Pam claughton's Posts - RecruitingBlogs2024-03-28T19:11:10Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughtonhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1526675671?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=pamclaughton&xn_auth=noDo What you LOVE and the Right Job (and maybe the money) Will Followtag:recruitingblogs.com,2012-12-09:502551:BlogPost:16315052012-12-09T19:13:02.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Are you in the right job for your talents? Do you</strong></p>
<p><strong>look forward to going to work each day....or do you</strong></p>
<p><strong>dread it?</strong> </p>
<p><img alt="photo 20" border="0" id="img-1355058860060" name="img-1355058860060" src="http://www.customsearchgroup.com/Portals/208936/images/photo-20.JPG"></img></p>
<p>My grandfather, who was a very wise man, gave me great advice many years ago. He said that <strong>"life is too short to be miserable at your job. If you're that unhappy, it's time to go and do something else."</strong> </p>
<p>Of course, there are always circumstances that…</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Are you in the right job for your talents? Do you</strong></p>
<p><strong>look forward to going to work each day....or do you</strong></p>
<p><strong>dread it?</strong> </p>
<p><img id="img-1355058860060" src="http://www.customsearchgroup.com/Portals/208936/images/photo-20.JPG" border="0" alt="photo 20" name="img-1355058860060"/></p>
<p>My grandfather, who was a very wise man, gave me great advice many years ago. He said that <strong>"life is too short to be miserable at your job. If you're that unhappy, it's time to go and do something else."</strong> </p>
<p>Of course, there are always circumstances that make it difficult to just walk away from a job, any job, especially in this economy. But, it's definitely worth taking a hard look at what you are doing and if it's the best use of your talents and interests. If you love what you do, then great! No need to look elsewhere. But, if you are less than thrilled, perhaps it may be a good idea to do a self-assessment and consider if the path you are currently on is the best one for you.</p>
<p>I did this myself many years ago. It's interesting when you meet up with people five or even ten years after graduating college, to see what they are doing and how their careers have progressed and evolved. I graduated with a degree in Communications, Advertising & PR and an interest in Journalism. I'd worked at The Tampa Tribune during college, handling obituaries and birth and wedding announcements. So it was natural to join the paper after graduating, as a community news reporter. I quickly discovered though that I didn't love that role, and decided to pursue advertising.</p>
<p>I moved home to Cape Cod and landed at a top 40 radio station selling ads. I loved that job. It was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had. But, my timing wasn't great. I joined as the market was heading downward and the first thing to be cut in ad spending was generally radio. After a few years, I knew I loved sales, but wasn't excited about the intangible product I was selling. </p>
<p>At the time, my younger sister was working in the accounting department of a big search firm in Boston. She is the one responsible for introducing me to the world of recruiting. I loved it immediately, did well, and now more than 18 years later, I am still loving what I do. </p>
<p><strong>A few years back, I was visiting with a good friend who was feeling lost in her career.</strong>She'd worked at State Street bank as a fund accounting manager for years. When they had a huge layoff, she took a package, took some time off and then waitressed for awhile. She was so personable as a waitress that people suggested she might be good as a mortgage broker. She did fairly well at that, but disliked the negotiating and sales side of the job. </p>
<p><strong>So, we sat down and talked about what aspects of all her jobs she enjoyed the most.</strong>The common thread came down to working with numbers and helping people, but more in a customer service, account manager capacity instead of purely sales. She then found a role as an estate administrator for a local bank that was perfect. She handled numbers work for clients, dealing with their estates and absolutely loved it.</p>
<p><strong>I see this in the marketing world all the time too, as people's careers evolve towards what they are passionate about.</strong> If you're a product marketing manager for instance, and the analysis work is what you enjoy the most, you may want to consider moving into the market research area. Or if you love the writing piece, then focus on those roles within product marketing that are writing intensive, as many are. If yours is not, then maybe seek out a new role that has more of a focus there, or even move into a different kind of marketing role such as content marketing. Especially for the web, that is a hugely hot and growing area.</p>
<p>If writing is not your thing and you're a product marketing manager, you may find that you enjoy more of the client interaction and may want to move more into business development or to a channel marketing manager role, where you are working very closely with the external partners, consulting with them on how to position and market their offerings so that it's a win-win for them and your company.</p>
<p><strong>Or, maybe your true passion lies completely outside of your current role?</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://www.customsearchgroup.com/Portals/208936/images/Snow_Scene.jpg" border="0" alt="Snow Scene"/></p>
<p><strong>If you have an outside passion that you'd love to turn into a full-time job, consider working at it on the side until you've built it up to such a level that you can transition out of your current role and into your new dream career.</strong> Will this be easy? No, of course not. It takes extra work, long hours and a committment to your goal.</p>
<p>I highly recommend the Malcolm Gladwell book,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355060449&sr=1-1&keywords=gladwell+outliers" title=" Outliers: The Story of Success " target="_self"> Outliers: The Story of Success </a> In it, he details the results of studying those who achieved success, such as writer Stephen King, Microsoft's Bill Gates, and the band The Beatles. What they all had in common was that none were overnight successes. <strong>Those who reached the highest pinnacles of success had on average put in a minimum of 10,000 hours before they hit it big. </strong></p>
<p>Stephen King wrote for years, story after story, receiving rejection slips regularly. Finally in despair, about to give up, he threw his latest manuscript, CARRIE, in the trash. His wife rescued it, mailed it off and it sold for crazy money at the time, $400,000, and a career was born. The Beatles played in clubs all over Britain, for years, until they were discovered and ironically, were considered overnight successes at the time. Bill Gates, actually started programming while just a kid and was fortunate that he and his buddies were allowed to play with the computers at a local college. That access and years tinkering for hours on these computers gave him the experience to do what he has done with Microsoft.</p>
<p>So, this all sounds great, but maybe it's a bit difficult to relate to Stephen King, The Beatles, and Bill Gate. Does this apply to the average person?</p>
