Amy McDonald's Posts - RecruitingBlogs2024-03-29T11:26:07ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1526990150?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2kdoyw4p1jemf&xn_auth=noThe Most Important Goal I Set This Yeartag:recruitingblogs.com,2015-01-20:502551:BlogPost:18585792015-01-20T20:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/be_happy_by_sceneyme-d5sj540.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1161" height="200" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/be_happy_by_sceneyme-d5sj540-300x200.jpg" title="be_happy_by_sceneyme-d5sj540" width="300"></img></a></p>
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<p>Is it really almost the end of January? I'm a big fan of, "Set goals and you will achieve goals," mentality. I usually start putting my business and professional goals down on paper right after Thanksgiving . Then, I write a blog or a memo or something telling everyone else how to do so in early December. Then, I study my goals and get very prepared to make them…</p>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/be_happy_by_sceneyme-d5sj540.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1161" title="be_happy_by_sceneyme-d5sj540" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/be_happy_by_sceneyme-d5sj540-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200"/></a></p>
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<p>Is it really almost the end of January? I'm a big fan of, "Set goals and you will achieve goals," mentality. I usually start putting my business and professional goals down on paper right after Thanksgiving . Then, I write a blog or a memo or something telling everyone else how to do so in early December. Then, I study my goals and get very prepared to make them happen.</p>
<p><strong>This year that did not happen.</strong></p>
<p>This year was hectic for me personally. In fact, my professional success aside, 2014 was a pretty rough year. I was scrambling to keep up around Thanksgiving. I was missing deadlines I had set for 2014 . Taking time to set more goals for 2015 seemed silly. I found myself on December 28th with not one goal written down. Gasp!</p>
<p>We all know you have to write it down if you really expect it to happen, right? Excuses aside, I was stressed this year. While I was busy, and still liked what I was doing, I was a little depressed started to feel a little sorry for myself. Mostly this was because I felt like I was working way too hard for my success.</p>
<p>When I finally forced myself to sit down and put some goals to paper, my mind, and my paper for that matter, were blank. So I did what everyone does when they don't know what to write down. I went to <a href="http://google.com">Google</a>. I typed in "setting goals". When you consider that as I scanned through the numerous google pages on the subject that I eventually saw my own posts from years past, it was really pretty pathetic. Stay with me.</p>
<p>One of the listings (not mine) had something that caught my eye. It was a simple line.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>"What do you want the most?"</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Now we all know the master, <a href="http://franklincovey.com/blog/consultants/jamescathcart/tag/what-matters-most/" target="_blank">Franklin Covey</a> pushes "What Matter's Most" and I had the class, (used to) use the planner, I get it. But this said, "What do YOU WANT most."</p>
<p>It was profound for me. You know how in a movie, they will lift the words off the page digitally and make them glow to help the viewer understand what the character is reading? Yeah. Imagine that happening to me as I read them. Those words very literally seemed to scream out at me. I know what you are thinking (insert eye roll). I thought the same thing; so I went to bed.</p>
<p>The next morning, I woke up with one word on my mind: "HAPPY".</p>
<p>What did I want most? I wanted to be happy. Geez, how did those people do that happy thing? I went to my desk. Sat down and wrote. " In 2015 I will be H-A-P-P-Y," on a purple sticky note. I stuck it on my monitor. Perhaps because it was an obnoxious shade of purple, I was more distracted by this little sticky note than the house full of kids screaming through the last days of their holiday break.</p>
<p>(Chalk on Blackboard) "Coffee break!"</p>
<p>I walked to my kitchen to fire up the Keurig before <a href="http://rekrutr.com" target="_blank">posting a few random jobs</a> and looking out my back window, I had an epiphany. I stood there and thought about how happy used to feel. I was a lot younger and had a lot less responsibilities. I was still a recruiter back then. Hmm. At that moment I simply made up my mind that I WAS GOING to be happy in 2015.</p>
<p>Bare with me. I know. Why should you care? This is a recruiting blog, right?</p>
<p>Here's why: Happy gives you power in the recruitment industry; power in building relationships. I believe, without a doubt, happy recruiters attract more people than a hard ass ever will. Happy recruiters get results because, well, people sort of like them. What? Could it be that simple? Hmm. Let me think back to when I was happy myself. Happy recruiters have clients that call them back. Happy recruiters have candidates that can't resist listening to them sell a job. They don't take a no as no, they take it as a "not now" and move on.</p>
<p>As I sat all day, looking at that "Happy" little sticky note, I continued to think about the last time I was really "a happy camper" AND a recruiter. Despite my perceived "success", silly titles, blogs I write, what have you,I still wasn't really happy. Success did not equal happiness.</p>
<p>Was I a success when I WAS happy? Well,sure! I thought so anyway. On my terms I was most certainly happy and successful. When I was happy, people just seemed to fall in to my lap. Recruiting was a passion, not a career. I lived and breathed recruiting because it made me happy to help people find new jobs, or to help others find relief for the open slot on their team. I made good money. I certainly didn't have to force myself to pick up a phone or to work a few extra hours to accomplish my goals.</p>
<p>Next, I searched for the point at which the paradigm had changed. When had I moved from thinking I need to be successful to be happy instead of the other way around? It occurred to me, that it was at the point that I started being a recruiter for ME instead of for THEM. They were tired of me being a jerk. They wanted to talk to someone that cared more about them and their needs than a fee.</p>
<p>It is sort of hard for me to admit this to all of you. I mean, who wants to announce their own short comings on a public forum? I'm also not suggesting you throw out making goals, or being persistent in collecting a fee. However, I suspect there are others reading this right now, that can relate. If it helps just one of you have more success because you are happy then I'm happy, and that is my #1 goal. For business; for life, stay happy.</p>2015 - The Year Of The Candidatetag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-12-23:502551:BlogPost:18534782014-12-23T19:35:48.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557552611?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557552611?profile=original" width="346"></img></a></p>
<p>It occurred to me today that we are just about ONE week from 2015. Where did the fourth quarter of 2014 even go? I know those of you that follow my blog have probably thought I fell right off the face of Earth, right? Well fortunately, I did not. I could give you a long list of reasons why taking time out for a blog post wasn't possible the last few weeks, but I'd…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557552611?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557552611?profile=original" width="346" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>It occurred to me today that we are just about ONE week from 2015. Where did the fourth quarter of 2014 even go? I know those of you that follow my blog have probably thought I fell right off the face of Earth, right? Well fortunately, I did not. I could give you a long list of reasons why taking time out for a blog post wasn't possible the last few weeks, but I'd rather focus on how much I've missed it, and simply say that I'm doing my best to get back to a weekly frequency for posting again. Let's talk 2015!</p>
<p>Have you noticed that we are once again fully immersed in a candidate-driven market? I have to tell you, 2015 is almost here and it will be "The Year of the Candidate". I hope you have thought through how you will change gears to take advantage of this in your recruiting business. It is going to be a great time to be a recruiter if you have used some of the tips I've had for you this past year. Remember when I told you to become a "Master of Talent" in <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/debunking-recruiter-secrets-become-a-master-of-talent/" target="_blank">this post</a> from April 2014? Yeah. That might come in handy for 2015.</p>
<p>If you've been a recruiter for more than 10 years, you are probably more familiar with this shift from an employer-driven market to a candidate-driven one because you've been through it before. There have certainly been <a href="http://mrinetwork.com/resources/article-archive/articles/the-recruiters-view-candidate-driven-market-to-present-retention-challenges-in-2015-among-top-performers/" target="_blank">strong indicators that the market was shifting</a> since 2011 but in 2015, there is no doubt that employers who are not shifting their recruiting methodology in response to it will be at a real disadvantage this year. Here's what I think you can expect this year:</p>
<p><strong>Motivated passive candidates.</strong></p>
<p>During the recession, many of the best candidates would openly admit that they were just happy to be working and felt a strong responsibility to stay the coarse with their current company. They may not have shared their pain or points of discontentment with salary or mobility in their current role. Now is the time to revisit those candidates because they will begin to make moves to find something ideal for their career path. </p>
<p><strong>Employers calling you!</strong></p>
<p>As candidates begin to expect more from an employer, employers will need to have more ambassadors selling their company to the best and the brightest. It is very likely that the same hiring managers who avoided your calls for a few years will be scouring their contact list to find your name now. Think back to the prospects you gave up on and re-visit contact with them. There is still time to get a New Year's greeting card out. </p>
<p><strong>Closing becoming critical.</strong></p>
<p>As candidates begin to feel more control and have multiple offers to choose from, closing your candidate on their salary expectations and real interest throughout the screening and hiring process is essential to success. Remember, you only get paid if the candidate takes the job. This is not the time for "tire kickers." They do nothing but make you look bad to an employer serious about finding an employee they can retain. Close hard on their goals, and close often. <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/the-importance-of-notes-in-recruiting/" target="_blank">Take good notes</a> and hold the candidate to what they told you they were looking for.</p>
<p><strong>Better placement fees.</strong></p>
<p>In the end, good recruiters will find that "The Year of the Candidate" will be a time to make more money. This is because the value of your product is up. Employers enjoyed several years of bargain salaries on top candidates but now that the best candidates are in higher demand, you as their agent, will reap the rewards.</p>
<p>What changes have you noticed in your business with the shift to a candidate-driven market? Are you planning new initiatives for 2015 to support this trend? My advice is stay true to your commitment of only working with the best and brightest. Stop wasting time on candidates that are less than stellar and focus on relationships with those who are. The employer still pays you, but the quality of the candidates you work with and the influence you have to sell them on your clients company will be more important than it has been in years. Be honest to those that don't meet your criteria and create a pipeline of exceptional performers that your clients are willing to pay top dollar for.</p>
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<p>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst.com" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360</a>. – See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/">http://rekrutr.com/blog/</a></p>Preparing Candidates for Stressful Interviewstag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-10-16:502551:BlogPost:18335062014-10-16T18:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p>Let’s face it, job interviews are not something that most candidates look forward to but they know they are a necessity for a new job. They can be pretty stressful in any circumstance, but if your candidate is unemployed, or feels that they could be soon, the stress factor just increased 10 fold for them. Some recruiters I have worked with in the past won’t even present a candidate that is presently unemployed. I’m not that strict with my own candidates, but I do make sure that if they are…</p>
<p>Let’s face it, job interviews are not something that most candidates look forward to but they know they are a necessity for a new job. They can be pretty stressful in any circumstance, but if your candidate is unemployed, or feels that they could be soon, the stress factor just increased 10 fold for them. Some recruiters I have worked with in the past won’t even present a candidate that is presently unemployed. I’m not that strict with my own candidates, but I do make sure that if they are unemployed they can support why they are still the best candidate for the job.</p>
<p>In addition to the given stress that a candidate may already feel, some of my clients actually design their interviewing to determine how candidates will respond in an exceptionally stressful interview. I call these "pressure cooker interviews". Sometimes I know it before hand, and sometimes I don’t. Either way, I typically set aside time to prepare each of my candidates before they interview. Before you say it, I know this can be a slippery slope. Some clients do not want recruiters coaching the candidates at all. I'll say this, I don’t give them confidential information that might be perceived by my client as an unfair advantage. On the other hand, I feel it part of my role to make sure my candidates represent me well.</p>
<p>With that in mind, there are some interviewing tips that I use with almost all candidates to help relieve some of the stress that they may have regarding interviews. If the hiring manager has made a point of describing their interview process to me, I'm going to take the opportunity to make sure that my candidate is prepared for anything out of the ordinary as well.</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Make sure your attire fits the position, but is something you can be comfortable in</strong>. This might seem silly, but trust me, if you are worried about the shirt gaping or the crazy color of the tie your sister talked you in to wearing, it will show in the interview. Think about how someone in the military might dress for an important meeting. Dark suit, crisp white shirt, but above all, your clothes should be well-fitting and you should appear to be very well groomed. When you look good, you feel good. If you are questioning whether you look ridiculous, well, you might. More importantly, this tension shows in your demeanor, even if they like the chartreuse tie.</li>
<li><strong>Be prepared</strong>. Study up on the employer before the interview. Google the person you are to interview with. Scour the company website. Dig in to the investor information tab and the careers page. Learn everything you can about the position you applying for upfront. Nothing makes you feel more confident in an interview than knowledge. Knowledge is power. When they discuss their growth, for example, and you can talk about a press release you read regarding this information.</li>
<li><strong>Be calm when asked something you don’t immediately know the answer to</strong>. Some interviewers may ask questions that seem ridiculous and irrelevant to the position. The key is to be thoughtful about your response. Don’t just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, think about how the question relates to your work skills and/or character before answering.<span>“If you were an animal, what would you be?” </span>A question like this, for example, is enough to make someone that is worried about how they will pay next month’s mortgage lose their composure. Keep in mind, they don’t really care what animal you choose, but more, <em>why</em> you chose that animal. Why do you think that animal could represent you? These are clues to the interviewer about your personality and how you will handle pressure and stress. Asking questions like this in an interview also tell the interviewer how they can expect you to deal with difficult questions that you may not immediately know the answer to from a customer.</li>
</ol>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557546420?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557546420?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Limit personal sharing</strong> when it comes to why you are unemployed. This one can be tough if you have been unemployed for a long time or feel that the reasons you are unemployed were unfair. If you develop a good rapport with the interviewer you may find yourself sharing more information than they really need to know. Stay away from discussing anything negative about your personal situation, or former employers whenever possible. Keep all answers to a potential employer on a “need-to-know” basis. If the issue is something that the employer will discover on a back ground check, it is best to let them know this upfront. Otherwise, try to keep the conversation focused on the value you can bring to their company.</li>
<li><strong>End the interview well.</strong> No matter how you feel the interview went, end the interview on a cordial note. Thank the interviewer for their time, and when applicable, use this opportunity to tell them how much you enjoyed hearing about the opportunity and let them know that you would like to be offered a position. Some positions, sales for example, may even warrant a more aggressive close like, “I love what you’ve shared today. When can I start?”</li>
</ol>
<p>How do you advise your candidates to keep their cool and out-perform other candidates as any of your submittals would, when they are really under pressure to get the job? Are there any of my tips that you disagree with? How much time, if any, do you spend time on prepping candidates with this type of information before an interview? Sound off in the comments below.</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Amy McDonald is a President and CEO supporting several online employment sites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/">REKRUTR</a>, <a href="http://www.resumespider.com/">ResumeSpider</a>, and <a href="http://www.razorhire.com/">RazorHire</a>.She has worked in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with many career seekers, recruitment professionals, and business leaders throughout her career, training best practices in finding a job, workplace relations, sourcing talent and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst360.com/" target="_blank"><strong>BIZCATALYST360</strong></a>.</em></li>
</ul>Empathy in Recruitingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-09-25:502551:BlogPost:18292102014-09-25T15:24:39.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://www.inc.com/author/jill-krasny" target="_blank">Jill Krasny</a> had a good article earlier this week on<a href="http://www.inc.com/" target="_blank"> Inc.com</a> called <a href="http://www.inc.com/jill-krasny/the-awesome-power-of-empathy.html" target="_blank">The Awesome Power of Empathy</a>. This of course being the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The article reminded me of when I first applied to be a search consultant at an Indianapolis MRI…</p>
<p><a href="http://www.inc.com/author/jill-krasny" target="_blank">Jill Krasny</a> had a good article earlier this week on<a href="http://www.inc.com/" target="_blank"> Inc.com</a> called <a href="http://www.inc.com/jill-krasny/the-awesome-power-of-empathy.html" target="_blank">The Awesome Power of Empathy</a>. This of course being the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The article reminded me of when I first applied to be a search consultant at an Indianapolis MRI office.</p>
<p>As part of the hiring process, after multiple interviews and I took a battery of tests meant to determine if I would make a good recruiter. It was the first time I'd been asked to take these types of tests during a hiring process. I had no expectations as to what they were looking for in regards to answers. I answered each question completely unbiased.</p>
<p>Later, when discussing the opportunity with their managing partner in a final interview, he discussed I scored very high in all areas except one. The one area that I tested significantly lower than what they what they would typically look for was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy" target="_blank">empathy</a>. I have to admit, I was a bit shocked. As someone who spent practically as much time volunteering in the community as I did at my full-time job, I felt I had a pretty good grasp on compassion. At that time, I thought that is what empathy meant. </p>
<p>My soon-to-be manager explained that empathy was a critical piece in recruiting and that it was something I would need to work on if I wanted to be successful in his office. He also shared with me at the time that his highest performer had scored exactly the same score on all areas, including the empathy, which he found remarkable. He was giving me a shot.</p>
<p>It took me a while to understand why empathy was so important in recruiting and even longer to truly embrace it. The test was pretty accurate. When it came to screening candidates for example, I had very little patience for grey. I was all black and white. The candidate had the right answer to my question, or they didn't. Had I not been trained to notice it I wouldn't have. It was true for clients as well. I took a thorough job order and determined the client was someone I could make a placement with or they weren't. There were no room for maybes on my desk for a long time. Eventually I learned what I would like you to consider, and that is the power of empathy in recruiting.</p>
