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.

So you didn't get the job - now what?

In many areas of life finishing second often equates to being the first loser.  I am here to tell you that simply isn't the case when you're in a job interview and you find out the company is going with another candidate.  Whether it is just another interview or an actual offer, getting that call or email is not just the perfunctory "Dear John" letter that it used to be.

While it is never easy to get the news of a company going with another candidate, you should always take that message with a lot of grace.  The first thing you should always do in response is to thank the employer for even having an opportunity to interview.  They would not have started the discussion if they didn't see something appealing in your background.  The second thing you should always do is ask the employer to continue to keep you in mind for future opportunities.  You may think that doesn't happen, but I am here to tell you that is does.  There are many reasons why it could happen.  Here are a few:

1)  The other candidate(s) that the company is considering for the position don't pan out.  They either succumb to a counter offer from their current company or perhaps the final phases of the interview process don't go as planned.  There are a million reasons why that can become a reality.  Whatever the reason may be, don't be offended when the company calls back and says that instead of second place you are vaulted back into first place.  You may have been the better choice the entire time, but it took a turn in the process for the employer to realize that fact.  Embrace that!

2)  The company may need to make two hires in a short period of time.  In this instance, the company may have gone after their top candidate, hired them, but always held onto your contact information.  Now another similar position has come up, and the company wants to talk with you about it.  Again, embrace that call or email should it come because it means they meant what they said about holding onto your resume.  And they liked something about you!

3)  The hiring manager goes to another company and needs to make a hire with the new employer.  In this example the hiring manager may have liked you as the top candidate, but there was a team that had input and they wanted to hire someone's friend instead.  This hiring manager holds onto your contact information, joins another company, has a position open up, and they contact you to see if you would like to consider the role.  The world is too small for something like this to never happen.  It may not happen a lot, but when it does you should definitely take it as a huge compliment that this person thought highly enough of you to re-connect.

4)  It may have just been a financial decision.  Sometimes companies say that they are pursuing other candidates, when in fact they are simply putting a position on hold.  They thought they were going to experience growth, and it simply didn't happen.  Yet.  But ultimately it does, the company re-opens the requisition, and there your name is at the top of the pile.  You may have gotten the impression that you were #2 when you were #1 the whole time.  Additionally I have seen scenarios where Candidate A is the top choice, but Candidate B costs 30% less.  The company pursues that option, realizes you get what you pay for, and they decide to hire you even though you cost more.

Have you ever finished second in an interview process, only to get called back?  More importantly, did you take that call?

How to stand out from the crowd in a job search

I was thinking about a blog topic this morning and almost titled one "Dare to be different during your search".  All the time people advise candidates and companies alike to differentiate yourself from your competition, be "out there", do whatever it takes to make an impression, go all out, or any other catch phrase you can think of to insert here.  I decided to tweak the title slightly, but did so very intentionally.

The problem with trying to be "different" from everyone else in an interview or job search is that you might be tempted to be someone you aren't or do something that is out of character.  If you do this just to get the job, your co-workers are going to be disappointed on your first day when they figure out that the person who interviewed is NOT the same person who shows up to work for the company.

Instead I would argue that it is better to stand out from the crowd as opposed to just trying to be different or something you are not.  To do this you really need to have a few things line up.

1)  You better know your crowd.  If you are trying to stand out, you better look around to see what you need to do to be remembered.  I think of the razor commercial that is pretty recent.  About six guys all wearing blue suits, white shirts, and similar colored ties are sitting against the wall waiting for their interview.  The one guy across from them looks above their heads, runs to the bathroom to shave his head, and it makes sense when the boss comes out to see the next interview and is bald himself.  The others were simply too focused on being nervous to have any idea what they might need to do to stand out.

2)  Put a smile on your face at all times.  Sure, this may seem cheesy.  But again, I chose the inserted picture for today very intentionally.  Just being happy when others aren't can be an advantage.  Have you ever notice if you smile at someone their natural reaction is to smile back?  You don't have to say a word.  Whether you are greeting the receptionist as you enter the building to interview, the HR person who speaks to you for twenty minutes before a panel interview, or even the CEO of the company as a final interview, start with a smile.  You will be amazed how it can put someone at ease.  Even on the phone your smile can come across.  I dare you to try it sometime. When you answer the phone or take a call for a phone screen, smile as often as possible.  It affects your demeanor in a good way and can even calm your nerves to focus on why you're better than everyone else for the job.

3)  Be consistent.  You can actually be "different" and have it be a positive contributor to standing out from the crowd.  That is if being different is something you do all the time.  I have another haircut example for you.  Sorry for two haircut stories in one blog.  My wife gives my son a mohawk haircut at the end of every school year going into summer.  I often worry just a little if we're sending the wrong message as people that don't know him may rush to judgment.  The thing is, now that he has done it every year for the past 3-4 years, people have come to expect it.  They ask him ahead of time if and when he is going to do it again.  Even his teachers and principals are in on it now.  They get a kick out of it and know that he is a good kid, a good student, and a true leader in his class.  He doesn't do it to be different and make any kind of statement.  He just thinks it looks cool, it is a fun way to mark the passing of another school year, and the positive response he gets from it far outweighs any criticism or friends jabbing him for his funky 'do.