<p><strong>Yes. I have a friend, writer Marie Force who is a great example of this.</strong> Marie had always dreamed of writing novels, but had a busy life with two kids, a husband and a high level, demanding Director of Marketing role that she'd held for many years. When her mother passed away, in 2005, Marie decided to do something about her dream.</p>
<p>read the rest here, <a href="http://www.customsearchgroup.com/blog/bid/187222/Do-What-you-Love-and-the-right-job-maybe-the-money-will-follow">http://www.customsearchgroup.com/blog/bid/187222/Do-What-you-Love-and-the-right-job-maybe-the-money-will-follow</a></p>
<p></p>How to Get Promotedtag:recruitingblogs.com,2012-11-29:502551:BlogPost:16268432012-11-29T17:00:00.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
<p> I've been recruiting for a long time, over 18 years and it feels like I've checked a million references. One thing that comes up over and over again when talking to candidates, is their desire to get promoted. To move to the next level, take the next step to a manager or Director or VP, even CMO.</p>
<p>Some people seem to get promoted rapidly, no matter where they land. These are the people who spend on average 3-7 years at a company and during that time frame are promoted multiple times.…</p>
<p> I've been recruiting for a long time, over 18 years and it feels like I've checked a million references. One thing that comes up over and over again when talking to candidates, is their desire to get promoted. To move to the next level, take the next step to a manager or Director or VP, even CMO.</p>
<p>Some people seem to get promoted rapidly, no matter where they land. These are the people who spend on average 3-7 years at a company and during that time frame are promoted multiple times. There is no common thread here as whether they've worked at small or large companies. I've seen this equally at both.</p>
<p>Luck and timing certainly are factors. Sometimes your boss may leave and it's simply easier for the company to have you step up and fill in those shoes....to see how it goes, and if it goes well, make the move permanent.</p>
<p>Aside from that kind of luck though, there is one pattern I've seen repeated over and over again. A pattern that is worth emulating as it seems to work equally well at companies of all sizes. It's quite simple, yet involves extra work. Many people who say they want to be promoted have an air of entitlement about them, as though the promotion is due them simply because they've put in the time. Time is a factor that is not very high on the list from what I've seen. Many people spend 5, 10 even 15 years in the same role without being promoted.</p>
<p>So, what do you need to do to step up, get noticed and ultimately promoted?</p>
<p><strong>You start doing the job that you want.</strong></p>
<p>It's very often that simple. Notice that I said "simple", not "easy". There's an important difference. There's extra work involved and not everyone wants to make an effort without the guarantee that it will pay off. There's risk involved.</p>
<p>However, what do you really have to lose? Not much. Even if the promotion doesn't happen in a timely manner, you can count on an amazing reference when you go looking for your next job. These are the references that genuinely gush and say things like, "always went above and beyond....came in early, stayed late, did whatever it took to get the job done....always volunteering to take on extra work...I'd hire this person in a minute!" </p>
<p><strong>References like that often seal the deal.</strong></p>
<p>But, back to getting promoted. I've seen this happen over and over again. Think entrepeneurially and "make your own job". Start just doing the things you want to be doing that fall into your direction of interest. Take on as much as you can, and ask for more. Always be asking, "what else do you need help with? What can I do?" <strong>Get your work done to the best of your ability and ask for more.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.customsearchgroup.com/blog/bid/184398/how-to-get-promoted">http://www.customsearchgroup.com/blog</a></strong></p>
<p></p>Does focusing tightly on numbers scare recruiters away?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2012-02-15:502551:BlogPost:15134592012-02-15T11:54:16.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
<p> </p>
<p>Obviously, you have to focus on activity, and numbers, but when bringing new recruiters on and during the first few years, what balance works best when asking them to turn in numbers?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've seen some recruiters so freaked out about not hitting the required number of connects that they decide the job is too stressful.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've seen other recruiters who don't track the numbers and it's not clear if they are making the desired number of connects either,…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Obviously, you have to focus on activity, and numbers, but when bringing new recruiters on and during the first few years, what balance works best when asking them to turn in numbers?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've seen some recruiters so freaked out about not hitting the required number of connects that they decide the job is too stressful.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've seen other recruiters who don't track the numbers and it's not clear if they are making the desired number of connects either, but they are doing well and making placements and not totally stressed out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What have you seen work best in offices you've been in? Is it better to have recruiters turning in daily numbers and stressing about it, or to have those numbers as a guideline to follow and trusting they'll work towards them and letting the results dictate if it's working?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Would love insight on this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Pam</p>Private Sector Jobs Make Big Return in June....Positive News!tag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-07-07:502551:BlogPost:12750072011-07-07T23:29:28.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, some positive news on the job market that reflects what we are seeing.</p>
<p><span class="timestamp"> </span></p>
<p><span class="timestamp">"July 7, 2011 8:43 AM EDT</span></p>
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<p>The private sector jobs market in the U.S. saw a sharp rebound in June, according to the ADP National Employment Report. ADP said private…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, some positive news on the job market that reflects what we are seeing.</p>
<p><span class="timestamp"> </span></p>
<p><span class="timestamp">"July 7, 2011 8:43 AM EDT</span>
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<div id="news_images_right"><div class="img"> </div>
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<p>The private sector jobs market in the U.S. saw a sharp rebound in June, according to the ADP National Employment Report. ADP said private <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.streetinsider.com/#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" id="itxthook0" style="border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; padding-bottom: 1px; background-color: transparent; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" name="itxthook0"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook0w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">business</span></a> employment rose 157,000 during the month, more than double a 70,000 increase economists had predicted.
