Is your recruiter full of bull?

I had a candidate reach out to me recently that I am actively working with regarding her search for a new position.  She had received a call from another recruiter who claimed to have found her resume online and knew that she was looking for a job.  It freaked her out a bit as she has NOT posted her resume to any boards and very few people know she is considering a move.  I reassured her that this individual likely found her on LinkedIn or a company directory and it was a pure cold call.


So how was she supposed to know this individual was "full of bull"?  For a little clarification, I have chosen this title for two reasons.  First of all I did not want to use the other half of the word commonly referred to in the shortened version - B.S.  Secondly this week is the great Iowa State Fair, so you knew I was going to find a way to incorporate that into my blog.  The photo above is of a former "Big Steer" champion.  This year's winner was quite similar to this one and weighed in just over 3,000 pounds.

Now that you have your fill of State Fair stats, here are some great ways to know if your recruiter is full of bull or knows what they are talking about:

1)  Do they really have an opening?  Oftentimes larger recruiting firms have staff that are dedicated to nothing more than casting a wide net and collecting candidate profiles.  On the surface there is nothing wrong with this idea.  The problem is that you will likely be thrown into a database with hundreds, if not thousands, of other candidates.  They may or may not code your professional experience correctly and subsequently you could get random calls in the future about openings that are not even close to a match.  Or even worse someone else in the office could send out your resume unbeknownst to you and breach your confidentiality.

2)  How much do they know about their client?  We try to know as much as possible about the details of an organization when we are partnering with them.  If a recruiter calls you up about an opportunity and struggles with the details, that is not a good sign.  They might be piggybacking off of a posting they saw online and only guessing at who the employer is.  Once they gain access to your resume, they will THEN use that information to track down a client and hopefully secure the permission to send over a resume.  It is backwards logic and again could breach your confidentiality.

3)  How did they get your contact information?  If a recruiter is initiating the contact, they should be able to tell you where they found your information.  Even if it is simply a cold call from finding you on Linked In, that is not necessarily a bad thing.  Especially if the first two questions above can be answered with confidence.  That means that some research was completed ahead of the call to ensure a good match for the potential opening.

Have you had an experience where a recruiter tried to call you and sell you a line of bull?  How did you react?

I got the job - now what?!?

A common question I get after a candidate interviews for a job is "What is the next step?"  Most interviews go in a linear progression that end with either a job offer or an eventual declination.  During the course of the interview process I have discussions all the time with candidates and clients alike regarding appropriate communication before, during and after each step.  But one area that is often forgotten is that time period between acceptance of an offer and a candidate's first day.  How much communication is necessary?  Who should initiate the communication?  Is any necessary at all?

In ten years of recruiting I have seen a wide spectrum from very good to very bad.  From candidates not showing up for their first day to clients forgetting a person's start date, it is not a good sign if things start off that badly.  On the other hand I have seen clients invite new employees to company picnics before they even start, go out for dinner with a prospective client the week before a start date, and one time even had a candidate help someone else in his new employer close a deal before a start date.

I have three simple suggestions to ensure your first day on the job is as good as possible:

1)  Speak with HR at least once before your start date.  You will likely have communication during the acceptance stage to exchange paperwork, run a background check, and coordinate details with I.T. to get your work station/office arranged.  But I am suggesting even one more email or call.  Perhaps the week before you start.  Ask if there is anything else you need to bring on your first day.  Confirm what the dress code is on a daily basis.  Show some excitement about the start date.  Outline your general plan for your first day, week, and month to show some forethought.  All of this will show a high level of engagement on your part.

2)  Ask to come into the office once before your start date.  This may or may not be necessary, but most people bring some personal belongings to the office.  Whether it be pictures of your family, basic items to have at your desk, or even something to hang on the wall.  These are all things that can be taken care of after you start, but you might as well knock it out ahead of time if the employer is willing to allow it.  This creates a sense of buy-in and sends a strong message that you want to be ready to focus on work the minute you arrive the first day.  You won't need to move six boxes of personal items in the first morning instead of attending training or meeting some of your colleagues.

3)  Do something for your new boss.  Connecting on a personal level can be a fabulous way to gain trust and generate excitement.  Hopefully during the interview process you learned something about your boss that will help in this regard.  Maybe he/she is a big fan of a particular coffee or bagel shop.  Bring in a dozen bagels from that bakery a week before your start.  Perhaps there is a team that individual follows.  Send an email or call about a recent game that you watched and thought of them.  This does not have to be done on a grand scale and I always recommend being creative without going overboard.

