Why hire now?

The end of the calendar year is fast approaching.  Which for most companies also means the fiscal year is just about over.  Many interviews during this time of year end up with a January start date, if not later.  But there are some definite advantages of hiring now.

This time of year is always a coin flip.  Half of the time employers wait to start a new employee until the new year.  The other half actually do start new employees before the end of the current year.  Why is that?  There are many reasons.

1)  It goes on the current year's budget for P&L purposes.  If you had planned on making ten new hires in 2015 and stand at eight or nine, it makes a lot of sense to hire someone in the current fiscal year.  I have even had employers in the past specifically request a Dec. 31 start date for that very reason.

2)  It will allow a new employee to attend holiday functions.  This may seem a little subjective, but I'm here to tell you that it can matter greatly.  If you have an annual holiday tradition that happens in December, it is nice to include a new employee.  Sometimes it may even be a charitable event or some sort of volunteering.  This allows the new team member to get to know everyone a little better without impacting work productivity at the office.

3)  It allows a new employee some time off during their first few weeks.  Again, this could probably be debated whether or not it is beneficial.  But I'm here to say it matters.  It is the same reason schools often start kids and teachers back after summer break on a Wednesday or Thursday.  Then you have a weekend coming up quickly to help make the transition.  If you start mid to late December and immediately get a few days off, that helps boost your good feelings when you come back to work.

4)  Stay ahead of the curve.  If you are currently interviewing a candidate who is active in the search process, that is likely to continue, if not accelerate, during the holidays and year-end stretch.  There may be another employer that capitalizes on that and hires someone out from under your nose.  If you see that coming and act first, it could turn into you landing that next great employee instead of your competition.

5)  The new employee can help with year-end projects.  With the holiday season there are always people in and out of the office.  So wouldn't it be great to have an extra person around to help?  Even if they are not completely trained, they can help with the easy tasks and step in right away to ease the burden of another team member out for an extended period of time.

The final thing to keep in mind with hiring around the holidays is that people are generally in a good mood.  What better time to start a new employee?!?

Is it possible to have bad luck in a job interview?

On the way into work this morning I encountered a black cat.  I immediately feared I would have bad luck and the first few emails I read in my inbox could be categorized as bad luck.  Or at the very least bad news.  Is it possible the two events are related?  Of course not.  But have you ever been in an interview process and felt like something went just slightly wrong that took the entire interview process off track?

The bottom line is that many things can de-rail a job interview that have absolutely nothing to do with luck at all.  But it sure might feel that way.  Recently I had a candidate that had verbally accepted an offer, was hammering out a start date, and then had to back out after a close friend was in a terrible auto accident.  Bad luck or just bad timing?

Earlier this year I had a company back out of an offer because of something quirky that was found on a background check that was eventually cleared up.  But because so much confusion had ensued, everyone decided to move on.  The candidate sure thought it felt like bad luck as it transpired on a Friday before they were supposed to start on a Monday.

Another example I can think of is when a candidate was interviewing for a job where the person currently in the role was retiring.  After a few rounds of things going quite well, the employer called to let us know the person in the role decided not to retire after all.

I could give example after example of things that can be considered bad luck.  Here's the thing about luck -- you can't control it one way or another, even if you believe there is such a thing as good luck or bad luck.  Instead I would argue the job search and interview process is usually more closely attributed to good or bad timing.  I know that is a subtle difference, but it drastically changes how you respond.

If you believe in luck, you are destined to grieve after bad luck and rejoice after good luck.  If instead you buy into the theory that it is all about timing when talking about a job interview, it allows you to free up your mind and consider good OR bad timing to possibly be good news.  Just because a role isn't available now, it doesn't mean it won't be down the road.  Or if you are not a match for a particular position today, perhaps there is another role in the future that is a better match.

See the difference?  It especially applies at the end of a calendar year when holidays, fourth quarter results, and first quarter projections can impact a job search.  Forget about the black cats, the bad signs, and the non-related issues that may seem like they impact a job interviews.  Focus on the positive and move forward with a good attitude.

Have you ever experienced bad luck in a job interview?  Could it possibly be bad timing as you look back on it?

The best time to start a job search

I am often asked by candidates when is the best time to start a job search.  Especially this time of year with holidays, fourth quarter projections, and year-end financials being figured.  Regardless of the calendar I always recommend the best time to start a job search is YESTERDAY!

Why am I so emphatic on this concept?  Plenty of reasons.  It starts with the picture I chose for today's blog.  If you are considering entering a job search, I can guarantee you there are others that have already thought about it, are acting on it, and might be interviewing for the job that is actually perfect for you.  Only problem is that the employer doesn't even know you are available.

Let me back up and make a clarification - I am not suggesting that everyone should be searching all the time, starting yesterday.  Instead, if you have been thinking about considering a career move for some time, this message will really apply to you.  If you are incredibly happy with your current position and experiencing all kinds of success, this subject matter will not be of any help to until you get to that juncture in your own career.

But if you have been mulling over the idea of seeing what else might be available to you, the time to start is now.  Another quick clarification - you may enter into a job search only to find out where you are at currently is the absolute best place for you.  That is the beauty of starting on the search as soon as possible.  You may begin the process, even interview for another position, and ultimately settle on the idea of staying put for the foreseeable future.

Another reason to consider starting your job search now is that the position you are seeking may be available this very moment.  You won't know unless you start looking around.  Think how you would feel if you procrastinated until after the holidays, only to find out the ideal role at the company you've always wanted to work for was filled right before the end of the year.  Once a company gets rolling on a search, they typically don't wait around once they find a pretty viable candidate.

Additionally companies often look to make hires before the end of the calendar year for budget purposes.  So a role that is available right now going into the early parts of December may need to be filled by December 31 or not happen at all going into the new year.

Lastly, companies often like to interview pro-actively at the end of a calendar year to project for strategic hires going into the following year.  They may not hire until January or February, but you'll have a leg up on the process if you start now.  It also gives you food for thought going into the holidays to look at the broader picture to see if a job change is one of your New Year's resolutions!

How to have an attitude of gratitude in a job interview

I could not resist the urge to have a holiday-themed blog post the week of Thanksgiving.  I have held off in the past, but for several reasons I decided to go with it this year.  I will focus primarily on job search tips instead of recipes or decoration ideas.  I am sure you have plenty of those already.

Today's picture is from our team going downtown to a local hospital to help prepare the children's craft table for an upcoming event.  We mostly cut and organized a mixture of items that children will be able to then take and create a holiday decoration to take home.  The organizers were incredibly grateful as our team of seven was able to knock out quite a bit in the short time we were there on a Friday afternoon.  It got me thinking about how candidates and employers alike can sometimes miss the boat on easy opportunities to show gratitude during a job search or interview process.

First of all, take time to thank everyone involved with the coordination of a job interview.  It is easy to thank the person across the table or desk who might be the hiring manager or someone in human resources.  But what about the administrative assistant who emailed you the address of the office location?  Or the receptionist that greeted you at the front door and knew you were there for a job interview and asked if you wanted a cup of coffee before things got started?  A lot of effort goes on behind the scenes to make an interview run smoothly, and it is always a good idea to acknowledge those efforts, no matter how big or small.

