Three tips for success in 2013

As 2012 comes to a close, many of us are likely looking at ways to improve ourselves personally and professionally going into the new year.  This includes reflection on what was accomplished during the past twelve months, along with looking for areas of improvement.  Here are three simple tips that I am going to utilize and I hope you find some value in them as well -->

1) Line up your first putt on the practice green as one you can make.  I learned this from my college golf coach and it is applicable on the course as much as it is in everyday life.  So many people head to the practice green, drop 3-4 balls from 20 feet away, and start firing away to see if they can make a long one first.  This is not a good way to ensure success in my opinion.  Golf is such a mental game that you really need to hear the sound of the ball hitting the bottom of the cup from your first putt.  Then back up and start looking at more difficult putts.  Same can be said of your goals for next year.  Although "thinking big" is a noble idea, start with something you know you can accomplish.  Maybe consider putting in different levels of the same goal, but make sure at the core of your goal that it is something you are certain you can do.

2) Try something you have never tried before.  In the past twelve months I have done at least two things I never thought I would do - start a blog and open a Twitter account.  I will admit that I am much better at the former than the latter, but at least I am off to a good start.  This was accomplished in concert with us launching our new website and surrounding ourselves with more resources than ever before.  The results have been astounding and hopefully will be even better in the future.  I had all of the excuses that people often have with social media, including at the top of the list my concern that it simply wouldn't work.  You won't know unless you try and I recommend to all of my candidates to improve their brand on social media outlets.  There are benefits for everyone if conducted in the proper manner.

3) Be memorable.  This is actually my top personal goal for 2013 and can have so many practical applications.  But it also comes with a fair amount of risk as you have to put yourself out there a bit.  It also requires some planning and forethought.  Unless you have an amazing ability to adjust on the fly, you will have to think about this one ahead of time.  How do you want to be remembered -- as the person who worked hard than anyone else?  That you were the most creative and aggressive in finding new ways to improve workflow and efficiency?  Perhaps that you chose to be nice to absolutely everyone, regardless of what they have done to you in the past?  This goal also has to be in direct relation to #1 from above.  You can stretch yourself if you want, but try to find ways to be memorable that you can repeat early and often.  Lastly, you have to be intentional.  Just like saying you will lose twenty pounds seems easy on January 1, it may not seem so fun by February 1.  Be sure you are staying committed to the theme as much as the actual execution on a daily basis.

I would love to hear from you if you think there are other ways to be successful in 2013.  Sharing of information in this day and age is an incredible thing and there are many platforms to do so.  My hope is that by taking some of these steps you will have an even better year in 2013 than you did in 2012.  I know that is exactly what I intend to do!

You get what you pay for - how to justify paying more for a qualified candidate

Over the weekend we took our son shoe shopping for new basketball shoes.  He prefers regular running/athletic shoes to the hi-tops that we purchased last year.  Upon arrival at the store we immediately found several name-brand pairs that cost more than we had intended to spend.  But he really liked the style and they way they felt on his feet.  We decided to just pull the trigger and were about to leave the store when he found one more aisle.  He exclaimed that he found "the pair" when he saw the shoes you see in the captioned photo.  They were an off brand, 1/3 the cost of the other pair we had agreed upon, and clearly a lower quality shoe.  He was convinced, however, that this was the pair for him.

Because they were brand new, we let him wear them around the house to break them in.  So far he has complained about the hardness of the heel, lack of support, difficulty in tying them, and overall is unhappy with the performance of the shoe.  He loves the way they look, but is beginning to realize the quality just isn't there.

How often do employers make this same mistake?  Hiring the employee that looks good from a 30,000-foot perspective, perhaps with a few shortcomings, but they are overlooked because the salary requirements were under budget.  While at the same time not wanting to hire the employee that is clearly a better choice, but just simply costs too much or might take a little longer for the return on investment.

One client really brought this to light for me last week, which is why I am blogging about this topic today.  As they outlined what they want to see in their next hire, they were adamant about the fact that money was NOT  going to be a determining factor.  Although tough to quantify in black and white numbers, they were convinced that hiring inferior quality candidates in the past cost them more productivity and profit than if they had just hired the right people from day one.  It can impact balance with the team, trust with producers who depend upon internal staff, unrest among customer service if paired with a bad producer, and the list could go on and on.