<p><strong>You have to get to know your candidate and client beyond what is on their resume in order to understand what motivates them.</strong> If you can put yourself in to their shoes, probe for the reasons they made the decisions they have in their career, or in the hiring process, good or bad, you have an advantage. For example, having empathy for a candidate can help you coach them through the process. Having empathy for the pain the client is feeling about the open position helps you drive urgency for hire. It also may change your decision on whom you work with, particularly candidates. By this I mean if you take the time to get to know the individual you may decide to spend more time with them than you expected before knowing more.</p>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/empathy-their-shoes1.png"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1112" title="empathy their shoes" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/empathy-their-shoes1.png" alt="" width="450" height="253"/></a></p>
<p>When I was conducting an initial phone screen with a recruiter candidate recently, I asked why she chose to leave her last recruiting role. She had obviously quit, albeit on good terms but her resume indicated she had been extremely successful for a new graduate in the recruiting industry. Her answer surprised me. " I didn't like how competitive the job had become. I was miserable in the environment. "</p>
<p>Now, as you can imagine, I immediately had the vision of my client's face if she were to say this to him in an interview. First, I empathized with <em>him</em> because, let's face it, recruiting is almost always a little bit competitive and many recruiting firms with have a similar environment. Someone that does not have a desire to compete to win, just might not be the best choice for a recruiter position in the first place. I could completely relate to why he would not want to waste time on a candidate that said this.</p>
<p>Then I forced myself to go one step further, probably because of the empathy reminder I got from reading that article on Monday. I asked more questions of the candidate. Doing so changed my mind about the viability of this candidate because suddenly, I had empathy for her situation as well.</p>
<p>In reality, the issue was not about competition at all, but rather, an issue with the company's process for determining regional accountability and with tagging "ownership'' of candidates. She was exceeding all expectations but not being compensated for it. She was a new grad that was clearly still a bit of a rookie but she had no intention of working without being fairly compensated. She had the confidence in herself to walk away knowing that her skills would provide her with another great opportunity. Is it the way I would have handled it? Probably not, but could I put myself in her shoes? I tried.</p>
<p>The bottom line is, was this something that should keep her from being considered for a recruiting position. Would it effect her performance with the next employer. Had she been encouraged to share what her issues were before she left, would she even be on the market. Were her concerns valid?</p>
<p>After a bit of a chat, my perception of this candidate changed. I was able to coach her about how to answer the question when she met with the hiring manager so that I could feel confident about presenting her to a client. Her hungry desire to succeed was very evident in the results she showed. She might work perfectly for an employer with a different process.</p>
<p>So think about empathy as you make your own calls this week. Probe further when you hear a response you don't necessarily like. See if you feel like that little extra bit of understanding might help your recruiting process. I'm not suggesting you "settle" for less than great, but consider putting yourself in the other person's shoes. I'm convinced now that empathy can be a powerful skill in business, with my own team at <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a> and <a href="http://www.resumespider.com" target="_blank">ResumeSpider </a>and with those I recruit for private clients. I challenge you to get to know your candidates, and your client's a bit better. The ability to put yourself in their shoes will offer you an advantage. It will allow you the opportunity to alleviate their pain, and that might be the most important part of the entire recruitment process.</p>
<p>Sound off below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.</p>
<p>Amy McDonald is a free-lance recruiter and employment specialist. She currently works with employment websites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a> as an executive consultant. As a veteran of the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years, Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst360.com" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360</a>. – See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/">http://rekrutr.com/blog/</a></p>The Search For Joan: When Recruiting For Fit Becomes Expensivetag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-08-19:502551:BlogPost:18214492014-08-19T15:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p>I<a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Rogers-office-II.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Rogers-office-II.jpg?width=300" width="300"></img></a> <span style="font-size: 13px;">'m working on a job order for a retained client right now. This will back-fill a position within their organization that I like to call their "Joan". Joan - like on </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Men" style="font-size: 13px;" target="_blank" title="T.V.'s Mad Men">Mad Men</a><span style="font-size: 13px;">, you know? I love…</span></p>
<p>I<a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Rogers-office-II.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Rogers-office-II.jpg?width=300" width="300" class="align-left"/></a><span style="font-size: 13px;">'m working on a job order for a retained client right now. This will back-fill a position within their organization that I like to call their "Joan". Joan - like on </span><a title="T.V.'s Mad Men" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Men" target="_blank" style="font-size: 13px;">Mad Men</a><span style="font-size: 13px;">, you know? I love that series. If you watch it, you can probably identify that person in your own organization, right?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">She is absolutely, positively, irreplaceable. Or maybe she is a he; John. Maybe you have a John. I'm sticking with Joan just because this is my post and I don't have a good example of a John.</span></p>
<p>So, by my definition the office "Joan" is someone in the office one considers practically irreplaceable. Let's face it, she's the one that knows everything there is to know about the company and the people that work there. She knows all the secrets. She knows where the company has been (because she was there) and where it says it is going because you are pretty sure she is sort-of psychic. She wears a lot of hats -A LOT. She probably has had her hand in every department at one time or another and she takes up the slack for almost anyone that is out of the office unexpectedly and makes sure that the world, which is your office, keeps right on turning. She is the glue.</p>
<p>Whoa! Now wait a minute. We are recruiters, are we not? NO ONE is irreplaceable, right? It is all about who is brave enough to take on finding the replacement! This client just needs a brave little soldier to take on the search! You are just the person to do it! Before you do, I'd like to offer some advice.</p>
<p>The company thinks Joan is irreplaceable because she defines the "fit" of their organization. She has the perfect amount of business acumen, accountability, exceptional communication skills, pride in what she does and impeccable style in her professional appearance. Oh, by the way, everyone loves her too. Those that don't won't survive in the organization anyway. She has drive! She has passion! That's a Joan...or a John. They are the position that has become <strong>personalized.</strong> It is no longer a <strong>position</strong>, it is a <strong>person</strong> they are trying to replace<strong>.</strong> Many times, no one even knows the job title. She or he doesn't have a job description. They just make it happen.</p>
<p>The past month (or so), that brave little soldier, ahem...recruiter, has been me. I am currently engaged on a retained search for a Joan. I have worked with this client for a while, and I really understand the fit they are seeking. In fact, I found her replacement in a week. Yep. Three calls and I found her! The managing partner loved my candidate. The supervisor loved my candidate. Heck, even the current "Joan" loved this new Joan I found for them. She couldn't wait to start training the new Joan for the position! I was already picking out a very brightly colored feather to insert right in to my favorite recruiter hat. The offer was made. The offer was accepted.</p>
<p>Okay,okay.That probably sounded a little "braggy", but wait. Let me finish the story.</p>
<p>The day she was to start I got the email. The new Joan's life had been impacted by a fatal disease. She would NOT be starting today. In fact. She might not be able to start at all. What? No! I went immediately in to crisis mode. I had to figure out how this candidate could in fact start because she was perfect. There were not going to be many more perfect fit candidates. There were only so many "Joans" in that city after all.</p>
<p>As a recruiter, recruiting a position that depends heavily on fit, can be risky. We might as well just admit that a recruiter never <em>really</em>. <em>completely</em>, controls their candidate. My perfect candidate, or so I thought was not perfect at all. no one is. There are situations in life to which none of us have control and this was the case here. The candidate hated it as much as I did, because the position was perfect for her as well but sometimes there are things more important than career.</p>
<p>Look for the signs that your job order is the office "Joan" or "John". A Joan "wears a lot of hats". Her "background is not typical". She is "almost irreplaceable". She was "perfect for the position". She's "been here forever." You need to recognize that you are recruiting for fit early in the process because it can be expensive. If I were a contingent recruiter, I might moved on to another job order because finding this particular fit twice in a month is pretty rare. In this case, I'm retained by a client who wants to see the best of their options, so fortunately that doesn't have to happen. I can continue to bring them value by submitting the best of what is out there so they can determine when and if there is another "perfect fit" out there, and when it is time to hire outside of fit.</p>
<p>There are a lot of studies to support both sides of the argument about hiring a candidate that is qualified but not a good fit. <a title="Barry Schuler" href="http://twitter.com/BSchuler" target="_blank">Barry Schuler</a> says it is <a title="Inc. online Hiring for Fit is Baloney" href="http://www.inc.com/barry-schuler/why-hiring-for-fit-is-baloney.html" target="_blank">baloney</a> to hire someone for fit. I'm not so sure. Fit can be very important to success for both the job seeker and the client. Ultimately you need to look at the cost for finding someone that has an exceptionally unique "fit". </p>
<p>Ultimately, when you find yourself in this type of situation, it is my recommendation that you give the client (or hiring manager) indemnity to choose the criteria that is most important to their bottom line. That's because every day that the position is open costs them money. They need to determine how much it is worth to have a longer time-to-fill. The recruiter needs to determine how long this type of job order could take to fill. If you are a contingent recruiter, you may want to limit the time you will focus on this type of job order, because it can be expensive. <a href="http://www.ere.net/author/john-zappe/">John Zappe</a> had a great <a href="http://www.ere.net/2014/08/14/time-to-fill-has-longest-duration-since-2001/">article</a> on ERE last week about time-to-fill. Did you know that it is at its longest duration since 2001? My theory is that this has a lot to do with recruiting for fit. Recruiting for fit is great, until the fit is hard to find. Then it is expensive because the time-to-fill is longer. I'm not saying it is not worth it. For some positions, I really believe it is.</p>
<p>Do you recruit for fit or submit just otherwise qualified candidates? How important is fit to the hiring process in your organization?</p>The REKRUTR Vault : The Importance of Notes In Recruitingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-06-04:502551:BlogPost:18090982014-06-04T17:13:04.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/taking-notes.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1052" height="202" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/taking-notes.jpg" title="taking notes" width="300"></img></a></p>
<p>Last week I received a message from a candidate I placed in 2003 about where she might send a friend who was job searching. Her email indicated that her career had advanced significantly since we last met and she is someone that I might market my services to. We had a nice time catching up when I called her. I softened my questions about her own hiring needs by getting reacquainted. I…</p>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/taking-notes.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1052" title="taking notes" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/taking-notes.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="202"/></a></p>
<p>Last week I received a message from a candidate I placed in 2003 about where she might send a friend who was job searching. Her email indicated that her career had advanced significantly since we last met and she is someone that I might market my services to. We had a nice time catching up when I called her. I softened my questions about her own hiring needs by getting reacquainted. I asked about her beloved Great Dane pups. She referred to them as her babies when we spoke last and I knew their names were Major and General. She introduced me to them (by phone) when they were barking in the background during one of our calls. She laughed and told me that she could not believe that I remembered their names after all these years, and complimented me on my memory.<span>The truth is, it was actually my notes that jogged my memory on the dog names. My</span><span> notes, as a recruiter, are one of my most valued possessions.</span></p>
<h2>Good Notes Empower Better Relationship Management</h2>
<p>Remembering every detail about your contacts is impossible unless you have a photographic memory. As a recruiter, you need notes to help you remember critical information you learned in an interview or sales call and a few personal points of interest that will improve your relationships. By this I mean human interest speaking points that make your relationships more real. After all, you can’t expect to make real relationships with your clients and candidates based only on a contract or verbal agreement to work together. Good relationships are built on common experiences, values, respect, and sometimes shared memories. The only way to remember all of those things for the volume of contacts most recruiters have, is to take notes.</p>
<h2>How Do You Manage Contact Notes?</h2>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/glove-notes3.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1063" title="glove notes" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/glove-notes3-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200"/></a></p>
<p><span>Most recruiters have access to a contact management program where they can keep notes. That is what I use as well. I also try to take notes on anything that strikes me as interesting about a person as soon as I meet them, even those I may not know as a business relationship yet. Sometimes my notes have to be transferred from napkins or business cards or even my hand. I just take all of these little scribbles at the end of the networking event, trade show, or other chance meeting and transfer them to my database when I have time. Notes on where we met, how I got their card, or a conversation that took place helps me make softer cold calls. </span></p>
<p><span>Some people prefer taking written notes over typing notes in to a database. I was a die-hard Franklin Planner girl for years and the first time I was required to record all notes in a contact management system was sort of hard. Regardless of where you keep your notes, taking them will help you keep track of important facts. Look at the picture above. I found it on a blog. The author started using rubber gloves at work because his preferred method was writing on his hand but it got messy. Hilarious to me, but hey, whatever works for you! The important thing is that you capture the information and keep it in a safe place to assist you in your relationship building. You never know when a candidate will become a hiring manager or a former client will become a candidate. Know all that you can and have it available for review.</span></p>
<h2>A Word Of Caution About Note Content In Recruiting</h2>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/caution-sign.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1051" title="caution-sign" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/caution-sign-300x50.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="50"/></a></p>
<p>Notes about things like race, age, maternity or religion are not acceptable for notes when you are a recruiter. That is NOT the kind of notes that I’m talking about here. Those are bad. Anything that could indicate the individual belongs to a protected class (or doesn’t for that matter) should not be jotted down on a business card, noted on a resume, or recorded in a candidates file. Whether you work as a corporate recruiter, an agency recruiter, or an independent recruiter this can be a very serious mistake. Digital notes or hard copy notes of this kind can present a huge legal liability for you and your company. If there is a question about discrimination in your hiring process, applicant notes could, and likely would, be subpoenaed as evidence.</p>
<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/the-importance-of-notes-in-recruiting/#sthash.aLPdiCs7.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/the-importance-of-notes-in-recruiting/#sthash.aLPdiCs7.dpuf</a></span></p>Be Prepared To Face (Any) Animaltag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-05-30:502551:BlogPost:18076872014-05-30T12:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_1045"><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/animal.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/animal.jpg?width=150" width="150"></img></a><p class="wp-caption-text"></p>
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<p>This week I made my debut appearance on <a href="http://recruitinganimal.com/">The Recruiting Animal show</a>. For anyone that doesn’t know this show, compare this to getting the opportunity to meet with the best client you could ever ask for with the reputation of being a lot like the Wizard…</p>
<div id="attachment_1045" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/animal.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/animal.jpg?width=150" width="150" class="align-left"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text"></p>
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<p>This week I made my debut appearance on <a href="http://recruitinganimal.com/">The Recruiting Animal show</a>. For anyone that doesn’t know this show, compare this to getting the opportunity to meet with the best client you could ever ask for with the reputation of being a lot like the Wizard of Oz BEFORE Dorothy and her crew knew he was really just a guy behind a curtain.</p>
<p>Whatever they tell you, no matter how prepared you think you are for an appearance like this, you’re not. I was quite familiar with his format after listening myself for some time to his show. I knew that as far as recruiting and social media went, he was the top dog. I liked his show, and caught it whenever I could. The times I did, the guest was usually being crucified.</p>
<p>When I saw his comment inviting me to defend my blog post : <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/">3 Secrets to Building a Great Recruitin</a><span><a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/">g Desk</a> </span> on <a href="http://www.recruitingblogs.com/">RecruitBlogs</a> my first thought was, Oh Crap. I can’t say no to a public challenge like this. I HAVE to do this. Ugh. And they are going to try to make me cry.</p>
<p>It seems a little silly to me now, but that is exactly what I thought. Like I said, I’d listened to his posse roast some guests on more than one occasion and I was pretty sure I’d heard a whimper from a full grown man that thought he was “all that” in the recruiting industry until he met @Animal. Sure, I <em>could</em> say no, but then what kind of wuss would I look like? No way. I don’t just write this blog, I really believe in what I’m telling you. I did not get to where I am letting fear stop me. My parents taught me long ago that you “don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk.”</p>
<p>So I made it a mission to be as prepared as possible to tame the Recruiting Animal. I was convinced I could make him like me and at the very least respect my point of view. I followed his directions to the letter. I cleared it with my boss, who made it very clear that I did not HAVE to do this, but he certainly encouraged it. I chose a date in advance so I could clear my calendar for the day. I went to his site and read every page @Animal suggested.</p>
<p>I even listened to archived examples of good and bad shows and prepared a few stories to share. I had a quick bio and elevator pitch for <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/">REKRUTR</a>. All of answers would be free from any of his “bad words” which was a big concern for me, because my vocabulary is something I’ve been called out on more than once in social discussions. I’ll admit, I think I use this “recruiterease” in an effort to disguise the real Southern Indiana hick talk that can slip out now and again. Phrases like ” go way beyond” when I should probably say exceeds or “folks” when I should just say who I’m talking about. Anyway these shop-talk buzz words he hates. Words like “paradigm”, “visionary” and “thought leader” and I was determined not to use any on that call!</p>
<p>As the date drew near I got back up for my childcare, and back up for the back-up. I read that a land line was a must, so I dug out a nice office plug-in type that I used “back in the day” just to make sure there were no failing battery or electricity issues. I got on my social networks and asked for advice about preparing for an appearance on a show like this. I was ready!</p>
<p>Then a few minutes before the show, my twitter notifications lit up. I started to get a glimpse of what I was in for. I was responding to tweets when I would have normally been doing some deep breaths. ( Don’t laugh! Deep breaths are important prior to a public appearance. ) Before I knew it, it was just before noon. I called in. The voice on the other end said that I should press “1″ to speak and that I was the first caller on the line.</p>