At the end of the day I recognize it is a fine line to balance between being different for the sake of being different and standing out from the crowd.  What I can tell you unequivocally is that if you don't try to do either at some point you will simply be in the crowd.  I for one am not content with that idea.  Hopefully you are not either.

Have you ever done anything to stand out from the crowd during a job search?  

Three reasons to hire a "relo" candidate

There are a million reasons why candidates relocate to new towns during the course of their career.  It could be to move closer to family.  It could be their spouse's job taking them there.  It could be a "coming home" story after being away for a few years after graduating from college.  Sometimes it could even be just for the job.

Sometimes my clients are hesitant to even talk with candidates who are relocating.  It makes scheduling interviews more difficult, more expensive, and often more time-consuming.  Instead of an impromptu meeting for coffee or lunch it could be a process that stretches over weeks instead of days.  I am here to tell you, however, that relocation candidates can sometimes be the BEST candidates to have on your radar screen.

1)  They have no pre-disposed notions about your company.  We all know that in the competitive world we live in things are sometimes said about organizations that aren't true.  Those can be difficult to overcome if you are only sourcing local candidates.  But if you talk with someone that is moving from another market, you will not have this concern.  In the past I have even had candidates refuse to talk with a client based upon a rumor they heard that isn't anywhere close to being true.  If they are going to hold that over anyone's head during the interview process, that is not someone you necessarily want to be talking to about an opportunity.  Whereas a relo candidate is going to take the interview at face value and focus on the positive attributes of your organization.

2)  They are motivated to prove themselves.  Most good relo candidates understand the complexities of interviewing with a company that might be hundreds of miles away from where they currently live.  When the interview process goes well and the candidate is subsequently hired, they are likely to work with just a small chip on their shoulder to show the employer what a good decision they made.

3)  No one else knows about them.  If you can be the first to interview a good relo candidate, my advice is to always move quickly.  You have a huge advantage if you are an early interview.  Relo candidates are typically active candidates that are moving for a very specific reason, as I outlined above.  Knowing that, they are likely going to move quickly on any offers that come their way if it is a good career move.  Local candidates often want to talk with 3-4 employers before making a decision which can lead to counter offers, feelings of doubt, and maybe even a final decision to stay comfortable and stay put.  You won't run into that hurdle with a relo candidate.

Some of my favorite candidates over the years have been relocation candidates.  I could tell story after story of grateful candidates that turned to us for assistance when making a move, and it is always satisfying to know we can be a resource.  My clients are almost always pleased with their decision to hire as well.  Win, win!

Do you need to declare independence from your current job?

I was in Philadelphia recently for a conference and had the opportunity to go on a walking tour of many of the landmarks.  I also purchased some gifts for my children, including a copy of the Declaration of Independence.  It was my first time in Philadelphia, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Bringing that document home got me thinking about how candidates "declare independence" all the time through their job searches and career choices.

In the course of this declaration I have seen people do it many different ways - a few good and many not so good.  Far too often people think only of the future and fail to hold the present or the past in regard during their decision-making process.  Here is why all three are critical to the process being successful:

Past - if you fail to think back on where you have been in your career, you will bring no lessons with you to a new employer.  Just because you are looking to leave a job does not mean you cannot bring valuable knowledge, experience, or ideas with you.  You may have had a bad boss, undesirable colleagues, a bad commute, poor office working conditions, or a number of other things.  But you probably wouldn't have worked there at all if there weren't some good points.  Embrace those things and only leave the bad behind when you make a job move or interview for a new career option.

Present - the biggest part of living in the present is handling the final stages of the interview process and eventually resignation with dignity and respect.  I have recently guided a few candidates through precarious acceptances and subsequent resignations.  There were a lot of moving parts in each instance and fortunately the candidates were able to look at the bigger picture and stay in the moment.  Whether it be a bitter boss or an uneducated colleague, be certain to remain positive and professional when asked why you are leaving.  Do not say anything that may make you feel great for ten minutes, but ultimately you will regret.

Future - although this may seem like the easy part and full of excitement, there are a few tips to make the transition to a new job even easier.  First of all, stay in touch with your new employer.  If you don't start for 2-3 weeks, check in at least once or twice to ensure everything is handled administratively.  It also gives you a chance to reinforce the idea that you are excited about the move.  This leaves no doubt in your new employer's mind that you are committed to the move and looking forward to your first day.

In conclusion it is always good to know that you're not doing this on your own.  Just as our forefathers knew they would need support to send our country down a good path, a candidate looking to make a career move should always depend upon others to guide you to a good decision.  Maybe a mentor, a business coach, a family member, or a friendly recruiter (insert shameless plug) is what you need to get you through the journey successfully.