Never take yourself too seriously

One of the last things I always try to tell a candidate before an interview is to just be yourself.  Sure you want to research the company.  It is absolutely a good idea to consider answers to basic interview questions.  Even trying to learn about who you will be interviewing with is a swell idea.  But at the end of the day they are hiring you, so why try to be someone you aren't??

Take this picture for example.  This is from last Friday's ugly sweater party we had at our office.  Right after we took this picture we went out for lunch as a group.  Was it silly?  Absolutely.  Did we have a tremendous amount of fun?  You bet.  Did we get a few looks as we walked into the local restaurant?  Uh huh.  We also came back to the office and posted an update to our Facebook page.

Please don't hear what I'm not saying - I am not suggesting you head to the thrift store before your next interview to buy a leisure suit for the interview just to express yourself in a funny manner.  Instead think of what your best qualities are and how you can exhibit those during an interview.  Admit what your weaknesses are and consider how you are trying to improve on those.  Be honest with yourself in what you want in your next job and if the interview isn't heading in that direction that is okay.

As you consider reflecting over the holidays about the year that has passed and then move on to the possibility of New Year's resolutions or big changes in the year to come, remember to be yourself.  Even if it involves some silliness or unique characteristics.

Happy holidays and best wishes for a prosperous 2014!!

What to do when you get the offer you don't want

I am currently working with a candidate who is in an active job search.  This individual has interviewed with several companies and really likes two of them.  In the midst of that another company is moving quickly and heading toward an offer.  The fork in the road could come any day where this individual will have to make a decision on one in the hand versus two in the bush.  So what to do if confronted with that decision?

I think this picture says it all - do you go with thumbs up or thumbs down on the first money on the table?  Especially when first money on the table is not your first choice?  I usually recommend one of three options, which are outlined below:

1)  It is okay to say no.  Most active candidates feel some apprehension with this advice.  They are actively seeking a new role and may feel like ANYTHING is better than their current situation.  The problem with this mentality is two-fold.  First of all, if you are running away from a bad situation and not toward a good situation, your job move is bound to fail.  Secondly, you still don't know yet if something better is out there but simply not at offer stage.  Patience is a virtue for passive candidates, not active candidates in most situations.  But as I blogged about a long time ago, good things do come to those that wait, and I'm not just talking about a classic ketchup commercial.

2)  It is okay to be honest with the employer and ask for some time to make a decision.  Although most times I recommend an answer within 24-48 hours, this could be the exception.  This does not come without risk as an employer upon finding out that you are waiting for some other options to pan out may pull the offer.  But if it is really what you are hoping for, then honesty is the best policy.  You might be surprised how an employer may be willing to wait.  It is not likely to be an open-ended timeframe, but they might give a week's extension or something along those lines.

3)  It is okay to tell the other employers you are interviewing with that you received an offer and it is not your top choice.  This may not necessarily prompt them to act, but it at least provides that opportunity.  Upon finding out this news they could ramp up their timing and perhaps conclude their interview process with you more quickly.  It may not eventually lead to an offer, but you could complete the process.  Then you would not have to look back and question "what if" had you not communicated this update.

The bottom line is to not panic.  Any time you get an offer that is fantastic news.  That means an employer saw that you could add value to their organization and should be taken as a huge compliment.  Have you ever received an offer you didn't want?  If so, how did you handle it?

How to spot a satisfied employee

I read an interesting article recently titled "Are your best employees thinking about leaving?" and it got me wondering about the attributes of a satisfied employee.  For the vast majority of the candidates we speak with they have one reason or another to be seeking a career move.  We do, however, speak occasionally with a passive or happy candidate who is not interested in having a conversation about a new role.  So what exactly is it that keeps them satisfied at the outset to not even take a call?  And how can you integrate these ideas into your company to ensure your best employees are not one call away from being lured away?

The first sign of a satisfied employee is when compensation is not even a factor.  If I call with a job opportunity that would provide a 20% raise and the candidate says that it would take more than money to entertain a conversation, that is a satisfied employee.  I can relate to this.  When people ask me the question would I ever consider another role I always say that my salary would have to increase ten-fold.  And that still may not get me.  The point being is that everyone has a "price", but if it is artificially inflated to an astronomical figure then it is fair to describe that individual as satisfied with their current employment situation.  Happiness is clearly worth something.

