Ready, Aim, Fire!

What's left of the recruiting industry is ready for 2010~
So many agencies have given up the ghost- it is enough to depress even the most optimistic recruiter. But many of us have been shining up ours shoes, so to speak... and investing in our infrastructure, and working on making 2010 our best year ever. And your 2010 much better than 2009!

So, make it your New Year's resolution to :
*As a candidate, reach out to network with recruiters as well as others who can facilitate your finding the next job
* As a hiring manager, reach out for the help of independent recruiters to fill those positions you have been toiling with on your own and not filling (now that you realize it is not as easy as you thought :^)
* As a CEO, recognize how much time your managers are wasting in the recruiting process - they are not getting their own work done because they are not using outside, smarter resources for these activities
* As a Corporate HR Leader, ditto the above - you are in charge of smart resource allocation, so start practicing it!
As a Corporate HR Leader, think about smart ways to leverage your current staff through other use of outside HR Consulting resources (you don't need to hire employees - use a consultant for just the projects that you need completed now)

Employee Engagement is the next challenge

Hey, Employer of Choice,
Think everyone you've retained through the downturn is going to stick with you as the economy improves? Think again! John Holton has an interesting article in Workforce Management regarding the current level of job dissatisfaction across the board. An Adecco survey shows 77% of workers critical of their organization's braintrust and dissatisfied with the strategy and vision of their company and its leadership. Another survey last month showed 64% of workers said there is just too much work and not enough people left to do it.

Think again, Employer of Choice, as jobs open up in other companies, your valued employees will be bolting for the door. So start thinking now about how to re-engage your existing employees as well as fully engaging your new employees or those you hope to employ.

Lack of Civility Rampant part 2

And would Kanye West have done what he did if his mother was still alive? Me thinks not...
We're always better about enforcing that acceptable social norm for ourselves when we think our Mom might hear about it. I know Kanye was brought up better than to interject a dis into an awards ceremony - you didn't see that in the Emmy's on Sunday.

Lack of Civility Rampant

Here's an article from another blog I read - the point is well made about the rampant lack of civil discourse, basic courtesy, and the ill mannered actions of the week.

http://www.fistfuloftalent.com/

Check it out. And remember that Mom always told you "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all".

Why Won't That Silicon Valley HeadHunter talk to me?

Maybe it's your location - you may be willing to take on a long commute, but the recruiter has assumed that this would work for only a short time. It is difficult to commit to an hour commute twice a day - be real about it. If you live in Emeryville, chances are that a commute to San Jose is doable, but it's probably not sustainable on a long term basis.

If you really are a close to perfect match for the job, and you think the zip code problem has aced you out, follow up with the headhunter and let them know that :

• you may be willing to move
• you are willing to commute on an ongoing basis
• there are public transit options that work for you to make your commute productive time
• you can adjust around a schedule that minimizes the traffic congestion
• you have alternative weekday living arrangements that minimize the need to commute

Here in the Bay Area, recruiters often work by area code or zip code, so recognize that you need to make the case around this issue, and take the initiative. And sell me on the idea that you are not geographically undesirable for the position that is a long way away. If I believe you, I can go back to my client and open the discussion with them.

Why Won't That Silicon Valley HeadHunter Talk to Me?

Maybe it's because you are not in the niche or specialty that this particular recruiter works in. Many times, headhunters are quite specialized - they only work a specific niche within semiconductors, for instance, and only recruit design engineers with master's degrees in electrical engineering for that work. Further detailing the specifications they're looking for, the recruiter may only be interested in people with experience in a specific product type, like systems on a chip. If you don't meet every one of these specifications, you are not in their target space.

And they won't call you back, or even respond to your email. Which is bad manners, but understandable... The better headhunter will give you feedback, tell you what you're missing that is on their specification. And in a perfect world, suggest what other experience that you need and how/where to get it.

Why Won't that Silicon Valley HeadHunter Talk to ME?

Sometimes we're actually on vacation, or busy on another project... Sometimes it is just about task interference. You remember that? What happens when you have competing priorities, that you really can't prioritize? You remember those days - everything has a deadline, and it's today.

Be mindful of the fact that the recruiter can be in overwhelm. And the fact that s/he has 150 resumes in the queue to review makes her/him pretty cranky. And that pushy phone call that you made really is annoying. A better way to handle it is a well-written and respectful email - recognize that we have multiple jobs we're trying to fill, and that they may not have read your credentials yet. Especially in sales and marketing roles, I'm always looking for great follow up skills.