Secondly, be thankful at every turn.  My favorite candidate or employer contact is the one that thanks me EVERY time we talk, coordinate a detail, or de-brief after an interview.  Everyone's time is valuable, and it is a nice touch to remember that with the occasional "thank you" comment, call, email, or text.

Speaking of modes of communication, my next tip is to mix up HOW you thank people that are invested in the interview process.  The lost art of a handwritten thank you card is a valuable resource if you use it wisely.  Who doesn't like getting actual snail mail, even if the message is plain and simple?  I can count on one hand how many handwritten notes I have received in the past year.  So you can imagine how impactful and memorable they were to me.

Regardless of how little or how much you like text messaging, it can also be incredibly effective and efficient.  Those can be sent overnight when someone likely isn't available to talk in great length.  Or possibly over a weekend if you have an interview late in the week.  But can be another great way to have another opportunity to connect with your audience.

Lastly, be sincere and explain WHY you are thankful for something in the interview process.  Be specific.  Maybe it was the attention to detail in the agenda you were given ahead of the interview.  It could have been the array of beverages to choose from to keep you hydrated during a long conversation.  Or maybe it was a lunch that was catered.  I'm here to tell you that I have heard many, many stories of interviews that did NOT go well.  So telling someone how they did something well is certainly worth noting.

Regardless of the how, when, why, or what of the attitude of gratitude, simply try engaging in the process and share with others how it was received.  My bet is that it will always be welcome!

When a "no" could mean "yes" in an interview

In more than twelve years of recruiting I have heard "no" far more often than "yes" when setting up interviews or taking next steps in the process.  I have learned in that time that sometimes the "no" could turn into the "yes" that you are ultimately seeking as a candidate or an employer.

Another way of putting it is actually one of my favorite phrases - yes AND no.  How is that possible, you might ask?  There are many ways.

The first example I can think of is the idea of "no, not right now".  This can be a possible outcome of an interview for many reasons - budgets, timing, revenue projections, turnover, etc.  It happens most often when a candidate is presented to an employer as an opportunity hire.  There is either no position available currently or there has been consideration of adding to staff, but timing is uncertain.  As a candidate you can take comfort in the "no" answer, especially if an employer shows commitment to keeping in touch.  As an employer, of course, you have to do a good job of keeping that line of communication open to keep the candidate's interest.

You can also receive a "no" answer when candidate is not a good match for the specific position they are being interviewed for.  This can turn into a "yes" when there is another position that might simply be a better match.  Perhaps you were interviewed for a management role, and in the employer's infrastructure you would be better suited for an individual contributor role.  Or vice versa.  As a candidate you simply have to keep an open mind and trust that the employer has everyone's best interests at heard.  As an employer you have to communicate clearly why one is a better match than the other and focus on the positives of that match, not the negatives of the one that is not a match.

A third way to receive a "no" answer may be the toughest one to hear.  It is when you simply don't have the proper experience as a candidate that the employer is seeking at that time.  The good news here is that it could turn into a "yes" over time if you make a good impression.  Maybe you only have two years of experience and they need ten years.  Or the employer is seeking a designation or a degree that is attainable over time.  As a candidate you need to have patience with the process.  As an employer you need to be sure to catalog the candidate as a keeper if you think there could be something in the future that would be a match.

Finally, a "no" could quickly turn into a "yes" when discussing compensation.  As a candidate you never want to hear "no" to a request for a salary requirement.  What you need to do, however, is really dig into the details to make sure the entire picture is presented clearly.  The base salary may not be equivalent to your hopes and dreams, but perhaps the total compensation potential is higher.  Sometimes a rich benefits package can also make up for any possible salary gaps.  It is always prudent as a candidate to make certain all details are clearly explained before you think there is no way an offer can be accepted at a particular level.  And employers need to effectively communicate all objective AND subjective benefits of working for the company.

Have you ever had a "no" turn into a "yes" in the course of an interview?  If so, how did you respond?

How to ask tough interview questions

Last week I outlined some ideas regarding how to answer tough interview questions.  So this week I thought I would flip the script and talk about how to ask tough interview questions from the other side of the desk.  These are the questions that you may have wanted to ask in the past, but didn't quite know how to approach it.

I decided to Google the phrase "tough interview questions" to see what might pop up.  The very first article that I found was from a well-respected publication.  They had a few good ones, but a few that sure seemed like filler for the article.  One, for instance, was "Tell me about yourself".  If that is a tough interview question, I wish all of my clients had that as their "difficult" litmus test to knowing the true character of a candidate.  While you might learn a few good things from that line of questioning, I don't believe that is what I'm going after today.

There are a few keys to really asking a tough question where you actually expect an answer that you can use objectively when considering a candidate's professional background and work experience.

1)  Listen carefully.  Seems like an obvious one, right?  But I can't tell you how many times I have de-briefed with a candidate that says they didn't get much of a chance to actually answer questions.  If you have a tough question to ask that you truly want an answer to, you might have to suffer through some silence and unnatural pregnant pauses.  The whole point of a tough question is to really get to the heart of an answer.  If you jump quickly to another question after five seconds of awkward silence, the question wasn't worth asking in the first place.

2)  Be honest.  Maybe you have gone through a lot of turnover recently, causing a bit of instability.  Or you have a longtime employee in the department that can be difficult to work with.  Or maybe during a busy time of the year everyone is expected to work some long hours to get through projects.  Don't ever shy away from asking those questions during an interview.  If you don't, you will regret it.  Over time the candidate you hire will figure these things out and wonder why they weren't told about it earlier in the interview process.

3)  Be confident.  Salary is one place where people tend to squirm a little.  It is another time in an interview where there could be some silence or awkward pauses.  But it is a key indicator of whether or not a candidate is a match for a particular job.  I even like to ask it early in a conversation when I first meet a candidate.  The less of a big deal I make out of it, the less anyone thinks about it.  Yet I get the crucial information I need to know if I can really help a candidate.

4)  Don't ever regret not asking the tough question.  Within the boundaries of ethics and legality, don't ever pass over that question you really want to ask, but can't find the right time to ask.  Just pull the Band-Aid off and run with it.  Examples here include asking about gaps on a resume, a lot of job hopping, going in and out of industry for some time, significant geographic moves, and even education.  Don't ever assume what you think might be the case is actually the case.  I have been surprised many times over the years when I ask the tough question that I fear I already know the answer to and don't really want to ask.  But by asking I learn a lot.

As with anything, practice makes perfect.  The more comfortable you get with asking the tough questions, the easier it gets.  Any advice that you can share on how you approach the tough questions in an interview?

How to answer tough interview questions

Have you ever been in an interview where a question absolutely stumped you?  Or baffled you?  Or maybe even offended you?  As you can imagine, I have heard a wide range of wild questions asked during an interview.  De-briefing with a candidate after an interview is one of the favorite parts of my job.  You just never know what you are going to hear.

