March emailer

It is hard to believe as I write this update we are nearing the end of the first quarter already.  Time has flown by, but that is a good thing as it means we are all busy and activity is picking back up.  In the midst of the busyness, we have noticed some intriguing trends already in 2012.

• Companies are returning to and embracing the philosophy of thinking outside of the box regarding candidate interviews.  The idea of having at least a cup of coffee even if the candidate isn’t a “perfect” match on paper can turn into an unexpected reward and we’ve seen it happen more than once in the past three months.

• Social media is playing a bigger role for everyone, not just advertising and public relations consultants.  I have started my personal blog (http://winterboerposts.blogspot.com/) and have been surprised how useful it can be.  I am working with a candidate at an agency right now as a matter of fact whose only function is to provide support to their social media and internet presence to find new ways to attract people to their website and eventually turn into new revenue streams.  If you aren’t already employing some basic ideas to your marketing strategy, we have seen some very successful agencies do this and we can help provide you with a template or point you to some of these agencies who are doing this with some wild success.

• The definition of a producer has been expanding.  Instead of the “all or nothing” philosophy of bringing a book of business or bust is going away.  We have had some clients hire life experience producers, relocating producers with past success but starting from scratch in a new location, younger producers who will need some grooming, and even in a few instances producers who are coming from the carrier side with no previous agency sales experience.  We have also experienced a few cases where the book previously thought to be unable to be purchased was negotiable.  Common sense has returned to some of those conversations, similar to my first point of just having an initial discussion you might not have had 12-18 months ago.

The formerly passive candidates are beginning to surface after what I describe as the “white knuckle” period of the past 18-24 months.  We see this with both client service minded candidates, as well as producers.  The idea is that the market has been so bad the past couple of years that making a change is a risk in and of itself because you expose yourself to the “last in, first out” risk of layoffs or RIFs.  These are mostly really solid candidates that have been missing but now are beginning to explore opportunities.  Producers that aren’t 100% happy are beginning to see the market open up to other opportunities that might provide more advantage than where they’re at currently.  This makes the idea of starting from scratch more appealing because the long term incentives are there again – higher splits, owning part of your book, more account management support, more markets, etc. 


I would welcome your feedback to see if you are seeing the same trends and/or questions regarding where we might be able to employ some of these recruiting strategies together as we move into the second quarter.  As always, I hope to provide some ideas that you might not otherwise be thinking about or could improve upon.  We are trying every day to break out of the mold of “just another recruiting firm” to provide levels of value that no other firm can provide.  We are striving to become true business partners and trusted advisors for all of our clients.  Part of that process is learning where else we might be able to come up with new and innovative ideas together.

March Madness

No, I am not referring to the ever popular NCAA Basketball Tournament.  Although I am pretty excited for the first day of the action.  My son is getting into basketball more and more and loves watching the games with me.  What sports-loving dad wouldn't be proud??

Instead, the March Madness I am referring to is the increase in activity in the job market here as the first quarter of 2012 comes quickly to an end.  As this all occurs, I found an interesting article about resigning with grace as the Goldman Sachs op-ed gets global attention.  Below is a link that has some good thoughts.  Every resignation is different and unique, but I have always been a big believer of "doing it right" no matter how difficult it may be.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1824779/how-to-quit-your-job-gracefully-if-youre-not-greg-smith

I would welcome any thoughts/suggestions/stories as you read.......

What motivates you?

As an Iowan I absolutely love this time of year.  Spring is a time of new beginnings, fresh starts, high energy, and a general good feeling in the air.  People are out buying new plants, trees, fertilizers for their lawns, and if you are me you are buying your fourth grill/smoker for the summer BBQ season.

The days grow longer with more sunshine to brighten our mornings and it just seems easier to wake up ready for a new day.  But yet there are people out there that we work with that continue to struggle with a job search and/or are unhappy with their current employer.  Regardless of where you are in the midst of a passive or active job search, I ask you this question -- what motivates you? 

Are you striving for excellence every day even if you don't like your boss or colleagues?  Do you focus more on providing positive energy in the workplace even when dealing with challenging issues from a whiny co-worker?  Is your neighbor who drives a flashy car and doing better financially than you just driving you crazy? 

I challenge you to look internally to answer this basic question today as we enter into a season of change with spring.  Make this idea of motivation a black and white issue in your life.  Either you are motivated to succeed or you simply aren't.  We could sit here and debate whether this is an inherent/internal quality that some people simply don't possess, but I don't believe that.  Being motivated is a personal choice and I hope you choose to lead your life down the path of success and happiness whatever your daily circumstances may be.

What is a "cat comm"?

I took my car in for a routine oil change this morning and an hour later found myself going back into the dealer as the "check engine" light came on and I lost power to the engine.  The initial diagnosis was that the mechanic had failed to tighten the air filter hose and it simply needed to be re-adjusted.  After waiting for 45 minutes in the lobby (ironically the original oil change only took about twelve minutes) they told me that it had suffered a "cat comm".  A what?!?

In the car business this is short for "catastrophic communication failure".  I am pretty sure they shortened the moniker so that customers didn't completely freak out when their service adviser told them what had happened.  Turns out the computer chips get gummed up and need to be cleaned occasionally.  When this happens, the computer simply assumes the worst and begins to shut down the engine to actually PREVENT the catastrophic event from occurring.  Ironic, isn't it?

