are so significant to a recruiter hoping to make effective cold calls. Recruiters can take several courses of action to enhance the likelihood of achieving success in their initial communications with candidate prospects, especially passive prospects. First and foremost, however, it is important to define what actually constitutes a successful call.</p>
<p>Too often, recruiters define a successful cold call exclusively as one in which they are able to immediately convert a passive candidate prospect into an active candidate. In other words, success is defined entirely by the immediate outcome of the call, and “successful” calls occur only when a prospect acknowledges that he or she is open to considering new situations. While some passive candidate prospects may elect to consider the marketplace upon receiving a recruiter’s call, many will not for a spectrum of very valid reasons.</p>
<p>Here’s the truth: Regardless of whether a candidate prospect is open to the possibility of entertaining new employment opportunities, there is still great value to be derived by engaging these individuals in a dialogue, learning about them, and striving to nurture the basis of a long-term relationship. If engaged correctly, many of these individuals may become very viable candidates at some future time. In the interim, however, they can serve as a tremendous source of market intelligence or on-target referrals.</p>
<p>Aside from redefining what constitutes a successful introductory call, recruiters can take several other steps to more effectively engage passive candidate prospects. Slowing down one’s rate of speech helps to ensure that the content of the message being communicated is received, while also reducing the likelihood of sounding, “salesy.” Speeding through an introductory or cold call presentation to a prospect is far less likely to yield the desired result.</p>
<p>You see, all of us are equipped with a mental rolodex of experiences that we subconsciously tap into when engaging other people. We know when we are being “sold.” We typically respond by putting up our guard or by terminating the call altogether. By controlling the rate at which you speak, there is a much greater opportunity to actually get your message across and engage the other individual in a meaningful dialogue.</p>
<p>Recruiters also can benefit by upgrading the actual language that they use when communicating with a prospect for the first time. As was discovered by the renowned GE researched and psychometrician, Johnson O’Connor in the 1930s, an individual’s vocabulary level is the best single means of predicting occupational success in any career or profession. O’Connor determined that vocabulary is not a fixed asset and can be expanded by anyone. This is not to say that a sales presentation should be overly verbose or employ language that complicates selling messages. But I would submit that using language to clearly and eloquently convey selling messages can absolutely make a difference in how a recruiter is received.</p>
<p>Recruiters who project poise, confidence and a solid appreciation for the market sector they serve are also more likely to present themselves in a highly professional manner, one that resonates with prospective candidates. Also, there’s no substitute for being able to effectively articulate your company’s, or client company’s, compelling story. It is also important for recruiters to listen more than they talk. By making the call about a candidate prospects aspirations and needs, a recruiter can build rapport while also understanding what might truly motivate a prospect to entertain the possibility of making a career change.</p>
<p>Finally, it is important that recruiters practice the delivery of their introductory calls. A recruiter who possesses a thoughtful, effective and fluid delivery style is much more likely to find a receptive prospect on the other end of the phone. And, a choppy or convoluted delivery style will dramatically diminish the quality of a recruiter’s initial presentation.</p>
<p>Executing a truly effective introductory call is something that takes time to master, but being cognizant of Dale Carnegie’s observation regarding, “what you say, and how you say it” will not only help to distinguish today’s recruiter in the eyes of prospective candidates but will also favorably impact the results that a recruiter is able to achieve.</p>
<p>Want to dramatically enhance your introductory or cold calling abilities? Click here.</p>Strategic Recruiting: Reach Outtag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-08-15:502551:BlogPost:20839462018-08-15T18:10:21.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>Recently, I was thinking about the spectrum of relationships that recruiters must forge each day, week, month, year with candidates and candidate prospects.<span> </span>This thought process prompted me to recall a commercial campaign that AT&T launched in the late 1970’s to promote long-distance calling, as well as position itself as a key ingredient of everyday American life.<span> </span>The campaign was entitled, “<i>Reach Out And Touch Someone</i>,” and contained snippets of Americana, accompanied by a really upbeat and oddly catchy jingle.</p>
<p>Now that was a charming little video, wasn’t it?<br/>This old AT&T advertising campaign reminded me of the importance of staying in touch with people to whom we assign value. In recruiting, we spend so many hours creating relationships, but how well do we fare with respect to sustaining relationships with candidates once a position has been filled, or our talent acquisition priorities have shifted?</p>
<p>In my last blog post, I talked about Dunbar’s Number and social media.In brief, Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Oxford University, developed a theory in the 1990’s dubbed “Dunbar’s Number,” in which he argued that most people could only sustain approximately 150 (or so) close relationships with other people. Dunbar argues that this is still true today, even with social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. For recruiters, whose basic vocation is grounded in creating relationships, this poses a potentially significant problem. Maintaining 150+ personal relationships is one thing, but how do we go about sustaining hundreds or thousands of professional acquaintances and/or relationships?</p>
<p>Several weeks ago, while facilitating my firm’s DRIP Recruitment Training Series for a New England-based client company, I led a discussion on various approaches through which we might more meaningfully engage candidate prospects via what I believe are substantially more intriguing, and – I would argue – more effective introductory voicemail and email messages.(But that’s not what I wanted to write about here, so perhaps that’s a blog posting for another day).</p>
<p>Anyway, this conversation morphed into a peripheral discussion on email, wherein I cited my belief that email provides a beautiful communications platform that is especially useful for sustaining candidate relationships over the course of time.<span> </span>As the Rolling Stones’ song suggests, “time waits for no one,” particularly when it comes to preserving or extending candidate relationships. The passage of time naturally makes most memories a bit more distant. Recruiters who don’t regularly engage their own talent networks ultimately fade away in the minds of capable candidates. As the saying goes, “out of sight – out of mind.”</p>
<p>I can’t speak for everyone, but I am bothered by this notion of fading away, because it completely negates my investment of time, energy, and effort put forth in building rapport and establishing candidate relationships. Thus, the importance of figuring out a way to keep in touch that is practical and that won’t consume too much time.</p>
<p>In my next blog posting, I’ll try to map out some of the specific messages and approaches that I’ve used to stay in touch with candidate prospects. For now, however, you might want to compile a mental list that embodies the numerous prospects, candidates, and former candidates that you’ve engaged over the years, and who you should be trying to re-engage. More to come!</p>
<p>Wishing you ongoing recruiting success!</p>
<p>Visit Us at: <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://recruitertraining.com/</a></p>
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</div>Before Extending Written Offers: A Five-Point Checklist!tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-05-11:502551:BlogPost:20700932018-05-11T18:07:11.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_3_5 fusion-three-fifth 3_5"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p style="text-align: left;">Recently a colleague and I were discussing the exact point at which her firm should be extending formal written offer letters to candidates they hoped to bring on board.</p>
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<p>She was getting pressure from senior leadership to extend employment offers to candidates, even if they weren’t entirely closed on an opportunity with her firm, or were still evaluating other situations. The basic idea, in the minds of these managers, was that, “it’s better to put an offer out there,” if only to affirm interest in a candidate and keep the dialogue flowing. The formal written offer essentially, “puts the ball in play.”</p>
<p>Call me cynical, call me old fashioned, or maybe just call me paranoid. Actually, call me once burned twice shy!</p>
<p>You see, I’m a big believer that a recruiter or hiring organization should RARELY, if ever, extend a written offer of employment unless all aspects of the deal are definitively settled, locked down, complete, iced, mapped out…..done, over, finished. All of which can be accomplished via a well-considered verbal offer process.</p>
<p>Essentially, we want to assure that all bases have been covered, and nothing has been left to chance. In short, before anything is put in writing, I want to know that the candidate’s future is absolutely going to include a stay of some duration at my company, and that Mr. or Ms. Candidate is intent on becoming part of my firm’s team. And how do I come to know this? Because I have taken the time to thoughtfully outline and extend a verbal offer that assures that any subsequent written offer is nothing more than a formality.</p>
<p>A written offer letter is ultimately the icing on the cake – it is something that should be produced at the point where a candidate indicates, “Yes – I’m entirely ready to move this process forward and hereby dedicate my life’s very essence for being to the betterment of your company,” in whatever position is being discussed.</p>