So how exactly do you answer the tough questions in an interview?  The ones where you might not have a complete answer.  Or feel like there is more than one right answer.  I have a few ideas that will hopefully be helpful the next time you encounter a particularly difficult one:

1)  It is okay to say "I don't know".  These are three words we as humans don't like to say very often.  Whether it be your personal life or professional life, it is not a good feeling to not know an answer to a question.  I am here to tell you, however, that the quicker those words fly out of your mouth in certain instances, the better.  Time and time again I have spoken with employers after an interview only to find out a candidate rambled when asked a question they didn't have an answer to.  Talking just for the sake of talking and hoping the right answer is eventually spewed out is not a good strategy.  I recently even had an employer tell me that the question that wasn't answered wasn't a critical one.  But the candidate so badly butchered the answer that they were eliminated from consideration at that very moment in the interview.  When instead saying "I don't know" likely would have only resulted in a small blip on the radar of the overall interview feedback.

2)  It is okay to not answer at all.  Before you think I have lost my mind, hear me out.  This is only in reference to a topic that may not be work-related.  We all know the topics that are supposedly off limits - politics, religion, etc.  So if asked a question about current events or something that could be considered a hot button topic, be careful how you answer.  Not having an opinion or answer will likely keep the emotion out of the discussion.  Focus instead on your ability to do the job.

3)  Keep it simple, Sam.  I know you've likely heard this one before, but it still holds true.  Sometimes employers ask edgy questions just to see how candidates react.  So it isn't always about what you say, but how you say it.  It is much easier to say too much than to say too little.  An additional tip here is to ask a follow up question at the end of a succinct answer.  That keeps the conversation going without you needing to provide useless filler.

4)  Be unexpected and creative.  Sometimes tough interview questions come as completely subjective.  These are intentionally asked to see how someone will react on their feet.  It could be something related to a tough work situation.  Or a colleague that is tough to communicate with.  Or the client who everyone knows is difficult to work with, but might be assigned to you.  While you don't want to go too far off the deep end here, you sometimes have to take some calculated risks to stand out from other prospective candidates for the job.  Provide examples and details of why you think your radical idea might work.

5)  Be prepared.  In other words, expect some tough questions.  If you walk into any interview thinking that it will be all roses and rainbows, you are in for a sorry surprise.  Be ready for all kinds of crazy questions.  If none come, at least you were ready for it.

What are some of the tough questions you have heard in the past?  And how did you react to them?

Don't "fall back" in an interview

Quite often employers desire to interview multiple candidates before making a final decision on a new hire.  We could have a healthy debate regarding what the magic number is for number of candidates interviewed before a decision is made, but that is a blog topic for another day.  For today I will focus on a few helpful tips to stay ahead of the infamous curve in relation to other candidates in the pipeline that are vying for the same position.

I thought I would also add in a friendly reminder to turn your clocks back this weekend for the end of daylight savings.  Yet another debate for another day - do you like the additional darkness for sleeping in the cool fall weather or do you pine for the days of early summer when the birds start chirping at 4:30 am to wake you up?

Here are a few things I have learned over time to ensure you stay near the front of the pack when multiple candidates are being interviewed for the same position.

1)  Stay flexible on timing.  One of the key mistakes I see people make when vying for the top spot in an interview is to push the pace too much.  Unless you are truly interviewing with another firm that might make a decision in a matter of days, don't press too hard on timing.  Especially if the employer has made it clear they are not in a hurry and want to see multiple interviews through to the end.  Often the plan will backfire and an employer will wish a candidate well if they say they have other opportunities that are moving more quickly.  Employers want to move forward at a comfortable pace and on their own terms most times.  If they really think you are the perfect candidate, they'll move more quickly on their own.

2)  Be yourself.  Far too often I see candidates get wrapped up in comparing themselves to what they believe the other candidates bring to the table.  Instead compare yourself to what the job entails and what the employer is truly looking for.  If you end up not being what the employer was looking for, you likely wouldn't want the job anyway.  Then you would have to continue being someone you are not, and that will not end well for anyone.

3)  Ask lots of questions.  Similar to just being yourself, really dig into what the ideal profile of a candidate looks like.  Not only will it shed light on whether or not you possess the skill set to do the job, it will help you find out if you even want the job in the first place.  I even do this with newer clients that want to work with Capstone.  If their agenda and hiring practices do not align with our practices, we likely aren't going to be a good partner for their search.

4)  Be prompt and professional with follow up communication.  Most people do not have a problem with being prompt.  But more than you might imagine struggle with being professional.  One of the biggest complaints I get from candidates after an interview is a lack of feedback or follow up.  Regardless of whether you like it or not, that is commonplace.  You have one of two choices when this happens - 1) deal with it and move on OR 2) complain to anyone that will listen and DEMAND more feedback.  I can tell you already what kind of feedback you'll receive if you choose to travel down this path.......

What else have you seen work in a situation where multiple candidates are being interviewed for the same job?  Have you ever done something unusual or unique to "stay ahead" of the pack?

Should you talk about sports in a job interview?

We've all heard about the three major topics to avoid in the workplace in general - politics, religion, and you-know-what.  Inherently this should apply in a job interview as well.  But what about the topic of sports?  There are so many directions that it could go that it could possibly be considered controversial.  It could spiral into talking about gambling, consumption of alcohol, and much more that has nothing to do with one's ability to perform a job.

So how do you approach the topic, if at all, during the course of a job interview?  I have a few ideas and decided to make it another week of dos and don'ts to provide a few guidelines.

Do make it interesting and unique.  How many of you knew the story behind the baseball in my photo this week for the blog?  It is the ball that Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs hit out of the park for a home run in the series against the Cardinals.  The Cubs decided to leave it there, enshrine it for the postseason, and hope it provides some good luck.  Talking about something like this does not take you into the rabbit hole of past misery as a longtime Cubs' fan.  It is almost more of a human interest story and can be intriguing to anyone, including someone who isn't a Cubs' fan.

Don't make it personal.  You could bring up this same story about Schwarber's ball and immediately complain about Steve Bartman from 2003.  Or how the umps were terrible in Game 1 of the NLCS.  Or how the Cubs are doomed this year after a hot start.  Then the conversation becomes about you instead of the story.  And you're not looking to go into any in-depth conversations with these discussions.  Instead it should be more of an ice-breaker or quick topic.

Do bring up past sports' accomplishments if relevant.  If you have been on any kind of sports team you could likely point to teamwork, working toward a common goal, accomplishing that goal, learning in defeat, and much more.  Companies want to hire motivated employees that know how to work on a team, even during tough times.

Don't dwell in the past.  While many good attributes of athletics and sports can translate into success in the workplace, it isn't always 100% correlation.  If all you're looking to do is re-tell a story about how you threw four touchdowns in the state championship game or once won a basketball tournament in eighth grade where you were the MVP it may begin to look like you are just boasting.  And possibly have even lost a step since then.  You always want to look forward and incorporate how what you learned will help in the future.