The next sign of a satisfied employee is someone who has a great deal of respect for their boss.  A crucial question I always ask when gauging a candidate's interest is "What would your boss think if you resigned today?"  You would be surprised how many times candidates answer that it would be incredibly difficult to tell their current boss.  Which is a huge red flag for me as a recruiter, but is a sure sign that they like their boss and don't want to do anything to hurt them.

Yet another sure sign of job satisfaction is directly related to tenure.  Once an employee has been at a job for more than five or six  years, it will naturally be more difficult for them to give up that tenure.  If you are with a company for that long you have seen all the warts, can see past them easily, and likely think you are in the best place for the long run.  With people changing jobs every 2-3 years any more, someone who stays with one employer is likely to want to continue that journey.  Their employer has most likely done many little things over the years that add up to a satisfied long term employee.

Lastly, the biggest sign of a satisfied employee is someone who talks all the time about work in a positive manner.  We all know someone like this.  They post pictures on Facebook about company outings, they recruit other people to come work at their company, they are friends with many of their colleagues, the list could go on and on.

So the question is at the end of the day, are you a satisfied employee and why?  What is your company doing to make sure you are NOT taking calls from a recruiter about other opportunities?

Do you work for a grateful employer?

After seeing so many posts recently on Facebook and Linked In articles, I have decided to succumb to the pressure and have a blog topic that relates to the theme of the season.  I am looking for help from all of you to make it really powerful.  Last week I spoke about how to give respect to gain respect, and this week I want to look at it from the employer's perspective.

Let me start with an example that occurred recently with one of my clients.  A personal situation required that my candidate postpone a start date.  There were many reasons why my client could have easily said no.  Instead they chose to be flexible and clearly communicated a message of support to this candidate.  I can guarantee you that this individual will have a better sense of belonging on the first day of employment.  It all started with a sense of gratitude as my client was thankful for the open communication instead of assumptions and posturing by the candidate.  Sense the continued theme here - give respect, gain respect.

I can also proudly tell you that I work for a very grateful employer.  The principals of our company know we work hard and give maximum effort throughout the year to make all of us successful.  So they have rewarded us with a long weekend of shutting down the office early on Wednesday and having the Friday after the holiday off as well.  I am sure we will all come into the office next Monday refreshed from the time away.

So what other examples are out there?  How are your employers grateful to you as an employee?  If you are an employer, I would also like to hear from your perspective.  I look forward to hearing any and all stories to catalog in this season of being thankful.

How to gain respect at the office

Have you ever heard the phrase "Respect is earned, not given"?  I want to go against that conventional wisdom and explore the idea of giving respect on a daily basis.  Think of another popular phrase this time of year - it is better to give than to receive.  What is it about giving respect that will gain respect?

First, let's explore this idea from a company's perspective.  You have just hired a new employee and most new employees have some sort of 90-day probationary period where they are watched carefully for progress and how well they integrate.  I believe companies have an equally important obligation to prove to new employees why they made a good choice to join the organization.  Give your new employees words of encouragement, bigger responsibilities, invite them to team and client meetings, and basically show them all kinds of respect.  This will endear you to them and probably motivate them to work at a higher level of efficiency and productivity.

Now think of in from the employee's perspective.  Why would it be important to give all kinds of respect to your hiring manager and/or boss?  This is not just your run-of-the-mill butt kissing that I am suggesting, but rather giving genuine respect for the position that is held by this individual.  Try to find out what has made your boss successful in the organization and try to emulate that yourself.  If it worked for them, chances are it could work for you as well.

Lastly, this can apply to co-workers.  And it applies to both sides of the equation that I outlined above.  Companies should encourage their employees to welcome new employees with open arms and show them all kinds of reasons why the company is great to work for.  Be intentional about it.  New employees in turn should go out of their way to get to know other employees, both those that they directly work with and those they indirectly interact with.  The more you give, the more I can guarantee you will get back.

One quick personal example from long ago in my career.  When I started with Principal Financial Group I worked in a very large office building that had a lot of security.  You had to flash your employee badge every time you entered the building.  And if you forgot your badge, you had to stop at the reception desk, provide another form of identification, and receive a temporary badge.  I made it a point to get to know the security guards on a first-name basis.  One of them pulled me aside after about six weeks and told me I was the only person that had bothered to ask her name in her time as a security guard.  She in turn knew my first name and each morning she was making eye contact with me and telling me to have a good day.  Everyone else she was only focused on their badge as I had received her respect by giving a little on my end.

Can you tell me about a time where giving respect gained respect from a colleague or boss?