As you can see, none of these suggestions are rocket science.  A surprisingly small number of people, however, even think for a second about any of them.  All of these (and many more if we had more time to discuss) can serve as a reminder to your new employer why they hired you in the first place.

Have you ever employed any of these tactics?  Or perhaps have one not listed here that worked well?

Feeling trapped in your current job?

Let's see if I can pull off this comparison - feeling trapped in your current job vs. feeling trapped in the incredibly small cars/trams that take you up into the famous St. Louis Arch.  I don't know if you can tell that the picture above is that tiny compartment, but it is.  My family traveled to this legendary landmark a few weeks ago and it had been almost twenty years since I had taken the ride to the top.  My kids are not very big, but squeezing our family of five into that space was pretty interesting to say the least.

There were many thoughts that ran through my head, but one was overwhelming - I don't want to be in here, even if they say it is only four minutes to the top and three minutes back down.  That was seven minutes too long in my book!  So the question is, have you recently had this thought at your desk?  The thought of working even one more day in your current job almost unbearable?

In my opinion there are three very clear cut ways to handle this dilemma:

1)  Run for your life.  Life is short and you could quit on the spot to save any additional pain and suffering.  If things are really that bad at work, then you have to take this option into consideration.  The problem with this is that you immediately become unemployed without a job if you quit without something else lined up.  I can also tell you from experience that it will appear as a red flag to prospective employers.  Even if your reasoning is solid, this will create some unnecessary tension when someone asks in an interview why you left your former employer.  So this is not an option I hardly ever recommend even though many candidates consider it.  Usually it is based off of emotion, and you have to think with your head, not your heart, in these tough situations.

2)  Talk with your boss.  This option also comes with some risk, but I have also seen it come with reward.  Perhaps there is a change coming that you didn't know about that could resolve some issues.  Or your boss could see some mutually beneficial ways to solve any existing problems.  When I first meet new candidates, I always ask how they would feel if the end result of a search is that staying put is the best option?  Most people can't fathom considering that, but it happens more often than you would think.  Timing is everything in this business and sometimes the timing simply isn't right.  You may need to work extra hard to make your current employer the place to be instead of pushing a square peg through a round hole and change just for the sake of change.

3)  Grin and bear it.  Prospective employers are looking first and foremost for candidates that are not unhappy with their current jobs.  So even if deep down inside you are miserable, you have to remember that no one wants to hire someone that is running AWAY from a problem.  They would much prefer to hire someone running TOWARD a better solution.  This will start with your attitude at your current job.  I can tell you right now that it will also help you get through your daily grind.  I know it sounds like a bad fortune cookie prediction, but sometimes putting a positive vibe into your work will create a positive result.  You sure have nothing to lose as you're likely not going to be with the employer for much longer.  It is always better to end on a good note as well, if possible.

Any other suggestions on how to handle the feeling of being trapped in your current job?  Or comparisons other than the St. Louis Arch elevators?  As always, I welcome and covet your thoughts!

How do you build your brand? (Part Two)

This is part two of a three-part series I began a few months ago regarding branding.  If you recall I was hoping to explore three facets of branding your company.  This could help to create awareness about your culture, working environment, and much more.  Those three items regarding branding are:

1)  What do your current employees say?

2)  What does the market say?

3)  What does your competition say?

Today we will be exploring #2 – what does the market say about your brand?  At an organic level there are only two general responses.  The market either has a positive perception of your brand or a negative perception.  The truth could lie in the middle, but for the purposes of this conversation I only want to focus on these two.

Let’s first talk about the positive end of the spectrum.  I will break this into two categories as well – intentional and unintentional.  Intentional branding is an effort to communicate a clear message regarding what you are doing surrounding employee recruitment, retention, employee benefits, and overall working culture.  Your current employees can then take this message into the market when talking with friends and family, vendors, former colleagues, future colleagues, and any one in general.  This provides an invaluable positive image in the community.  That seems easy, so what do I mean by unintentional branding?  These are the little ways that you take care of employees that end up being communicated at home around the dinner table and in personal and professional circles.  You allow some flexibility with working schedules around holidays.  You remember employee’s birthdays and surprise them with cupcakes.  You provide some tokens of appreciation throughout the year with gift cards to a local restaurant.  It may seem small, but I have spoken with many placed candidates over the years that get so excited about the little things that it turns them into longtime and loyal employees.