Do ask questions and LISTEN to what teams a hiring authority may cheer for.  If you allow them to open the door about a particular topic, you may be able to share a memory or a thought.  The critical part here is to be doing a lot more listening than talking.  If you find out this person cheers for your team's arch rival, you may not want to continue with the dialogue.  It could bring out some bad blood.

Don't assume a person cheers for a team because of geography.  Again, to my last point, if you ask some good questions you may find out that someone who grew up on the East Coast still cheers for someone they liked on the West Coast from their childhood.  I have a colleague here at Capstone who cheers for the Yankees and Jets.  Why, you may ask?  Because her dad was a die-hard fan and growing up that is all she heard about.

Lastly, like anything in life, everything in moderation.  Gauge your audience and use the sports' topic to your advantage if you can, but don't rely upon it too much.  It should be a tool in a much larger tool bag that you can pull out if necessary, or leave in the bag for another day.

The Dos and Don'ts of Resume Writing

Have you ever found yourself editing your resume for a job search and struggling to articulate what you currently do in your job?  Or wondering how to outline an accomplishment from a recent success?  Or deciding if you should put that job on there that you only survived for three months?  Or determining what key words to add to show up in a search result for an employer?

I thought this picture pretty well summed up how you might feel as you begin writing or editing your resume for a job search.  Actually, I found a few more that might be even more spot on, but several were not as appropriate for a professional job blog article.  HA!

The bottom line is that resume writing is a difficult proposition for many.  And rightfully so.  I counsel people often that not knowing the best way to approach the details of your resume is an okay thing.  If you are too good at writing your resume, it might be a reflection of how good (or not good) of an employee you may be.  Being good at a job search is only an important trait if it is not your full-time job.  Polishing up your resume frequently could be a sign you are a job hopper.

Here are a few things I have learned about resume writing over the years:

DO put a premium on content over presentation.  I am not necessarily so old school that I believe you need to squeeze everything into one page.  Two pages or more may be something you need to thoroughly outline your past accomplishments and how they are applicable to positions you are considering.  But please be sure to put something relevant and noteworthy early and often.

DON'T fill up the first page with so much information that you don't list a job title or current employer until the bottom of the page or even the top of the second page.  I saw a resume recently that filled up two pages with information that could be deemed valuable, but it didn't hold my attention long enough to even find out where the person worked.  That isn't a good thing.

DO list all of your contact information.  This may seem like a "no duh" piece of advice, but you would be surprised how many people leave this off.  Sometimes I believe it is intentional because people do not want to be inundated with too may calls or emails.  But that shouldn't be a worry if you are approaching your job search correctly.  You want to be accessible, and in more than one manner.

DON'T have a crazy personal email address.  This should be another no-brainer, but people often do not think about this detail.  I even suggest to people to create an entirely separate email for the job search.  That way information is disseminated quickly and efficiently.  Just don't lose the password to that new account if you create it.  And check it often!

DO include links to your social media.  Some of you may have experienced a faster heartbeat after reading this one.  You know you still might have a picture or two that you wouldn't want a prospective employer to see on Facebook or Twitter.  Then do the smart thing and remove it.  This is the new place to show employers you are more than a smiling face with no outside interests.  Which may catch the attention of a hiring manager who shares similar interests.

DON'T list Hobbies and Interests.  See above for where you list that now.  Employers don't want to see on your resume that you like to fish and garden.  They will be able to see that via social media if they want to go to that effort.  And most times they do to make sure you're not posting crazy selfies from last weekend's game.

Remember that you're not trying to get the job with the submission of a resume, but simply make a good first impression.  If you're too good on paper, that will be vetted out quickly in an interview.  Whereas being not good enough won't even get you the interview in the first place.  As with just about anything in life, it is all about balance.

Have you ever been told a valuable "do" or "don't" while writing or re-writing a resume?

How much is too much to ask for in a job offer

I hate to break it to you, especially on a Monday morning, but money does not grow on trees, nor does it rain from the heavens when an employer is preparing an offer for you as a prospective employee.  A common misconception is that companies are just rolling in piles of cash that they are not using for anything else, and naturally they should be able to dip into that reserve and go above the range they were anticipating to fill a role.

The bottom line is that companies go into a search for a new employee with either a very specific range they are looking to pay, or at least a pretty solid idea of the top end of that range.  I have been recruiting for over twelve years now and have never had a client say to me, "Just find me the right employee, and we'll pay whatever it takes.  The sky is the limit!"

While I realize money is not always the main motivator for a job search, for the purposes of this topic let's assume that money matters.  With that in mind I typically have two questions that I ask of candidates when considering an offer.  Or more importantly when they are in negotiations and looking for that right number that makes them feel like they received something competitive, but didn't ask for so much that it turned off the employer.

The first question is fairly objective - What does the market pay for a like position in a like company?  There are many ways to figure this out, including working with a third party search firm to see what they are experiencing at any given moment with similar projects.  If I am working on a position that typically pays $55-65,000 and a candidate tells me they want to make $80,000, I am quick to tell them that is unlikely based upon what I'm seeing.  So if you are interviewing for a position where you thought that was the range from the first conversation, but somewhere in the back of your mind you were hoping to blow the high end out of the water, think again.

You would be surprised how many times this happens.  I see it all the time, and I've heard stories from clients with similar outcomes.  Do not even enter into an interview process if you are only looking to comparison shop and accept if you get a 50% raise.  It will burn bridges, and it is too small of a world to consider that.  If you really want that kind of money in a job offer, say it up front.  I guarantee it will limit your options and could even possibly prevent you from entering into a conversation that would have otherwise been a perfect job move.  But at least you'll be honest with all parties involved.

The second question is a little more subjective, but possibly even more important - What are you willing to accept if you do get an offer?  I have had candidates recently tell me that they don't want money to eliminate them from consideration.  Yet they have a salary expectation that is unrealistic when compared to the employer's expectations.  They get to the end of an interview process, get asked the question "What will it take to get you to say yes to an offer?", and then quote a number that is high.  As if this is the same negotiation process that one experiences at the used car lot.  I go high, they go low, we meet in the middle, and everyone is happy.

Instead what usually happens is the employer says no, or at the very least seriously re-considers if you are the right candidate.  Now you've created an awkward situation where they wonder if you do say yes if you are really committed to the long term.

My best advice for both employers and candidates is to seek the enthusiastic yes.  Now companies are clearly going to try and do that within the pre-ordained salary range, but candidates need to play by the same rules.  If you are a candidate who receives an offer in the top end of a range, or even slightly north of what that number was supposed to be, that should always get that enthusiastic yes to an offer.  With the two questions I outlined above as your guiding light.

Have you ever asked for too much in an offer and had it backfire?  Or is asking for more simply expected any more and what you should do in offer stage?

How to avoid controversy in an interview

Many of you reading this are probably thinking this is a "no duh" sort of topic.  Of course you want to avoid controversy during an interview process.  Especially in the early stages when looking to make a great first impression.  But I can tell you story after story of candidates and companies alike that create completely unnecessary controversy, sometimes without even knowing it.