<p>From my vantage point, a written offer is predicated on the following 5 criteria:</p>
<p>1) The candidate has indicated that he or she accepts and agrees with the 3 B’s of the total compensation package – which translates to Base, Bonus, and Benefits;<br/> 2) Benefits of consequence (Vacation/Health/Retirement) have been addressed and are acceptable. The candidate has confirmed that he/she has no debt that must be paid back to current employer – relocation, tuition, training, etc.;<br/> 3) The candidate has provided a tentative start date that works for everyone;<br/> 4) The candidate has agreed that entertaining, let alone accepting a counter-offer from his or her current employer is flat out “off the table.”<br/> 5) The candidate has agreed to terminate other discussions and/or prospective opportunities with other firms.</p>
<p>I’m going to carefully assure that I discuss each of these issues with a candidate prior to<br/> putting anything in writing. In most cases, a majority of the compensation elements should have been discussed and qualified at a much earlier point in our relationship with a candidate, so, in large part we are validating information we should have acquired or shared previously, as well as making sure that nothing has changed.</p>
<p>Certainly there are other schools of thought/philosophies around when to extend a written offer. But from where I sit, an employer derives little value by extending a formal written offer to a candidate without first confirming that the offer elements are on-target and the offer will be accepted. Extending a detailed verbal at least gives us the opportunity to trial-close the candidate and determine whether there are any potential candidate concerns or issues. Simply extending a written offer without pursuing a pre-closing process is not so different from throwing something up against a wall and hoping that it sticks. In this regard, the offer extension process is very similar to the end-game strategy in chess; if you handle it thoughtfully/strategically, you’re going to successfully close more deals while wasting less time – and that, of course, is our overall objective.</p>
<p>Wishing you, ongoing recruiting success!</p>
<p><a href="https://recruitertraining.com/">RecruiterTraining.com</a></p>Employee Engagementtag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-05-11:502551:BlogPost:20699792018-05-11T17:55:42.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>As the employment marketplace continues to heat up, and as companies increasingly struggle to find key talent, I’ve been contemplating the issue of “employee engagement” – and more specifically, what employee engagement means to those of us in the wonderful world of recruiting and talent acquisition.</p>
<p>First, an attempt to define employee engagement: The simple, <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/about/leadership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Siker</a>, definition of employee engagement really amounts to the degree to which someone is happily connected or immersed within their current employer and work environment.</p>
<p>According to Gallup, the large survey and public opinion company, and leading research company on the issue of employee engagement, an Employee who is truly engaged, is someone who is both “involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace. Day after day, they are passionate about their jobs and feel a profound connection to their company. Gallup goes on to highlight that, “They are more productive, drive innovation and promote organizational growth.”</p>
<p>Now, it’s important to understand that a large segment of the workforce is anything but engaged. In fact, it may surprise you to know that many people fall into two other categories – Not Engaged, or Actively Disengaged. According to Gallup, in 2014, 51% of US workers were not engaged, which means that they were essentially logging hours at work, but with little real enthusiasm or energy. And, 17.5% of US workers were actively disengaged, which means that they were unhappy, unfulfilled, and had a greater tendency to undermine those around them.</p>
<p>So, when you do the math around Employee Engagement, you come to realize that a whopping 68.5%, or more than 2/3 of us are either sleepwalking through our day or are actively dissatisfied with the work we are doing or the employment environment in which we reside. The prospect of over 2/3 of the workforce being not engaged or actively disengaged has serious consequences on a company’s bottom line, and, among other things, impacts morale, productivity, innovation, turnover, and customer satisfaction. One word comes to mind: Yeeeeeeeech. Only 31.5% of us are truly engaged – wow, what does that say about corporate America?</p>
<p>So, why should you care? Well – from my vantage point, the talent acquisition landscape is going to get ever more competitive in the coming months. In fact, I suspect that you are already witnessing a bit more constriction within the very market sector in which you reside, and perhaps you sense that things are going to become tighter. Barring something unforeseen, they very may well.</p>
<p>But, take heart – If you are a recruiter who has cultivated solid networking skills, if you are comfortable and thoughtful about how you communicate with passive candidates, you have a much greater ability to tap into this massive vein of workforce discontent and help talented individuals secure happiness in a new employment situation – YOURS!! If 68.5% of our workforce is If 68.5% of our workforce is truly not engaged or actively disengaged, as Gallup suggests is the case, well, that’s a whole bunch of folks who might be induced to consider making a job change – provided that a new environment offers the hope, the potential, the promise of a better future. Now, clearly some of these individuals are likely to be actively seeking new employment, but I expect that a good number are passive candidate prospects who toil within a work setting that is neither magnificent nor dreadful, who work within environments that are terrifically average, but that are woefully unengaging. This is one of the reasons that I genuinely enjoy networking and cold-calling. I regularly get to talk to individuals who have great skills, they just don’t happen to work within a great (or engaging environment).</p>
<p>So, I leave you with this thought, which paraphrase’s Emma Lazarus’ famous words from the New Colossus, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: Give me your not engaged candidates, your actively disengaged candidates, your candidates who yearn to breathe free (in a new employment environment), and I will place them into a job where they can be happier and more fulfilled. Oh yes, oh yes I will.</p>
<p>This is Paul Siker wishing you ongoing recruiting success!</p>
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</div>Why Most Job Board Posting's Don't Have A Prayertag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-05-10:502551:BlogPost:20694612018-05-10T16:30:00.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>Several years ago, I had an opportunity to do some consulting work for a <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/clients/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nationally known healthcare enterprise</a> that was struggling to find qualified applicants for a variety of allied health and nursing roles. The Head of Recruiting openly acknowledged that the organization relied heavily upon two fairly specific recruiting channels: The first channel, naturally, was the institution’s own website career portal. The second channel was, of course, job boards. Big job boards, little job boards, local job boards, regional job boards and niche job boards; job boards of every size and description. Needless to say, the organization produced lots and lots of job board postings.</p>
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<p>My colleague lamented that she was totally flummoxed by the degree and extent to which the organization had become reliant on the “Post and Pray” methodology. Post a job, and pray, pray, pray that the right person responds. Let me say for the record that job board postings absolutely have their place within any organization’s recruitment matrix.</p>
<p>The overarching problem with job postings, of course, is that they embody an entirely static recruitment channel – in other words, you can’t control or force relevant candidate prospects to view or see your postings, nor can you control whether or not someone responds to your postings. As a result, Job Postings are the ultimate hit or miss proposition.</p>
<p>That’s why I’m such a big proponent of leveraging proactive recruiting techniques and approaches. If running a job board posting is an organization’s principal approach or “Plan A,” then it’s critically important to also have a “Plan B,” as well, in the event that job board postings don’t deliver either the number of applicants or quality of applicants desired.</p>
<p>In my experience, however, most organizations do a reasonably dreadful job of executing Plan A, in the first place. Job descriptions and job board postings are poorly conceived – they are boring – they are mundane – they aren’t especially descriptive, and most importantly, they don’t do anything to generate real interest or excitement.</p>
<p>In fact, some job descriptions and job board postings are so unstimulating that they appear to have been written by someone who would have preferred to watch water boil, or ice melt, or flowers wilt. Worse yet, they don’t compel a potentially talented applicant to take action and submit a resume or application for the position at hand.</p>
<p>Want to do a quick assessment on your firm’s job descriptions and job postings to see how they stack up? Easy. Pull up a few descriptions or postings and scroll through them – then do the following:</p>
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<li>Identify the specific wording or phrasing that tells a candidate exactly why he or she should be excited about the position;</li>
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<li>Then, identify the wording or phrasing that characterizes the dynamic impact that he or she can make;</li>
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<li>Then, identify the wording or phrasing that makes clear how the role ties into the organization’s mission;</li>