Now the negative end of the spectrum.  No company in their right mind is going to intentionally brand themselves as a “bad” place to work, but it happens in everyday communications and interactions with employees.  I recently had a candidate who switched jobs about six months ago.  She thought she was going to a better situation.  You know the old saying – the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  Well, in this case it clearly wasn’t.  So as this individual begins another job search after such a short period of time, the market will quickly learn that this particular employer is not stable, does not have a good working culture, has very few actual resources to support client service, and in general is not a good place to work.

These may seem like small things, but perception is everything in today’s ever-increasing competitive marketplace for good talent.  We have been helping clients for the past several months create a completely new idea of branding so that the message is concise, clear, and consistent.  The more positive things the market is saying about working at your company is going to lead to more productivity from current employees, the desire for more good talent to join the team, and an overall good public perception of your company.

What are you doing to create this positive branding in the market?

When to hit the gas vs. the brakes during an interview

One of the most difficult parts of my job as a recruiter is balancing the expectations of candidates regarding timing with what the client's expectations are during an interview process.  I happened to think about this over the weekend as I attended the Good Guys' Autocross at our State Fairgrounds.  There is nothing like seeing and hearing these machines race around the track on a hot summer day.  What struck me was how they all approached the course differently.

The cars that clearly had the most happening under the hood oftentimes struggled the most with the tight corners.  As shown in the picture above, if the driver gave it too much gas, the brakes may not slow things down quickly enough before taking out a few cones.  In stark contrast there were also some cars that were clearly not out there to set any records, like a pink 1971 VW Bug convertible.  Amazingly though, it was one of the few cars that did NOT knock over a cone at some point or get loose on a corner turn.  So which is better when approaching an interview - slow and steady wins the race, or go all out and hope for the best?

My answer may surprise you - it is both.  You have to create a strategy going into an interview, yet also be willing and able to adjust mid-way through as the circumstances may change.  We were standing close enough to the pits to hear some of the drivers and crew discussing the best approach to getting around the track and what they may tweak on the car.  If you can adjust on the fly with your interview, especially in regards to timing, that will greatly benefit you.  There are many ideas/tips that I could share, but below is one example of when to hit the gas and one example of when to hit the brakes.

It is always a good idea to hit the gas if you have multiple interviews going on at the same time and one of them picks up steam.  Don't hear what I'm not saying - it is never a good idea to back anyone into a corner if one interview moves along more quickly than another.  But what is always fair and something I recommend is open and honest communication.  Let your recruiter (and employers you are interviewing with) know a reasonable expectation of your timing in regards to other interviews.  You may not always see if coming, but if you can give more than a 24-48 hour heads up, that is ideal and shows your cards without overplaying them.  This is particularly critical if the interview picking up steam is not your #1 choice.

Now, when to hit the brakes.  Believe it or not the best time to hit the brakes is when you're moving too fast and the employer is not keeping pace.  Similar to the autocross drivers not wanting to hit the cones by flying through a corner or hairpin turn, you don't want to press too hard with a company you are interviewing with even if in a perfect world you want things to move more quickly.  There are only a few conclusions an employer can come to if a candidate presses too hard on timing.  First of all, the candidate could appear desperate to get out of a bad situation and needs to land a job quickly.  Secondly, the candidate could be perceived as attempting to get two offers at the same time in order to leverage one over another.  Lastly, they could simply be seen as impatient and that is not always a good quality to have as a new employee.  So as much as hitting the brakes could seem counter-intuitive, it could be the best thing to do at the time.

Bottom line is that there is no one answer on the perfect time to hit the gas or the brakes.  The best thing to do is feel your way along the track so to speak and listen to those around you in your "crew" as they might have a different perspective than you behind the wheel just doing everything you can to keep the car on the track.  Or in this case the interview process.

Do you have any examples of recent interviews where you have either had to hit the gas or the brakes?  I would love to hear about them!

Is your interview prep a high wire act?

Can you imagine preparing for a walk across a two-inch high wire over the Grand Canyon without doing a little homework ahead of time?  Perhaps you saw this death-defying act yesterday on the Discovery Channel.  I am sure it took months and months of prep work, homework, research, and statistical analysis to ensure the utmost safety despite the overall danger of the act.

