Craig Silverman's Blog (29)

TOPGUN Peak Pressure Performance

Recently I attended a banquet and had the opportunity to meet and listen to Commander Bill Driscoll present on "How to maximize your peak pressure performance." Commander Driscoll is a member of the Navy's first and only team of jet-missile aces with the shoot down of five enemy fighters in combat. He is one of the highest decorated living Naval Flight Officers of the past 50 years. His major awards include the Navy Cross, two Silver… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on November 11, 2010 at 2:00pm — 1 Comment

How To Focus On The Great Ones

It doesn't matter what type of recruiter you are, corporate or agency, or even if you are a job seeker looking for work, you have to be able to know good from bad when it comes to which candidates or open positions to focus on.

The current job market is improving and you can't work on everything so you need a way to determine where to spend your most…

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Added by Craig Silverman on October 20, 2010 at 1:00pm — 2 Comments

Putting On Your Game Face

It's funny how many of us spend more time learning how to play a video game or to hit a 7-iron than we do on taking our job search or productivity to the next level.

When we play games we compete and often play with a passion and intensity that drive us to get better and better. When we play with our buddies we can stay up all night but when we have nothing to do we can fall asleep by…

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Added by Craig Silverman on October 12, 2010 at 6:32pm — 9 Comments

Are You A Top Performing Recruiter?

Here is a list of five habits that I have witnessed in Top Performing Recruiters:

1. Top Recruiters spend more time asking questions and listening than they do talking.

2. Top Recruiters probe deeper for more information, rather than jumping to conclusions.

3. Top Recruiters know how to sell by turning their candidates into solutions that will solve their hiring managers’ problems.

4. Top Recruiters have positive attitudes, care about people, and… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on September 8, 2010 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

Making Cold Calls: Love it or Hate it...

There are only two ways to generate new business and I'm not talking about placing an ad on a website or doing some other kind of marketing. To drive business development and in recruiting talk that means getting new signed fee agreements or job orders, you either have to reach a hiring manager by phone or get out into the field and meet with them face to face.

The worst thing that can happen to an account manager is to not be out meeting with prospects and for a recruiter to not be… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on September 2, 2010 at 4:00pm — 17 Comments

Recruiters Break Down Barriers

Recently I was in a elevator with a group of people and the silence was killing me. As I looked around and saw a few people dressed suits and ties, a Fedx delivery man, and some others in business casual attire. I could feel that everyone was feeling uncomfortable.

I decided that I would say something. At the risk of my life and limbs and looked over at the guys in the suits and said, "How you are you guys doing today?"

The seas parted and the silence was broken! One of… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on January 20, 2010 at 2:06pm — 1 Comment

Must Use Tools for 2KX

I've been working on my plan for 2010 and thinking about things like Training, Activity Levels, Goals, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Time Management, which Conferences to attend, etc... Like most of you I try to start off a new year year with all the best intentions and try to have a fast start.

Trying is one thing but results are another, so here is a list of a few things that have helped me and my team.

Video - With platforms like Youtube, tons of cameras… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on January 6, 2010 at 5:30pm — 5 Comments

Are You Good News?

When people are out looking for work they can sometimes get down on themselves and recruiters can forget about the impact they can have on the people they come into contact with. Being a positive influence on others can help you to be the kind of person that others want to be around. Give yourself every opportunity to turn the relationships you have and your network into your next testimonial, client, candidate, or career move. An enthusiastic person typically has some good news, a warm… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on November 17, 2009 at 6:37pm — 2 Comments

What Kind Of A Recruiter Are You?

Even though the staffing industry is a dominant contributor to our Gross National Product with nearly $100B in annual revenues, accounts for a massive piece of internet traffic, and directly touches practically everyone... Recruiters and staffing professionals still suffer from an identity crisis.

If you’ve ever spoken to someone outside of the recruiting industry and told them you were a ‘recruiter’ they may have thought it had something to do with a college or the… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on November 5, 2009 at 7:00pm — 2 Comments

To Voicemail or Not to Voicemail, That is the Question

I'll never forget going to visit one of my branch recruiting offices and watching a rookie recruiter dial and hang up, over and over again. I walked over and asked her why she did not leave her client prospects or candidates a voicemail message and she told me, "I never leave messages because nobody ever calls me back."