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<li>Finally, try to identify the specific wording or phrasing that serves as a real call to action, and that compels a prospect to respond.</li>
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<p>Were you able to find clear examples of these items? If so, you should pat yourself on the back and reward yourself by purchasing a new Apple Watch, because you are absolutely ahead of the game. With most job descriptions and postings that I’m asked to review, these items are completely MIA (missing in action).</p>
<p>So, in response to the “Post & Pray” reality to which so many companies have succumbed, we here at Advanced Recruiting Trends have created a terrific new program entitled, Crafting Compelling Job Descriptions & Postings. As you can surmise from the title, this program is about how to create interesting, intriguing, and informative job descriptions and postings that get prospects excited. Imagine that!</p>
<p>This program is about taking job descriptions and job board postings to the next level, while also enhancing your organization’s employment brand. Additionally, this program addresses how to produce high quality job descriptions and job board postings that are far more likely to engender a much greater degree of response from prospective candidates, and more importantly from qualified candidates.</p>
<p>Honestly, if you’re going to invest any time in producing a job description or job board posting, why not attempt to produce something that stands the best chance of captivating a reader? Why not produce something that helps to set your organization apart? Why not create something that’s effective, versus something that doesn’t engage or resonate with prospective candidates?</p>
<p>Fundamentally, that’s what Crafting Compelling Job Descriptions & Postings is about: architect and pursuing a thoughtful, replicable job description and job board posting methodology that consistently and reliably works. </p>
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</div>Throwback Thursday: Paul Siker's 2016 Blizzardtag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-05-10:502551:BlogPost:20696272018-05-10T16:25:16.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-meta-info"></div>Is Recruiting Bad For Your Health?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-05-09:502551:BlogPost:20691892018-05-09T19:19:53.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>So, here’s a thought provoking question:<span> </span><em>Is Recruiting Bad For Your Health?</em><strong> </strong>Have you ever wondered if your job as a recruiter might be slowly sucking the life out of you and progressively diminishing your overall health and well-being? Has your “daily grind” become more like a large rasp cycling back and forth over your forehead, versus your first thing every morning cup of “Double Venti Half-Soy Nonfat Half-Caf Vanilla Double-Shot Frappuccino?” Think about it. Over-committed schedules, unrealistic candidates (or hiring managers), tons of requirements. Stress, stress, and more stress. I was compelled to explore this topic after contemplating the status of my own health. Either way, at a minimum, I think you will find the topic to be thought provoking; it may even prompt a bit of introspection.</p>
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<p><a href="https://recruitertraining.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruitertraining.com</a></p>
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</div>Employee Engagementtag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-04-24:502551:BlogPost:20677432018-04-24T19:32:48.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<p>First, an attempt to define employee engagement: The simple, Paul Siker, definition of employee engagement really amounts to the degree to which someone is happily connected or immersed within their current employer and work environment.</p>
<p>According to Gallup, the large survey and public opinion company, and leading research company on the issue of employee engagement, an Employee who is truly engaged, is someone who is both “involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace. Day after day, they are passionate about their jobs and feel a profound connection to their company. Gallup goes on to highlight that, “They are more productive, drive innovation and promote organizational growth.”</p>
<p>Now, it’s important to understand that a large segment of the workforce is anything but engaged. In fact, it may surprise you to know that many people fall into two other categories – Not Engaged, or Actively Disengaged. According to Gallup, in 2014, 51% of US workers were not engaged, which means that they were essentially logging hours at work, but with little real enthusiasm or energy. And, 17.5% of US workers were actively disengaged, which means that they were unhappy, unfulfilled, and had a greater tendency to undermine those around them.</p>
<p>So, when you do the math around Employee Engagement, you come to realize that a whopping 68.5%, or more than 2/3 of us are either sleepwalking through our day or are actively dissatisfied with the work we are doing or the employment environment in which we reside. The prospect of over 2/3 of the workforce being not engaged or actively disengaged has serious consequences on a company’s bottom line, and, among other things, impacts morale, productivity, innovation, turnover, and customer satisfaction. One word comes to mind: Yeeeeeeeech. Only 31.5% of us are truly engaged – wow, what does that say about corporate America?</p>
<p>So, why should you care? Well – from my vantage point, the talent acquisition landscape is going to get ever more competitive in the coming months. In fact, I suspect that you are already witnessing a bit more constriction within the very market sector in which you reside, and perhaps you sense that things are going to become tighter. Barring something unforeseen, they very may well.</p>
<p>But, take heart – If you are a recruiter who has cultivated solid networking skills, if you are comfortable and thoughtful about how you communicate with passive candidates, you have a much greater ability to tap into this massive vein of workforce discontent and help talented individuals secure happiness in a new employment situation – YOURS!! If 68.5% of our workforce is If 68.5% of our workforce is truly not engaged or actively disengaged, as Gallup suggests is the case, well, that’s a whole bunch of folks who might be induced to consider making a job change – provided that a new environment offers the hope, the potential, the promise of a better future. Now, clearly some of these individuals are likely to be actively seeking new employment, but I expect that a good number are passive candidate prospects who toil within a work setting that is neither magnificent nor dreadful, who work within environments that are terrifically average, but that are woefully unengaging. This is one of the reasons that I genuinely enjoy networking and cold-calling. I regularly get to talk to individuals who have great skills, they just don’t happen to work within a great (or engaging environment).</p>
<p>So, I leave you with this thought, which paraphrase’s Emma Lazarus’ famous words from the New Colossus, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: Give me your not engaged candidates, your actively disengaged candidates, your candidates who yearn to breathe free (in a new employment environment), and I will place them into a job where they can be happier and more fulfilled. Oh yes, oh yes I will.</p>
<p>This is Paul Siker wishing you ongoing recruiting success!</p>
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</div>Are You An Implicitly Biased Recruiter?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-04-24:502551:BlogPost:20677412018-04-24T19:28:49.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<p>If you have worked with me previously, you’ll likely recall my penchant for talking to anyone in recruitment about the power of “rapid cognition.” I’ve long argued that as much as we are subconsciously interpreting, and processing, and passing judgment on the world around us (to include the mosh-pit of candidates we speak with day in and day out), we are well advised to be mindful of the fact that we too, are simultaneously being evaluated and scrutinized by the very individuals that we are attempting to engage.</p>
<p>Now, when I talk about passing judgement, I’m certainly not talking about playing God – I’m talking about determining the suitability and likelihood of an individual performing successfully in a specific role within my firm or a client firm (which of course will depend on your recruiting orientation). Over the years, I’ve met many in recruiting who don’t especially relish the idea of recruiters “judging” others. For them it seems just a bit too, well, judgmental. So, I’ve learned to quickly offer up the words, “Assess” or “Evaluate” as better alternatives to those who really don’t see themselves as “Judges.” I’m fine with that, and honestly, I’d like to believe that all of us are genuinely and carefully evaluating and assessing candidates on the basis of whether they meet our hiring criteria, and nothing more.</p>
<p>In as much as we are tasked with making thoughtful assessments, however, it’s equally important that we attempt to be cognizant of the reality that each of us has been subjected to decades of cultural socialization that may substantially impact our perspective. In other words, whether we have deliberately thought about it or not, each of us is potentially prone to viewing the world around us through the lens of something called “Implicit Bias.”</p>
<p>Now, if you are not familiar with the term “Implicit Bias,” let me share the Kirwan Institute’s definition: “Implicit Bias, also known as implicit social cognition, refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. These biases, or stereotypes, which encompass both favorable and unfavorable assessments, are activated involuntarily and without an individual’s awareness or intentional control.” Examples of stereotypes (where a specific group of people possess a similar characteristic) might include the idea that all police officers love Bavarian cream donuts, or that all women have nurturing personalities. Implicit stereotypes occur outside of our conscious control. For example, we may consciously concede that men and women are equally good at mathematics, but subconsciously we may tend to associate men as being more math-inclined. That’s our implicit bias.</p>