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Employment in the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.streetinsider.com/#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" id="itxthook1" style="border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; padding-bottom: 1px; background-color: transparent; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" name="itxthook1"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook1w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">service</span></a> sector rose 130,000 in June, nearly three times faster than in May, marking the 18th consecutive month of gains in the sector. Goods-producing employment rose 27,000 during the month, reversing a 10,000 decline in May. Manufacturing employment rose 24,000 in June, the eighth straight month of gains.<br />
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<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.streetinsider.com/#" class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" id="itxthook2" style="border-bottom: darkgreen 0.07em solid; padding-bottom: 1px; background-color: transparent; color: darkgreen; font-size: 100%; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" name="itxthook2"><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook2w0" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">Small</span> <span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook2w1" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;"></span><span class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" id="itxthook2w2" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;">business</span></a> added 88,000 jobs in the month, medium businesses added 59,000 and large business added 10,000.<br />
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The ADP report comes ahead of Friday’s important nonfarm payrolls report from the government, which is looking for a gain of 100,000 jobs in the month."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>From the Streetinsider.com, read rest of article here,
</p>
<p><a href="http://www.streetinsider.com/Economic+Data/Private+Sector+Jobs+Make+Big+Return+in+June/6624920.html?si_nl_click=2011070718-531">http://www.streetinsider.com/Economic+Data/Private+Sector+Jobs+Make+Big+Return+in+June/6624920.html?si_nl_click=2011070718-531</a></p>
<p> </p>How to find success in recruitingtag:recruitingblogs.com,2011-03-24:502551:BlogPost:11683982011-03-24T10:30:00.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
<p> </p>
<p>Put the time in. Be a student and keep learning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was inspired to write this post after reading a blog I look forward to each morning, <a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/">http://www.thesimpledollar.com/</a> It's a personal finance blog, written by Trent Hamm, and for him it was a hobby that turned into a full-time job. In today's post, "The Limits You Choose", he addresses how many people make excuses for not finding success by saying they just don't have the…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Put the time in. Be a student and keep learning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was inspired to write this post after reading a blog I look forward to each morning, <a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/">http://www.thesimpledollar.com/</a> It's a personal finance blog, written by Trent Hamm, and for him it was a hobby that turned into a full-time job. In today's post, "The Limits You Choose", he addresses how many people make excuses for not finding success by saying they just don't have the time to put into whatever interests them. Trent tells of how he didn't have the time either, but because he was so passionate about what he was doing, he made the time, getting up early, using any free evening time to work on his project instead of watching tv or surfing the net. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His post hit home for me because I'm one of those people who dabbles in creative writing with the key word being dabble. I'm a member of a local writing group and am helping to coordinate what should be a really fun writer's conference the end of April in Salem, MA. My job was to recruit the agents and editors and there's an amazing lineup of them. I know I'll have a good time, but I haven't been doing any writing lately and was actually quite disappointed that the NEAPS recruiting conference which I attended and got so much out of last year, falls on the same weekend as the writer's conference. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I have many close friends who joined this writing group at the same time as me, who have written multiple books and found success. One wrote 10 or 11 books before selling and has gone on to sell close to 10 more. Most people would have given up long before this. Maybe I'm not as passionate about writing as I thought I was. If I was, I'd do it, right? And, I won't be missing the NEAPS conference next year as I am going to be assisting on that conference committee. I guess this shows where my passion lies.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A great book that studied patterns of success is Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller, Outliers. In it, he showed that people many considered to be 'overnight successes', such as Bill Gates, The Beatles, and Stephen King, all had one thing in common. Each put in on average about 10,000 hours of practice before finding success.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another interesting study looked at student violinists who were attending a professional arts school. They assessed them into several groups with one group being those who stood out as exceptionally talented. It was assumed that all had basic musical talent to get into the school. They followed the students over the years and found that those who found professional success were NOT those who stood out early as more talented, but rather those who put in the most practice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, how does this relate to recruiting? Years ago I heard the saying, "Do what you love and the money will follow." I fell in love with recruiting in my first week on the job and have loved this crazy business every since. Because I like it so much, I tend to put more time and energy into it, and like most things, you get out what you put in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Some people don't fall in love with this business until they have a taste of success and that's fine too. I've seen recruiters who were a bit bewildered by it all, suddenly finding things starting to 'click' after they make a placement or two. That gave them a shot of confidence that they could actually do this, and then they caught the bug. This job can be addictive. A girl in our office who is fairly new and recently started making placements told us that her husband was shaking his head at her the other night because while they were watching TV, she was online, reviewing resumes and making lists of people to call the next day. And her activity levels have more than tripled recently.