Over the weekend the U.S. Women's golf team battled back in amazing fashion to win the Solheim Cup from Europe.  But it did not come without controversy and headlines.  One story I saw pop up this morning had the headline "U.S. Shocks Europe Amid Controversy".  It is a longer story than I'll make it for the purposes of this blog, but basically one of the Europe team members did not concede a "gimme" par putt to a U.S. team member, the U.S. lost that hole, and eventually the match.  Almost cost them the Cup.  Fortunately the European player did come out this morning apologizing publicly, but the damage had already been done.

With that in mind, this serves as a reminder that you are not likely to have a change at a public apology if you create controversy in an interview.  Here are a few tips I have learned over the years that I hope you find helpful:

1)  Never show up late.  As you can see, I continue my logic with some "no duh" statements.  But this one happens more than I care to admit.  I've heard all the classic excuses - traffic, getting kids off to school, parking headaches, over-sleeping, getting lost, and many more.  The bottom line is that none of them really matter.  Short of a traffic accident that shuts down a major road to the office you are interviewing at, almost every other excuse can be mitigated with proper planning.  Showing up late is the perfect recipe for making a bad first impression.

2)  Never talk poorly about a current or past employer, colleague, or business partner.  Once again you would be absolutely shocked with the stories I can tell about candidates and clients doing this.  For some reason people think that talking poorly about others somehow makes them look better.  It only makes you look worse.  Even if the other party starts talking about someone or something first.  Besides, you never know when someone you are talking about poorly is actually well thought of by the other person across the desk.  I will never forget one time when I was out with a colleague and we ran into someone from a vendor.  This person starting talking about how much they hated their job, and in particular hated their boss.  The more this person spoke of this boss of hers, the more we began to realize it was my colleague's wife.  The look on this person's face when we made her aware of that fact was nothing short of complete embarrassment.

3)  Never make up something about a topic you know nothing about.  People are scared to death to consider using the phrase "I don't know" during an interview.  When oftentimes that is the best answer, especially compared to making something up on the fly.  I heard back from a client once that the candidate they interviewed tried to talk her way around every answer that she didn't know.  It led to mis-truths, incorrect statements, and flat-out lies.  It also led to the need to cover up those miscues with more babble that led to a quick "pass" from my client contact.

4)  Never lie about your past.  One of the most common occurrences with this is when someone speaks highly about an accomplishment that was really not theirs.  Surprised again on this one?  Don't be.  The world is too small to not be found out when you exaggerate or completely concoct a story about a past accomplishment or success that was not your own.  Most commonly we see this with producers and salespeople when talking about past successes.  They use premium instead of revenue projections.  Or only talk about new business instead of renewals.  The list goes on and on.  At the end of the day, however, your accomplishments should stand on their own merit or not be pointed out at all.  If you have to polish that proverbial you-know-what, it wasn't worth having mentioned in the first place.

Have you experienced any controversy in the interview process?  Any pearls of wisdom you could share to help others avoid the same pitfalls?

Can you really jinx a job offer?

Any Cubs' fan that has been more than a casual observer knows the long history of jinxes that have occurred over the years in the chase for that elusive next World Series' championship.  Is there such a thing as a jinx or bad karma?  That topic has been debated in and around Chicago for years.  But is it a real thing and can you jinx a job offer once received?

The easy answer is yes, you can absolutely jinx a job offer.  Not in the way a black cat, a Billy Goat, or Steve Bartman can evoke images of a jinx to a Cubs' fan.  Instead there are things to stay away from once you have received a job offer from a prospective employer.

1) Wait until the background check has cleared before you resign.  Most offers will say they are contingent upon a background check.  Which means that they absolutely are.  Until that is 100% complete, the offer can be rescinded, the start date can me moved, questions can arise, and much more.  I just advised a candidate last week to hold off until the final green light was official.  Lo and behold a few things took longer than expected with the check, and the start date was pushed back.  Fortunately nothing else was changed, but you get the point.

2) Don't tell your current co-workers about it until after you have resigned.  This one is a little more gray as everyone makes good relationships at work.  You know, the kind that you trust with everything and you believe they won't tell anyone about your pending resignation.  You are so excited about the offer that you tell who you believe is a close friend because you want them to be the first to know.  Well, what if something happens a day or two later, that person lets it slip, and then gets back to your boss?  It could escalate quickly as your boss will have an obligation to the employer most likely and could show you the door.

3) Hold off on sending too much communication to future colleagues.  I know the natural tendency is to announce to the world your intentions once you receive an offer that you intend to accept.  Unfortunately I have seen some ill-advised emails, calls, and even snail mail go out from candidates to future colleagues at a new employer that start things off on the wrong foot.  One extreme example was so bad that they employer literally decided to rescind the offer and not fill the position.  While that is unusual, why risk it?  Don't hear what I'm not saying - I am not suggesting sending nothing, but think carefully before you send anything.

Bear in mind that the vast majority of offers extended are accepted and pushed through with little or no problem.  These tips will simply ensure you do not have to endure the pain of a jinx.  With a job offer it is more difficult to use the line Cubs' fans are all to accustomed to - there is always next year.  There is not always a next year or next offer!  :-)

Is it okay to be excited AND nervous about a new job?

Quite often when an interview process gets close to offer and acceptance, the candidate begins to get just a little nervous.  No matter how excited they are to make a job transition there are always nerves when considering a job change.  That is just human nature as most of us don't like change.

My best advice for a candidate in this situation is to sit down and think about the decision from three different perspectives - the past, the future, and the present.  All three likely play into any decision to make a job change or consider a career move.  Here is how:

The Past - you are shaped by your past regardless of whether it was good, bad, or otherwise.  When considering a job move your recent past probably weighs more on the decision, but I would argue try looking farther back as well.  Don't just base your decision on how well you like your current boss, current company, or current job.  Think back further.  Why did you take your last job?  What were your goals even back to graduating from college?  Have your ideas about your career changed in the past two years, five years, or even twenty years if you are my age?  This thought process and internal Q&A session should help cement in your mind if this particular job opportunity in front of you is the right one to take.

The Future - where do you really hope to be in two years, five years, or twenty years?  And will taking this job help get you there?  Some people are motivated by money.  While others are motivated by work/life balance.  Occasionally people want recognition and are looking to climb the corporate ladder.  Regardless of the reason, if you are making a job change just for a temporary short-term fix, it probably isn't going to last.  And you likely have more reason to be nervous than excited because you are making the decision for the wrong reason(s).

The Present - is your gut telling you this is the right move?  Some people make job decisions with their head while others with their heart.  Neither is necessarily more right, but 100% of the time I tell candidates who are weighing an offer to go with their gut.  There will be advantages and disadvantages that go along with every job change.  Most times you would hope the good outweighs the bad, but maybe it is only 60/40 or 70/30.  When this is the case, however, I would argue your gut is still telling you to make the move.  So do it with excitement, not nervousness, and take the plunge!