<p>Because these biases reside deep in our subconscious, an implicit bias is different from a conscious bias that individuals may choose to hide as a means of being politically or socially correct. An implicit bias is not likely to be something that is consciously contemplated or reflected upon. In other words, these are biases that subconsciously influence how we regard other people on the basis of their name, race, sex, weight, age, religion, disability and any number of other characteristics.</p>
<p>So, what’s my point? Well, needless to say, we live in a world that is ever more heterogeneous, ever more diverse, and inevitably, ever more complex. Diversity in our society and our workforce has been an ongoing progression, but not one that has always been comfortable. While I don’t think that having a better understanding for the concept of Implicit Bias will immediately result in a greater degree of overall harmony in our society – it can’t hurt.</p>
<p>Perhaps more than any other vocation, as recruiting professionals we have both the opportunity and ability to assure that the employment landscape within our respective firm’s is as equitable as possible.</p>
<p>Perhaps more than any other vocation, as recruiting professionals we have both the opportunity and ability to assure that the employment landscape within our respective firm’s is as equitable as possible. By being mindful of our own potential biases, I believe that we can be role-models to others in our organizations, and can reinforce the value of a talent acquisition process that is both fundamentally fair-minded and deliberately inclusive.</p>
<p>If you want to delve into your own potential for implicit bias, I highly recommend going out to<span> </span><a href="https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html">Harvard University’s Project Implicit</a>, where you can take various Implicit Association Tests that are designed to measure your personal potential to regard different categories of individuals in an implicitly biased manner. If nothing else, every now and then it’s good to look in the mirror – particularly if you value growing personally and professionally!</p>
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</div>Working With Difficult Hiring Managers: Key Strategies For Today’s Recruiter Part 2tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-04-03:502551:BlogPost:20655412018-04-03T16:11:51.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
<p>In Part I of<span> </span><a href="https://recruitertraining.com/2016/05/difficult-hiring-manager-part-1/">“<em>Working With Difficult Hiring Managers, Key Strategies for Today’s Recruiter</em>,”</a><span> </span>I outlined the challenges recruiters face in supporting challenging and/or abrasive hiring authorities. I also highlighted the importance of regularly and proactively communicating with these individuals as a means of managing expectations and creating an overall communications…</p>
<p>In Part I of<span> </span><a href="https://recruitertraining.com/2016/05/difficult-hiring-manager-part-1/">“<em>Working With Difficult Hiring Managers, Key Strategies for Today’s Recruiter</em>,”</a><span> </span>I outlined the challenges recruiters face in supporting challenging and/or abrasive hiring authorities. I also highlighted the importance of regularly and proactively communicating with these individuals as a means of managing expectations and creating an overall communications framework. In Part II of “<em>Working With Difficult Hiring Managers, Key Strategies for Today’s Recruiter</em>,” I’m want to share 3 additional ideas that can really allow any recruiter to more meaningfully engage and work with a difficult hiring authority.</p>
<p>Previously, I shared that Strategy #1 was to Proactively Communicate, and to increase communication quantity and quality. Strategy # 2 is to Leverage Recruiting Data & Metrics: Numbers don’t lie. If you are working with a really difficult hiring authority (the kind where no candidate is ever the right candidate, even if they meet the criteria inherent to a particular position description), and as the carnage of rejected candidates piles up on your desk, be sure to show the manager how he or she stacks up versus their peers when it comes to recruiting efficiency. You may just find that this yields a productive conversation about steps that you jointly can take to optimize the ratios between candidates identified and interviewed, and offers extended (and there are many aspects of efficiency ratios that can be addressed or highlighted). Your intent is not to put the manager on the defensive, but merely to identify that a very real disparity exists in their hiring process versus that of other managers, as well as to formulate approaches that might help you both yield better results.</p>
<p>Strategy #3 is to Help Them Sell Themselves: I’m always surprised by the number of recruiters who DON’T pointedly ask a hiring manager why someone would want to work for them, or who don’t inquire as to how the hiring manager directly engages or “sells” their opportunity to candidates during interviews. As much as a candidate should be equipped to explain why he or she is right for a given job, it’s always struck me as being incumbent on a hiring manager (and a recruiter) to be able to explain why the candidate should want the job and should want to work for that particular hiring manager. What’s not to love about a hiring manager who can promote the benefits of affiliating with his or her team?</p>
<p>Furthermore, getting a hiring manager to map out selling messages is a great way to promote selling continuity (As Recruiter’s we need to be able to tell a Hiring Manager: When candidates come in to interview, I really hope/need/would appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes describing what great work/awesome people/terrific tools are resident within your organization). The bottom line: We need to be able to teach them to sell. If they seem reluctant, or feel that “selling” the opportunity to a candidate feels unsavory, be sure to let them know that the reason they are losing good candidates is because the smart hiring managers at ABC Competitor are doing a better job of making candidates feel more welcome, desired, appreciated, challenged, set-up for success, etc., etc., etc.).</p>
<p>Strategy #4 is to Give<span> </span><em><u>Them</u></em><span> </span>An Interview Prep: If you find a highly capable candidate that you believe is a particularly good fit for a position within an area that belongs to a difficult or demanding hiring authority, be sure to prep that manager on why said candidate is special/unique/worth the manager’s time. There have been many occasions where I’ve asked hiring managers to key in on specific discussion topics or skill areas that I know will allow them to get the best insight on a candidate’s background, experience, or potential. And, I don’t hesitate to remind hiring managers that a huge part of my job is to help make “meaningful introductions” between them and really talented people in the marketplace – I’m here to be an advocate – for both parties (and in my estimation this is true regardless of whether you are an in-house recruiter or a 3rd party recruiter).</p>
<p>Likewise, if I feel that a certain line of conversation or discussion might help a candidate to more meaningfully engage or connect with a hiring manager, you better believe that I’m going to take the time to brief the candidate. “But, Paul,” you ask, “Isn’t that leading the witness? Isn’t that giving someone a decided advantage in the interview process?” I don’t think that helping two people have a better dialogue is an affront to the interview process at all. Am I going to tell a candidate EXACTLY what to say? No. Am I going to share insights regarding likely discussion areas? Absolutely. Again, I’m trying to create meaningful introductions that allow for the best possible dialogue. As I recruiter, I’ve always felt that this was part and parcel of what I’m charged to accomplish.</p>
<p>I will also acknowledge that the suggestions I’ve highlighted in this presentation can be effectively utilized with<span> </span><u>all</u><span> </span>hiring managers, not just those who are a bit more challenging to support. And, there’s little doubt that some of my suggestions are more readily deployed by in-house recruiters, while others may be more effectively utilized by 3rd party recruiters. But, regardless of your particular orientation to recruiting, if you are presently dealing with a demanding hiring manager, or if you encounter a difficult hiring authority at some point down the road, it’s worth your time, energy, and effort to formulate approaches that might help you to yield a productive and effective working relationship.</p>
<p>As I always say, there’s nothing better than getting to “Trusted Advisor” status, where you are regarded as being an essential contributor to a hiring manager’s talent acquisition strategy, and believe me, this is far better than the alternative. It takes time and effort to create effective working relationships with challenging hiring authorities, but the long-term payoff (greater recruiting efficiency, happier candidates and hiring authorities, more hires, etc.) is well worth the time invested.</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to check out this blog. This is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsiker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Siker</a>, wishing you ongoing success.</p>Working With Difficult Hiring Managers: Key Strategies For Today’s Recruiter Part 1tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-04-03:502551:BlogPost:20655362018-04-03T14:00:00.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
<p>It’s just a matter of fact that<span> </span>. You know what I’m talking about; unlike their more mainstream peers, difficult hiring managers have a real propensity to adversely impact key facets of the talent acquisition process. Regrettably, as relates to candidate engagement and candidate interviews, these individuals have been blessed with a tremendous ability to regularly shoot themselves in the foot.</p>
<p>In this two-part Blog, I’m going to address several worthwhile strategies that…</p>
<p>It’s just a matter of fact that<span> </span>. You know what I’m talking about; unlike their more mainstream peers, difficult hiring managers have a real propensity to adversely impact key facets of the talent acquisition process. Regrettably, as relates to candidate engagement and candidate interviews, these individuals have been blessed with a tremendous ability to regularly shoot themselves in the foot.</p>