<p>I heard my cue: “Amy McDonald, come on down.” I took a deep breath, pushed “1″ and started in with my prepared hello. Then I realized they couldn’t hear me. What? Push 1. I’m pushing 1. One. One. “Hello!” “Hello, I’m here. Can you hear me?” Arghhhhhhhh! They couldn’t. They were discussing what the protocol is for no-shows.</p>
<p>“What?” “Noooooooo. No. No. No.” In desperation I hung up the phone and dialed back in. “Press 1 to enter the host’s cue”. ”Is this her?” “Yes.” Sigh of relief. Relief? I was relieved to be entering the animal’s den?</p>
<p><span>Anyway, since we are a few minutes behind, we dive right in to our conversation, and before I know it all of my preparation is out the door. I’m not even looking at my notes. I’m doing exactly what he said not to do. I’m “winging it.” Shoot.</span></p>
<p>“Define Great” he said. What? Define great. That was not on my prep list. “Give me an example of when you were visionary.” No. I didn’t use that bad word on here, he did. I said, ” I knew I should have edited my LinkedIn profile.” You get the idea.</p>
<p>In the end, I did just fine. I gave a reasonable answer to support my views on the topics we disagreed on, and I didn’t leave any dead air space for the “I have no clue” moments. I think, if you listen very carefully to the broadcast you might even hear The Recruiting Animal say that he changed his mind about me. I came off of that call ready to take on anything, and I have The Recruiting Animal to thank for that.</p>
<p>I really enjoyed being on the show. I would encourage my readers to face YOUR animal -or high stress meeting, interview, appearance. When you do, be as prepared as you can be. Know everything you can about the person that you’ll be meeting with. Research the company, their website, their history. Then be prepared to be un-prepared. Be prepared to be honest above all. Expect that there are going to be some questions you might not have easy answers to. Above all, be prepared to represent the most genuine “you” that you can.</p>
<p>In the end. That’s what most people want to know in these situations any way. Who is this person? Could I do business with them? Could I work with them? Could I see myself referring this person to someone else? That is what they really want to know. Sometimes that answer will be no. But if you commit to representing who you really are, and what you really believe, I’m certain you’ll be o.k. with that too.</p>
<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/?p=1031&preview=true#sthash.surqcpvI.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/?p=1031&preview=true#sthash.surqcpvI.dpuf</a></span></p>Advice for the Candidate You Can't Place : Surviving The Job They Hatetag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-05-08:502551:BlogPost:18036392014-05-08T14:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/successful-before-breakfast..jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/successful-before-breakfast..jpg?width=200" width="200"></img></a></p>
<p>Have you ever had a candidate that you really liked but just couldn't place? I make it a policy to be completely honest with these candidates as soon as I realize I can't help them, but it doesn't keep them from "checking in" with me from time to time. That's ok, because I can usually count on them for leads on positions they've struck out with or…</p>
<p><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/successful-before-breakfast..jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/successful-before-breakfast..jpg?width=200" width="200" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>Have you ever had a candidate that you really liked but just couldn't place? I make it a policy to be completely honest with these candidates as soon as I realize I can't help them, but it doesn't keep them from "checking in" with me from time to time. That's ok, because I can usually count on them for leads on positions they've struck out with or referrals. I try to offer encouragement where I can suggesting career networking sites, resume writers, etc. If the candidate is really miserable where they are, I will find myself suggesting ways they can cope while the search for something new.</p>
<p>This is my three step plan to surviving a job you hate:</p>
<div class="entry"><h3><b style="font-size: 1.17em;"> </b></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>1. </b><b>Bec</b><b style="font-size: 1.17em;">ome A Morning Person</b></h3>
I know that when you hate your job, even getting out of bed is a challenge, but if you put some focus on becoming a morning person while you’re looking for something new, you’ll see a ton of benefit. Come up with a morning routine with at least one thing you really enjoy BEFORE you start your day. Maybe it is getting up earlier so you can take the scenic route to the office, or perhaps you’ll have coffee and a danish on the balcony while watching the sun comes up before you hit the office. Whatever puts the day off to a good start outside the office will surely help you face the day better than hitting the snooze button until the last minute and having essentially no “you time” before you enter “that place.” Start by getting up a few minutes earlier each day to enjoy something that will help start your day off right.<br/>
<h3><b style="font-size: 1.17em;"><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/i-have-big-plans.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1693 align-center" alt="i-have-big-plans" src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/i-have-big-plans-300x300.jpg" width="300" height="300"/></a></b></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>2. Plan To </b><b>Stay Busy</b></h3>
When you are looking for a new job, but completely miserable in your current position it is very easy to get depressed, especially when the majority of your time is spent at work. Having an active social life outside of work may feel like a real challenge when you really just want to get home where you can escape from the pressures of a job you hate. Don’t let that stop you! Besides giving you a great reason NOT to call in sick, a lunch date with an old colleague or a meet-up with new friends for drinks at an evening networking event can expose you to new business connections. Maybe you could volunteer for a project to support a good cause. All of this keeps you busy in a positive way. Are you seeing the pattern here? Use the time you are not at work wisely. This will help you stay positive and happy! It will make your job searching during this time much more successful. Just remember that no one wants to hear about how miserable you are at work in a social setting. Make it a rule to only discuss new business opportunities outside of work. <br/>
<h3><b style="font-size: 1.17em;"><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/paint-on-a-happy-face.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1692 align-center" alt="paint on a happy face" src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/paint-on-a-happy-face.jpg" width="272" height="185"/></a></b></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><b>3. Fake It As Long As You Can Take It.</b></h3>
Being in a job you hate can be a real bummer. I know it is tempting to share just how bad it is with everyone you come in contact with. Don’t do it! Be very careful who you confide in when it comes to your job hatred. For example start with a rule to never discuss the subject with anyone you work with or with anyone that does business with your company. Trust me, it is much easier to find a new job you love while you are gainfully employed. “Bad-mouthing” your employer does nothing for a job search. When you do this, you are the one that ends up in negative light. Your job during this time is to make sure this employer will really miss you when you are gone. This company may provide a reference for you later in your career. You want them to LOVE you, even if you don’t share their affection. To do this, try to try to keep your daily tasks planned and blast through your to-do items as quickly as possible. You need to think of this as a survival of the fittest. Ask yourself, ” What must I do to be an acceptable employee today? ” Write it down. Start with “Smile upon entry to building and say “good morning” to the first person I see.” Then move on to more traditional tasks like check email, return calls, etc. Check each item off as you complete the task. There is nothing more helpful for completing cumbersome projects than moving down a list. You will be surprised at how much it will help you make it through the day.<em style="font-size: 13px;">.</em></div>The Time I Found A Purple Squirreltag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-05-01:502551:BlogPost:18027342014-05-01T17:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557526947?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557526947?profile=original" width="360"></img></a></p>
<p>If you’ve been in recruiting for very long, you may have heard the term “purple squirrel.” I remember the first time I heard it. It was probably my first week in marketing training for agency recruiting. I came to my mentor smiling ear to ear with my new job order. He looked at it and said, “Do you hunt squirrel?” Confused I said, “Uh no, but my grandfather used to…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557526947?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557526947?profile=original" width="360" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>If you’ve been in recruiting for very long, you may have heard the term “purple squirrel.” I remember the first time I heard it. It was probably my first week in marketing training for agency recruiting. I came to my mentor smiling ear to ear with my new job order. He looked at it and said, “Do you hunt squirrel?” Confused I said, “Uh no, but my grandfather used to hunt squirrel.” (Yeah, I really did.) Needless to say, he laughed out loud. In fact it was such a genuine hearty laugh that the whole bull pen stood up, head-sets in tact, to signal their displeasure at the disruption. “I bet he never bagged a purple one, " he said. Ouch. By this point, I was aware the joke was on me, but I still had to have the term explained to me.</p>
<p>For a recruiter, a “purple squirrel” is a candidate that matches the seemingly impossible criteria the hiring manager has asked for on a bad job order. Finding this candidate is likened to finding a purple squirrel. The lesson being that purple squirrels should be avoided at all costs because even if they could be found, which is unlikely, the time you’ll invest is not profitable. That being said, many will still take one of these job orders at least once. Whether it is the spirit of the hunt that makes us think we can find one of these folks, or the commission we’re going to get if we do, the lesson is really hard to learn unless you actually find one of these purple squirrels.</p>
<blockquote><p>“My candidate was seemingly perfect to the very end. I COULD find a so-called purple squirrel. Ha!”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I knew the job order was bad, but it was my best client. It took a while, but I found this prize winning rodent with a magnificent violet hue! His cover letter, was smart and articulate. His skills matched the job description and then some. He had more experience than required, but just enough to make him look really good to the client, not overqualified. The compensation was a hard sell, but the perks and benefits were enough for me to close him on accepting an offer at their high end. The icing on the cake was that he actually lived in the location that the client was completely prepared to re-locate someone to. That alone would save them 10K right off the bat. He showed up impeccably dressed and interviewed well. We were going to get the offer, pending reference checks, drug screen etc.</p>
<p>That is when I realized that I had moved too quickly with my process after spending so long on sourcing a fit. After all, this was a match I assumed would be practically impossible to find. What did I leave out? The reference checks! That part of my typical process got lost somewhere in the excitement of falling witness to a live purple squirrel.</p>
<p>No big deal, right? We’ve come this far. I’ll just call and let him know, call them quickly and we’ll be on our way. I was already thinking about how I was going to spend that fee on a little travel over the summer. I left a quick voice mail, “Hi Joe! I talked to the hiring manager and we expect to see your offer letter today. Of course, it will be contingent on background check and drug screen. Give me a call so I can get your references and give you more details.”</p>
<blockquote><p>” Then it happened. My perfect candidate showed his furry purple squirrel tail! “</p>
</blockquote>
<p>First, he returned my call with immediate questions about what the issue was and why they needed to do a background screen. “Um, well, that is a very typical process for most clients I work with. Is there a problem I should know about?” I asked with hesitation because I really did not want to hear his answer. It snow-balled from there. By the end of the call I had way more information than I ever wanted to know, including the fact that he had no idea how to reach two of his past three employers and he would be refusing a drug screen. I won’t even go in to the criminal history, but based on the role, I’ll just say it could have been a factor. Frankly, whether or not the information I receive would have disqualified him is irrelevant because he simply refused to do any of it. His behavior on the call was borderline scary and left me sure I did not want him to have another conversation with my client. I knew for a fact that the screening was required of all employees in this organization, so it was over. Essentially he pulled out. It was done whether I let them find out from him directly or I pulled the candidate with limited disclosure as to why. Either way, I was going to take a black eye with the client on this one.</p>
<p>Lessons learned:</p>
<p>1. If a candidate seems too good to be true, they probably are. This has nothing to do with their color or species. Be very, very cautious when you find a perfect candidate for a bad job order.</p>
<p>2. Don’t waste time on bad job orders in the first place. Even if you are lucky enough to find a purple, polka-dotted, FLYING squirrel, you should probably avoid working with them. In this case, the client eventually determined that they needed to adjust their job requirements to align with the salary they were willing to pay and we filled the position.</p>
<p>3. Always, ALWAYS check references on your candidates before you submit to clients. You won’t call their current employer obviously, but you need to have some kind of assurance they are who they say they are, even if the references are personal. I managed to keep my client despite the significant time we all wasted on this disaster, but I could have lost a great account.</p>
<p>4. Prep all of your candidates on what they can expect with your client’s hiring process. I assumed this candidate would know that a background check and drug screen would be required for the position he was interested in. Instead, he reacted with shock and frustration that it would even be necessary. Never, assume. Never.</p>
<p>Have you ever found a purple squirrel and had a better outcome? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Sign off below!</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including <a title="REKRUTR" href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com.</a> She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a title="Biz Catalyst" href="http://www.bizcatalyst.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360</a>.</em></p>
<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/the-time-i-found-a-purple-squirrel/#sthash.5vfx8ug8.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/the-time-i-found-a-purple-squirrel/#sthash.5vfx8ug8.dpuf</a></span></p>The Questions I Ask Every Applicant (And You Should, Too).tag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-04-24:502551:BlogPost:18016302014-04-24T18:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557525719?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" height="367" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557525719?profile=original" width="138"></img></a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557529616?profile=original" target="_self"><br></br></a> I ask almost every applicant I screen the following questions: One, “What have you personally done in your career that has either saved your employer money or increased their revenue?” and two, " How much in dollars and cents ? ”</p>
<p>I guess I don’t have to…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557525719?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557525719?profile=original" width="138" class="align-left" height="367"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557529616?profile=original" target="_self"><br/></a> I ask almost every applicant I screen the following questions: One, “What have you personally done in your career that has either saved your employer money or increased their revenue?” and two, " How much in dollars and cents ? ”</p>
<p>I guess I don’t have to tell you how many long, uncomfortable pauses that take place after I ask that question. With the exception of a well prepped sales candidate, I typically get one of these responses:</p>
<p>A. The question, “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>B. An excuse, “My achievements are not something I can quantify with money.”</p>
<p>C. The truth, “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>EHHHH. All wrong answers! Career seekers, your answer to these two questions is critical. This is where you explain your value, and you need to be prepared to put that value in dollars and cents. This why an employer should hire you, and why I ask this first. If you can’t tell me an this, I may not be able to sell you to my client.</p>
<p>PLEASE! Take some time and think through these questions before you interview. I have personally seen several situations where being able to do so was the difference between the person that got the job, and the 2nd choice. Ultimately you are highlighting your value by explaining accomplishments that are hopefully included on your resume. When you put a monetary value on these achievements, the employer is forced to consider there value in hiring you over the next guy or gal. Here are some thinking points to get you started.</p>
<ol>
<li>Does your employer require a 40-hour week, but you regularly work unpaid overtime to help out another short-handed department or contribute to a special project? This can be quantified. How much money did you save your employer in the last year because they did not have to pay you an overtime rate for the work you put in?</li>
<li>If your job description does not include sales, but you contribute the sales process. Maybe you were asked to attend a sales call out of state because of your knowledge within the organization on a subject that was of interest to a potential client. If the company gained this new client as a result of your expertise, this is an example of how you personally help to increase revenue. It is important that you take credit only for what you contributed, but your contribution can be quantified with dollars and cents. The fact that you exceeded the employer’s expectations for your role also could demonstrate money saved. Where did you go above and beyond and what was the financial impact for your company?</li>
<li>Another way to quantify your value to an employer financially is to discuss your experience or production rate versus those on a similar pay scale. If you brought experience to the position that was not available to the company before you were hired, you may have helped them to increase revenue. If your output at the company has been higher than the expectation, in other words, you have consistently exceeded their goals while others have not. This could relate to money savings or more revenue and you should see if you can come up with the numbers.</li>
</ol>
<p>These are just examples. No one knows what you have contributed to the places you've worked more than you. Many times the fact that they have went without reward are why someone starts a job search in the first place. The point is that the more detailed you can be about the value of having YOU for an employee, the better your chances are for getting the job. Put dollars and cents on that value and you've got a winning combination for success in the interview. Have you ever been asked this question in an interview? If not, do you think talking about the value you can bring would have made a difference in your results?</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO supporting several online employment sites, including <a href="http://www.resumespider.com" target="_blank">ResumeSpider.com</a>. </em></p>Debunking Recruiting Secrets: The Match Gametag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-04-16:502551:BlogPost:18004132014-04-16T15:08:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528126?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528126?profile=original" width="600"></img></a></p>
<p>This is the final post in the series I've been working on for the last few weeks. To start from the beginning you'll want to go <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. We've talked about <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/de-bunking-recruiter-secrets-client-relationships/" target="_blank">great client…</a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528126?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528126?profile=original" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>This is the final post in the series I've been working on for the last few weeks. To start from the beginning you'll want to go <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. We've talked about <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/de-bunking-recruiter-secrets-client-relationships/" target="_blank">great client relationships</a> and <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/debunking-recruiter-secrets-become-a-master-of-talent/" target="_blank">mastering real talent</a>. This week we'll talk about the third and final key to being a great recruiter. In my opinion that is making the match between the client and the candidate. This is where the game gets serious. Now there is money involved. Sometimes a lot of it.</p>
<p>Many would argue this is the most difficult part of the recruiting process because to consistently make placements, you have to match great talent to great clients. but you must also determine if the two are a good cultural fit. I'm still of the opinion that building client relationships is most important, but if you don't provide them with good matches, you certainly won't have it.</p>