Why Won't that Silicon Valley Head Hunter Talk to me - part four

Head Hunters do make incorrect assumptions sometimes - can you believe it? Sometimes we are flat out wrong! We make assumptions that because you've held a bigger job in a bigger organization, you wouldn't really be interested in our smaller, lesser paying job. Especially if you have been in a Fortune 500 company like HP that the start up we're recruiting for can't afford you or you would turn your nose up at the lower profile newcomer in the space.

Sometimes these assumptions on the Head Hunter's part are correct:
* There are issues of "fit" in the transition from larger company to small
* There are issues of rewards, both monetary and other in this transition
* There are issues of influence
* There are issues of support - in most small organizations, you are it

As recruiters, we do need to question our own assumptions. And then ask intelligent questions of our candidates to ensure that we are not presuming some things that are not true. I am often surprised and amazed at the thoughtful answers I get from candidates when I ask. Often candidates have some truly great reasons for wanting to be in smaller companies, and for making transitions that may not look right to us. Often these are the things that make for truly inspired placements.

Why Won't that Silicon Valley Head Hunter Talk to Me? Part Three

There is a measure of civility missing from many of our interactions today - this is just one small example. However it is a big example if you are the candidate seeking feedback and human contact. The biggest reason I need to call you back is self-interest - I will need you some day, if not today. I will be in a position some time where I want you to call me back.

An article in the Jobs section of May 31, 2009's New York Times echoes this theme - "Be Nice to Job Seekers. (They're Shoppers, Too)". Jon Picoult also reminds job seekers to remember to respect candidates when they are in the hiring manager chair.

So keep this in mind wherever you are in the hiring demand chain - your candidates also buy your products. Show them some respect for this reason alone, if not to demonstrate your own humanity.

Why Won't That Silicon Valley Head Hunter Talk To Me? Part Two

It's not really about you at all - it's about the positions that they have job orders for. Think of the recruiter's job orders as a shopping list. If you want steak for dinner and your spouse picks up chicken at the store, neither of you is going to be happy. That's the situation that the Head Hunter is always in. People who come in over the transom as volunteers to be considered are often not what the client wants.

What can you do about this as a candidate? First, read the posted descriptions and requirements VERY CAREFULLY - ensure that you really do:
1. Want the job
2. Actually meet all of the qualifications, or at least 80% of the major ones and some of the
preferred qualifications
3. Have a crisp explanation of why you want the job
4. Are in the right geography - if it says "no relocations" - believe it
5. Meet the other requirements, whether salary, certification or other factors

Don't waste the Head Hunters time - if they tell you that you're not a fit for this position, believe them. They know where they are in the process as well as specifically what the client wants that may not have been spelled out in the requirements. This is true whether you're 50+ or not - there are often additional qualifiers that help a recruiter winnow the pool down. For example, when you're a salesperson selling in a retail environment, your experience in working through distributors may be critical for a particular position and not at all important for others.

Much more on these subjects in the next post.

Why won't that Head Hunter talk to me?

Why can't I get that Silicon Valley HeadHunter to talk to me?

I would be super-rich if I had a dime for every time someone asked me that. The answer is not a short one - there are really lots of reasons for this phenomenon. The short answer is "Bad Manners" on the part of the recruiter, whether they are inside a company or part of their own firm.

Time was (back in the Dark Ages) that every company would acknowledge every resume or application received. Those days are gone - mostly because no one has a receptionist left to type out that little cards (or even send a quick form email).

There are really lots of reasons - some of which you as a candidate can overcome, and others you are just stuck with, given the law of large numbers and the way recruiting works.

I'll give much more detail on this subject in further posts.

This is my introductory blog. Check here regularly for topics of interest in HR, Recruiting in the Internet Age, Business in the Web 2.0 world, and other topics that strike my fancy. You'll hear from me on issues that hit my radar and some that haven't hit yours that should.

Core versus Non-Core Business

I wrote on an organizational blog last week (www.womeninconsulting.org) about deciding whether a segment of business really fits in your core competency. GM went through this analysis recently and decided that the 62 year old Pontiac nameplate had to go. Tough decision...
But we all need to do similar analyses in light of the world recession. What may have been working well no longer is based on many factors outside of ourselves. A healthy dose of re-invention is a good thing if you've done your homework and understand to whom you are selling. This is true for consultants, small businesses, and candidates for employment.