<p>In this two-part Blog, I’m going to address several worthwhile strategies that can help you to forge better hiring manager relationships, and simultaneously realize a happier overall existence. But, first let me take you back in time: A few years ago, I delivered a training presentation on the relationship between employment branding and candidate experience to a group of talent acquisition leaders. Specifically, the presentation attempted to address key qualities and attributes that candidates might consciously or subconsciously evaluate when considering a prospective employer. In preparing for this presentation, I produced what I refer to as the Candidate Hierarchy of Wants & Needs.</p>
<p>I simply set out to capture a baseline list of the qualities or attributes that candidates would regard as being important, desirable, or essential when considering a prospective employer. As you can undoubtedly appreciate, “Likeable Peers & Managers” easily made my list. I mean, after all, who’s going to say, “Nah…I don’t really need to “Like” the people I work with….” In fact, the next time your killing time at the water cooler, try asking your colleagues if they would join an employer, despite not liking or respecting prospective peers or managers. Most – if not all – are going to quickly respond by saying, “No Thanks!”</p>
<p>So, as recruiters, we are left with an interesting quandary: How do we help difficult or challenging hiring authorities help themselves (or at least avoid hurting themselves)? How do we help candidates get past the brusque, or abrasive, or tepid or milk toast demeanor exhibited by some hiring managers? In addressing these questions, it is worth noting that as much as working with a difficult hiring authority can present real challenges, these situations also present a very tangible opportunity to bring significant value-add to our organization (or client firm). In particular, if we can help a difficult or challenging hiring authority optimize his or her approach to engaging and interviewing candidates, or, if we can help to equip them with a game plan that will yield a more effective hiring process, we are far more likely to earn their respect, and may even be counted as a trusted advisor. But, how exactly, do we accomplish this? What can we do or say that will positively influence a hiring manager’s perspective and behavior towards candidate prospects, (and perhaps even to us)?</p>
<p>At the end of the day, as with most things in recruiting, our success in working with any hiring manager comes down to effective communications. There are several communication strategies that you may find to be useful, especially when working with a hiring manager whose personality, expectations, or work style are enigmatic or difficult: In particular, however, you must be a<span> </span><em><u>Proactive</u></em><span> </span>Communicator: Most individuals try to limit their communications with difficult colleagues. But, If you’re working with a particularly challenging hiring manager, try communicating<span> </span><u>MORE</u>, not less.</p>
<p>In a way this may seem counter-intuitive, after all, why would you want to spend any more time than is necessary communicating with someone who may not be an especially pleasant person with whom to interact? Well, because it’s the only way that you will be able to cultivate a shared perspective, wherein you identify potential impediments to hiring, and ultimately make recommendations that enhance the manner in which the hiring authority engages candidates. Now, I’m not suggesting that you “bury the hiring manager” with correspondence about any and every candidate that you might have occasion to consider on the manager’s behalf, and I’m not suggesting that you transmit 10 – 12 messages a day with hourly status updates, nor am I suggesting that you email the resumes of 50 different prospective candidates – each accompanied by specific qualifying questions – although I’ve known of recruiters who have done all of the above….to make a point. What I’m trying to suggest is that if you can open up the lines of communication, and if you can bring valid, consistent, factual, and unemotional perspective, you will be heard (at least some of the time!), and you will find that the manager in question may begin to accept some of your suggestions and recommendations.</p>
<p>The one thing that you possess that they don’t possess is the knowledge and experience that come with having a daily presence in the employment marketplace; and that knowledge is worth a lot. In Part II of “<em>Working With Difficult Hiring Managers – Key Strategies for Today’s Recruiter</em>,” I’ll break down three other strategies that you can deploy that should make a big difference in their overall happiness, and yours! Part II of “<em>Working With Difficult Hiring Managers, Key Strategies for Today’s Recruiter</em>” will delve into key messages and information that you will want to integrate into your dialogue with those especially difficult and challenging hiring managers.</p>
<p>Until then, This is <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulsiker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Siker</a> wishing you ongoing success.</p>When Interviewing Candidates - What Is Your Go To Question?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-16:502551:BlogPost:20607772018-02-16T14:15:54.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>Here’s something to consider: How would you respond if someone were to ask you, “Of all the questions that you pose to an active or prospective candidate, is there a single question to which you assign the greatest value?” Hi there, <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/about/leadership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paul Siker</a> here with a quick thought about what I regard to be a really key aspect of any recruiter’s sales process.</p>
<p>In truth, maybe the best universal <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruiting</a> question is: Will you take this job?! Or, when can you start!? But, I’m really alluding to questions that happen in our initial dialogue. So, while you are considering this, I’ll share my “go to” question.</p>
<p>Back in the formative stages of my <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruiting</a> career, I attended a sales training program that really forced me to think about the recruiting sales cycle in ways that I hadn’t previously considered. You see, the sales program that I went through was really more oriented to selling traditional tangible products and services.</p>
<p>My sales <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/recruiter_training/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">class</a> was made up of about 20 people from an array of different professions- technology product firms, waste removal services, medical equipment manufacturers, and then there was me – the guy who was trying to get better at recruiting.</p>
<p>This was a long time ago and while the sales course I took didn’t focus on recruiting, the program was invaluable in that it provided a coherent selling framework, and forced me to consider ways in which I could adapt this framework to my particular sales process. It was, in many respects, a painful process, but I reminded myself – “No Pain, No Gain.” Having been in this profession for roughly 3 decades, I guess things have worked out okay.</p>
<p>The sales program I experienced covered lots of material to include call preparation and execution; features and benefits; qualifying and validating; overcoming objections and closing – all good things, mind you, but none particularly wed to the basic but essential task of building rapport.</p>
<p>So I began experimenting, and working on rapport building approaches that suited my style, but more importantly, that genuinely work.</p>
<p>To this day, my go to question of any candidate is: “What do you do for fun?” It’s usually one of the last questions that I’ll pose at the end of my introductory or screening call. It almost always elicits a laugh from candidates – clearly they weren’t expecting this question – but, the answers are always intriguing and provide a moment of raw genuineness – You see, It’s really hard to BS about interests and passions – they either exist or they don’t. So, I like to ask people about their hobbies, interests, passions, and non-work endeavors. I ask because it allows us to connect as people, not merely as recruiter and candidate. I ask because it gives me insights about the actual person that I’m considering for a job. I ask because it often yields a common thread between me and a candidate (kids, pets, sports, food, etc.). I ask because I want to create a recurring touch point that not only allows me to build a relationship with a candidate, but build a trusting relationship where we are both comfortable putting cards on the table. I ask because I genuinely enjoy hearing each person’s answers – people fascinate me.</p>
<p>Now, somewhere out there, someone is wagging a finger at their screen and saying….”No, No, No, Mr. Paul – HR 101 says that you are not supposed to ask questions that don’t specifically pertain to the job itself. To do so is unnecessarily inviting the potential for problems later when that candidate is opted out of the process and rejected. We live in an ever more litigious world where candidates can sue a company for anything.” Well, I respectfully say, “Poppycock!” While I agree that questions should predominantly be about a candidate’s skills and experience, in my book not learning about the person, not making a connection, not having a friendly dialogue about the candidate as an individual is a lost opportunity – to distinguish yourself and your firm in the eyes and ears of a talented candidate. And, if I’m a talented candidate, where do I want to work – at the company that was strictly business and totally uptight, or the company that was a bit more relaxed and that took an interest in me as a person. Pretty easy choice.</p>
<p>This is Paul Siker wishing you ongoing success.</p>
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<div class="fusion-meta-info"></div>What Is Your Generational IQ?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-16:502551:BlogPost:20607752018-02-16T14:09:01.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>I’ve long argued that in terms of overall intelligence, individuals in the <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruiting and talent acquisition</a> domain make up one of the smartest subsets of professionals in the broader business arena. Now, I’m not necessarily talking about innate logical intelligence, which typically is associated with abilities relative to mathematics or formulating and proving hypothesizes or quantifying things. Nor am I specifically referencing any of the other 8 specific domains of intelligence, which include:</p>