<p>A quick search on "finding cultural fit" and you will know why this final skill is important. Organizations spend a ton of time trying to figure out who will make a good cultural fit. The bottom line is that candidates who are both qualified and a good cultural fit are less likely to fall-off or turn-over. Remember, we are looking for clients that call on us again and again. Fall-off is not good for a recruiter's reputation. So how do great recruiters determine if they have a good fit?</p>
<p>1. They Understand Their Client's Culture<strong>.</strong></p>
<p><span>This is another place where having great client relationships are crucial to a recruiter's success. The key communicator for culture is going to be the person that supervises the role you are trying to fill. While few will admit to this, many companies have multiple cultures contained under one organization. The best judge of a fit for their team is the supervisor. If your contact at the company is not the person who decides whether or not this person is a fit for their team, you will need to make arrangements to have a conversation that includes that person about cultural fit.</span></p>
<p><span>I know that this will be tough in some scenarios. If your contact for example is an HR rep, you are going to need to convince this company representative that "team fit" as I like to refer to it in those circumstances is different than their corporate culture. Assure them of the benefits this will bring to their organization. Do they really want to waste time on candidates who just meet the basic qualifications, or do they want to find the best candidate? The candidate that will be a strong fit for the position, the team, and an asset to the organization is what you will find if you can screen for it up front. If you think there will be objection to you speaking with the position supervisor, try requesting a meeting with all the three of you.</span></p>
<p>2.They Understand What Motivates Their Candidate.</p>
<p>Great recruiters do a thorough job of screening the candidates they plan to work with. It is important when you do so, to diagnose the candidate's "pain" in their current position. Knowing this will help you to clearly determine what would motivate them to make a move to another position. Understanding what is important to your candidate is critical in recruiting even if they don't pay you. They are your product. Their talent represents yours. When you take the time to identify great talent AND understand what motivates them, identifying a cultural match will be much easier.</p>
<p>3. They Go With Their Gut</p>
<p>I've said that there is no secret to being a great recruiter, but there might be one. It's that little thing called instinct. Great recruiters are able to make a reasonable assessment as to whether or not their candidate is a good "fit" for the client based on the facts they've learned and a "gut feeling". They might not be able to put it in to words but they just know that their client is going to love this candidate as much as they do. It is that little something extra.</p>
<p>Beyond these key items, a lot of good follow up with both candidate and client is required to make the placement. I don't want to make light of how important that is, because even the mediocre recruiter knows that beyond the match, the work is far from over. You must coordinate interviews, evaluate feedback, negotiate an acceptable salary and benefit package between the two parties, etc. That, however is a whole other blog series of its own.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst.com" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360.</a></em></p>Debunking Recruiting Secrets: Become a Master of Talenttag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-04-04:502551:BlogPost:17983762014-04-04T15:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557527386?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557527386?profile=original" width="256"></img></a> This week I continue with debunking recruiter secrets, which we've already determined, aren't really secrets at all. To catch up on the series, start with<a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/" target="_blank"> the first post here</a>. Last week, I debunked the secret to great client relationships. This week I want to talk…</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557527386?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557527386?profile=original" width="256" class="align-full"/></a>This week I continue with debunking recruiter secrets, which we've already determined, aren't really secrets at all. To catch up on the series, start with<a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/" target="_blank"> the first post here</a>. Last week, I debunked the secret to great client relationships. This week I want to talk about how you identify, qualify, and maintain contact with a database of exceptional talent, or simply put how you become a master of talent.</p>
<p>Becoming a master of talent is no easy task, friends. It takes hard work, due diligence, and a lot of discipline. Let's break this up into three areas:</p>
<p><strong>Identifying Top Talent</strong></p>
<p>The first thing I learned as a recruiter was how to source candidates. You have to gather names, you have to get past gate-keepers, you have to have no fear when it comes to cold-calling in to where they work. Chances are you learned about all of these your first week as a recruiter. Sourcing is only the first step. You can identify a ton of candidates and only find five that really have talent, right? So next, you'll need to qualify.</p>
<p><strong>Qualify Talent</strong></p>
<p>Let me first say that there is a difference between being a qualified candidate and being qualified talent. Don't confuse the two. Just because you have identified someone that meets the job order's basic qualifications does not mean you have found talent. Sorry. I wish it were that easy. While a candidate may technically "qualify" for a position, are you willing to put your name and reputation behind this individual? Anyone can produce resumes that qualify for a position, but a great recruiter knows real talent, and they know how to manage that talent for a client. How do you know you have marketable talent?</p>
<p>There are 2 main things that I use to qualify my candidates:</p>
<ul>
<li>CAN I SELL THIS PERSON TO ANY CLIENT?</li>
<li>CAN I SELL THIS CANDIDATE ON A BETTER OPPORTUNITY?</li>
</ul>
<p>When it comes to selling a candidate, I still create a "FAB" chart. Features, Achievements, Benefits. Features are the things they have to have, degrees, experience, etc. Achievements the things that will differentiate them from the crowd. Awards, examples of revenue generation, or cost savings. Finally, the big "B". The benefits. How can all the features and achievements this individual has benefit your client? The A and the B are what will separate a great recruiter's candidates. If I have a strong FAB chart for a client, I can probably sell them. If I can add in items that are a "plus" like good cultural fit, action-oriented, confidence, integrity, leadership qualities, intelligence, or born communicator, I know I have real talent.</p>
<p><strong>Maintain Candidate Contact</strong></p>
<p>The second qualifier, "Can I sell this candidate on a better opportunity?" is also our 3rd objective in identifying if we have the kind of talent that a great recruiter works with.</p>
<p>Let's face it, no matter how qualified the candidate is, if they are not willing to work with a recruiter to explore a more exciting opportunity they are just not worth your time. You have to be able to produce your product after all. Nothing is worse than selling your client on an incredible, talented, candidate that you cannot produce for an interview! That will do nothing for maintaining your relationship with the client and will frustrate you both.</p>
<p>You must ensure this person is willing to explore opportunities up front. Look at these type of things: Do they call you back? Do they express pain of any kind in their current role? Are they looking for more responsibility than is available in their current position? Do they call you back? Are they motivated by more money? Do they want to relocate? Do they call you back?</p>
<p>You get the idea. They must be <em>willing</em> to maintain a relationship with you. If they aren't, you cannot depend on this person to drop what they are doing and go meet one of your clients. Being able to present talent that WILL, differentiates the mediocre recruiter from a great one. To keep great relationships with your candidates, take a look back at last week's post about <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/de-bunking-recruiter-secrets-client-relationships/" target="_blank">maintaining client relationships</a>. The same skills apply. Only present them with opportunities they will care about, don't lie, consistently show them great opportunities, and be a partner not a peon.</p>
<div id="post-960"><div><p><em>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a>.</em><span style="font-size: 13px;"> </span></p>
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</div>Debunking Recruiting Secrets: Client Relationshipstag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-03-27:502551:BlogPost:17972312014-03-27T18:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528511?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528511?profile=original" width="225"></img></a></p>
<p>If you missed last week’s post, be sure to read it first <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/" target="_blank">HERE.</a></p>
<p>If you have read it, you know that I came clean and told you that there really are no secrets to great recruiting. The real secret is just following through on the standards of recruiting that we all…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528511?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528511?profile=original" width="225" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>If you missed last week’s post, be sure to read it first <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/" target="_blank">HERE.</a></p>
<p>If you have read it, you know that I came clean and told you that there really are no secrets to great recruiting. The real secret is just following through on the standards of recruiting that we all know exist. Everyone knows what you are supposed to do to be a successful recruiter. Actually living them in your day to day business is what is key. I promised to drill down on the Big 3 assumed “secrets” last week.<span style="font-size: 13px;">This week I elaborate on client relationships.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">For some reason, building great client relationships seems to stand out (at least in teams that I’ve personally worked with) as a trait of really successful recruiters. In my experience those that “get it” are much more likely to be big billers and respected in the industry. After all, the client, or employer, is your customer in recruiting. They pay you, not the candidate. Without “owning the client” you can never fully own your placements or your desk. Finding clients in the first place is a post that warrants it’s own blog series. People design entire training programs on that topic. I will definitely have a blog about that in the future, but in my opinion, getting a job order, or obtaining the client for a first placement is not the hard part. It’s keeping that client and securing a relationship with the employer for multiple placements that is is the true value to you in great recruiting. The best search consultants I know do not have a lot of clients. They have a few clients that they place candidates with, over, and over again.</span></p>
<p>Here are 4 ways to build better client relationships as a recruiter:</p>
<p><strong>1. Only Present Great Candidates</strong>.</p>
<p>Great recruiters only present great candidates. They aren’t just good, they aren’t just qualified, they are great. They are the candidates that go way beyond meeting basic qualifications. We’ll talk more about this topic next week. These are candidates that have that something extra that demonstrates they will be a great employee no matter who they work for. A great recruiter does not offer a “mediocre” product.</p>
<p><strong>2.Don’t Lie.</strong></p>
<p>Just don’t do it. There is no reason to ever lie to your client. As Mark Twain said, ” If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” Don’t tell them you have a background that you don’t really have. Don’t say you have a candidate that meets the criteria they are asking for if you don’t really have one yet. Don’t embellish things to make yourself look better or give the client any reason to question your credibility.</p>
<p><strong>3. Consistently Deliver.</strong></p>
<p>One of the biggest mistakes recruiters make with clients is over-promising and under-delivering. They promise the hiring manager they can have a candidate for them by Friday before they have even began a search. They take on job orders that are impossible to fill. They say they will call and they don’t. Sure, you want to please your client, but pleasing them in the short term and disappointing them in the long term will not build a good relationship. The ability to consistently deliver on your promises is essential in recruiting. If you set a deadline, be sure you can meet it. If you don’t lie in the first place this becomes easier. If you consistently deliver, they will feel obliged to do the same and that will build a strong business relationship. Trust me on this one, it’s a biggie.</p>
<p><strong>4. Be a Partner not a Peon</strong></p>
<p>To expand upon the 3 items above, let me explain the biggest key to keeping great client relationships. Great recruiters are partners because they have great candidates, they don’t lie and they consistently deliver. When you submit a candidate that is just ok, you risk your reputation to find great talent. When you lie you risk your integrity. When you agree to work on job orders that are impossible to fill, if you are a contingent recruiter, this essentially means you are agreeing to work for nothing. Would you consider a candidate that told you they didn’t care how much someone paid them or if they were paid at all? Ultimately you are compromising your respect. Would you respect someone that had a mediocre product, lied, made promises they couldn’t keep? Instead, demonstrate your value as a partner in their hiring process! Push back when you need to. If a client knows you consistently have exceptional talent, and are always honest, they will not question why you can’t spend your time on an impossible job order. They will listen to your advice. They will understand that you have other clients that are competing with them for your time. Never be afraid to back away from a proposal that makes bad business sense for you. That only makes you a more valued partner to them. It will earn you respect which is key to any relationship.</p>
<p>What other skills do you find are key to keeping great client relationships? Tell me about them in the comment section below.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including REKRUTR.com. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with BIZCATALYST360. – See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/#sthash.5I5IKwBM.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/#sthash.5I5IKwBM.dpuf</a> - See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/">http://rekrutr.com/blog/</a></em></p>3 Secrets to Building a Great Recruiting Desktag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-03-20:502551:BlogPost:17955712014-03-20T14:04:52.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
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<div class="post-960 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-business-consulting category-recruiting category-recruitment-process category-uncategorized" id="post-960"><div class="entry-content"><p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/afb6_book_of_secrets.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-962" height="413" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/afb6_book_of_secrets.jpg" title="afb6_book_of_secrets" width="400"></img></a></p>
<p>Please pardon this week’s title. I used the word “secrets” to get your attention. The…</p>
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<p>Please pardon this week’s title. I used the word “secrets” to get your attention. The truth is that there is really no big mystery to great recruiting. There is not some book of secrets for the industry. There are 3 core skills that separate mediocre recruiters from great recruiters, though. Ask a recruiter for their secrets and chances are what they tell you will not seem like such a big secret. It is probably something everyone knows about but just doesn’t use. The bottom line is that if you want to be a great recruiter, you simply must be able to do the following three things well, and there is no secret about that!</p>
<h3>ONE: A great recruiter must maintain strong professional relationships with employers/hiring managers that are willing to trust you to deliver candidates that are not only qualified for the position they need to fill, but ones that consistently stand out from the crowd. You know the ones that meet their criteria and then some. Candidates that they immediately want to hire.</h3>
<h3>TWO: A great recruiter must be able to identify, qualify, and maintain contact with a database of exceptionally gifted talent that are willing to consider new job opportunities that might be even better than the one they are currently happy in.</h3>
<h3>THREE: Finally, a great recruiter must understand and embrace the process of matching the prior two groups. A recruiter that can match the right employer with the right passive candidate creating a win-win situation for both will never be without a job. There will always be a need for this type of recruiter.</h3>
<p>So how exactly do you deliver on all three of these when any one of the three could be a job of its own? It is not easy. It will require a lot more than working 8 to 5 Monday through Friday in the beginning. But, it is still not a secret. If you are succeeding at even one of the areas and are up to learning more about another, stay tuned. Over the next three weeks, I will be digging in to each of these three areas individually then wrapping up with how you can learn to be successful at all three. If there is a particular area you are interested in, let me know in the comments section below.</p>
<p>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360.</a></p>
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<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/#sthash.8Gty0Y2P.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/3-secrets-to-building-a-great-recruiting-desk/#sthash.8Gty0Y2P.dpuf</a></span></p>90 is Real. The Real Issue With an Aging Workforce.tag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-02-19:502551:BlogPost:17905442014-02-19T18:39:44.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528774?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528774?profile=original" width="420"></img></a></p>
<p>Were you one of the 11.3 million that tuned in to see <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/02/18/jimmy_fallon_s_first_tonight_show_with_will_smith_and_u2_nice_earnest_pretty.html">Jimmy Fallon</a>'s premier as host of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-Th83bH_thdKZDJCrn88g" target="_blank">The Tonight Show</a> this week? I'm already a Fallon fan,…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528774?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557528774?profile=original" width="420" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Were you one of the 11.3 million that tuned in to see <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/02/18/jimmy_fallon_s_first_tonight_show_with_will_smith_and_u2_nice_earnest_pretty.html">Jimmy Fallon</a>'s premier as host of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-Th83bH_thdKZDJCrn88g" target="_blank">The Tonight Show</a> this week? I'm already a Fallon fan, so I thought it was terrific. I mean, the U-2 roof-top performance, Rutger's Drumline, Will Smith and at least 10 other stars paying up their bets on one show? Wow. That was one of the best late-night shows I've caught in a while.</p>
<p>So what does The Tonight Show have to do with recruiting? Let's face it, people like me find something to do with employment, jobs, or the recruiting industry in just about everything the see and do. Geek hazard I suppose. I planned to write on recruiting new talent to replace the aging workforce this week, and then Will Smith helped me change gears. Here's how:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000226/" target="_blank">Will Smith</a>'s appearance was as awesome as would be expected but when he spoke about having his 45th birthday in September it really got my attention. “I’m 45 right now, " he said. "... with the state of modern medicine—90, we’re all probably gonna hit 90... 90’s like a real thing now… 90 is real." Whoa. That was like an epiphany for me. My wheels start turning. I repeat what he said aloud to my husband, who says it as well."90 is REAL."</p>
<p>Smith went on to say, "So, I was thinking ‘This is halftime.’ Right? So, when you come out for the third quarter, in any sporting event the third quarter’s an important quarter. That’s not the time when you start relaxing and you start chilling. You gotta go get it in the third quarter.” Well, YEAH. He's right. Forty-five is definitely the time to bring it! By 50 you are just getting in to your career groove. So why in the world is turning 50 scary to the unemployed?</p>
<p>In the past, 50 meant winding down the last 15 years until retirement. If living until 90 is a real thing, is retirement really feasible at 65? Retirement requires some pretty significant financial security. I can assure you, based on my current situation I will likely be working until at least 80! Those in exceptional wealth like Will Smith probably could retire then, but will they want to? Doubtful.</p>
<p>Teresa Ghilarducci, is a professor of economics at the New School for Social Research. She wrote an article in the Sunday Review section of the New York Times in 2012 that sums up my concern. She wrote, "To maintain living standards into old age we need roughly <a href="http://www.aarp.org/work/retirement-planning/retirement_calculator/">20 times our annual income</a> in financial wealth. If you earn $100,000 at retirement, you need about $2 million beyond what you will receive from <a title="More articles about Social Security." href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/social_security_us/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier">Social Security</a>. If you have an income-producing partner and a paid-off house, you need less. This number is startling in light of the stone-cold fact that most people aged 50 to 64 have nothing or next to nothing in retirement accounts and thus will rely solely on Social Security."</p>
<p>So if we assume that the general population will need 20 times their annual income to comfortably retire at 65-70, is the aging population really such a big concern? Do we really need to start bringing in the "Millenials" to replace the "Baby Boomers" and those die-hard workers from "The Silent Generation" ? I think one could argue the answer to that is no.</p>