How to deal with the fourth quarter "pause" button

Quite often in life I wish there was a "pause" button to slow things down.  As I get older, it seems more and more appealing to be able to do that.  With one exception - job searches and interviews hitting a brick wall in the fourth quarter.  Budget crunches, busy schedules, holidays, quarter end, renewals, and much more tend to slow down interviews that may have started with a lot of steam.  So what is the best way to deal with the one time we wish we didn't have the pause button?

1)  Communication - this may seem obvious, and it is exactly why I start with this simple concept.  Whether it be the actual interview, an offer, a start date, or even review of a resume, there is no reason to not communicate effectively in the midst of that.  I had a candidate accept an offer last week with the idea of a start date after the first of the year.  On its face it is terrifying as that provides a minimum of a two-month gap between acceptance and the employee actually commencing employment.  What brings me comfort in this particular situation is the fact that I know my client is going to have all kinds of communication with the candidate.  In the past in this sort of predicament I even had a client invite the candidate to the company Christmas party BEFORE they started.  It all begins with effective communication.

2)  Patience - I know I have preached this before, but both clients and candidates alike can practice this strategy with fabulous results.  Throw the idea that this is the fourth quarter out the window and simply look at things from an objective perspective.  If you do that, it will become clear that next steps in an interview process will happen naturally when they are supposed to.  The biggest key to any interview working out is timing.  It has to be right for all parties to have a successful partnership.  In the fourth quarter that timing simply tends to fluctuate a little more.  If you can go with the flow, you will have fewer sleepless nights wondering what the other party is thinking.

3)  Creativity - if you are not having a lot of formal interview activity, why not find another reason to be in touch?  If you are the candidate looking to stay on an employer's radar screen, find a way to celebrate something with the employer.  Oftentimes they are having a Halloween party or posting something on their company Facebook page about healthy eating habits during the holidays.  Compliment them on those efforts and send a quick note.  If you are an employer looking to remain engaged with a candidate, why not check in and see what fall activities are happening in the lives of your prospective candidates?  Although this is a slippery slope if taken too far, it is a fabulous way to enhance the relationship between the company and the candidate, especially if employment is pending after hitting "play" again from the temporary pause in the conversation or interview process.

The bottom line is that the "pause" button while inconvenient at the time can sometimes be completely necessary.  I like to live my life in fast forward sometimes, so I suppose hitting "pause" occasionally isn't all bad.

Would you agree?

Can money buy a loyal employee?

As the economy and general job market continues to progress upward we have seen another interesting trend - more money in an offer or counter offer is not always the most important component of a total package for candidates.  So what is impacting careers decisions if not the almighty dollar?

You might be surprised with the first answer to this question.  It is the ability to work from home.  Don't hear what I'm not saying.  This is NOT an employee requesting to work from home one or two days a week.  This is simply requesting the ability to have the resources available to do work from home when necessary.  Whether it be a sick day, an evening, a weekend, or simply a day where you can't be in the office until mid-day because of a doctor's appointment or children's activity after school.  With smartphones, wireless internet, laptops, and much more technology available this is a great way to allow your employees to get work done outside of the normal 8:00-5:00 work day.  It also shows great respect for someone that you trust they will get their work done if provided with the right resources.

The second answer is more predictable, but I will argue that it ties into the first in some ways.  It is asking for more vacation/PTO time in lieu of a raise or bonus.  Work/life balance is becoming increasingly more difficult in a world that demands it.  Speaking as a parent of three small children, it means a lot to be able to leave every Thursday in the summer at 3:30 to get to baseball practice in time to help coach.  Then if the employee has ability to connect at home as described above, I would argue that the individual will be motivated to log in from home later that evening to stay on top of work projects/deadlines.  While still needing the ability to have enough vacation days to set up a flex schedule like that.

The third answer is more abstract but could be the most powerful.  It is the sense of purpose or belonging.  I recently had a candidate interview with a client on multiple occasions.  After the first interview there was still interest, but a few questions and concerns as well, including the salary range for the role.  The candidate had the opportunity to meet one of the principals during the second interview and came out with a very different perspective.  Words like vision, strategy, long term, and passion were used to describe the energy of the interview.  I asked if the questions and concerns from the first interview remained, and the candidate said that even if they still existed it did not matter.  Purpose trumps money every time.

I could probably construct a list of 10-12 more items, but I really want to hear from you.  I read another article recently talking about how more money does not buy loyalty, but only rents it.  Would you agree?  What other items can trump money when trying to recruit or retain an employee?