The bottom line is that it is always okay to be nervous about a new job.  Heck, I've been in my current role for 12 years, am less than two weeks away from embarking on year number 13, and I still have some nerves about what the future holds.  But if I weren't nervous at all I would probably be stuck in a rut.  Just like the performer that doesn't have some butterflies before a big performance, if you don't care or if it doesn't mean anything to you, there is no reason to be nervous.  It is the important things that really impact our mindset.  Reflect on the past, look forward to the future, and be thankful for the present.  That will give you the big picture every time.

True or False - The Recruiting Process is Complete at Acceptance of an Offer

I used to think this statement was true 100% of the time.  To get to the point where you extend an offer to a candidate you have thoroughly vetted their candidacy, feel there is a good match, and have spent time, money, and resources to confirm the match.  So they're going to gladly accept your offer and always come to work for you, right?  But then a funny thing happened - I had several offers accepted that were subsequently turned down for a variety of reasons.  I actually just had it happen again on Friday, which led me to write this blog post.

Of the multitude of reasons why this statement is false, some are understandable and others are not.  We can, however, learn from all of them.  Here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you are never caught off guard after having a candidate accept an offer:

1)  Ask the candidate directly if upon acceptance they are going to call all other prospective employers they spoke with during their search.  The difficult part about this is that you have to first admit the candidate was talking to other employers.  Some of my clients hope that they are the ONLY company a candidate would consider.  It is a fool's errand, however, to hope for that.  If a candidate is leaving a company (for a good reason or not doesn't matter) then they are likely going to have more than one conversation to find the best long term career move.  Which means them accepting an offer with you does not guarantee they are going to tell all of those other companies they are off the market.  Unless, of course, you ask them to.  We have found that once a candidate does comply with this request it is a great way to confirm their commitment to the offer and subsequent employment.

2)  Ask the candidate directly if they are susceptible to a counter offer from their current company.  I ask that question EVERY time at offer stage and somewhere between 90-95% of people respond to me with something along the lines of, "No, that won't ever happen."  Fill in the blank after that for whatever the reason may be.  Just like the stock market, past performance is no guarantee of future results.  There are a million reasons why this situation could be the exception and a counter offer is difficult to say no to, even when we know the stats show that it seldom works long term.

3)  Keep in touch.  All. The. Time.  There is really no exception to this one.  Oftentimes employers fall into the trap of thinking because an offer was accepted the candidate has no additional questions and is cool as a cucumber.  The reality is that many questions can still be floating around in a candidate's head, but they don't really know who to ask.  And asking too many proverbial questions without any answers can lead to doubt in a candidate's mind.  You don't want even a shred of doubt to creep in.  Find a reason to check in a few days after an offer is accepted.  Check in again a few days before the first day to make certain all forms are completed or ready to complete on the first day.  While you can certainly communicate too much and freak someone out, I have found that it is pretty difficult to do unless you call every day, twice a day, for three weeks leading up to a start date.  I could see how that might be a tad overboard.  But only then!

4)  Check in frequently AFTER a candidate begins employment.  This is where the absolute biggest surprises can come if you are not prepared.  If you were lucky enough to gain acceptance, get the candidate through the resignation process, and have them start, do not for a moment think they are still not susceptible to some doubt.  Maybe they keep in touch informally with an old colleague.  Or perhaps they stay in touch with one of those other prospective employers that didn't have an opening at the time, but wanted to check in occasionally.  Candidates need to be reminded why they made a good decision and be re-assured they are in the right place.  Then when that call comes to try and pry them out, they appreciate it, politely decline the conversation, and start on the path to becoming a really good long term investment.

I spoke recently with a candidate of mine that I placed with a good client about eight years ago.  We still talk today about his decision to join this client and to see if he is still happy with the transition.  Fortunately for everyone his is and has been incredibly successful.  It is never too late to keep asking that question and never assume that the recruitment process is complete at acceptance of an offer.

Have you ever experienced either end of an acceptance turning into a declination?  How did you learn from the experience?

Recruiting Strategy - Building a Pipeline

Google the phrase “Building a Candidate Pipeline” and you’ll get 19,000,000+ results describing oil and gas pipelines. It’s like the discussion about The Keystone XL Pipeline. Both sides argue points related to impact, cost, resources, risks and aesthetics. The analogy works for the topic of proactive recruiting and is the subject of the second installment in Capstone’s Summer Series.  

Having a stable of qualified talent for future positions is low on the priority list compared to sales, marketing and management, yet when its crunch time to fill a position you drop everything. Scrambling to make a hire doesn’t feel good. It costs more money than you set out to spend. Sometimes you have to settle for a candidate that isn’t ideal.

Here are a few ways your company can start building an effective talent acquisition pipeline.

BUILD YESTERDAY FOR WHAT YOU NEED TOMORROW

My team often connects with remarkable candidates for whom we have no immediate opening, but we still spend significant time vetting them for future positions. You should do the same. Get introduced to quality candidates and learn about their skills. It pays dividends in the future.

INTERNALLY ADVERTISE YOUR RECRUITING STRATEGY

Employees are your best bullhorn to the masses. Don’t rely on one person or department to build the entire pipeline. For consistency create advertising using employees from different departments to explain why they like about your firm and their job. Have a formal review on a website like Glassdoor. Incentivize through an employee referral program. Earn a spot on a “Best Company” business list.

TRACK AND ORGANIZE DATA

Avoid paper pipelines. Applicant Tracking Systems are extremely valuable and document candidate information, correspondence and EEOC data. Smaller companies use an Excel spreadsheet or Outlook folder(s) as a substitute. Keep in mind data entry is just an important as the system. Candidate information is useless if you can’t find it in the future.

As always please reach out if you want to explore these ideas further. We’ve learned from our own mistakes and the mistakes of others when building pipelines. I’m happy to share the good and bad to make certain your experience is a positive one!

Why the interview process can be a game of inches

Too soon to be thinking and talking about football?  Never.  But today's story is actually related to surfing.  How is that for a lead-in for this week's blog topic?  Football and surfing on a Monday.  Warning, this blog is actually still work-related, so don't keep reading if you were only looking for a fantasy football update or checking the waves on the beaches.

I selected the picture of a referee measuring for a first down to symbolize how sometimes a matter of an inch or two can powerfully impact the outcome of a game.  Similarly, small details in an interview process that may seem mundane or even unnecessary can sway the decision of a prospective candidate.  And not even knowing that something small could make this big impact could be an even bigger symptom of a bigger problem.

Case in point, my family recently went on vacation and we were near a beach that was a popular spot for surfing.  At my age I know what is good for me and what constitutes a bad idea.  So I did not try to rent a surfboard and attempt anything too crazy.  But our hotel did have some boogie boards that were free for hotel guests, so I decided to give it a shot.  Little did I know that I was not supposed to be sharing the big waves with the surfers.  I was coming into shore off of a larger wave when I saw a surfer heading right for me.  The wave went over my head and as I saw my life flash before my eyes this surfboard went over my head by a small margin.  The surfer came right onto the beach to check on me and seemed quite concerned.  I told him I was fine and went about my way.  My wife told me later that she watched it all unfold and said it looked like the surfboard missed me by what appeared to only be a few inches.  It could have been ugly.  Luckily I learned a lesson the easy way and not the hard way.