<p><span id="more-5707"></span></p>
<ol>
<li>Musical–rhythmic and harmonic</li>
<li>Visual–spatial</li>
<li>Verbal–linguistic</li>
<li>Bodily–kinesthetic</li>
<li>Existential – ability to tackle deep questions about life/existence</li>
<li>Interpersonal (knowing others and their motives)</li>
<li>Intrapersonal (knowing oneself)</li>
<li>Naturalistic</li>
<li>(Logical – mathematics).</li>
</ol>
<p>No, I would submit that recruiters possess a great deal of “g factor” or general intelligence that is a blend of different spheres of intelligence.</p>
<p>But, back to the title of this particular Blog, <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/whats-generational-iq/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“What’s Your Generational IQ?”</a> You’ll get a chance to test your knowledge in a moment, but first let me state that in my estimation, a big part of effective recruiting is grounded in having a comprehensive understanding for the overall marketplace.</p>
<p>If you have any hope of deploying a thoughtful recruiting strategy, you better know your market, as well as any factors that might impact your ability to engage the talent base that aligns with your organization’s openings. This, of course, includes having some baseline appreciation for the generational cohorts that comprise an ever evolving workforce.</p>
<p>So, get yourself a pen and paper, and take the following super-short quiz to gauge your depth of knowledge regarding demographic and generational trends.</p>
<p>Consider the following questions – and no googling for answers, please!: So, let’s start out with an easy one –</p>
<p>Question 1: What’s the estimated population of the USA? (or, if you are Canadian: What’s the estimated population of Canada)?</p>
<p>Question 2: What Population Cohort comprises the largest percentage of participants in the workforce? (Choose One: Baby Boomer, Generation-X, Millennial, Generation Z)</p>
<p>Question 3: True or False: It’s estimated that 70,000 Baby Boomers will retire from the workforce every week for the next 700 Weeks?</p>
<p>Question 4: The percentage of 6 – 9 year olds (members of Generation Z) who have a mobile phone is presently estimated to be: (Choose One: 10%, 15%, 18%, 22%)?</p>
<p>Question 5: True or False: Research suggests that approximately 79% of Generation Z experiences emotional distress when kept away from mobile devices?</p>
<p>So, let’s see how you did.</p>
<p>Question 1: What is the current population of the US? And/or Canada? Well, it’s estimated that the USA has a population of roughly 323 Million people and that Canada has about 36 Million residents. And incidentally, the USA is now ranked as the world’s 3<sup>rd</sup><span> </span>most populous country, behind only China and India. For the purposes of this exercise, if you guessed anything over 300 Million for the USA or 30 Million for Canada, give yourself credit for having gotten the question right.</p>
<p>Question 2: What Population Cohort comprises the largest percentage of participants in the workforce? This one is interesting – prior to 2015, the correct answer would have been Baby Boomers, but in July 2015, according to Pew Research, Millennials became the generational cohort with the largest percentage of overall workforce participation. So, if you chose millennials, give yourself credit.</p>
<p>Question 3: It’s estimated that 70,000 Baby Boomers will retire from the workforce every week for the next 700 Weeks? This is absolutely true and somewhat staggering. It’s estimated that roughly 10,000 Baby Boomers are leaving the workforce on a daily basis. It will be interesting to see how this reality impacts a number of market sectors that are already facing a shortfall of available talent. So again, the answer here is true.</p>
<p>Question 4: The percentage of 6 – 9 year olds (members of Generation Z) who have a mobile phone is presently estimated to be: (Choose One: 10%, 15%, 18%, 22%)? If you guessed 22%, you are correct. And, by the way, members of Generation Z have never known a world without mobile phones.</p>
<p>Question 5: Research suggests that approximately 79% of Generation Z experiences emotional distress when kept away from mobile devices? If you guessed that this was true, you are correct. And incidentally, it’s estimated that the average member of Generation Z has an attention span of 8 seconds – both fascinating and a little unnerving.</p>
<p>So, how did you do? If you got all 5 questions right, take a screen shot of this gold star – you can print it out later and display it like a badge of honor.</p>
<p>If you got 4 out of 5, slap yourself on the back, you are officially better than average!</p>
<p>If you got 3 out of 5, don’t despair – I guarantee that there are people who did worse than you did!</p>
<p>If you got only 1 or 2 out of five – well, there’s always next time.</p>
<p>All kidding around aside, if nothing else, I hope that this post has served as food for thought. While the focus of this blog was simply to address some interesting demographic trends and statistics, in future posts I’ll explore what research now suggests about the work life preferences of each generational cohort, which are of great consequence to organizations trying to attract quality people.</p>
<p>Until next time, this is Paul Siker wishing you ongoing success.</p>
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</div>My Absolute Favorite Moment In Recruitingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-16:502551:BlogPost:20608862018-02-16T14:04:14.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>In speaking with a longstanding friend and <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/clients/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">client</a> recently, I was again reminded of the fact that I am regularly inspired by so many individuals within the <a href="https://recruitertraining.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruiting and talent acquisition</a> arena who I have been fortunate enough to meet and know over the course of my career.</p>
<p><span id="more-5807"></span></p>
<p>Jackie Connors of the <a href="http://www.theconnorsgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Connors Group</a> is someone I genuinely enjoy speaking with because she’s an incredible recruiter and, more importantly, a tremendous person. Despite her phenomenal success in recruiting over the years, Jackie is someone who’s always striving to sharpen the blade and who’s always working to get better – she is also a true student of the business. Blessed with an infectious laugh, Jackie has always struck me as the embodiment of someone who possesses a “glass is half full” outlook – pragmatic, yet eminently positive and hopeful – all really good things in recruiting, right?</p>
<p>So, as our conversation pivoted for the 10<sup>th</sup><span> </span>time, as it always does when we delve into the nuts and bolts of recruiting best practices, the following question surfaced:</p>
<p>What is your absolute favorite moment in the recruiting process?</p>
<p>Oddly, despite our many conversations over the years we hadn’t addressed this particular topic previously. Maybe even more ironic is that I’ve long known my favorite moment in the recruiting lifecycle – the moment, above all others, that I find to be most gratifying.</p>
<p>Now, if you haven’t previously contemplated this question, take a quick moment to consider it. Think about everything you do in your role as a recruiter. Think about the candidates you encounter, the interviews you sit through, the hiring managers with whom you interact, and all the steps associated with your recruiting process. Think about the people you really enjoy working with, and think about the people who annoy the hell out of you. Think about the unique activities in which you are involved – think about it all, and see if you can distill this blur of activity into one identifiable instance in your recruiting process that stands out as being more fulfilling than anything else. Now, write this down on a piece of paper: My favorite moment in recruiting is: _______________ Oh, and writing Friday at 5 PM as your answer doesn’t count!</p>
<p>I guarantee that some of you are answered with, “My favorite moment in recruiting is when I present an offer to a candidate, and get to hear them say, “Yes, I’m taking this job!” Or maybe you’re thinking that your favorite moment is telling a hiring manager that you just got an acceptance on a position that’s been open forever! Or maybe it’s getting favorable feedback on a candidate from an especially challenging hiring manager, giving you hope that maybe – just maybe this particular position will be filled. And, I’m sure that some of you are thinking that your favorite moment is the point at which you submit several well qualified candidates to an impressed hiring authority – You’ve got this thing handled, and they know it. Not a bad feeling. And maybe others simply find the opportunity to advocate for a specific candidate – that diamond in the rough – to be wholly satisfying (especially when that diamond in the rough gets the job and surpasses everyone’s expectations).</p>
<p>So, when my friend Jackie and I got into our discussion about this topic, I said, “I can absolutely pinpoint the one moment of the recruiting process that I find to be more gratifying than any other, and it’s<span> </span><u>NOT</u><span> </span>closing the deal. Jackie laughed out loud and said, “I think we may have the same favorite moment.” I went on and conveyed that my greatest joy in recruiting comes from cold calling an entirely passive candidate – someone that I’ve identified via research, never communicated with previously – called out of the blue, and presented with one exceptionally compelling story about an opportunity of a lifetime– digging in on their background, cultivating their interest, and then realizing that, in Jackie’s words, “I just found the guy or gal” who will win this position.</p>
<p>Jackie immediately confirmed that this too, was her “pinnacle” moment in the recruiting lifecycle – effectively taking nothing other than a few shreds of information about a specific person, initiating contact and engaging a talented professional in what subsequently becomes a life-changing dialogue. In short, turning nothing into something really significant.</p>