So how do you get call backs? Why do some people get a ton of incoming calls to the office in response to their messages while others are forced to just make outbound… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on October 28, 2009 at 12:50pm — 15 Comments

Expert Telephone Techniques

Recruiters know how to use the phone since they spend so much time calling clients and candidates yet many are ineffective in their ability to set appointments or present candidates. I still hear recruiters telling me all the time about how they submitted a candidate via email vs doing a call-and-present. Technology is a great asset to us but we need to get off email and do more F2F, especially in this market, and the best way to get there is to improve your phone skills.

Here are… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on October 20, 2009 at 8:00pm — 5 Comments

The 2009 NAPS Conference - An Insiders Perspective

I just got back from the 2009 Annual Conference for the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) and wanted to share some of my experience with you…

It was a real honor for me to be asked to present the Opening Keynote at this years event and to follow in the footsteps of amazing people like Danny Cahill,… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on October 7, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Killer Networking Will Help You To Get What You Want

It doesn't matter if you are trying to recruit a top candidate, find a job, get a signed fee agreement back from a new client or just gathering info about a fun hobby, the truth is that networking can be key component in your ability to get what you desire.

The world is filled with deal-makers and deal-breakers, the first thing you have to figure out is which you want to be. In business we all try so hard to develop new relationships by going to events, asking for business cards,… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on September 23, 2009 at 4:03pm — 1 Comment

Ode to Recruitfest: "You have to be here or there"

Sung to the tune of "My Papa Was A Rolling Stone"

It was the 23rd day of September.

A day you will always remember, yes you will.

'Cause that was the day of Recruitfest 09.

You will get a chance to see them

Always heard nothing but great things about them.

RBlogs, we are depending on you to help us through.

And JD just smiles and says,

"Hey, You have to be here or there.

Everything is happening around you.

(And When you are here) All… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on September 23, 2009 at 12:27pm — No Comments

Recruitfest - Memories from a year gone by...

It's hard for me to believe that it was nearly a near ago when I took my first trip to Toronto to present at the inaugural Recruitfest event.

Upon my return I recall posting about my experience. It's only that it really is hitting me just how important this event was. I attend lots of events and speak at many as well. Recruitfest was different. The show was not large in size so it wasn't that there were thousands of… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on August 24, 2009 at 3:27pm — 6 Comments

Deal Maker or Deal Breaker, Which are you?

Everybody works hard but only a select few are known as great closers. Over the past 10 years my teams have placed 15,000 candidates into new jobs/positions with clients for fees over $500M.

Here are some of the the things that I teach and have witnessed as helping to make a great closer:

- Closers close all the time, every chance they get

- Closers are not cocky, they are good

- Closers are great at listening to their clients and candidates and understand the… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on August 17, 2009 at 4:00pm — 6 Comments

My Way or The Highway

I know lots of people that only have one way to handle situations. In today's business world it takes flexibity and creativity to build relationships, to win new business and to keep your clients happy.

Basically most recruiting and staffing professional do the same things as each other so how do you stand out? What makes your company different?

As a recruiter you have to have a great reputation in your industry, with your clients and your candidates. Going through all the… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on August 3, 2009 at 3:00pm — 3 Comments

What's new vs. What did you forget to do

It's funny, people are always asking me about what I see inside my crystal ball, where are things headed in the market or what's hot? They seem to be intersted in the newest tricks, places to go on the web, social networks and how to find the best talent. My first thought is usually that before you do anything new you have to first look at all the tricks and tools you already have.

The truth is that I really don't have anything new to tell people about. Most of my thoughts and… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on July 27, 2009 at 6:23pm — No Comments

Most Lucrative College Degrees

Interesting list released today on CNNMoney.com

See the entire article here

Engineering steals the show...

Craig Silverman

Albin Engineering, People Delivering… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on July 27, 2009 at 12:28pm — No Comments

Are you Taking Care of Your Clients and Candidates?

The most important part of sales is going out into the field and getting new customers. In recruiting we call this marketing or business development. The next thing is to keep them once you get them to give you a try.

Think about the last time you had friends over for a get together. The next day you got a call from a friend who was there you to tell you what a good time they had. Didn't that make you feel good?

If you call your client the day after you start working on… Continue

Added by Craig Silverman on July 20, 2009 at 3:55pm — No Comments