<p>I bet there are definitely some members of that millenial generation that would agree with me. After all, what about all the jobs we told them were going to be out there waiting for them as college graduates? Are they really there? An even bigger concern might be the unemployed in the 50 plus age demographic. Why is is so hard for a person with 20 plus years of impeccable job experience finding it difficult to find a job at 60 when the economy left them job less due to downsizing.</p>
<p>Beyond the issues above, I am specifically worried about companies that will choose not to adapt their current healthcare programs to manage safety and health concerns for older workers that refuse to retire. An aging workforce internally will require attention to schedule flexibility, wellness programs, ergonomic job accommodations and safety checks to determine whether safety procedures are being followed correctly.</p>
<p>Smart employers will consider the needs of aging workers, both to aid retention, and to create an environment that is inclusive, but how many will actually be prepared for this? I suspect the number is low. Ultimately a workforce with blended generations will likely be the ideal but how easy will that transition be? Are recruitment teams prepared to identify excellent candidates from any age demographic and are employers prepared to ensure that there is a fair and consistent process for screening that ensures this?</p>
<p>I found one article on Business Insurance that noted a survey of 522 employers. The survey reported 85% of respondents said they are very or somewhat concerned about an aging workforce. With that said, 64% of the respondents said they had NOT designed their absence and disability management programs around those concerns.</p>
<p>While I don't have any data to back it up, it is my opinion that employers are much more focused on how they will recruit new talent, not on keeping the aging talent that will hit retirement age, much less providing an aging-friendly workplace that will encourage employment of those that may be nearing retirement age with no intent to actually retire. It will be interesting to see what happens when they don't see the turn-over from retirement that was expected. It is a prime landscape for under-the-rug age discrimination, and the younger age group is not really protected.</p>
<p>What challenges will an aging workforce without the means to retire do you foresee? Do you have examples of individuals over 50 already struggling to find employment opportunities at all? I'm very interested in this topic and plan to devote another blog to the topic. Sound off below and tell me your thoughts on the subject!</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com.</a> She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst360.com" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360</a>.</em></p>Recruiting the Recruiter: Why Candidates With Multiple Personalities Fittag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-02-14:502551:BlogPost:17895672014-02-14T19:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
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<div id="post-905" class="post-905 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-candidate-screening category-interviewing category-passive-candidates category-recruiting category-recruiting-etiquette category-recruiting-trends category-recruitment-process category-sourcing-2 category-uncategorized tag-adaptive tag-behavioral-interviewing tag-behavioral-traits tag-business-ethics tag-empathy tag-hard-to-fill-positions tag-initiative tag-innovative tag-job-distribution tag-professional-values tag-recruiters tag-recruiting tag-self-improvement tag-sourcing tag-sourcing-geek tag-tech-savvy tag-work-ethic"><div class="entry-meta"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">Posted on</span> <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-talented-recruiters/" title="7:17 pm" rel="bookmark"><span class="entry-date">February 14, 2014</span></a> <span class="meta-sep">by</span> <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/author/amy/" title="View all posts by amy">amy</a></span></div>
<div class="entry-content"><p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/REKR175.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-907" title="REKR175" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/REKR175.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="220"/></a></p>
<p>One of the things I love about my job is the opportunity I have to talk with recruiters all over the country about how they source great talent. Yes. I’m a sourcing geek. Guilty as charged. I just eat it up. I love to hear these “artists” tell me about their craft.</p>
<p> Sure, I’m on a sales call, and I do want to tell them about what our site does, but I also want to know what they’re already doing. Are they using anything new and innovative with their standard sourcing methods?</p>
<p>My recruiter conversations, much like the conversations you have with your clients, help me determine if I can be of help in finding candidates for hard-to-fill positions. I find that even the best recruiters have jobs that really challenge them from time to time. Those positions tend to be our specialty because they need to get a lot of exposure.</p>
<p>Something you may find interesting is the position most recruiting firms tell me they find is their hardest to fill. It’s not a clinical neuropsychologist, or a chemical genetics engineer with statistics experience in Tupelo, Mississippi. It is usually a recruiter for their own firm! I have some thoughts about this I’d like to share today. I’ve spent several years of my career recruiting new recruiters for my own teams.</p>
<p>Did you know that something like 80% of new hire recruiters don’t make it? I think that is a pretty conservative number. Here’s why; the recruitment profession is one that requires two completely different personality types in one person! If you are a great recruiter, chances are you have a split personality. Better yet, multiple personalities! O.K. The terms “split personality” or “multiple personality” might not be completely accurate. What I am saying is that a recruiter does not fit in to one personality type. There are no cookie cutters in this business, right? I think we can all agree that a recruiter will need a core set of skills that goes beyond the traits of one personality type. They must be willing and able to wear a lot of different hats, and wear them well; with style even!</p>
<p>How would you describe the traits of a great recruiter? I would say to be a great recruiter you need the confidence of a sales manager with the instincts of a police detective. You need to be somewhat of a Type-A administrative professional but have the empathy of a social worker. Oh yeah, and you could really benefit from being as tech savvy as the IT guy with the financial smarts of your accountant. Would you agree?</p>
<p>In my opinion, a truly talented recruiter will need a little bit of the behavioral traits of many roles. That can make advertising a position for a recruiter tough. There is a lot to cover as far as requirements. Here is an example that I use:</p>
<ul>
<li> Exceptional work ethic and leadership skills to manage your work as if it were your own business.</li>
<li>Impeccable written and verbal communication skills.</li>
<li>Talent in the art of persuasion or the ability to motivate an individual to be open to new ideas.</li>
<li>Self-discipline to maintain the highest standards in business ethics and professional values. (In recruiting your reputation is EVERYTHING.)</li>
<li> The ability to aggressively seek self-improvement, and use initiative to implement and adapt to new technologies. (Recruiting is always evolving.)</li>
<li>Recruiters must be independent and adaptive thinkers capable of making rapid decision in unfamiliar and ambiguous environments.</li>
<li>The ability to employ instinct to determine intangible criteria, and subtle indications of corporate “fit”.</li>
<li>High standards, organizational skills and effective time management are critical competencies for recruiters.</li>
<li>Empathy to put yourself in the place of the client you are serving and the candidate you will present. You must be able to understand the pain to achieve a win/win solution.</li>
<li>Exceptional ability to deploy logical thinking, cost analysis and value to negotiate deals and maintain profitability.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>So how DO you find a candidate with all of these qualities?</strong></p>
<p>The same way you find anyone for a hard-to-fill position. You turn over a lot of rocks! You must expand your vision. They will likely have been exposed to a variety of work situations. Once you do, you’ll see common denominators. For example; this person will likely have demonstrated a phenomenal work ethic in more than one industry. That industry might be retail, it might be food service, and it might be one you know very little about. It’s not about where they worked necessarily, it is about what they did in that role.</p>
<p>Another key is to realize that you can’t assume that your next great recruiter hire will be looking for a recruiting position. You have to expand your scope. Consider this particularly when you are writing an ad for the job. You will need to advertise this. A great recruiter will probably not just come knocking at your door because they heard the job was cool. For example. I typically would recommend using a basic job title with location to our job posters. But when you are recruiting a recruiter, you may want to get creative with this. I think my first recruiter ad said something to the effect of, ”Are you willing to work hard enough to earn a 6 figure income?”</p>
<p>Keep your target in mind when you create your job ad. You want to attract those that have good work ethic. They are probably motivated by making money but want the satisfaction at the end of the day that they helped someone or achieved something for the greater good. How would you sell your own role to someone you know doesn’t understand it? What do you love about your job? What is difficult about it? Why is it worth it?</p>
<p>Once you have a great ad, I recommend you use a <a href="http://rekrutr.com/distribution-network/" target="_blank">job distribution</a> site like ours, <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a>, in addition to any sourcing tools you currently use. Without going in to a big sales pitch here, it is hands down the most affordable and easiest way to get exposure for a hard-to-fill position. Remember, what you are trying to do is to get as many people to view the position’s criteria. Whether they are a recruiter or not, you want them to think about who they know who they know with these traits and who they can share the position with. If you are not sure about how to say it, feel free to use some of bullets I listed above.</p>
<p>One final suggestion. Remove the process of elimination as your first task for screening. Instead, go in to this with a goal to interview 10 possible good fits. More, if you have the time for it. Be open to candidates that might not be currently working as a recruiter. One of the greatest recruiters I ever hired was working in catering for a large hotel chain, another was a teacher and several top earners came from retail backgrounds. Two of them did not have a college degree. Look for resumes that demonstrate the candidate might still be searching for the right career path. Even if they have bounced around a bit, do they have a consistent record of moving up the career ladder? Were they promoted to a management role from an entry level position or early in their career? Did they get performance awards? You obviously don’t want someone that has had unexplained gaps in their employment, but be willing to hear the circumstances.</p>
<p>I hope this will help you find more great recruiters. Please share with me your thoughts or challenges in finding great recruiting talent. What do you look for? Sound off below!</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald works in an executive role with several employment websites including <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy also participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst360.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360.</a></em></p>
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<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-talented-recruiters/#sthash.U3Wmadav.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-talented-recruiters/#sthash.U3Wmadav.dpuf</a></span></p>Tough Love for the Long-Term Unemployed: Have You Let Yourself Become Lazy?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-02-06:502551:BlogPost:17873972014-02-06T19:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523973?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523973?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p>If you have been unemployed for more than 6 months and have no prospects on the horizon, I'm afraid it is time we had a little talk. First, know that I offer this advice with love. You are clearly not alone. There are millions of others in the U.S. that find themselves in a similar situation.</p>
<p>If you happen to be one of the over 1.7 million that have already…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523973?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523973?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>If you have been unemployed for more than 6 months and have no prospects on the horizon, I'm afraid it is time we had a little talk. First, know that I offer this advice with love. You are clearly not alone. There are millions of others in the U.S. that find themselves in a similar situation.</p>
<p>If you happen to be one of the over 1.7 million that have already felt the financial impact from the expiration of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation, (EUC) at the end of 2013, you are probably getting a little nervous. Maybe even depressed. <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-takes-another-stab-at-extending-unemployment-benefits/" target="_blank">The Democrats in the U.S. senate will make another attempt to pass an extension of the (EUC) benefits today</a>, but frankly, it does not look promising to me. If you are still reading, perhaps you are interested in my opinion on why some of the most capable, even talented people I know stay unemployed too long simply because they fall victim to laziness.</p>
<p>I know hearing this will sting. I know that you've probably worked hard your whole life until this point and hearing the word lazy is frustrating. I could sugar coat it by saying “inactive” or “indifferent”, but they would mean the same thing: you have given up. You think you have done everything you can to get a job and now you spend more time trying to forget you are unemployed than you do looking for a job.</p>
<p>Do you spend too much time on Facebook, Twitter, the X-Box, or Netflix? These can all be critically damaging to your career search. If you are spending more than an hour on any of these things during the time you would typically spend at work, you have become complacent in your job search. There is a cool app called <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/strict-workflow/cgmnfnmlficgeijcalkgnnkigkefkbhd?hl=en" target="_blank">Strict Workflow</a> that can help you manage your time online. I use it myself. It helps re-direct me and limit the time I spend on social media. It essentially blocks the sites I should refrain from using during my predetermined work time with a pop up that says, "Back to work!" I highly recommend it for anyone that spends a lot of time online looking for job opportunities.</p>
<p>It is time to be very strict with yourself when it comes to "escape" activities. Trust me on this. It is <i>so</i> easy to say you're going to check Career Builder "after while". Remember, we procrastinate about the things we would rather avoid. Hit that job fair when it opens, before the booths are busy. Make phone calls on those job leads <i>before</i> noon. The internet is an awesome resource for your job search because you can use it any time of the day, but trust me, the people that are reviewing your resume work between 8 AM and 5 PM. If you find your resumes are getting no response, try applying to the job and then calling the company you applied to at the same time to follow up. If you catch me by phone as I'm opening up your resume, I might just take the time for a brief phone screen right then if your resume looks good. If you have made a small investment in a site like<a href="http://www.resumespider.com" target="_blank"> ResumeSpider</a>, you will want to be watching for the alert that your resume has been viewed and contact the recruiter.</p>
<p>Look, I'm not saying you cannot have entertainment while in a job search. Being unemployed can be tough on your mental well-being and these things can all provide a positive way to escape, too. I'd much rather see someone engross themselves in Mortal Kombat than blow more of their savings on a drink at the bar. What I <em>am</em> saying is that when you are looking for a job, looking needs to <em>be</em> your job. During 8 AM and 5 PM or at the very least the hours you would typically work, all of your efforts should be spent in towards something that will help you find a job.</p>
<p>Everything you do during your work day should be focused on: improving your resume, educating yourself, volunteering in the community, networking with career contacts, or applying to jobs. You will stay much more motivated if you get up and get dressed as if you were going to work. This means 8 hours minimum, 5 days per week. Check out some of the awesome opportunities for low-cost or no-cost learning online. Some of the best learning institutions in the world now offer amazing courses that would be attention grabbing on any resume. I recently discovered <a href="https://www.edx.org/" target="_blank">Ed</a><u>X</u> and you will find free opportunities from Havard, MIT, Berkley and more on this site.</p>
<p>So there it is. My dose of tough love. What will you do with it? Will you step up and get back to work? Will admit that you might have let yourself become lazy? Stop sitting around telling people how bad the job market is right now and make it your mission to prove that it doesn't matter because you refuse to let it beat you. I know you can do it. I believe in you.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO supporting several online employment sites. She has worked in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with thousands of career seekers recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in finding a job, workplace relations, sourcing talent and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://www.bizcatalyst360.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360</a>.</em></p>Recruiters: Own The Silence In Your Conversationstag:recruitingblogs.com,2014-01-08:502551:BlogPost:17806492014-01-08T17:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/man-finger-covering-mouth.jpg.pagespeed.ce_.QUBS0Wqf7e.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/man-finger-covering-mouth.jpg.pagespeed.ce_.QUBS0Wqf7e.jpg?width=310" width="310"></img></a></p>
<p>This morning I relished in a few moments of that sweet silence that those of you who are parents will relate to. It’s that time before the children are awake when I can sip my coffee and consider my agenda. Sometimes I do some non-essential reading. Before I was a parent, it was the time in the morning when I arrived before the…</p>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/man-finger-covering-mouth.jpg.pagespeed.ce_.QUBS0Wqf7e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/man-finger-covering-mouth.jpg.pagespeed.ce_.QUBS0Wqf7e.jpg?width=310" width="310" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>This morning I relished in a few moments of that sweet silence that those of you who are parents will relate to. It’s that time before the children are awake when I can sip my coffee and consider my agenda. Sometimes I do some non-essential reading. Before I was a parent, it was the time in the morning when I arrived before the rest of the bull pen in my busy office. As a person that truly thrives on chaos, a busy work environment and fast paced lifestyle, that particular silence is golden for me. It is a time that I feel like I own. I can do whatever I want with my mind. I can reflect, re-charge or just embrace my thoughts. That’s not the type of silence I want to talk about today.</p>
<p>During my silence this morning, I read a great article on<a href="http://www.ere.net/" target="_blank"> ERE.ne</a><a href="http://www.ere.net/" target="_blank">t</a> from <a href="http://www.ere.net/author/nancy-parks/" target="_blank">Nancy Parks</a>. Park’s article outlines the <a href="http://www.ere.net/2014/01/08/the-no-1-error-that-experienced-recruiters-make/" target="_blank">No. 1 Error that Experienced Recruiters Make</a>. I’ll let you check her post out for yourself, because it should be read in its entirety, but I want to specifically share my thoughts on her #4 “Watch Out!” point which is : ”Allowing for Enough Silence”. As Park writes, not allowing for enough silence in daily conversations can happen when an experienced recruiter “goes into auto-pilot and simply drive processes forward without even pausing to take a breath.” What she’s discussing is one of my least favorite silent times, the uncomfortable silence that happens when you are using good listening skills!</p>
<p>“Waiting for the silence” is one of the most powerful business communication skills. I was introduced to this idea early in my career and it is an essential part of good listening that allows you to take leadership in a conversation. If you are an extrovert like me, and most recruiters are, the act of waiting for that moment of silence after you ask a question is excruciating! We are results driven! Don’t you just want to answer the question for them if you get “the silence”? It happens with candidates, and it happens with clients. If you happen to be speaking to another extrovert they are probably uncomfortable as well, and that is O.K.</p>
<p>Here’s what I mean: Let’s look at an old school example of a candidate conversation. Suppose you are interviewing a candidate that was highly recommended. When you finally see his resume, he looked so good “on paper” that you start deciding what you will spend next month’s commission check on.</p>
<p>You get him on the phone and you say something like, ” If I had an opportunity to share with you from your company’s competitor that would offer you a higher wage and more advancement in your career, would you be interested in hearing more?”</p>
<p>Do you completely stop talking and wait for the full answer? If he gives you a quick answer, we are assuming it is yes, do you ask why? We always ask why if the answer is no, but if they say yes, do you charge straight to the sell? Shouldn’t you find out more? Try to force yourself to wait several seconds, until you feel a little uncomfortable, and give them an opportunity to answer. This establishes your respect for their time and puts you as the leading participant in the conversation.</p>