<p>And, sometimes after one of these connections, I honestly wonder if I’ve experienced divine intervention at work. So to this day, “finding THE RIGHT guy or gal” to use Jackie’s expression, remains among the most gratifying and fulfilling moments that I get to experience.</p>
<p>Whatever your favorite moments within the recruitment process may be, I hope that the balance of 2016 provides you with numerous opportunities to realize as many of them as possible!</p>
<p>This is Paul Siker, wishing you ongoing success.</p>
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</div>What's The Most Valuable Recruiting Metric?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-09:502551:BlogPost:20593212018-02-09T19:22:07.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<p>But before one can meaningfully address the relevance of performance metrics, in any business area, it’s important to understand the overarching goals that a organization is trying to achieve. In my view, when considering the goals that drive just about any recruiting function, I think it’s fair to say that all employers ideally want their hiring process to accomplish 4 primary objectives: These include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Identifying and engaging the best and most qualified individuals for available openings;</li>
<li>Efficiently qualifying and validating that candidates possess the requisite skills, abilities, experience, and temperament to do the work at hand, as well as fit in the company’s culture;</li>
<li>Assuring that a candidate’s individual career motivators and goals are well aligned with the opportunity at hand, as well as potential future opportunities; and,</li>
<li>Cost effectively, engaging and on-boarding talented individuals who can contribute to the organization and ideally become tenured employees.</li>
</ul>
<p>When thinking about metrics, it’s highly useful to keep in mind how they correlate to stated goals and objectives. Over the many years that I’ve been involved in talent acquisition, I’ve observed that some organizations have adopted a somewhat myopic view when trying to understand and assess the relative efficiency of their hiring process. Increasingly, employers of all sizes are equipped to capture vast quantities of data regarding their hiring process, as well as evaluate metrics that may offer useful insights.</p>
<p>For some organizations, Cost-Per-Hire is the key performance indicator of choice. Let there be no doubt that assessing the cost structure of recruitment, as with any operational area, is a prudent exercise, perhaps especially for organizations that house a high volume recruitment function where a large number of positions are being staffed on a weekly or monthly basis. While Cost-Per-Hire is an important consideration, 3<sup>rd</sup><span> </span>party recruiters may appropriately argue that they are able to bring candidates to the table that a hiring organization would never have otherwise seen let alone hired, and that the extra cost is offset by the attendant ROI.</p>
<p>Other firms are fixated on Time-To-Fill as their principal recruiting metric of choice. There’s certainly merit to the idea that a shorter hiring cycle should translate to what is ultimately a more efficient recruiting process, as a good recruiting process, by definition, is both timely and linear.</p>
<p>In thinking about truly measuring a recruiting function’s efficiency, however, there may be greater value in considering Time-To-Find. In other words, how long did it actually take a recruiter or the recruiting function to find the person who ended up accepting an extended job offer? This spin on the more conventional Time-To-Fill metric considers the reality that many aspects of the interview and/or offer process are out of a recruiter’s control. For example, a recruiter doesn’t have control over a hiring manager’s or candidate’s interview availability, interview process deviations, or other related activities (which could potentially include things like references, background checks/drug testing, etc.) depending on when in the process these items are completed. My point is that these variables can all cause the process to drag, and the Time-To-Fill metric to bloat.</p>
<p>Another metric worth considering is the relative quality or “stickiness” of a new hire. I will certainly acknowledge that the stickiness or quality of hire metric may not be applicable to every company, particularly those with seasonal employment considerations, or where significant, industry-wide workforce turnover in specific position categories is an ongoing reality.</p>
<p>But, for other companies, quality of hire may be a very useful metric. If you bundle new hires within a given year and treat them as being part of a firm’s annual “recruiting class,” for example, you can start to evaluate trend data over a given timeframe that may highlight quality of hire issues specific to a year, a particular project, or even an individual department. When it comes to talent selection, professional sports teams are especially scrutinizing. Long-term success is impacted by their ability to draft quality players. It’s easy to understand why they regularly evaluate the performance of a given year’s draft selections. While they can’t expect that every draft pick will end up on the team’s roster, I think that it’s fair to argue that the best performing teams are also the best at identifying and landing quality players.</p>
<p>Clearly if an individual is hired and subsequently leaves the organization in a short timeframe, because of performance issues, because there was a fundamental miscommunication or misunderstanding about the position, or because a better opportunity presented itself, I would submit that the hiring process was ineffective. In this instance, all the conventional hiring metrics are rendered irrelevant. The individual who exited the organization was a mis-hire.</p>
<p>In my experience, when an organization deviates from the key recruitment goals I cited earlier, the relative stickiness, or quality of hire level diminishes and attrition goes up. Mis-hires increase Cost-Per-Hire expenses. Mis-hires also skew Time-To-Fill ratios, and make Time-To-Find assessments immaterial, because at the end of the day, the wrong person was hired, and the recruiting process must begin anew.</p>
<p>Conversely, if a quality individual is identified, engaged, interviewed, hired, on-boarded and successfully becomes a tenured employee, measurable ROI should be readily evident.</p>
<p>So, what’s the most valuable recruiting metric? Well, the truth is that they all have value, and therefore they are all worth examining. At the end of the day, an efficient recruitment function should be cost effective, deliver timely results, and secure quality people who stick around.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://recruitertraining.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://recruitertraining.com/</a></p>
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</div>Are You A Time Savvy Recruiter?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-07:502551:BlogPost:20589092018-02-07T18:03:50.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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</div>If You Aren't Getting Better, What Are You Getting?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-07:502551:BlogPost:20587242018-02-07T17:59:19.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<div class="fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling"><div class="fusion-builder-row fusion-row"><div class="fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion_builder_column_1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last 1_1"><div class="fusion-column-wrapper"><div class="fusion-text"><p>Take a moment to complete the quick survey on enhancing, improving, and optimizing your individual performance.</p>
<p>As someone with more than a passing interest in professional sports, I was genuinely excited when I recently had an opportunity to attend a hockey game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. (I’m originally from Pittsburgh, PA, so it’s not hard to figure out where my loyalties reside). Earlier in 2016, I made it to a couple of post-season games, including a game during the Stanley Cup Finals – a truly terrific experience! To many who follow sports, there’s nothing quite like the post-season – the intensity and drama underscore the reality that EVERYTHING is on the line.<br/><span id="more-5903"></span></p>
<p>The other reason that I appreciate the post-season is because getting to the playoffs is the reward for those teams that work harder, are more disciplined, and perform more cohesively. Not surprisingly, these traits are often synonymous with success in the business world, as well.</p>
<p>If you listen closely to interviews with the most talented players in just about any sport, they tend to say almost the exact same thing regarding the key ingredients to their individual and team success. The very best players share an almost universal commitment to “getting better.” They are devout students of their own performance, to include understanding their individual strengths and areas of opportunity, because they want to get better. They seek outside input from coaches and others to obtain greater situational awareness because they want to get better. And, they are constantly working on the finer points of their game – all the subtleties and nuances – because they want to get better. Getting better translates to competing more effectively; getting better means becoming more efficient; getting better means being accountable and making sacrifices to elevate one’s game. As a case in point, consider the following clip featuring the consensus “best hockey player in the world.”</p>
<p>So, what about your team? What about you? What do you or your team deliberately do as a means of keeping the blade sharp? What drives you to be introspective and push to elevate your skills and results to the next plateau? What steps do you take to work on your business, so that you can be more effective working in your business?</p>
<p>Perhaps you can rattle off a short hit-list of things that you have done this year in pursuit of “getting better” – if so, that’s genuinely awesome – good for you. Many of us, however, are so immersed in our respective day-to-day routines that unconsciously ride a wave of activity which seemingly pushes us from one moment to the next. We have little time to incorporate moments of formal introspection into our business life. And the problem with this, If you really pause to think about it, is this: it’s really hard to get better, if you don’t deliberately plan to get better.</p>