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The beautiful thing about this business is that you can turn it around so quickly. You can be in a slump today and crazy busy with activity and sendouts in a week and placements soon after.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although I've been doing this for over 15 years now, I still go to conferences, training workshops and watch training videos online. I subscribe to several for the office, among them, Mike Gionta's, <a href="http://www.therecruiteru.com/">http://www.therecruiteru.com/</a> which I highly recommend for owners of small shops, Danny Cahill's <a href="http://www.accordingtodanny.com/">http://www.accordingtodanny.com/</a> (I sent my recruiter to his rookie training camp), and <a href="http://www.nextlevelexchange.com/">http://www.nextlevelexchange.com/</a> (great monthly videos and a whole library of rookie training modules and scripts). I look forward to the new videos each month and always take away a tip or two that I can implement immediately. Also can't say enough about Peter Lefkotwitzs in-depth training workshops, just went to one last year as a refresher and it was outstanding. <a href="http://www.morgancg.com">www.morgancg.com</a></p>
<p>Mike Gionta's training has been instrumental in how I've been getting a new recruiter going, measuring certain metrics and she's now starting to see how tracking that activity matters and how much control she really does have. Her sendouts are way up and she's already having a good month and is set up for a very nice April.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There's really no shortcuts to doing well in this business. The more time and effort you put into it, the more it will pay off if you are always looking to improve how you do things. It really does come down to the basics too, planning ahead and staying on the phone as much as possible.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Are you in the right job?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2010-02-15:502551:BlogPost:8771132010-02-15T23:30:00.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
<p></p>
<p>Because of what I do, friends often come to me for job advice. I remember a few years ago a good friend was looking to transition into something different and an opportunity fell into her lap and she asked me for my opinion. She was waitressing at the time and was very outgoing, a real 'people person'. But her career before waitressing was numbers related. She had been a fund accountant and then manager for years and did a great job, before layoffs hit. She was fortunate in that she…</p>
<p></p>
<p>Because of what I do, friends often come to me for job advice. I remember a few years ago a good friend was looking to transition into something different and an opportunity fell into her lap and she asked me for my opinion. She was waitressing at the time and was very outgoing, a real 'people person'. But her career before waitressing was numbers related. She had been a fund accountant and then manager for years and did a great job, before layoffs hit. She was fortunate in that she had a good severance package and while she was trying to figure out her next steps, she was making good money waitressing. The career she was looking at? Morgage broker. This was a few years back when the market was still good, and I thought she might do well. People who do well as waitresses/bartenders often do well in sales.</p>
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<p></p>
<p>So she went for it, and did well, but she didn't love it. So, she came to me again and I asked her to think about what she liked and disliked about the job. She didn't like cold calling or the sales side, negotiating, etc. What she loved was the numbers side and helping people find the right loan. She made a list of all the things in her job that did like and then started looking through the help wanted to find jobs that incorporated some of them.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>A week later, she reported back that she'd found several jobs that seemed to fit, both with local banks, as trust administrators. "I never knew this type of job existed." She said and added that she had several interviews lined up. A few weeks later, she was thrilled to accept an offer and now a few years later, still loves what she does.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>So, if you are not in love with your job, take some time to think about the aspects of your job that you do love and do some research to see if there's a market for a job that incorporates more of what you do love. For instance, if you are an agency recruiter doing full cycle recruiting, but you hate the sales side of your job, you might be happier in an agency that splits things up, where one person does business development and another does pure recruiting. That is more common in contract staffing groups. Or maybe you like the research sourcing piece and want to focus on that? There's definitely a demand for that service.</p>
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<p></p>
<p>Also, in this current economy, it's actually a very good time to start a business. Costs of entry are low, rents are down and if you come in and work hard, you can build a solid base and be well positioned for success as the market improves. Start a sourcing business, or go on your own as a recruiter.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>This applies to other industries as well. For instance, the IT guy that helps us out in my office does a great job but doesn't have a college degree, so he was complaining one day that most employers won't consider him for an IT role. I suggested he put a flier together and drop it off at local businesses. That way he can build his own company. He does a great job, he's inexpensive, compared to what other IT companies charge and he's local. He came by my office today to show me his flier and it looks great. It looks even better with the testimonials we added onto it, raving about his work. Now he's off and running. You could be too. Create your own dream job, whatever that may mean to you.</p>
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<p>There's an expression I heard many years ago, that I love and believe holds true....do what you love, and the money will follow. :)</p>
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<p></p>I have a puzzling Love/Hate relationship with Twitter....please help!tag:recruitingblogs.com,2009-05-19:502551:BlogPost:6478062009-05-19T16:00:10.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
Let me start by saying I'm a Twitter fan, and think we've only begun to scratch the surface of it's potential.<br />
<br />
That said, as my Twitter base grows and I politely try to follow back the majority of people that for some reason have decided to follow me, I've run into a frustrating situation.<br />
<br />
I'm following close to 1000 people and it's beginning to feel very disconnected, like we're all talking at each other.<br />
<br />
This is no doubt mostly my fault as I don't spend a ton of time on Twitter. I used to…
Let me start by saying I'm a Twitter fan, and think we've only begun to scratch the surface of it's potential.<br />