It took a couple of hours to get everything taken care of, so I had some time to think about my reaction to the situation.  I really only had three choices -- anger, sulking over my misfortune on a Saturday, or gratitude that it was only a minor issue that was still covered under warranty.  I didn't really feel angry since the overall situation was a pretty good result (especially financially) and having this happen on a Saturday is a heckuva lot more convenient than a Tuesday while at work.  So gratitude has set in, and it was enhanced by my dealer (shout out to Hummel's Nissan) providing a few vouchers for free oil changes for my inconvenience.

On to the moral of the story -- choosing your reaction to "cat comm" in other areas of your life will likely determine your level of success and happiness.  They are bound to happen to all of us, so it is good to be prepared ahead of time with what your reaction could and should be.  Here's to hoping you don't have to encounter many "cat comms" in your days to come, but if and when they do I hope you choose to look at the brighter side of life.

Are you a good listener?

I read an article this week outlining listening as a top trait for good producers in the insurance industry.  Then the day after I read the article had a client tell me that a candidate they interviewed was a good overall candidate, but they did not possess good listening skills.  The client asked a few difficult questions and rather than digging into the root of the question or admitting to not having an answer, the candidate provided a nonsensical, long-winded answer that accomplished nothing.

As a former producer myself, I know there were times I blew it in a prospect meeting because I did not listen well enough and respond accordingly.  I would find myself driving back to the office having an epiphany that I didn't outline a product or service that my agency offered that could have closed the deal.  By the time I got back to the office to send a follow up email I knew it was likely too late.  The most successful producers are the ones that can master this skill. 

Here are a few tips that I have picked up in the past nine years of recruiting -->

1) Before answering a question, repeat it to the person that asked in and ask if you heard the question correctly.  That will provide you confirmation of the true answer that is being sought.

2) After providing your answer, ask if that is what the individual was looking for.  Too often we presume that if we follow step #1 that our answer has to be right.  Don't be afraid to be wrong and seek another answer.

3) Catalog the small details that a client or prospect provides.  Whether it be information about family, friends, a hobby, a problem they experienced at work, make is something that will prove you were paying attention and "sweating the small stuff".  I like to start my conversations with an ice breaker.  How is the weather?  Are you glad it is Friday?  How has your week gone?  Then when you end the conversation (whether in person or on the phone) bring up that original question.  You will be surprised how often people can't believe you brought the conversation full circle.

4) When leaving a meeting, immediately write down any important details that you weren't able to during the course of the meeting.  This again relates to the small details I just mentioned.  If the client or prospect is mentioning something informally about a hobby or personal interest, they will notice if you write that down while you're talking.  Instead, note that detail after the meeting and follow up accordingly with a note or phone call acknowledging that you were listening.

Just like my wife always tells me, she is most impressed when I am listening to her and she doesn't even know it.  When I provide her a gift that she had mentioned informally two months ago and I was able to remember it, that means much more than a lavish gift that we pick out together.  Or if I remember to take care of something without being reminded, that is better than a dozen roses.

I challenge you to think of a new way to listen to a client or prospect in the coming weeks and let me know if any tricks of the trade you employ work well for you........happy listening!

top three interview questions?

I saw this article today and wondered if it was too simple -- http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2011/04/27/top-executive-recruiters-agree-there-are-only-three-key-job-interview-questions/

But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it.  Especially the question of "Can you do the job?"  Many companies focus too much on what a candidate can't do, skill they don't possess, or experience they don't already have.  Jim Collins summarized this well in his book "Good to Great" in the chapter that discusses getting the right people on the bus.  Instead of worrying where the bus is taking them, getting the right people on the team will allow you to figure it out together.

In a market where the supply (candidate pipeline) still vastly outweighs the demand (client's needs and wants), I think it is important to consider asking this question first in the process -- Can you do the job?  If the answer is yes, then the rest of the conversation will flow from there.

does Punxsutawney Phil know the future?

Here in Iowa we don't really care as we have had one of the most mild winters in recorded history.  But what about other predictions about unemployment, the job market, the stock market, pending legislation?  How big of a shadow do those cast as we wonder what kind of year 2012 will become?

Knowing what the future will hold is something we all wish we could capitalize on.  But one thing is for certain here in the new year, just as it was in 2011 -- your future is in your own hands and should not be determined by external circumstances.  Sure the economy is not doing favors for all of us, but I have found without exception that the people that have been successful the past few years DESPITE the recession have one thing in common -- they have an optimistic, yet realistic outlook on the future.

We are finding that our best clients are making some investments in good talent who share this viewpoint.  We can no longer count on 12-15% returns on our 401k investments.  We can no longer count on the value of our home increasing by 5-7% every year.  We can no longer count on many things that used to be counted on.  The one constant we can count on is our attitude and reaction to it all.  I will admit that I have not been overly optimistic 24/7 for the past 24-36 months, but I have persevered and maintained a consistent work ethic for both my clients and candidates alike.

What does the future hold for you in 2012?  What kind of shadow will you cast?