<p>Even the most introverted person will have an opportunity to gather their thoughts and decide how they want to communicate to you. If they are unable to take this opportunity of silence, you will have some interview coaching to do before you present this candidate to your client.Chances are, the person you offer the silence of the floor to will appreciate the opportunity to share their pain and feel compelled to end the silence with his or her thoughts.</p>
<p>A wonderful mentor of mine once likened this process of determining needs in recruiting to a doctor listening to a patient. What doctor gives a diagnosis before they hear what is wrong? I really liked that analogy. It’s that silence that helps you really hear the person you are talking with, too. It’s still an uncomfortable silence for me, but one I choose to own because it forces me to really pay attention. It also helps me feel as if I have control even when I’m not talking, and to Nancy Parks’ point, it helps me to really listen to the prospect’s wants and needs instead of just trying to drive the process forward.</p>
<p>As painful as it may be, that moment of silence is crucial to good listening. In my opinion it can be the key to having a really good inquiry in any business conversation. I have also found, it gives the perception that YOU own the call. You are in control. When you can force yourself to ask a question and then STOP and wait for the answer instead of plowing in to your pitch, you may be surprised at how much information you will receive. Try to own this silence on your calls this week and let me know how it works for you in the comments below.</p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/recruitersresourceisamyluking" target="_blank">Amy McDonald</a> is the President and CEO at <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a href="http://bizcatalyst360.com/bizprophets/featured-contributors/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360</a>. <br/></em></p>The REKRUTR Vault: Smart Recruiters Set SMART Goalstag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-12-18:502551:BlogPost:17778442013-12-18T15:13:34.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/set_goals.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-854" height="282" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/set_goals.jpg" title="Set Goals Hand Red Marker" width="425"></img></a></p>
<p>As a recruitment professional, setting goals, especially in anticipation of a new year, is an important part of achieving your long term vision. If you haven’t started planning for 2014, it is time to get busy!</p>
<p>Besides the self confidence you build each time you attain a predetermined goal, just the act of putting down your goals in writing will help you to organize your time and…</p>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/set_goals.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-854" title="Set Goals Hand Red Marker" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/set_goals.jpg" alt="" width="425" height="282"/></a></p>
<p>As a recruitment professional, setting goals, especially in anticipation of a new year, is an important part of achieving your long term vision. If you haven’t started planning for 2014, it is time to get busy!</p>
<p>Besides the self confidence you build each time you attain a predetermined goal, just the act of putting down your goals in writing will help you to organize your time and focus your resources in ways that improve your business. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing tangible results in what sometimes can seem like a daily grind of phone calls, emails and meetings.</p>
<p><strong>Think Big</strong></p>
<p>One mistake I’ve seen a lot of recruiters make is only planning for daily goals. They quickly jot down how many calls, send-outs, placements, etc. that they will have each day and they feel they have a plan. While those are important, and I talk more about those below, it is important to capture the big picture of your recruiting career before you begin.</p>
<p>Where do you see yourself a year from today; five years; or ten? What rewards will successful completion of smaller goals allow you to obtain? Will your company exceed 5 year projections? Will your staff grow in size? Will you have a new office? Maybe, your company wins an award. What type of things will this mean for your personal life? Could you buy a new home, or maybe a better car? Will you be promoted to partner? Keep all of these long term goals in your sight everyday. I like to use a white board in my office for this. I often draw pictures or stick notes or photos of things I would like to see happen as a long term vision. Long term goals give you motivation to accomplish the daily, weekly, and monthly goals you will set.</p>
<p>Once you have a long term vision in mind, it is time to begin to narrow that down in to goals for the year, month, day. It’s used frequently, but I like to stick to the basics when it comes to goal planning. You’ve likely seen it before, but here is a refresher.</p>
<p><strong>Use S-M-A-R-T Goals:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/images.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-853" title="images" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/images.jpg" alt="" width="198" height="254"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>S</strong>pecific- Write down the goals and keep them where you can easily access them.</p>
<p><strong>M</strong>easurable – Be sure that each goal is something you can actually measure. Stay away from broad ideas like, “Next year I will find better candidates.” If you can’t quantify it, you can’t really measure your success. Instead your goal might be ” I will have a 50% increase in send outs in 2014.”</p>
<p><strong>A</strong>ttainable – Make sure the goals you set are actually achievable. Once achieved, you can always raise the bar. The satisfaction of achieving a goal you set is extremely valuable in the self confidence it builds. If you are constantly chasing goals you can’t meet, you defeat the purpose of having them in the first place.</p>
<p><strong>R</strong>ealistic – I recommend that you focus on realistic performance goals relevant only to your role. If you are a manager, have your team members set goals for themselves and then you can make sure they are in line with what you find acceptable. There is much more accountability when each team member plays a part in the planning process. When you create broad organizational goals only, you risk being demotivated by others that are not achieving the standards you set.</p>
<p><strong>T</strong>ime-bound – Each goal should be time bound and something that you can track. Calls, send-outs, various levels of interviews, new clients, new candidates; anything you can track, you can build a goal for. Write down specific dates that each goal will be accomplished by. I encourage you to write out your goal with time in a sentence. ” I will increase my new hire average to 6 per week by January 31, 2014.”</p>
<p>Whatever your role, or line of business, setting goals is an excellent way to stay focused in your business and motivated about what is relevant. Then, you have the self confidence to achieve what you want out of life and leave the irrelevant, day to day frustrations at the door. Do you have a formal process for setting goals each year? How does your goal planning differ from what I’ve discussed? Comment below.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at <a title="REKRUTR" href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with <a title="BizCatalyst360" href="http://bizcatalyst360.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360</a>.</em></p>
<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/smart-recruiters-set-smart-goals/#sthash.y9TBUoht.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/smart-recruiters-set-smart-goals/#sthash.y9TBUoht.dpuf</a></span></p>In Appreciation of Those Working On Thanksgivingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-11-28:502551:BlogPost:17738962013-11-28T12:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523364?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523364?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p>Wouldn't it be cool if for just a few days out of each year, we could really just hit "pause" and everyone take a day off? I mean everyone; on the same day. Can you imagine it? You probably wouldn't want to. Think beyond Walmart being closed. How about no gas stations, no hotels or restaurants open? No police or fire rescue available. No hospitals?</p>
<p>Obviously,…</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523364?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557523364?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>Wouldn't it be cool if for just a few days out of each year, we could really just hit "pause" and everyone take a day off? I mean everyone; on the same day. Can you imagine it? You probably wouldn't want to. Think beyond Walmart being closed. How about no gas stations, no hotels or restaurants open? No police or fire rescue available. No hospitals?</p>
<p>Obviously, that is not happening any time soon. I feel pretty thankful that I have the opportunity to take some time off on most legal holidays because, for me, it has not always been that way. There was many a Thanksgiving dinner I missed in my 20's and 30;s because I was scheduled to work. Many of those family members I would have spent that time with are now gone.I'll admit, I really hated working any holiday back then.</p>
<p>If you are one of the many that must work today, let me be the first to thank you. Whatever it is that you are doing, you surely must support something that keeps this crazy world we live in going.</p>
<p>This year, my schedule is pretty flexible. I am working "a little" by choice but from the comfort of my own sofa. Earlier this week, I asked a few friends that were working on Thanksgiving how they felt about it. Did it bother them? Was it as bad as I remember? Surprisingly, most said no. A few even liked it. Here's why:</p>
<h4><strong>They Adapt</strong></h4>
<p>One of my friends is a divorced mom. She's off on holidays, but her new husband, a correctional officer, has to work. She told me that her family adapts. They make the best of the situation by just moving the event up a day. An added benefit in these years that it gives her kids time to spend with their dad's side of the family.</p>
<h4><strong>They Make Extra Money</strong></h4>
<p><span>My cousin who works in a local factory told me that he actually volunteers for holiday work. Why? Because he gets paid 8 hours holiday pay plus time and a half! "The bottom line is that working on Thanksgiving means more gifts under my family's tree for Christmas and it is worth it!" I 1was particularly fond of his reasoning!</span></p>
<h4><strong>They Celebrate With Their Work Family</strong></h4>
<p>Several people that told me they would be working today were those that worked in healthcare or public service positions. These folks seem to take working in holidays in stride and understand that it is just part of the career they chose. They celebrate with those they work with or to serve either at work (carry-ins,etc.) or after their shift. "It doesn't really feel like a sacrifice to work on a holiday when you are saving someones life, caring for a sick child, or fighting a fire.</p>
<p><span><strong>They Avoid the Travel Hassle</strong></span></p>
<p>Travel around the holidays can be chaotic. I have a friend from high school that used to work a few holidays every year from home. She's not working this year, but she said she never really minded work on the holidays because she had a remote position so she was still at home. She worked her business into the turkey cook time and was still able to watch the parade on T.V. "Sometimes I liked the excuse of working Thanksgiving," she told me, "...it got us out of traveling if we didn't feel like it!"</p>
<p>I was impressed by everyone's positive sentiments about working the holidays. It put a fresh perspective on it for me. I'm thankful I don't have to work on Thanksgiving, but I sure do appreciate all of you that do!</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at REKRUTR. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with BIZCATALYST360.</em></p>Unemployed Before the Holidays? Fear Not!tag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-11-20:502551:BlogPost:17720752013-11-20T21:47:23.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<pre><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Photo-Credit-StaffingTalk.com_.jpg"><img alt="*Photo Credit: staffingtalk.com" class="size-full wp-image-1596" height="220" src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Photo-Credit-StaffingTalk.com_.jpg" width="300"></img> </a></pre>
<p>I'll admit, finding yourself unemployed with the holidays just around the corner could be a scary thing. You've probably heard that many companies freeze hiring during this time, and pick up with new budget in January. In some cases, that is true, but fear not! Being laid off in November or December does not have to mean the end of the world. By no means should you…</p>
<pre><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Photo-Credit-StaffingTalk.com_.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1596" alt="*Photo Credit: staffingtalk.com" src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Photo-Credit-StaffingTalk.com_.jpg" width="300" height="220"/></a></pre>
<p>I'll admit, finding yourself unemployed with the holidays just around the corner could be a scary thing. You've probably heard that many companies freeze hiring during this time, and pick up with new budget in January. In some cases, that is true, but fear not! Being laid off in November or December does not have to mean the end of the world. By no means should you wait until after the holidays to start looking. In fact, that is the WORST thing you can do.</p>
<p>I know it is tempting if you have the means to to do so, just to enjoy a little time off at the holidays with your family. It sounds great, right? Just a little time to re-charge and prepare for a new opportunity. Please, DON'T DO IT! In my opinion, that just might be the worst thing you can do.</p>
<p>I've seen it before. A friend get's laid off with a nice severance package and they say."Well, I've got some time before I'm flat broke so I think I'll just take my time and find the perfect new job."</p>
<p>Please, throw out any thinking like that you may have, RIGHT NOW! Here's why: <strong><span>Employed people are more attractive candidate</span><span>s</span>! </strong>Fair or not, it is a known truth that I'm willing to bet any recruiter will agree with me on. In fact, many recruiters or hiring managers actually use that as the first criteria of elimination for jobs with multiple applicants.</p>
<p>When there are several qualified candidates being considered for a position, one has to start cutting somewhere. I have worked for more than one company that automatically eliminated any candidate that had been unemployed more than 30 days. Trust me, thirty days goes by fast when you are unemployed. If you are not interviewing for an ideal position within one week,you need to be at your local staffing agency finding out what temporary contracts are available in your field.</p>
<p>Besides the fact that many companies just are not interested in hiring someone that is unemployed, it is important to understand that <strong>working is where you make connections.</strong> Getting yourself out there, regardless of the position, will always be more beneficial to a job search. You can still use online sources to network and apply for great positions at night. To find a really great job, you need to keep in contact with others in a positive way. Being out in the community at least part of your day will go a long way in regards to getting the job you really want.</p>
<p>If there are not temporary contract position open in your field, consider taking on a seasonal position. I know that some seasonal positions might not be a first choice for everyone. Please don't fall in to the trap of feeling you are too good to take a job with a lower skill set than you are accustomed to rather than stay unemployed. Seriously. Which do you think will serve you better; being unemployed or being under-employed?</p>
<p>Spending all of your time searching for the perfect job on the internet will not do anything to put you back to work. I don't recommend that you stop your <a href="http://www.resumespider.com" target="_blank">career networking</a> online. The great thing about internet job search is that you can do it at any time of day!</p>
<p>One more point that may be hard to swallow. I also highly recommend that you avoid signing up for unemployment insurance unless it is absolutely necessary to provide for your basic needs. Even if you are entitled to the benefits, there is something to be said for the false security it provides. It is much easier to get complacent with your job search. Unless you absolutely HAVE to, don't do that either.</p>
<p>So, cheer up! There are plenty of businesses that see increased sales at the holiday season, and these are perfect targets for job seeking near the end of the year. Find a job you can live with for the short term until you find the one you love for the long term.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Currently leading two Employment websites: <a title="tour rs" href="http://www.resumespider.com/tour/" target="_blank">ResumeSpider.com</a> for career seekers and <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR.com</a> a job distribution network for recruiters, she has worked with thousands of job seekers and recruitment professionals. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for <a title="BizCatalyst360" href="http://bizcatalyst360.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST 360°</a>. </em></p>Recruiting the Misunderstood : Part Two – Gen Y Awarenesstag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-11-06:502551:BlogPost:17663962013-11-06T19:46:53.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<h2 class="entry-title"><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" style="font-size: 13px;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-808" height="300" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" title="generation-y-300" width="300"></img></a></h2>
<div class="entry-content"><p>I’m back this week with part two in the series : Recruiting the Misunderstood. In <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-one-understanding-gen-y/" target="_blank">Part One</a> I defined Gen Y and discussed the various characteristics of the “Millennial”. I received some good feedback…</p>
</div>
<h2 class="entry-title"><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" style="font-size: 13px;"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-808" title="generation-y-300" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300"/></a></h2>
<div class="entry-content"><p>I’m back this week with part two in the series : Recruiting the Misunderstood. In <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-one-understanding-gen-y/" target="_blank">Part One</a> I defined Gen Y and discussed the various characteristics of the “Millennial”. I received some good feedback from recruiters who strongly believe that assigning specific characteristics based on generation is , well, a bunch of hooey!</p>
<p>The comments certainly made me stop and think. I even did a bit more research on the topic to make sure that I was still convinced these factors would impact recruitment. While those who aren’t buying in to this whole generational behavior thing make some excellent points, I’m still not convinced that you should not tweak your recruiting practice a bit to accommodate people with the type of behavior that Generation Y supposedly has a reputation to possess. Why not?</p>
<p>Since there were a few really good points of reason I found in my research to support that every generation has individuals within it that could fit the “mold” of the Generation Y candidate, I decided to break down my thoughts a little differently. The idea that growing up during a different period in time does not affect behavior in regards to how one looks at job search, communication, and overall career goals is just not something I am willing to dismiss yet. I am a strong believer in past and current behaviors being strong indicators for performance when it comes to hiring. Whether you subscribe to the idea that there are trends for each generation, or that it is really just stereotypical thinking, I have some ideas about how you should recruit candidates that were born after 1983 or anyone that has had access to the experiences listed below:</p>
<h4><strong><span>A Wealth of Information Readily Available</span></strong></h4>
<p>In Gen Y’s case, this came via the internet. In no other generation has access to information on almost any topic been so available easy to access. Most every person from that generation as always had personal computer or some sort of mobile device with access to the internet. Use this to your benefit in recruiting. Include internet links to positive reviews of the company you are recruiting for in your communication with candidates. Check out sites like Vault.com or Indeed job seeker reviews. Go beyond the company website because these candidates are going to Google the company anyway. Make the information you WANT them to see convenient to review.</p>
<h4><strong><span>Ability to be Reached at Any Time and Anywhere</span></strong></h4>
<p>The mass majority of the millennial generation has always had access to a telephone and it has always had caller I.D. Most members of Gen Y have had grown up making a decision when the phone rang as to whether or not to answer it, unlike other generations who had to answer the call to see who was calling. For many, letting every call go to voicemail is common. Once they hear what the person is after, they then can decide whether or not they choose to talk with the caller, send them a text, or completely ignore them. This makes a huge impact on the recruiter seeking candidates with this life experience. You better have a compelling reason on that voice mail that makes that candidates want to call you back. You also want to avoid a “private” caller i.d. If you don’t, you may never hear from them. Be specific and give details about why you need the caller to return your call you might have left out for the sake of creating curiosity in the past. Let them know who is calling by having your company name and number available on the caller i.d.</p>
<h4><strong><span>Access to A Large Social Network of Varied Opinions with a Global Scope</span></strong></h4>