<br />
That said, as my Twitter base grows and I politely try to follow back the majority of people that for some reason have decided to follow me, I've run into a frustrating situation.<br />
<br />
I'm following close to 1000 people and it's beginning to feel very disconnected, like we're all talking at each other.<br />
<br />
This is no doubt mostly my fault as I don't spend a ton of time on Twitter. I used to use Twhirl, but found the constant update of Twitter stream far too distracting. I could lose large chunks of my day following all the fascinating tweets and links to even more interesting articles. So now I limit my Twitter visits to the occasional drop in, usually at beginning, mid and end of day.<br />
<br />
And what I find is that I'm missing all the good stuff, which is buried in the clutter of thousands of tweets. So much so that if I want to see what different people I'm interested in are tweeting about, I have to go look them up.<br />
<br />
I haven't actively added people in a long time, but am finding that around 10-15 people a day are somehow finding their way to me and I do have an auto-follow set up, which is hugely helpful.<br />
<br />
So my question is how do the rest of you manage your Twitter flow? I'd love any suggestions to streamline things and make sure I'm seeing my favorite tweeters.<br />
<br />
:) Pam"I've been laid off! Now what?" 1st meeting South Shore Employment Support Group tomorrow 9amtag:recruitingblogs.com,2009-03-04:502551:BlogPost:5769062009-03-04T20:30:00.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
Please forward this info along to anyone you may know of on the Boston's South Shore area who could benefit from free job search support.<br />
<br />
I am one of several volunteers that are helping to put together a support group for laid off, unemployed/underemployed people on the South Shore. This will be an ongoing weekly meeting that any and all are welcome to attend and will be held in Hanover, MA. Below is a press release with the details. There is also a nice article in the Hanover Mariner with…
Please forward this info along to anyone you may know of on the Boston's South Shore area who could benefit from free job search support.<br />
<br />
I am one of several volunteers that are helping to put together a support group for laid off, unemployed/underemployed people on the South Shore. This will be an ongoing weekly meeting that any and all are welcome to attend and will be held in Hanover, MA. Below is a press release with the details. There is also a nice article in the Hanover Mariner with more details here, <a href="http://is.gd/k0Uf">http://is.gd/k0Uf</a><br />
<br />
There is no charge to attendees and the topics will focus on areas that of most interest such as interviewing tips, internet job search techniques, resume suggestions, networking and more. Attendees are welcome to come to this first meeting or join at a later week, as we will be meeting weekly at the same day and time, so come to one or to all, whatever works for you.<br />
<br />
St.Andrew's Episcopal Church, 17 Church St. in Hanover, Ma. announces a newly formed support group for the recently unemployed or underemployed. "I've been laid off! Now what?" Whether you have only held your previous job for a short time or are finding yourself unemployed after many years of working, there are many areas to address in looking for a new job or even a new career. Beginning on Thursday, March 5 @ 9 AM. St.Andrew's will host weekly meetings of the South Shore Employment Support Group. Meetings will be held in the parish hall from 9-10:30 AM. From learning how to deal with the stress of being out of work, to practicing interviewing techniques, our goal is to help provide a supportive environment for networking and learning new skills. In order to assure that we have adequate coffee and pastries please register online at ssesg@standrewshanover.org. Be sure to bring a resume and business cards if you have them to the meetings.Expecting Greatness in 2009--is your glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2008-12-26:502551:BlogPost:4582632008-12-26T19:00:00.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
Expecting Greatness in 2009? Did I not get the memo on the whole recession thing?<br />
<br />
Well, yeah. But, I've been through this before, back in 2001 and I'm hoping that I learned something from that.<br />
<br />
There's two ways you can go in the coming year. You can buy into the whole pessimistic outlook, that we're in a recession and things are only going to get worse, we're doomed, why bother getting out of bed, etc. If you do take that mindset, you'll likely receive all that you expect....not much.<br />
<br />
Or,…
Expecting Greatness in 2009? Did I not get the memo on the whole recession thing?<br />
<br />
Well, yeah. But, I've been through this before, back in 2001 and I'm hoping that I learned something from that.<br />
<br />
There's two ways you can go in the coming year. You can buy into the whole pessimistic outlook, that we're in a recession and things are only going to get worse, we're doomed, why bother getting out of bed, etc. If you do take that mindset, you'll likely receive all that you expect....not much.<br />
<br />
Or, you can take a different approach. Put on your rose-colored glasses and fill your glass at least half-way. Then, make a plan.<br />
<br />
In every down market, there is still opportunity. The key is taking a good look at your marketplace and seeing where the jobs are and if you need to shift gears a little you do so.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<br />
One of of my very good friends, who is also a former co-worker, is one of three partners at a Boston based recruiting firm. They have about 30 people in the company, three different divisions. The one my friend heads up is the administrative division. She has three people in her group, and she works a desk as well. The administrative job market has slowed dramatically in Boston. She keeps in touch with people at the company she used to work for, where she was the top biller in the admin group. That group has 9 or 10 people and they are having a horrible month. My friend's little group is thriving, everyone in the group is at or above 20k in billing for the month.<br />
<br />
Why? How is her group doing so much better than the admin group at this bigger, well established competitor?<br />
<br />
Diversification. At the big agency, they are not allowed to take other jobs, like marketing or HR or sales.<br />
<br />
At my friend's company, they take whatever their clients will give them. They've filled Director of Training jobs, Desktop Managers, Benefits, etc. Right now, I am working on two splits with them, one for a Director of Product Management and a Sr. Marketing Manager. They are busy and anticipating a good January.<br />
<br />
If they had not looked outside the box, and only focused on administrative jobs, they would not be having as much success.<br />
<br />
I'm also having a very good December, and am planning on January being a good month as well.<br />
<br />