I have seen clients learn the hard way during an interview process and take one on the proverbial chin.  From not knowing that a candidate was interviewing other places to missing a small detail on an agenda to having someone on the interview panel cancel last minute, there are a lot of moments in the process where thing can take a turn for the worse if you're not too careful.  The best defense is a good offense.  While never a guarantee, all football coaches go into a game with a plan, learn from any mistakes they make, and never stop trying to get better at making the process as seamless as possible.  I wish I would have done the same thing on the beach.  Had I just asked a few simple questions of other beach-goers, or even some of the surfers, I could have made a better (and safer) game plan for what I hoped to do on the boogie board.  Sure I might have looked a little unprepared or even worse a middle-aged man from the Midwest trying too hard to fit in with the young and buff surfer dudes.  But it would have ensured the game of inches was won by a wider margin than it was at the end of the day.

Have you ever had an experience where you missed hiring a candidate by a small margin?  And if so, did you learn from that experience and incorporate new details into your recruiting strategy moving forward?

Why it is important to honor commitments in an interview

Jordan Spieth had an important question to ask himself after winning the U.S. Open last month - do I honor my commitment to a small-town tournament in Iowa or prepare to win the Open Championship overseas and try to win three major tournaments in a row?  It didn't take him long to make his decision as he called the tournament director at the John Deere Classic the same day he won the U.S. Open to see if they could arrange a chartered flight from the Quad Cities to St. Andrews.  Once they said yes, he committed to coming to their tournament the week before.

I don't know about you, but the idea of playing in humid Iowa conditions this week (triple digit heat index and 100% humidity) does not sound like a good tune-up to traveling six times zones over to another continent to play in grueling conditions for the Open Championship.  Not only did he do it, but he won the whole darn thing in a two-hole playoff.  Talk about making the most of the opportunity afforded him!

I had something similar happen to a candidate recently, and we actually see if quite often.  They had multiple interviews lined up, one company really got aggressive and extended an offer earlier than expected, and unfortunately it wasn't the candidate's first choice.  This individual decided to go with the philosophy of one in the hand vs. two in the bush and accept the offer.  Another company continued to pursue a conversation, this person said yes, and ended up with another offer.  Both were attractive offers, and a tough decision had to be made.  The idea of honoring the first commitment was the prevailing thought.

While disappointed, everyone understood and respected the decision for a few reasons.  The first is that it was clearly communicated to everyone what the circumstances were.  Had something been omitted or hidden from the conversation, it might have come to a different conclusion.  But because everyone knew the rules of engagement, the door is now open down the road for the second company to consider this candidate again for employment opportunities.

Secondly, timing came into play as an important determining factor.  One company clearly seized an opportunity, moved quickly, and was chosen because of it.  No one would have blamed Jordan if he had cancelled his appearance at the John Deere Classic because of the proximity in timing to the Open Championship.  But because there was a window of time that worked, he took advantage.  The candidate in my example had enough time to consider both opportunities, but was really forced to make a decision quickly.  Because of that everyone involved was able to process the fact that the company that moved quickly and first was expecting an answer and firm commitment quickly.

Lastly, there is a balance between long term and short term goals.  Sure it would have been a lasting legacy for Jordan's career if he had won the first three majors of the year and given himself a chance at a calendar grand slam.  But he also knows at 21 years of age that he has plenty more opportunities to win.  And he wanted to do things right in his golf career from very early on.  Similarly, this candidate will be able to keep in touch with the second employer because of the way the situation was handled.  The first offer was a good one, will be a good career opportunity, but future conversations with the second company will always be a possibility.  That is a win, win in my book.

Have you ever had a situation where someone did NOT honor a commitment to interview or accept an offer?  How did you feel about that afterward?

Three tips to an effective long term recruiting strategy

In case you haven't heard, over the weekend the final match for the World Cup set a viewing record.  More people than ever tuned in to watch the re-match between USA and Japan.  Four years ago the Japanese women's team beat the U.S., and they found themselves in the championship again this year.  This time the U.S. team was victorious and in pretty resounding fashion.

Admittedly I am not much of a true soccer fan, but I was drawn to a few of the stories that I believe draw a parallel with the world of recruiting.  As you look to build a team and a culture within an office setting, there are a few things I think we could all learn from this resilient group of women.

1)  Balance veteran leadership with mentoring young talent.  I can't tell you how many times we get asked by candidates who they will be working with.  This includes who they will report to, who else they work alongside, and any other departments they will have interaction with.  If someone is newer in the industry, they will want to have someone guiding them in their new job.  If you cannot show them they will receive that at your organization it will definitely be a mark against you.  On the flip side of that coin there may be a candidate with a great deal of tenure in the industry that could be a key member of a younger team to provide expertise and perspective to the team.  

2)  Use the failures of the past to help build the future.  I guarantee the four-year lapse between matches was not enough time for the U.S. team to forget the gut-wrenching loss in 2011.  They used that to fuel their fire to win this time around.  Sometimes it isn't even true failures, but just lost opportunities.  Earlier this year I had a client interested in a candidate, only to have that person take another job.  For a number of reasons that move did not work out for the candidate.  My client was open to the idea of talking with her again, they really hit it off, and she accepted an offer to join them in a perfect match of a role.  Win, win!

3)  Ignore outside distractions.  I am not here to debate any of the relevance of the side stories spun in the media with a few of the players on the U.S. team.  The bottom line is that they did not let any of that negative attention distract them from their goal of winning the Cup.  Oftentimes I see companies let outside noise affect hiring decisions.  Whether it be an informal reference saying something about a candidate or speculation about someone's past work history or even choices about where someone has worked in the past, sometimes you just have to rely upon your own recruitment process.  If that is working, trust it.  Don't allow outside distractions to prevent you from making a good hire.  

Just as the recent performance in the World Cup will certainly draw some new fans and players to the sport, what else can you do to affect your long term recruiting strategy?  Do you have a winning formula right now that includes some of these ideas?  As always, I would love to hear from you as we work every day to build these championship teams for our clients.

Recruiting Strategy - Planning Ahead

We start every summer here at Capstone thinking things will slow down with summer vacations, kids being out of school, golf outings, backyard BBQs, and general rest and relaxation. Then every June we are reminded of how busy summertime can be in the job market. Then when we look back on the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter, we realize that we have many conversations with clients about hires for the New Year. They just take some time to come to fruition. Most companies make plans sometime mid-first quarter and then begin executing those plans in the weeks after that time period.

This also happens for us again in October of most years. And for the same reasons; everyone is getting over 7/1 renewals, preparing for 10/1 and 1/1 renewals, and beginning to conduct year-end planning for hiring and budget purposes. We do have many clients that wait until it is too late. They call in October, and can’t understand why there isn’t an abundant pipeline of candidates for them to choose from. The time to start planning a pipeline is today, not three months from now.