Don't hear what I'm not saying - salary requirements do not always determine the value of a candidate.  It is possible in today's market to find an incredible candidate at a lower price in some cases.  But if your final decision comes down to price, you will lose far more often than you will win.

p.s.  I will keep you posted in weeks to come whether or not these shoes make my son run faster and score more points, like he is convinced may still happen.......

Keys to making a good fourth quarter producer hire

Like a good bargain on Black Friday, making a producer hire in the fourth quarter has many advantages.  On Black Friday you do have to deal with your alarm clock going off at 2:00 am, long lines upon arrival, grumpy and tired customers, and even trampling in some extreme cases.  Obstacles also tend to hold back our clients from making fourth quarter hires -- 1/1 renewals, fourth quarter budgeting, the holiday season, and much more.  But I would like to point out three main reasons why making a fourth quarter producer hire could provide huge dividends going into a new year.

1) Get a jump on the pipeline -- if we were all honest with ourselves, we would acknowledge that many producers actually take it easy during the last six weeks of the year.  So what better time to be calling on your competition's clients than during this time of the year.  People are generally in a good mood, they are likely not getting many other calls, and would be amenable to receiving a call or email.  You may not close any deals (especially 1/1's), but will have made valuable introductions to get your name out there.  Plus now when January 1 does roll around, the producer will be knee deep in the process and not lethargic themselves from the holiday season.

2) Eliminate chances for "window shoppers" -- if a producer is having a bad year, they are likely to survive through the end of the year and perhaps kick start a search as a New Year's resolution.  If their numbers were low the previous year, they are likely to feel the pressure going into a new year.  Instead of digging in and really trying to make things work, they may just shop around to see if another company would hire them and provide a two-year guarantee.  That is the textbook definition of an active candidate vs. a passive candidate.  And exactly who you want to stay away from.

3) Increase chances of finding a "steal" -- although holiday shoppers often buy things on impulse during Black Friday, I would argue that not many actually have buyer's remorse.  They may not get as big of a deal as they thought advertised, but they likely save a little money for their shopping acumen.  In the same regard, an agency especially could really get a good producer by "advertising" a bit during this time of year.  Rather than pointing out the obstacles I mentioned earlier, get the word out that you are looking to make moves before the end of the year.  That will pique a producer's attention and if the story is told right could motivate them to talk before the end of the year.  Now you have that producer on board and ready to make an impact rather than waiting for January or February to even start the conversation.  It is common sense for a company to be considering adding to staff at the beginning of the year.  Perhaps even have a specific number in mind of how many "new" producers they want to hire.  But that is conventional and expected.  To get true talent you must consider being unconventional and catch everyone off guard.

How to find a passive employer - the keys to an opportunity hire

We all know the difference between a passive and active candidate.  Our best clients understand that a passive candidate who is currently happy in their job, but attracted to a new opportunity when presented, is the ideal next hire.  But how often do we talk about a candidate looking for a passive employer?

This is a bit more of difficult proposition as candidates typically have a very traditional approach to their job search.  They start with job posting boards or the local "help wanted" ads.  Then perhaps move onto their professional spheres of influence for ideas from people they already know.  Last resort might be approaching who they consider to be hiring authorities or Human Resource professionals through Linked In or other sites.

But why not instead research the companies in your geography that are always making the news as good places to work?  Or perhaps the organizations that always seem to get publicity for growth, innovative ideas, employees in the public spotlight?  The best companies to work for often don't need to do much traditional advertising on job boards when opportunities come available.  You need to already be visible to them when they get to the point to add to staff as opposed to always being reactive.  Otherwise you will be left behind and others that took a proactive approach will snag those jobs.

So how do you get on their radar screen?  Here are three functional ideas to consider -->

1) Get connected on Linked In with key employees within the organization.  Not necessarily hiring authorities in each case, but influential leaders in a company are usually tied in some fashion to hiring decisions.  You will instantly be in the "loop" with other connections they have that might provide critical information regarding the company's growth plans or areas of need.