Next week is a great week to get all of your ducks in order, and to start preparing for the New Year. Get your database organized, send out a mailing, a little newsletter with a few hot jobs....you'll be amazed how successful that can be in generating referrals.<br />
<br />
What else am I going to do to be successful in 2009? I'm going to develop my 'wish list' of new clients I'd like to work with, and will carve out time each day to reach out to these new clients, introducing myself, marketing a hot candidate, following up on any leads I hear of, etc.<br />
<br />
But above all, I'll be focusing on keeping a positive attitude and expecting great things to happen. I've found that when you expect success, you find a way to make things happen. How? Not just by just wishing for it, but by taking action.<br />
<br />
The nice thing about what we do is that we have the ability to turn things around very quickly. We can do this simply by focusing on activity. Want more placements? They are a natural by-product of activity. In a down economy, your ratios may widen, you may need to talk to more candidates and clients to get to a placement, but you can still get there. Just increase all of your efforts across the board.<br />
<br />
Come in earlier, stay later, interview and recruit more people, which will result in more submittals, and more interviews for your candidates, and more placements. I've found that the job is far less stressful though when you focus on each days activity and just doing more, rather than x number of placements you have (or haven't) made for the month.<br />
<br />
I've also found that this job is way more fun the busier you are, and you have complete control over how busy you choose to be. So, just pick up the phone, and have a great 2009!<br />
<br />
What are you going to do differently to have a successful year? I always love to hear other people's suggestions and success stories for what works for them.<br />
<br />
~PamThe Economy, How to set yourself up for Success when the Market Slowstag:recruitingblogs.com,2008-09-26:502551:BlogPost:2650792008-09-26T12:18:27.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
Are you worried about the economy yet, and how it will affect your business? If not, you should be. I'm fortunate in that my focus, technology, has not slowed down, yet. It most likely will, eventually, but at least I'll be ready for it this time.<br />
<br />
Back in 2001, coming off the fast and furious internet boom, we initially thought the slowdown was just a blip, a bump in the road that would quickly smooth out. This internet thing was just too big to go away, right?<br />
Needless to say, we were all…
Are you worried about the economy yet, and how it will affect your business? If not, you should be. I'm fortunate in that my focus, technology, has not slowed down, yet. It most likely will, eventually, but at least I'll be ready for it this time.<br />
<br />
Back in 2001, coming off the fast and furious internet boom, we initially thought the slowdown was just a blip, a bump in the road that would quickly smooth out. This internet thing was just too big to go away, right?<br />
Needless to say, we were all blindsided when the bubble burst, and it burst hard. Back then, VC firms were throwing money at any start-up with an interesting internet idea. One of the key problems was noone had figured out how to make money on the internet.<br />
<br />
When I first started in recruiting, back in 1994, I was fortunate to have some really great mentors. One of them, Dave Tomer, taught me pretty much everything I know about recruiting and I'll never forget one of the first things he said,<br />
<br />
"Everything is cyclical. About every 7 years or so, the market tanks and you just have to be ready for it. Work smart, and work hard. It's tempting to coast a little when times are good as it's easier to make things happen with less effort, but if you work just as hard when the times are good as you do in the downtimes, you'll be way ahead of the game. So that when your income drops and you're making a third of what you used to make, you go from 300k or so to 100k and you can still buy plenty of diapers on that."<br />
<br />
He used to use that diaper analogy a lot. :) But his point was simple, and he said I actually had an advantage starting out when the market was still not so great, because I had to work hard to make things happen. Back then, 15% fees were the norm and we were still faxing resumes back then, no e-mail, and no internet! It was all about the phone back then and it was hard work. We called out of directories, networked liked crazy, and my biggest source of leads was boxes of old applications, calling candidates to reactivate them, and calling their references to see if they'd be interested.<br />
<br />
Then when the internet boom hit, our office swelled from 30 something people to over 100. Seemed like if you knew what Java was, we could get you five interviews that same day, and multiple offers were the norm.<br />
<br />
E-mail, web advertising, and the job boards had arrived, and suddenly we had a whole crop of newbie recruiters who didn't really know how to recruit, but were still making placements like crazy due to the market. They thought recruiting was easy, and in a sense it was.<br />
<br />
But when the market crashed, these recruiters were at a loss. If they didn't find candidates easily online they didn't know what to do. Since agency recruiting is a commission job, the majority of these people either moved over to the corporate side or got out of recruiting completely.<br />
<br />
The ones who'd been around awhile, were a little more prepared. They found ways to stay afloat, and even to prosper. How? By doing the following:<br />
<br />
~~~Diversifying. If you have a narrow focus, now is the time to broaden it a little, so that the impact won't be as dramatic if one sector suddenly shuts down.<br />
<br />
~~~Step up your communication with everyone. Reach out more now to your clients, and especially to those smaller clients that maybe only use you once or twice a year. Just check in and say hello. You want to be top of mind when they do have a need, instead of desperately calling once the market really drops and then you'll be in line with everyone else who is scrambling for orders.<br />
<br />
~~~Same goes for candidates. We're all busy, but make more of an effort to 'touch' all of your candidates more often. Even if you don't have anything new, call and give them that update. They appreciate it more than you know and you'll get more leads and referrals from them. And be sure to call them and congratulate them when they do get a job, regardless of who places them. They'll remember you and may very well become a client if you treat them well.<br />
<br />
~~~Start working harder NOW. Seriously. Tell yourself that the market is going to shut down in six months and you have to do all you can before that time period to prepare. Work more hours, place more candidates, and develop new clients, and save as much as you can. That way, even if the market does slow, you'll still be able to ride it out.<br />
<br />
~~~Keep an eye on trends in the market, such as what kind of companies are receiving VC money, both initial and additional rounds. This can point you in the direction of opportunity and potential growth markets.<br />