<p>By way of the world-wide-web, members of Generation Y have created the ability to build relationships on a global scale with peers from many educational backgrounds, physical locations, and various cultural or socioeconomic back grounds. Other generations have quickly embraced this opportunity as well. For a recruiter, this means that your candidate can be influenced in the decision they make about taking a position based on far more than their day-to-day personal contact list. Probe the candidate about how they research a position and who helps them make decisions. It also means they can share their experience of the recruiting process with just about anyone. It is important that you are aware of how the candidate feels about their experience so that you can help mitigate any negative aspects before they are shared with a larger group with just a few key strokes.</p>
<p>All in all, awareness is the key in understanding how to recruit any target. What type of characteristics define the right candidate for your client or organization? Do individuals from various generations follow behavioral trends? Maybe. The important thing to remember is that experience does impact the decision making process. If you break down the known experience factors, you can draw some conclusions that may lead to recruitment practices that work to your advantage.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with BIZCATALYST360.</em></p>
</div>
<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-two-gen-y-awareness/#sthash.RVVV1aly.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-two-gen-y-awareness/#sthash.RVVV1aly.dpuf</a></span></p>Recruiting the Misunderstood : Part Two – Gen Y Awarenesstag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-11-06:502551:BlogPost:17665432013-11-06T19:46:52.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<h2 class="entry-title"><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" style="font-size: 13px;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-808" height="300" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" title="generation-y-300" width="300"></img></a></h2>
<div class="entry-content"><p>I’m back this week with part two in the series : Recruiting the Misunderstood. In <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-one-understanding-gen-y/" target="_blank">Part One</a> I defined Gen Y and discussed the various characteristics of the “Millennial”. I received some good feedback…</p>
</div>
<h2 class="entry-title"><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" style="font-size: 13px;"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-808" title="generation-y-300" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/generation-y-300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300"/></a></h2>
<div class="entry-content"><p>I’m back this week with part two in the series : Recruiting the Misunderstood. In <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-one-understanding-gen-y/" target="_blank">Part One</a> I defined Gen Y and discussed the various characteristics of the “Millennial”. I received some good feedback from recruiters who strongly believe that assigning specific characteristics based on generation is , well, a bunch of hooey!</p>
<p>The comments certainly made me stop and think. I even did a bit more research on the topic to make sure that I was still convinced these factors would impact recruitment. While those who aren’t buying in to this whole generational behavior thing make some excellent points, I’m still not convinced that you should not tweak your recruiting practice a bit to accommodate people with the type of behavior that Generation Y supposedly has a reputation to possess. Why not?</p>
<p>Since there were a few really good points of reason I found in my research to support that every generation has individuals within it that could fit the “mold” of the Generation Y candidate, I decided to break down my thoughts a little differently. The idea that growing up during a different period in time does not affect behavior in regards to how one looks at job search, communication, and overall career goals is just not something I am willing to dismiss yet. I am a strong believer in past and current behaviors being strong indicators for performance when it comes to hiring. Whether you subscribe to the idea that there are trends for each generation, or that it is really just stereotypical thinking, I have some ideas about how you should recruit candidates that were born after 1983 or anyone that has had access to the experiences listed below:</p>
<h4><strong><span>A Wealth of Information Readily Available</span></strong></h4>
<p>In Gen Y’s case, this came via the internet. In no other generation has access to information on almost any topic been so available easy to access. Most every person from that generation as always had personal computer or some sort of mobile device with access to the internet. Use this to your benefit in recruiting. Include internet links to positive reviews of the company you are recruiting for in your communication with candidates. Check out sites like Vault.com or Indeed job seeker reviews. Go beyond the company website because these candidates are going to Google the company anyway. Make the information you WANT them to see convenient to review.</p>
<h4><strong><span>Ability to be Reached at Any Time and Anywhere</span></strong></h4>
<p>The mass majority of the millennial generation has always had access to a telephone and it has always had caller I.D. Most members of Gen Y have had grown up making a decision when the phone rang as to whether or not to answer it, unlike other generations who had to answer the call to see who was calling. For many, letting every call go to voicemail is common. Once they hear what the person is after, they then can decide whether or not they choose to talk with the caller, send them a text, or completely ignore them. This makes a huge impact on the recruiter seeking candidates with this life experience. You better have a compelling reason on that voice mail that makes that candidates want to call you back. You also want to avoid a “private” caller i.d. If you don’t, you may never hear from them. Be specific and give details about why you need the caller to return your call you might have left out for the sake of creating curiosity in the past. Let them know who is calling by having your company name and number available on the caller i.d.</p>
<h4><strong><span>Access to A Large Social Network of Varied Opinions with a Global Scope</span></strong></h4>
<p>By way of the world-wide-web, members of Generation Y have created the ability to build relationships on a global scale with peers from many educational backgrounds, physical locations, and various cultural or socioeconomic back grounds. Other generations have quickly embraced this opportunity as well. For a recruiter, this means that your candidate can be influenced in the decision they make about taking a position based on far more than their day-to-day personal contact list. Probe the candidate about how they research a position and who helps them make decisions. It also means they can share their experience of the recruiting process with just about anyone. It is important that you are aware of how the candidate feels about their experience so that you can help mitigate any negative aspects before they are shared with a larger group with just a few key strokes.</p>
<p>All in all, awareness is the key in understanding how to recruit any target. What type of characteristics define the right candidate for your client or organization? Do individuals from various generations follow behavioral trends? Maybe. The important thing to remember is that experience does impact the decision making process. If you break down the known experience factors, you can draw some conclusions that may lead to recruitment practices that work to your advantage.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader and contributor for recruitment information with BIZCATALYST360.</em></p>
</div>
<p><span>- See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-two-gen-y-awareness/#sthash.RVVV1aly.dpuf">http://rekrutr.com/blog/recruiting-the-misunderstood-part-two-gen-y-awareness/#sthash.RVVV1aly.dpuf</a></span></p>Recruiting the Misunderstood Part One : Understanding Gen Ytag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-10-15:502551:BlogPost:17586702013-10-15T20:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557520174?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557520174?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a></p>
<p>Recruiting Generation Y is a topic on the minds of countless recruiters across the globe. As more and more of the Baby Boomer generation approach retirement, Generation X workers disperse into those former roles, and recruiting efforts focus on sourcing from the Generation Y. This is part one of a two part series. Today, I will share some information that will help…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557520174?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557520174?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>Recruiting Generation Y is a topic on the minds of countless recruiters across the globe. As more and more of the Baby Boomer generation approach retirement, Generation X workers disperse into those former roles, and recruiting efforts focus on sourcing from the Generation Y. This is part one of a two part series. Today, I will share some information that will help you to better understand the Generation Y candidate, their motivations, and their general characteristics. Next week, I’ll discuss how to use this information to implement the best recruiting methods for this generation.</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y" target="_blank">Generation Y</a>, sometimes called Generation Next, typically refers to those individuals born in the early 1980’s (1982 or 1983) through early 2000’s (2003 or 2004). You will also often hear the term "Millennial" coined by William Straus and Neil Howe in their book; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Millennials-Rising-Next-Great-Generation/dp/0375707190" target="_blank">Millennials Rising : The Next Generation</a> to refer to this demographic. Actually, I found a lot of terms used to describe this generation: The Lost Generation, the Net Generation, iGeneration, the myPod Generation. <a href="http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-ech1.htm" target="_blank">Echo-boomers</a> was another used frequently. That term came about as a reference to the children of "baby boomers" being "echo boomers'. Those kids really started more in the late 70s though. Generation Y certainly includes children born to my generation as well, Generation X.</p>
<p>It doesn't really matter what title you give this generation. What is important to a recruiter is that fact that over 50% of the population of the world is under 30 years old. This should be important to you. If you are not already seeing a huge trend in this group being your talent target, you will be. Today is a good day to start trying to understand that generation.</p>
<p>This generation, I'll use Gen Y to define, comes with a whole new outlook on what a career should be. Why wouldn't they? The world is their oyster, so to speak. Their world has seen things former generations only dreamed of in the way of accessible higher education, cutting-edge technology, and cultural development. They can actually work in HongKong from their desk in rural Iowa if they want to. These individuals were practically born into the world-wide web and can spring around it as they choose just like tiny spiders.</p>
<p>Internet access and mobile communication devices have been a part of their world from the beginning too. This has made an impact on the Gen Y's ability to stay in close contact with parents, teachers, family, and peers. They can get advice from someone they trust online, instant, and with a global scope. They can do it from almost anywhere, at anytime. This results in a strong back-up, or support network, aka their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_parent" target="_blank">helicopter parents.</a></p>
<p>When you begin to investigate the characteristics of the Gen Y, keep in mind that economic and cultural differences among this generation can impact general traits just as it has any other. Most of this generation is described by various intellectuals as "Green-loving", or concerned about the environment. They are open and civic minded individuals, who are highly motivated to make an impact on the world. They understand and respect equality and diversity. That is what most sources say. Other sources view and describe the traits they see in this generation pretty harshly. I read some descriptions that called this generation, entitled and narcissistic, even lazy or lacking motivation. While no generation is perfect, for the record, I disagree with the latter. There will always be members of any generation that do not excel, but let's be honest, recruiters aren't looking for those people and they are NOT all "those people".</p>
<p>It is my opinion that Generation Y is really just misunderstood. They have high expectations, yes, but that doesn't mean they have entitlement issues. Maybe we are just a little bit jealous? It’s true, most in this generation are not willing to settle. Who could blame them? After all, they are the ones in demand right? They have choices and they know it. Remember, this generation can barely recall a time without the ability to Google anything they want to know. They have the power of endless information and resources on their side. A college education is no longer just a dream, it is expected, and accessible to almost everyone.</p>
<p>So what are we missing? How can we better understand Generation Y? We should probably start with listening to them. Their opinions and culture are readily available to us on that thing they grew up on - the internet. We have the power to put the internet on our side as well. This group very openly attempts to let us know what they are all about. They understand their ability to voice their opinion on anything, and they do it often. They will give you their two cents on a game, movie, restaurant, public figure or (can you guess?) a JOB OPENING in a <a href="http://www.twitter.com/REKRUTR/" target="_blank">tweet</a>, a <a href="http://www.facebook/rekrutr/" target="_blank">facebook</a> post, a <a href="http://www.youtube.com" target="_blank">YouTube</a> video, with a <a href="http://www.google.com" target="_blank">Google+</a>, a photo on <a href="http://www.instagram.com" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com" target="_blank">pinned</a> link. Good or bad, they can make their opinion known to their contacts, their contacts share it with their contacts, and before you know it, viral. Wait. Have heard that somewhere before? :)</p>
<p>Next week I will talk about how to harness what we know about Generation Y to improve your ability to recruit the most talented in this demographic. Stay tuned!</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for <a href="http://www,bizcatalyst360.com" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360°</a> - See more at: <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/">http://rekrutr.com/blog/</a></em></p>Professional Instinct: When It's OK To Go With The Good Feeling You Have About That Candidatetag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-08-26:502551:BlogPost:17487612013-08-26T12:00:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557521757?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557521757?profile=original" width="300"></img></a></p>
<p>You won’t hear me use the word “feel” very often when it comes to the screening process. As a general rule, you have to be careful not to rely too much on your personal feelings when it comes to recruiting. If you are not disciplined enough to put qualifying the candidate first, you will not find the best candidate for the position. First and foremost you must …</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557521757?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557521757?profile=original" width="300" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>You won’t hear me use the word “feel” very often when it comes to the screening process. As a general rule, you have to be careful not to rely too much on your personal feelings when it comes to recruiting. If you are not disciplined enough to put qualifying the candidate first, you will not find the best candidate for the position. First and foremost you must <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/finding-and-motivating-passive-candidates/" target="_blank">determine the most qualified candidate</a> for the position. If you have more than one equally qualified candidate, that is when your instinct becomes important.</p>
<p>Let's say you have three candidates with excellent backgrounds, high test scores, great demeanor, the works. You could hire any of the three and feel like you've done well. Unfortunately in most cases, you can only choose one. How do you determine the best of the best?</p>
<p>You have to dig a little deeper and ask more questions so you can incorporate your instinct in to the process. Professional instinct is possibly one of the most critical skills of any recruiter. In fact, great instinct is what makes a good recruiter a top performer in my opinion because a recruiter with great instincts can find the best, of the best.</p>
<p>Below are some of my favorite types of “<a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/the-interview-prep-talk/">final interview</a>” questions. These questions are great tools to help you determine which candidates will truly make the best hire for your organization when you have more than one individual you could confidently make an offer to. You will notice that <em>these</em> questions are more about determining which candidate you <em>feel</em> most strongly will be the best fit.</p>
<h4><strong>The Scenario Question</strong></h4>
<p><em>“If everyone in the office were to walk out at the same time, excluding myself and yourself, what would you do?”</em></p>
<p>This is just an example of course, but I would encourage you to think of an uncomfortable scenario that could happen, even if it is a worst case scenario. Really listen as the interviewer explains what they would do and probe for details as you would with any behavioral based question. Is this the person you want to be at your side in the scenario you give? Remember to keep in mind general hiring guidelines here. It goes without saying that you don’t want to go overboard and ask something inappropriate or illegal.</p>
<h4><strong>The Blunt Inquiry</strong></h4>
<p><em>“ We have three great candidates and could be very pleased working side by side with any of you. Why should we pick you? What will make you stand out as the best hire?”</em></p>
<p><span>This gives the candidate an opportunity to freely “toot their own horn” so to speak. Can they sell you on themselves? What talent do they see in themselves that you have not already identified. How does their answer make you feel? Did you want to just hire them on the spot, or were you anxious to hear the other candidates answer the question before you made a final decision?</span></p>
<h4><strong>The “What if…” Question</strong></h4>
<p><em>“What would happen if money were no object, and I were to offer you this position with the pretense that you must accept immediately to be hired? Would you accept? How would this affect your career plan?” </em>or <em>“Where do you think you would be if you accepted this opportunity today?”</em></p>
<p>This type of question will give you a lot of insight as to how well the individual is planning for the future, their interest level and again, give you an opportunity to let your instinct make the decision about which candidate is best for your organization.</p>
<p>Using these formats for your final questions will help get the right conversation started to deter<span>mine the choice that is best fit for your organization.</span><span>Have you used these type of questions in the past? What other types of questions do you use to find the best of the best?</span></p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at <a title="REKRUTR" href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a><span>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for BIZCATALYST360° </span></em></p>Professional Instinct: When It's OK To Go With The Good Feeling You Have About That Candidatetag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-08-24:502551:BlogPost:17487582013-08-24T03:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<p><span class="GingerNoCheckStart"><a href="http://www.recruitingblogs.com/page/human-resources" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557521640?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a></span> You won’t hear me use the word “feel” very often when it comes to the screening process. As a general rule, you have to be careful not to rely too much on your personal feelings when it comes to recruiting. If you are not disciplined enough to put qualifying the candidate first, you will not find the best candidate for the position. First and foremost you…</p>
<p><span class="GingerNoCheckStart"><a href="http://www.recruitingblogs.com/page/human-resources" target="_blank"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557521640?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a></span>You won’t hear me use the word “feel” very often when it comes to the screening process. As a general rule, you have to be careful not to rely too much on your personal feelings when it comes to recruiting. If you are not disciplined enough to put qualifying the candidate first, you will not find the best candidate for the position. First and foremost you must <a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/finding-and-motivating-passive-candidates/" target="_blank">determine the most qualified candidate</a> for the position. If you have more than one equally qualified candidate, that is when your instinct becomes important.</p>
<p>Let's say you have three candidates with excellent backgrounds, high test scores, great demeanor, the works. You could hire any of the three and feel like you've done well. Unfortunately in most cases, you can only choose one. How do you determine the best of the best?</p>
<p>You have to dig a little deeper and ask more questions so you can incorporate your instinct in to the process. Professional instinct is possibly one of the most critical skills of any recruiter. In fact, great instinct is what makes a good recruiter a top performer in my opinion because a recruiter with great instincts can find the best, of the best.</p>
<p>Below are some of my favorite types of “<a href="http://rekrutr.com/blog/the-interview-prep-talk/">final interview</a>” questions. These questions are great tools to help you determine which candidates will truly make the best hire for your organization when you have more than one individual you could confidently make an offer to. You will notice that <em>these</em> questions are more about determining which candidate you <em>feel</em> most strongly will be the best fit.</p>
<h4><strong>The Scenario Question</strong></h4>
<p><em>“If everyone in the office were to walk out at the same time, excluding myself and yourself, what would you do?”</em></p>