<p>So, if you are drawing a blank about your individual self-improvement endeavors over the recent past, I encourage you to complete a very short Getting Better Self-Assessment, which you can find on this webpage below the video. It’s a short, super-quick survey, and If nothing else, it will serve as food for thought for better understanding and/or measuring things you may be presently doing or can do right now to begin investing in yourself and your success. My expectation is that when you complete the assessment you will either arrive at a moment of affirmation, or perhaps a moment of enlightenment.</p>
<p>The title of this blog is a simple question that asks: If you aren’t getting better – what are you getting? Interested in adopting your own Getting Better strategy? Just drop me a note. I’m more than happy to spend a few minutes discussing straightforward game plans and approaches that can yield real value for you or your team.</p>
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</div>Avoiding Candidate Illusionstag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-02:502551:BlogPost:20577522018-02-02T17:41:47.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<p>For an awfully long time now, I’ve been a proponent of the idea that obtaining clarity regarding a job prospect’s core motivators is one of the most important aspects of an effective recruiting process. As recruiters, we must have the ability to quickly acquire and triage exactly what is motivating a…</p>
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<p>For an awfully long time now, I’ve been a proponent of the idea that obtaining clarity regarding a job prospect’s core motivators is one of the most important aspects of an effective recruiting process. As recruiters, we must have the ability to quickly acquire and triage exactly what is motivating a candidate to consider making a job change in the first place. Then, of course, we must determine whether the individual’s goals and objectives can be realized by affiliating with our company (or client company).</p>
<p>Most of the time, the process of identifying an individual’s motivators is very straightforward. Issues of consequence are readily identifiable and make sense – maybe the individual is maxed out in his or her current role – there’s little or no growth available – or maybe there’s organizational dysfunction driving them to want to leave their current firm – or maybe a quality of life issue is the key driver – too much travel or too much commuting or too much overtime. Or, maybe it’s an issue that’s grounded in the candidate’s perception that they are under compensated.</p>
<p>While acquiring a candidate’s motivators is typically a straightforward proposition, there are times when we inevitably encounter specific objections to one or more aspects of our opportunity. In essence, we find ourselves dealing with Pulls and Pushes – aspects of our opportunity and environment that might draw or pull a candidate into wanting to affiliate with our organization, versus other qualities and attributes that are pushing an individual away from our opportunity and environment. In short, recruiting can be fraught with ambiguity which can undermine our efforts to steward a candidate forward in our process.</p>
<p>To illustrate what I’m talking about, you will need to watch the above video so that you can complete a short visual exercise (You will see a series of images that appear on the screen – you will be able to view each image for just a few seconds. After viewing each image, you will want to write down what you see before you).</p>
<p>If you completed the exercise, you recognize that you were viewing a series of illusions – some people immediately see one specific image, while other people see something entirely different.</p>
<p>So, what’s my point? Well, it’s relatively simple: As recruiters our day is comprised of a series of fast-paced candidate interactions and other activities. What’s most important is that we see people with clarity – that we see them in totality. This means that we need to always be focused on asking the right questions – this means that we need to make certain that we not only strive to understand a candidate’s motivators, but also that we understand potential issues/concerns, or hesitations that could conceivably surface. This means that we must have an effective qualifying process that goes into a reasonable degree of depth so that we don’t encounter surprises deep into the recruitment lifecycle.</p>
<p>I’ll close with this thought: Effective recruiting relies on our ability to utilize a thoughtful and thorough qualifying process, one that assures that we are seeing individuals accurately and completely. By taking the time to appropriately assess a candidate’s motivators and hesitations, we are far more likely to steward a candidate across the finish line, while eliminating potential illusions along the way!</p>
<p>Wishing you ongoing success –</p>
<p>Paul Siker</p>9 Essential Employment Brand Messages Candidates Want To Heartag:recruitingblogs.com,2018-02-02:502551:BlogPost:20577512018-02-02T17:38:38.000ZAdvanced Recruiting Trendshttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AdvancedRecruitingTrends
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<p><br></br> <a href="https://recruitertraining.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Brand</a>: A five-letter word that prompts many people to picture images of cereal boxes, soup cans, and automobiles. While marketers have long been preoccupied with branding products and services, in a tightening labor…</p>
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<p><br/> <a href="https://recruitertraining.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brand</a>: A five-letter word that prompts many people to picture images of cereal boxes, soup cans, and automobiles. While marketers have long been preoccupied with branding products and services, in a tightening labor market, talent acquisition professionals are increasingly recognizing the importance of being able to articulate a talent or employment brand that is designed to resonate with prospective candidates. Because talented job seekers have more employment options than ever, having an effective talent or employment brand has taken on more significance than ever.</p>
<p>Every organization should be regularly asking themselves, “What is our employment brand?” “What are we conveying to applicants and prospective candidates about the merits of affiliating with our organization?” “What messaging are we using and do they connect with the intended audience?” What are some messaging areas worth paying attention to? I would argue that <a href="https://recruitertraining.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recruiters</a> of every persuasion (in-house, or 3<sup>rd</sup> party) should be trying to build selling messages around the following 9 themes:</p>
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<li><strong>G</strong>rowth Potential-Meritocracy</li>
<li><strong>O</strong>rganizational Competence/Professionalism</li>
<li><strong>O</strong>pportunity for Diverse Experiences</li>
<li><strong>D</strong>evelopment Opportunities</li>
<li><strong>Work</strong>/Life Balance</li>
<li><strong>L</strong>ikeable Peers/Managers</li>
<li><strong>I</strong>nnovation/Excellence</li>
<li><strong>F</strong>ulfillment/Job Satisfaction/Recognition</li>
<li><strong>E</strong>quitable Compensation and Benefits</li>
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<p>If you look at this list in its entirety, you will see that it forms the acronym “Good Work Life,” which at its very essence is the employment brand that you would like to convey – affiliate with our company and you can have a tremendous career experience. And, what the heck, I’ll throw in a 10<sup>th</sup> theme, which is: <a href="https://recruitertraining.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Market Reputation</a>. It’s been well documented that people assign great value to what others think about their employer. Companies with great reputations tend to have a much easier time hiring the best talent. Companies with questionable reputations have a much more challenging time.</p>
<p>In my experience, just about every candidate will assign a reasonable degree of importance to the characteristics that I referenced earlier, regardless of whether they have consciously considered these attributes or not. I would argue that if you put my list in front of a candidate and asked them which two or three attributes they could live without, I expect it would be a very difficult decision-making process. What are they going to say? “No, I don’t need to actually like the people that I work with,” or, “You know, work/life balance is something that I regard to be way overrated,” or, “I would prefer not to be developed – growing my skills just isn’t that important.” I think not.</p>
<p>Now, in advocating that firms should craft selling messages around the themes that I referenced earlier I’m not suggesting that you want to stretch or sugar-coat the truth about your organization’s brand – naturally, you don’t want to embellish.</p>
<p>My list is intended to serve as a rough guide on potential selling messages that might be worth considering and that might serve to burnish your firm or client firm’s employment brand. If you can build great messaging that speaks to each of the themes that I’ve referenced, and then get comfortable articulating these to candidates, you will find that it really makes a difference relative to how your firm is perceived.</p>
<p>Again, in a talent constrained marketplace where people have more employment options that ever, it’s only natural that candidates are going to formulate a decision-making hierarchy that helps them to identify the very best employer and job opportunity. This fact is ultimately why your firm’s talent or employment brand have never been more important. Interested in learning more about how to optimize your firm’s employment brand? Check out<span> </span><a href="https://recruitertraining.com/event/specialty-course-creating-the-wow-factor-optimizing-your-firms-employment-brand-4/2018-06-06/">“Creating The “Wow!” Factor.</a></p>
<p>This is Paul Siker wishing you ongoing success.</p>
<p><a href="https://recruitertraining.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Advanced Recruiting Trends</a></p>