<br />
~~~Get organized. If you don't have a working ATS system, get one, there are many inexpensive ones out there. If you do have one, make sure all your information is current and in there. (Note to self....go through Outlook and get all those resumes and emails into the ATS!)<br />
<br />
~~~Use that ATS. If you don't send out regular mailings, you are missing out on a HUGE source of referrals and placements. You don't have to do a fancy newsletter, just the occasional simple email with a few hot jobs. You will be guaranteed to hear back from people, candidates who took a job and it didn't work out the way they expected or referrals as people who receive your email forward it to their friends. This is so hugely powerful when done well.<br />
<br />
~~~Invest in training. Any training to improve your skills. You know which areas are not your strongest and even if you feel pretty good about your skills, you can always get a good idea or two when you listen to a speaker. There are webinars available all over the net and regional and national conferences abound. I went to a regional one last April, and was thrilled by all the great info I was able to immediately implement. Plus, it gets you energized to try something new.<br />
<br />
~~~Remember, that this is a fun job. The busier you are, the more fun it is. And no matter how slow the market is, you can always be busy....it's completely up to you!<br />
<br />
Happy Friday!<br />
~PamDo you fully understand the Banking Mess we're in? If not, read this.tag:recruitingblogs.com,2008-09-19:502551:BlogPost:2586342008-09-19T11:00:00.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
Like many people I've found this whole Wall Street mess confusing. It's hard to fathom how the people who do understand the ins and outs of finance, those who work in Banking, let things get so out of hand.<br />
<br />
My sister, who was a finance major years ago and who does have a better grasp of the fundamentals, admitted to being just as puzzled as to how all this blew up so badly. She sent me this piece from yesterdays New York times, the Freakanomics column, that clearly explains how we got to this…
Like many people I've found this whole Wall Street mess confusing. It's hard to fathom how the people who do understand the ins and outs of finance, those who work in Banking, let things get so out of hand.<br />
<br />
My sister, who was a finance major years ago and who does have a better grasp of the fundamentals, admitted to being just as puzzled as to how all this blew up so badly. She sent me this piece from yesterdays New York times, the Freakanomics column, that clearly explains how we got to this point and why the different actions were taken. It's not a long article, and is <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/diamond-and-kashyap-on-the-recent-financial-upheavals/?ei=5070&emc=eta1">very good reading</a> if you're interested in understanding this a bit more.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
~PamYou can't control candidates, but you can control the processtag:recruitingblogs.com,2008-08-22:502551:BlogPost:2383242008-08-22T18:57:13.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
John Sumser posted a link to that article discussing candidate control. Which got me thinking back to my agency days as a senior recruiter and some of the common mistakes I'd see over and over with newer recruiters. Candidate control was always brought up when a sure thing placement would fall apart at the last minute. But it wasn't really candidate control that was to blame, because I don't think you can or should seek to 'control' a candidate, because that would imply that you would be…
John Sumser posted a link to that article discussing candidate control. Which got me thinking back to my agency days as a senior recruiter and some of the common mistakes I'd see over and over with newer recruiters. Candidate control was always brought up when a sure thing placement would fall apart at the last minute. But it wasn't really candidate control that was to blame, because I don't think you can or should seek to 'control' a candidate, because that would imply that you would be pushing them to do something that may not be in their best interests, but is in yours. I think we underestimate people if we think that is a best practice or even possible.<br />
<br />
But, what I did see as the issue was a breakdown in communication. I saw a lot of newbie recruiters who were just afraid to rock the boat and ask the candidate a question that might result in an answer they didn't want to hear. I referred to this as the 'cross your fingers and hope they'll take the offer' approach. This generally meant the newbie recruiter would have an initial conversation about current and desired salary and role. Then they'd present an opportunity or two and interviews would happen. They might get some brief feedback after the interview and would often lead the candidate, saying things like, 'so it sounds like it went well, great! I'll let you know as soon as we hear back'. Then they'd run to the client manager and say, "he/she wants it, what do you think, will we get an offer?' The feedback would come from the client that it was positive and an offer would be forthcoming.<br />
<br />
Then a week would go by and finally an offer is ready to be delivered, and suddenly the candidate is no longer 'closed'. Turns out he/she just got a raise and is now looking for more money than what the client had been told he/she was closed at. Oh, and there's this other thing that is really interesting too and that offer is likely going to be higher.<br />
<br />
And so on and the deal doesn't happen.<br />
<br />
Sadly, it could so easily have been avoided if the newbie recruiter had asked the most basic question, "do you want the job? and at what salary will you accept?' But that's a scary question, what if the candidate says no? Rather than take the chance, they hope they'll get lucky and the offer will dazzle them.<br />
<br />
They could have avoided this scenario about 80-90% of the time if they asked more questions of the candidate, what they liked about the job and what their concerns were if any.<br />
<br />
But the most important question and the one that newer recruiters tend to miss, is one that needs to be asked every time you talk to the candidate even if its the next day, 'so, what has changed since we last spoke? Have you had any other interviews or heard about anything interesting?'<br />
<br />
So many times when I ask this I'm always amazed by how quickly things do change. In a 24 hour period a candidate could receive a job offer, get a raise or unexpected promotion, have a spouse lose or get a new job, or have another recruiter set them up on an an interview....so many things that can affect how they view the opportunities that you have them pending on. If you have this information in real time, you can share it with your colleague and client...and so many times I've seen how good communication between all parties can keep the process humming smoothly along. If your client knows about a concern the candidate has, they may be able to address it, clarify and alleviate it so it is no longer an obstacle. That's huge. There's nothing worse than a 'surprise' at the last minute that could kill a deal. You can avoid this by frequent communication with all parties, and the more you touch base with your candidate the stronger your relationship tends to be.<br />