CareerBuilder recently published a Q2 report for 2015, and it included a poll of employers and one question was, “Do you have job openings at your company that stay open for 12 weeks or longer?” 43% of employers polled said yes. Through Harris Poll they spoke with more than 2,000 hiring managers. That is a pretty good sample size and proves a point that not many want to admit – it takes time to fill a critical position, especially if you want to find the “right” candidate.

So what can you do to prevent yourself from being in a tight spot when needing to hire in the fourth quarter or beyond? Plan now. Begin building that pipeline of candidates. Be honest with them that there might be a position out there in 6-8 weeks, but you want to talk now. Partner with outside firms like Capstone to see where the candidate activity is and if you are in the right target salary range. Sit down with hiring managers and human resources to see what you can do pro-actively to prepare for a new hire.

If you plan ahead, you can prevent predictable headaches and obstacles in the hiring process. We would be happy to share additional strategies with you if you have questions in the coming weeks.

Can you be too informal in an interview?

Over the years I have received surprising feedback from candidates when they call to de-brief about their interviews with one of my clients.  Recently I had a candidate tell me that he felt a meeting at a coffee shop seemed too much like a conversation and not an interview.  While we agreed that could be a positive thing as well, he simply did not walk away from the meeting with a positive outlook on the employer or the job opportunity.  Mostly recent news or sports talk dominated the conversation.

This is a topic I imagine could actually be debated vigorously from either side of the argument.  But I'm here to say today the old cliche of only having one chance to make a good first impression is the best advice I can give to any client.  This starts from the moment you begin having a discussion with a candidate.  From a brief phone call to schedule a meeting or that first email correspondence, please consider treating all candidates with a certain degree of formality to create an impression.

Here are three simple tips to create that formality without going overboard:

1) Put the interview agenda for a meeting on company letterhead.  I have seen this done seldom, but when I see it an indelible impression is left on my mind.  It is an opportunity to brand your company, send a strong message that you're taking the meeting(s) seriously, and that the candidate should too.  Also be sure to include titles of anyone the candidate may be meeting with during the interview.  Frankly just having an agenda is going to put you ahead of 50% of companies out there.  Putting it on company letterhead can immediately put you in the top 20%, if not even higher.  Seems pretty simple, doesn't it?

2) Provide some company history ahead of the interview.  I know that many companies have social media presence, robust websites, and other outlets where a candidate can find out about the organization.  But why not create a marketing piece where you can absolutely control the message and make certain it is what you want candidates to hear.

3) Provide any team members on the interview panel with the candidate's resume.  We always counsel candidates to bring extra hard copies of their resumes just in case, but in many regards that should never be necessary.  Whoever is coordinating the meetings with stakeholders should provide at the very least the resume of the candidate they will be interviewing.  In a perfect world they would also provide some background on any conversations that have occurred up to that point.  I can't tell you how many times candidates have come out of interviews telling me that the person that interviewed them didn't even know why they were interviewing the candidate in the first place.  Trust me, this does not instill a lot of confidence in a candidate.  And if you were serious about hiring that person, you may have just put it in jeopardy by having a bad meeting.

A personal experience that just happened to me today really hammered this blog topic home for me.  My youngest daughter had a tonsillectomy, and we were the first appointment of the morning for the surgeon.  We know him personally as I have had two surgeries performed by him, and my son has had one.  But he greeted us ahead of time in a snazzy bow tie and suit coat before changing into his surgical clothes.  I don't know why, but it gave me even more confidence that he came ready to go.  Instead of being informal, he was as formal as could be.  It was great!

Have you ever missed the boat on a chance to be formal and instead left an impression on a candidate that you weren't taking the process seriously?  If so, what would you have done differently to leave a better impression with the candidate?

The lost art of the 30-second elevator speech

We have all heard of the 30-second elevator speech, and it can apply to many areas of our lives.  As a working professional it should relate to what you do for a living.  You also likely have one when asked if you are married.  Another one if you have kids, yet another for hobbies, and the list could go on and on.  In the age of social media, how important is a good old-fashioned handshake and explanation of what you do for a living?

I ask this on the heels of two very different experiences last week.  Both were related to people I have known since college.  Which for me is a very long time ago!  In the first encounter the individual I bumped into for the first time in years was incredibly positive.  He introduced the individual he was with in a business meeting, explained how we knew each other and asked a few questions about my work.  He also shared very succinctly what he is doing now, why we should keep in touch (despite being in completely different industries), and pulled out his business card.

In the second encounter I bumped into another individual I have known for 20 years, but fallen out of touch with, and this person provided one-word answers for every question I had about job, family, and personal life.  I actually never got a solid answer for what they did for a living currently.  While there is nothing wrong with that, it shows the subtle differences of a person prepared for a 30-second elevator speech and someone that wasn't.

Why is this important?  I argue it is hugely critical for both an organization looking to hire as well as a candidate looking for a job.  If you cannot easily summarize what your company is all about and what it looks for in a new hire, that will tend to get around.  On the other hand, if you are a wayward job seeker with no true direction, your elevator speech is going to be bland and devoid of any color.  Your next job may be as close as someone you run into you haven't seen for a while or even meeting a complete stranger who might have the Kevin Bacon six degrees of separation from you that you'll never know if you don't provide some detail on your end first.

So how can you refine your 30-second elevator speech?  One quick easy way for companies is to create, maintain, and foster a healthy mission statement.  Why are you in business?  What customer to you serve and why?  What does the typical employee profile look like?  My clients are all in insurance.  But why?  Are you protecting risk?  Are you just trying to make commission off of the average Joe Six-Pack?  Are you trying to cater exclusively to one particular type of risk.  If you don't have these concepts hammered out before an interview or before a possible candidate even visits your website or hears about you word of mouth, you will be doomed when they show up on your doorstep asking you what makes your company different than all the others competing in the same space.

For candidates or prospective employees I would argue the process is even easier.  You either love what you do and love telling people about it, or on some level you don't like it at all and you want people to know you are seeking new career opportunities.  I suppose a third category is the employee that hates their job, but has no motivation to do anything about it.  We all know these people as their 30-second elevator speech sounds more like a whiny broken record about an employer or boss they hate, but are not willing to ever leave.  So let's focus on the other two categories.  In the first you still want to have a good introduction to what you do.  You may be able to influence others to join the organization you are working for you if you love it, or you might be able to outline in a small advertisement what you would like to see in a new employer.

I had a great candidate a few weeks ago tell me that they absolutely love what they do, but they felt like they were doing it for the wrong company.  Within a very short period of time I knew exactly which client they would be perfect for.  I made an introduction, a first interview was scheduled within a day, a second meeting later that week, and an offer within ten days of first meeting this person.  That is an effective 30-second elevator speech!

Have you thought recently about what your 30-second elevator speech would sound like?  If not, it might be time to go back to the drawing board and see what you can do to perfect yours.