<p>This is just an example of course, but I would encourage you to think of an uncomfortable scenario that could happen, even if it is a worst case scenario. Really listen as the interviewer explains what they would do and probe for details as you would with any behavioral based question. Is this the person you want to be at your side in the scenario you give? Remember to keep in mind general hiring guidelines here. It goes without saying that you don’t want to go overboard and ask something inappropriate or illegal.</p>
<h4><strong>The Blunt Inquiry</strong></h4>
<p><em>“ We have three great candidates and could be very pleased working side by side with any of you. Why should we pick you? What will make you stand out as the best hire?”</em></p>
<p><span>This gives the candidate an opportunity to freely “toot their own horn” so to speak. Can they sell you on themselves? What talent do they see in themselves that you have not already identified. How does their answer make you feel? Did you want to just hire them on the spot, or were you anxious to hear the other candidates answer the question before you made a final decision?</span></p>
<h4><strong>The “What if…” Question</strong></h4>
<p><em>“What would happen if money were no object, and I were to offer you this position with the pretense that you must accept immediately to be hired? Would you accept? How would this affect your career plan?” </em>or <em>“Where do you think you would be if you accepted this opportunity today?”</em></p>
<p>This type of question will give you a lot of insight as to how well the individual is planning for the future, their interest level and again, give you an opportunity to let your instinct make the decision about which candidate is best for your organization.</p>
<p>Using these formats for your final questions will help get the right conversation started to deter<span>mine the choice that is best fit for your organization.</span><span>Have you used these type of questions in the past? What other types of questions do you use to find the best of the best?</span></p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at <a title="REKRUTR" href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank">REKRUTR</a><span>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for BIZCATALYST360° </span></em></p>
<p></p>Your Job Offer : It's Negotiable. Or Is It?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-08-15:502551:BlogPost:17455252013-08-15T16:34:32.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<pre> </pre>
<p><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/negotiation.jpg"><img alt="negotiation" class="size-full wp-image-1561 aligncenter align-center" height="268" src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/negotiation.jpg" width="400"></img></a></p>
<h4>You just received a job offer and it looks pretty good. Is it good enough? Should you negotiate? Can you negotiate? What should you negotiate and how should you go about it? All of these are great questions. Here are a few points to consider:</h4>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><b>Timing is everything. </b>Start setting expectations early in the interviewing process for what you will and…</li>
</ul>
<pre> </pre>
<p><a href="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/negotiation.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1561 aligncenter align-center" alt="negotiation" src="http://resumespiderblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/negotiation.jpg" width="400" height="268"/></a></p>
<h4>You just received a job offer and it looks pretty good. Is it good enough? Should you negotiate? Can you negotiate? What should you negotiate and how should you go about it? All of these are great questions. Here are a few points to consider:</h4>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><b>Timing is everything. </b>Start setting expectations early in the interviewing process for what you will and won’t accept if you are offered the position. This alleviates the risk of losing the offer completely when you ask for something they are not prepared to offer.</li>
<li><b>Consider the size of the company you are negotiating with</b>. Large <a title="Resume Spider Member Companies" href="http://www.resumespider.com/member-companies/" target="_blank">companies</a> are not as likely to negotiate the terms of an employment offer because they have to maintain consistent practices across all departments to avoid risks for grievance. Small companies that have only a few or one decision maker may be willing to negotiate with you.</li>
<li><b>Understand what is negotiable.</b> The general rule here is that money related items can be negotiated within reason. Every position from an entry level support staff member to an executive role will typically have a salary range that they are prepared to offer for an opening. Salary can typically be negotiated within that range. Things like sign on bonus, stock options, and other money related perks are often negotiated as well. In fact, these might be a better item to attempt to negotiate if you have received an offer at the top of their range.</li>
<li><b>Understand what is not likely to be negotiated</b>. Vacation time and PTO are not going to be something you can negotiate in most situations. This is because paid time off is dictated by policy. It is usually calculated based on the number of hours their employees work and there is not a lot of room for flexibility on this. Vacation time earned with a previous employer is paid out when you terminate employment. Tell the new employer if you already have time off scheduled. Sometimes the company will agree to let this time off be taken unpaid if arrangements are made in advance.</li>
<li><b>Be realistic.</b> Many companies just are not willing to negotiate job offers. Either you can accept what they have offered or you can’t. This happens when they know they have,or can have, more than one viable candidate for the position, or when they have been as generous as they can be within their budget.</li>
</ul>
<p>Negotiation is not personal. Don’t assume you can’t take an offer that is a little lower than you expected (but doable) or that every offer needs to be negotiated. The question is, “Will accepting this offer be a positive move for your career?” Consider why you looked at pursuing the position in the first place. It is not always about the money after all. If taking this position provides a better work environment, better hours, more flexibility, or whatever brought you to your <a href="http://www.resumespider.com/" target="_blank">job search</a> in the first place, you should strongly consider if you really need to negotiate. Maybe you should just take the offer.</p>
<h6><em>Amy McDonald has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Currently the CEO at <a title="tour rs" href="http://www.resumespider.com/tour/" target="_blank">ResumeSpider.com</a>, she has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for <a title="BizCatalyst360" href="http://bizcatalyst360.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST 360°</a></em></h6>The REKRUTR Vault : Name Gathering - What's the Magic Word?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-07-12:502551:BlogPost:17240022013-07-12T14:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
<div class="navigation" id="nav-above"><div class="nav-previous"><div class="post-698 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-business-consulting category-recruiting category-recruiting-etiquette category-social-networking category-sourcing-2 category-uncategorized tag-business-conversation tag-candidate-sourcing tag-coaching tag-communication tag-leads tag-magic-word tag-manners tag-please tag-recruiting tag-strategy tag-training-and-development" id="post-698"></div>
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<div id="nav-above" class="navigation"><div class="nav-previous"><div id="post-698" class="post-698 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-business-consulting category-recruiting category-recruiting-etiquette category-social-networking category-sourcing-2 category-uncategorized tag-business-conversation tag-candidate-sourcing tag-coaching tag-communication tag-leads tag-magic-word tag-manners tag-please tag-recruiting tag-strategy tag-training-and-development"><div class="entry-content"><p><a href="http://www.recruitingblogs.com/page/agency-recruiting-1" target="_blank"><img src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/please.jpg?width=250" width="250" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>Have you ever seen that poster <a href="http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/034546639X" target="_blank">“All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”?</a> inspired by the book of the same name? I can’t remember when I first saw that <a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lywsquGcFz1r1xyg2.jpg" target="_blank">poster</a> but I was young enough that I distinctly remember rolling my eyes at it. As I have aged, though, and especially since I’ve become a parent, I appreciate that poster much more. I find myself noticing so many of those simple lessons most of us were taught as children but somehow have forgotten.“If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing,” I am reminded of a lot when I surf social media sites for example.</p>
<p>It is always a good idea as recruiters that we re-visit these topics because most of them focus on how to get along with others, and let’s face it, we need to “get along” with others better than the average person to survive in our business. One of the big ones to remember is one of the easiest. What would you say if I were to say to you, ” What’s the magic word?” I use that one with my kids all the time. The response I am looking for of course is the word please. So simple, yet so powerful is the magic of the word please.</p>
<p>If you are a recruiter and you are struggling with direct sourcing for example, you know, name gathering, then you should really consider how often you are using the magic word please. If you aren’t using this word on every call you are probably not getting the results you should or could.</p>
<p>One of the best sourcing professionals I’ve ever known was my friend Mary Jane. She worked on my sourcing team back when I managed large scale projects for pharmaceutical companies. Let me just say, that there is not a Mary Jane on every corner. I simply could not write this blog about name gathering without thinking of her anymore than we could have been so successful with our sourcing efforts without her. Mary Jane, or MJ as some call her, has the remarkable ability to make a friend in one telephone conversation. She is always professional and polite but above all of this, she is genuinely kind. She cares about the people she is soliciting and lets them know how much she appreciates their help. You won’t find her missing the word “please” when she asks for something and it works very well for her. Maybe it is the sweet southern belle voice she has, but I can still hear her voice in the next cubicle on the phones, and no matter whom she was speaking with she always included the magic word.</p>
<blockquote><p> ”Hello Dave, I wonder if I could <strong>please</strong> have just a moment of your time for some research I am doing for my boss in Boston.”</p>
<p>“Hi Janice, thank you and yes, I hope you can help me. I’m trying to find a contact at your company that is familiar with … Could you <strong>please</strong> help me find the best person to talk with? ”</p>
<p><strong>“Please</strong> tell me, Dan, do you collect business cards of sales professionals that call on your company.”</p>
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<p>These are just a few examples of how Mary Jane might have used the word please. It may seem like a given to some, but I think you might be surprised to realize how many recruiters are not showing a genuine kindness to the caller and well, just aren’t using that magic word. If you think I’m wrong, assign your team to a 30 minute call blast for name gathering and walk around your bull pen listening for the word “please” specifically. Don’t tell them what you are doing! Jot down those that are using it and those that aren’t. Then compare their results. I’m willing to bet that those who were using the magic word got more names. Listen for the word please when you receive calls from vendors, and business colleagues.</p>
<p>Do you feel compelled to comply with a request when the caller says please? I know I do.What other things you’ve learned as a child are easily forgotten in business? Are you using the magic word on a regular basis?</p>
<p>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at <a href="http://www.rekrutr.com/">REKRUTR.</a> She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for BIZCATALYST360°</p>
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</div>The REKRUTR Vault: How Will Freelance Employment Impact the Future of Recruiting?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-07-03:502551:BlogPost:17209012013-07-03T16:30:00.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
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<p>I just finished reading an article in Forbes online by WorkMarket co-founder Jeff Wald titled <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2013/07/03/forget-the-jobs-report-focus-on-the-freelance-economy/" target="_blank" title="Forget the Jobs Report, Focus on the Freelance Economy">"Forget the Jobs Report, Focus on the Freelance Economy</a>". His report sites…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557517890?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1557517890?profile=original" width="617" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>I just finished reading an article in Forbes online by WorkMarket co-founder Jeff Wald titled <a title="Forget the Jobs Report, Focus on the Freelance Economy" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2013/07/03/forget-the-jobs-report-focus-on-the-freelance-economy/" target="_blank">"Forget the Jobs Report, Focus on the Freelance Economy</a>". His report sites recent estimates from the Freelancers Union of a growing trend toward independent American workers with numbers increasing by more than 30 million from 2005. He has a valid point that the jobs report may not be telling the whole story about the current employment market.</p>
<p>Further research on the subject continued to intrigue me. Global results are significantly higher as well. Elance, a leading employment site for freelance opportunities, reported Q1 2013 results to be up 60% from Q1 of 2012. Their site also boasts over 300,000 freelance posts in Q1 of 2013. This number is pretty significant even measured on a global scope.</p>
<p>I can't help but believe this will at some point make a significant impact on the recruiting and staffing industry. Will finding freelance workers to support virtual teams be orchestrated by recruitment professionals, or by in-house sourcing efforts? Whether it means a stronger concentration of contract placements vs. direct hire or a decline in recruitment all together also remains to be seen.</p>
<p>Geographical reach will surely contribute to this changing landscape. After all, the ability to work virtually is certainly what is facilitating this phenomenon. An employer now has the ability to hire global talent to work in a virtual environment, while eliminating many of the visa and immigration challenges they've faced in the past for highly skilled professionals.</p>
<p>Healthcare changes may also impact the amount of freelance employees an organization employs. Healthcare has always been a driving factor in the decision to freelance for me. When US healthcare reform is fully initiated, those not working in a traditional circumstance will have many more options for affordable healthcare. If a small business can not provide healthcare benefits, will this influence their desire to contract freelancer positions with staffing companies? My guess is yes. Will this ultimately determine the number of direct hire placements by a recruitment professional for positions formerly working in a corporate environment? It is possible.</p>
<p>Regardless of the answer to the questions above, there will always be a necessity for good recruiters in my opinion. This is because, let's face it, finding exceptional talent is a tough job. The market may very well change, but whether the positions are freelance or direct-hire, there will always be a percentage of both placements that require on-going relationship building to identify the best talent. Maintaining those relationships is difficult to accomplish for in-house human resource personnel because of the other responsibilities that encompass those roles.</p>
<p>Have you noticed the impact on your recruiting business you would attribute to an increase in freelance hiring? How do you think the increase in freelance staffing will change the industry?</p>
<address>Amy McDonald is the President and CEO at<a title="REKRUTR" href="http://www.rekrutr.com" target="_blank"> REKRUTR</a>. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for <a title="BizCatalyst360" href="http://bizcatalyst360.com/" target="_blank">BIZCATALYST360°</a></address>
<p> </p>The Interview "Prep" Talk : Advice from The REKRUTR Vaulttag:recruitingblogs.com,2013-06-26:502551:BlogPost:17189832013-06-26T16:46:35.000ZAmy McDonaldhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/AmyMcDonald368
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<p>This week I want to take some time to talk about one of the most important parts of the recruitment process that is often overlooked; prepping the candidate for interview.</p>
<p>It has always amazed me that so many otherwise exceptional recruiters will work so hard to identify a good job order; find the ideal candidate; set up an interview and then drop the ball. Why would anyone work…</p>
<p><a href="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Coach.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-649" title="Coach" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Coach.jpg" alt="" width="336" height="240"/></a></p>
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<p>This week I want to take some time to talk about one of the most important parts of the recruitment process that is often overlooked; prepping the candidate for interview.</p>
<p>It has always amazed me that so many otherwise exceptional recruiters will work so hard to identify a good job order; find the ideal candidate; set up an interview and then drop the ball. Why would anyone work so hard and then quit before the job is done?</p>
<p>You are the coach! You are in control of this process, and it's your turn to take the information you've gathered from your client during this process, combine it with the talent you have found, and create a win, win, win. The client wins. The candidate wins. You win! Even a champion player (candidate) needs a "Prep" talk. This is how you do it:</p>
<p>Schedule a call with the candidate two days prior to the interview if time allows. If the interview is happening sooner, move up the call, but make sure you plan this call and let your candidate know it is mandatory and they should be prepared to take notes. This call is your prep talk.</p>
<p>Prepare the details that you will go over with the candidate before the call. What does the candidate need to know before they meet with your client? Ultimately, this candidate is a reflection on you and your business. It is in your best interest to do everything you can to be sure that this candidate is impressive.</p>
<h4>Review Due Diligence.</h4>
<p>Don't assume that even an executive level candidate will be prepared for the interview without coaching. Remind the candidate to research the company and hiring manager prior to the interview. Provide any information you have on the company by email and ask the candidate to review it prior to meeting with the client.</p>
<h4>Discuss Personal Attire</h4>
<p>This is something critical that may seem obvious, but nothing is worse than losing a placement because they wore too much cologne or needed a larger shirt. Coach your candidate on what they should wear. Remind them to keep jewelry modest, shoes shined and to get that hair trimmed before the big day. Always remind the candidate to turn off their phone, have several clean copies of their resume with them in a clean, easy to manage folder or portfolio. They will also want paper and a pen to take notes.</p>
<h4>Go Over the Logistics</h4>
<p>What is the location? Do they need a map? How long will they need for the commute? What building, door, or department should they report to? How early should they arrive? Is the time zone the same at the location they will meet? (It happens, trust me on this one!) If long distance travel is involved, include review of these arrangements during this portion of your call as well.</p>
<h4>Review the Agenda</h4>
<p>How many interviews will take place and with whom. Are they individual interviews or panel interviews? Does the employer use behavioral interviews or a unique process? Will there be testing? How long should they plan to be there?</p>
<h4>Prepare the Candidate to Pre-Close Your Client</h4>
<p>The final part of prepping a candidate is ensuring that they know how to end an interview. When the final interviewer says, "Do you have any questions?" your candidate needs to have at least three questions prepared to choose from. They can even have them written down. When this part of the interview comes, they can glance down at their notes to remind themselves. Make sure your candidate knows that only a question is a correct answer in this circumstance. They do not want to say, "No, I don't think so."</p>
<p>In addition, I typically ask my candidates to write "ASK FOR THE JOB!" on the second page of the tablet they bring. When the interview responds to their question and says, "Anything else?" they can turn to the second page and see this to finish the meeting. Again, this is something that may seem obvious to you, but don't take for granted that your candidate knows they should do this.</p>
<p>If you use this list as a guideline for every send out, your chances of impressing your clients with how well your candidate interviews will be a piece of cake. You can also add in any secrets you've found to be especially impressive to the client based on your relationship with them. I also usually remind the candidate to ask for a business card from each person they meet where appropriate so they can easily return a thank-you note after the interview. Besides impressing your client, a good prep talk is impressive to your candidate. You become the trusted advisor they turn to each time they find themselves considering a job search.</p>
<p><em>Amy McDonald works with several employment websites and is the President and CEO at REKRUTR. She has been working in the human resources and recruiting industry for over 20 years. Amy has worked with hundreds of recruitment professionals throughout her career, training best practices in sourcing candidates and refining the recruitment process. In her spare time, Amy participates as a thought leader in Recruiting for BIZCATALYST360° <img class="mceSubscribe2" src="http://rekrutr.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/subscribe2/tinymce3/../include/spacer.gif" alt=""/></em></p>