<br />
Another key benefit of always checking to see if there's anything new with your candidate is you'll also get great client leads this way. They'll tell you where they went, who they met with, and what they thought. Then once they've told you they're not interested or are out of consideration for that job, you can then call and try to get the order. That's always been a very effective client development practice for me.<br />
<br />
What do you think? Have you ever lost or saved a deal because of communication w/the candidate?Getting off to a good start--how many calls a day do you make?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2008-03-16:502551:BlogPost:771152008-03-16T23:51:04.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
You've just hired a new recruiter and want them to see success as soon as possible, to keep them motivated and excited and making money.<br />
<br />
I was having this conversation just the other day with a good friend who has hired her first employee and as I'm getting ready to do the same, we were brainstorming, trying to remember back to the days when we started and how we worked then versus now.<br />
<br />
We both agreed that having a daily plan is crucial, as is having set productivity goals. Our former boss…
You've just hired a new recruiter and want them to see success as soon as possible, to keep them motivated and excited and making money.<br />
<br />
I was having this conversation just the other day with a good friend who has hired her first employee and as I'm getting ready to do the same, we were brainstorming, trying to remember back to the days when we started and how we worked then versus now.<br />
<br />
We both agreed that having a daily plan is crucial, as is having set productivity goals. Our former boss used to tell us to focus on the numbers, that 'the numbers don't lie', meaning when you track your productivity, it's down there in black and white and you can really 'see' what you've done. If the numbers are there, the sendouts and placements will follow. Ever have a day where you feel really busy and time flies, but at the end of the day you're scratching your head wondering what exactly you accomplished? That's being reactive, versus proactive.<br />
<br />
So, we agreed that we'd want our new hires to focus on activity, on generating interviews, and submittals and sendouts...<br />
<br />
Where does it all start though? With calls. E-mails are great, and important, but calls that lead to interviews are key.<br />
<br />
So, how many calls a day should that new person shoot for? I've seen many an article that says 80-100. And that sounds good and all, but how realistic is it? I remember when we had contests for calls and what happened was that people would 'pad' their calls, they'd make them, but they wouldn't be smart targeted calls, they'd just be dialing anyone to get the call credit.<br />
<br />
Not a good use of time....<br />
<br />
So, rather than focus on number of calls we settled on a goal of one submittal a day. Which means interviewing anywhere from 3-5 people.<br />
<br />
But, we still are wondering what the ideal, effective number of calls per day for a rookie to focus on?<br />
<br />
What has worked for you, or in your offices?<br />
<br />
PamThis is a first---candidate pulls out of process because the work space is 'grim'.tag:recruitingblogs.com,2008-02-18:502551:BlogPost:633872008-02-18T19:51:51.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
This is a first for me and I don't think there's much I can do to overcome this candidate's objection.<br />
<br />
I've been working on a needle in a haystack search for one of my favorite clients. They are looking for a project manager with very specific web experience and I finally found someone that seemed to be a strong fit, both experience and personality wise. Everyone I've ever sent to this company has wanted to work here....until now. This candidate gave me very detailed feedback, loved the…
This is a first for me and I don't think there's much I can do to overcome this candidate's objection.<br />
<br />
I've been working on a needle in a haystack search for one of my favorite clients. They are looking for a project manager with very specific web experience and I finally found someone that seemed to be a strong fit, both experience and personality wise. Everyone I've ever sent to this company has wanted to work here....until now. This candidate gave me very detailed feedback, loved the manager (who I placed here a few years ago, and really is a great guy), and loved the job, it was just the kind of challenge he's looking for and type of company. So far, this is the only candidate who they've liked enough to bring in and were planning to bring him back for a second interview this week.<br />
<br />
Except that, he doesn't want to go back! Why? Because he doesn't like the work environment. The company is going through growth and space is an issue, but I remembered visiting this company years ago and the space was gorgeous! It had gleaming bamboo wood floors and they'd taken over office space from a design firm, so it was bright and sunny. But, they've since moved down a few floors to a bigger space, which I hadn't seen, and it's evidently not as impressive. The candidate described it as having dingy beige carpet, and rows of tiny cubes....downright 'grim' and said he'd never complain about his current office environment again.<br />
<br />
This just really surprised me. I've never had a candidate nix a job because of the work environment not being plush enough. Or have I just been lucky so far, and this actually is more common? I guess I just can't relate. The work environment has never been something I've thought twice about, it's always been about the work and the people, not what my office space is like.<br />
<br />
Has this ever happened to any of you? Were you able to overcome it, or was it a deal-breaker?What draws you back to a recruiting blog?tag:recruitingblogs.com,2007-06-29:502551:BlogPost:90822007-06-29T20:56:08.000Zpam claughtonhttps://recruitingblogs.com/profile/pamclaughton
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I've decided to take the plunge and start a blog and trying to decide what to focus on. There's a lot of recruiting blogs out there, all different styles and tones. I'd love to get people's opinions on what they like about the ones they visit often. What do you want in a recruiting blog?</p>
<p>Thanks for any thoughts on this!</p>
<p>Pam</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>I've decided to take the plunge and start a blog and trying to decide what to focus on. There's a lot of recruiting blogs out there, all different styles and tones. I'd love to get people's opinions on what they like about the ones they visit often. What do you want in a recruiting blog?</p>
<p>Thanks for any thoughts on this!</p>
<p>Pam</p>