I realize this is a little extreme when compared with a job interview, but some common themes can easily be applied when considering how to prepare for a job interview at any level.  Here are a few ideas:

1)  Expect the unexpected.  I heard that Nik Wallenda (pictured above) practiced with high powered fans to know what a 50 mph wind gust might feel like and how he would need to react.  In a job interview this could translate into thinking ahead of time for very direct questions such as "When have you experienced conflict with a colleague and how did you handle it?" or "When have you used a unique closing technique to land a sale?" or even "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?"  True story, that has been a question I have had a candidate tell me about after an interview.  You can never be fully prepared for off-the-wall questions such as these, but just thinking ahead of time about some zingers could put you in the right frame of mind for the interview.

2)  Bring the proper tools.  Nik decided to do this walk without any kind of safety harness, but I guarantee you that he had a particular kind of shoe designed for this profession, a perfectly balanced pole with an exact design, and he likely had a team double check every place the wire was connected to the ground for stability.  In the same way it only makes sense to make sure you have the basics for an interview - extra hard copies of your resume, any applications that were required before the face-to-face, examples of your work if and when necessary, and even possibly a professional looking portfolio with a pad of paper and a pen to take notes.  Seems simple, but many people just "wing it" and are not fully prepared.

3)  Clear your mind before the interview.  I don't know what was going through Nik's head before he took his first step, but I am pretty sure he wasn't thinking about what groceries he needed next week or how much laundry he needed to get to later that day.  He was laser focused on the task at hand and certainly cleared his calendar ahead of the event.  Again, sounds simple, but I hear often from candidates after an interview that they hadn't allowed enough time to get to the office and were almost late.  Or another conflict that arose before an interview that caused them to be a little hectic.  These types of small mistakes can cause you to be distracted before an interview.  If first impression is everything, the last thing you want to do is walk into an interview thinking about anything other than the interview.

The favorite thing I like to hear before an interview is that a candidate is a bit nervous.  The means they are fully engaged, thinking only about the interview, and hopeful for a good outcome.  If you do the little things ahead of time, you are much more likely to have a good outcome from an interview.  Again, I realize that no interview is life or death like a high wire act, but extreme examples like this can help put you in the right frame of mind to have success in an interview.

What are other ways you have heard to prepare for an interview that might be more out of the ordinary?  I would love to hear your stories!

Does hiring slow down in the summer?

Is this what you envision when you think of the HR person not returning your calls in the summer?  A common myth is that companies stop hiring in the summer months for all of the reasons that come to mind - family vacations, summer camps, company picnics, golf outings, and many more.  I can assure you, however, that companies are not napping on the hiring process during the summer months.  Especially in the world of insurance where July 1 is a key renewal time for many clients.  Here are three tips to consider for your summer networking or job search:

1)  Be patient.  It is going to be a fact that hiring managers do take some time off in the summer.  That does NOT mean that the open position or ongoing search is not important.  It just may take a few extra days to get back to you.  I find the candidates that embrace that idea will actually endear themselves to the company that is interviewing them.  It shows you are flexible and really looking for the right opportunity, regardless of timing.  Companies like those qualities in a candidate.

2)  Network more, not less.  I don't know about you, but I am generally in a better mood during the summer.  Everyone else is too for the most part.  So take advantage of that and make some connections or re-connect with folks you have spoken with in the past.  Additionally, companies are reviewing financials right now and beginning to make plans for the third and fourth quarters.  Get ahead of that curve and get your background top of mind for any future hires yet to happen this year.

3)  Re-assess your search/career goals.  Take advantage of your time outside of the office as well.  Don't hear what I am not saying - don't leave the family behind on vacation to "clear your head" at Panera for several hours at a stretch.  But it is a great time to evaluate what is really important in your life.  Are you in a position currently that will provide the best work/life balance?  Are you truly happy in your current job?  What are you looking for in your next role to provide more of a challenge?

Bottom line is that now could be the best time to either begin or continue your job search.  Don't wait until after Labor Day to see if there are more postings or general buzz in the market.  Create the buzz yourself by taking action and making something happen.  June is actually one of our busiest months traditionally and this year is no different.  Part of that is by design as we work diligently in April and May to create some momentum going into the summer.  But part of it is related to some of the points I made above.  The reward will come to those that take advantage of the early summer conversations.  Don't get caught napping on your job search!