2) Look on the company's website for information about current employees.  Where are they tied into the community?  Are there any natural connections?  Can you find a common group that might make sense to join so that you can get to know some of the company's top employees.

3) Find someone you know this is connected in some fashion to the company you have interest in.  You can do this on social media, by simply Googling the company's name, checking online publications, and much more.  Companies are much more prone to talk with an "opportunity hire" candidate if they have some familiarity with them or an instant credibility reference.

As a quick plug for my profession I will also state the obvious -- working with a well-informed third party recruiting firm could instantly connect you with the people you need to know.  Oftentimes our clients will listen to our advice and guidance if we source a candidate that is just flat out someone they should know.  Some conversations begin informally, while others are more formal.  They won't always have current or upcoming openings, but can create something for the right candidate.

It is still a very competitive workplace and the great jobs are hard to come by.  If you want to find a long term career move and not just a job, your best bet might be to find a passive employer willing to take a chance on a quality candidate that fits their culture and knew about their needs before they even were public knowledge.

Preparation is the key to a good first impression

I can't tell you how many times I have encouraged candidates to learn as much as possible about an organization before an interview, only to find out afterward that they knew little or nothing.  I thought about this over the weekend as I watched E.T. with my kids for the first time.  Hard to believe that movie is already thirty years old.  Wow.  Well, my nine-year old daughter was a little freaked out at first, so I tried to loosen the mood a bit by asking her what she would do if she were to have an encounter with an alien.  She became even more terrified until she realized I was messing with her.  We ended up pausing the movie to assure her there was no such thing as aliens and that it was only a movie.  We had obviously not "prepared" her for what to expect with this historical piece of cinema that was 100% made up and not real.

So what are some keys to prepare for a first interview especially?  Most of these will fit into the "no duh" category, but I am always amazed at how many are skipped.

1) Research the company online.  Notice I didn't say to simply look at the company website.  That one is such a no brainer that if you aren't doing that ahead of an interview you likely don't even know what the internet is.  What I am referring to is checking industry publications to see if they have any recent articles about them.  Or perhaps an award was received by the company or an individual in the company.  Or perhaps there is an employee that is highly visible in the community and could hold a nugget of information helpful to know as an ice breaker.  Google is an amazing tool.  And completely free.  Use it!

2) Here comes the Kevin Bacon reference -- look for six degrees of separation.  There is always a chance someone within your spheres of influence are also within similar or connected spheres with someone at the organization you have interviewing with.  You'll never know if you don't check.

3) Use LinkedIn to find out more about some of their employees.  Or even some of their ex-employees.  If you use an advanced search you can find profiles of people that have worked there in the past.  What do they have in common?  What was their job tenure?  Do you know any of them?  LinkedIn is to a lot of people like my new smartphone is to me.  Is it really a useful tool if you are only using 15-20% of what it is capable of doing? 

4) Ask questions.  Talk with people you know and trust to see what they know about the organization.  Do they have a good company culture?  Do they have a good reputation in the industry?  Is there room for improvement and promotion?  This can prove to be a slippery slope if you are attempting to keep a low, confidential profile with your search, but you can be creative in the manner in which you ask.

5) Think ahead of time what questions they might have for you based upon their job description, company history, etc.  Like in chess, you want to stay a step ahead if possible.  Even write out some questions and answers and practice them.  It may feel like World History in college -- studying 1,500 years of history for three essay questions -- but it will provide some rehearsal time regarding your answers.  They will simply become more polished if you have thought them out and practiced them ahead of time.  Maybe even do some role play with your spouse or a close friend.  Fortunately my wife is in HR and really good at this.

I could probably list another 10-12 ideas, but these are at least five that you can utilize pretty easily.  Preparation may not always get you the job, but it will nearly always guarantee a positive first impression!

Check out Capstone's new website!

We are pleased to announce the official launch of our newly re-designed website at www.csgrecruiting.com.  It has been a long time coming and we hope you enjoy all of the updates and upgrades.  It is much more interactive with additional tools and resources for both clients and candidates alike.

Please take a peek at your convenience and enjoy!