May 20, 2013
 The ZOPA of Hiring
By Sandy Cavitch
The ‘Zone Of Possible Agreement’ is not a physical place, but rather an area where two or more negotiating parties may find common ground. It is this area where parties will often compromise and strike a deal.
Every hire is a negotiation about an exchange, make it a success. The employee will be dedicating time, brains, effort, focus, and loyalty. The company will be paying salary, employment taxes, benefits, and investing in training and career development. What are each of these exchanges worth?
On either side of the equation, a full assessment and appreciation for the value of the contribution should be done as objectively as possible. But one size rarely fits all well. Understanding perspectives and priorities will help rule out hard stops from the get go, and identify the ZOPA of a hire.
For example, as a candidate, your present salary doesn’t always equate to your worth in a new position at a different company. The value you bring to a new role may be greater or less than what you were last earning.
And salary isn’t everything, far from it. Quality of life is important. Work environment is huge. Perks, benefits, equity, are all quantifiables that come on top of your salary. When comparing two opportunities, throw the apples and oranges into food processor and then compare the fresh squeezed cup of juice that results from each.
Understand that each company is different, and starting salaries may be lower or higher depending on the upside or an outstanding culture that unifies and attracts talent. Know your own hard stops, and identify what makes up an employer of choice for you.
As a hiring manager, understanding where the company has flexibility, how it will incrementally gain from certain hires, and whether the perfect candidate on paper has what it takes to success in your company’s culture.
The ability to tailor an offer must be weighed against any issues of fairness, while fully recognizing different people are motivated differently. Immediately rule out those who lack the right qualifications, those who aren’t a cultural or personality fit, and those who cannot demonstrate a passion for the mission.
Go from there. For the right person, what can you do to reach agreement within the role’s allotted pay grade or other company hard stops?
Rule out what doesn’t work, focus on where you can make it work. A recruiter or HR staffer often has a pivot role to play, in a sense investigating and mediating between parties to come to the zone of agreement more quickly and efficiently.
About the author:
Sandy Cavitch is a human resources management consultant. Sandy works with companies on tailoring employment contracts to create motivating environments that meet company goals and staff priorities. An avid equestrian, Sandy enjoys spending time in the outdoors when not otherwise engaged in creating HR success stories.
May 13, 2013
“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
 Logan Knight, IT Recruiter The Sweet Counter Offer – When Your Employer Doesn’t Want You To Go
By Logan Knight, Executive Recruiter, IT Division
I am a big music fan and I just can’t seem to help hearing Joe Strummer rip through the chords of this classic every time I hear a candidate pose the question “Should I stay, should I take the counter offer?”
I’ll be honest, while it can be a tough decision, the indecision does bug me. While much of the time I am recruiting candidates who weren’t actively looking for a new role, there is a reason they went into an interview process. From the start of this process, I ask candidates to honestly evaluate the company and the opportunity, and I give them all the information I possess about the pros and cons, the challenges, the rewards, the culture, the perks, the work. And we discuss whether they want to move forward if offered a job.
As the tech sector continues to boil, it is only natural that companies are trying to retain employees with counter offers. But that doesn’t mean it is a good idea. Not for the candidate, and not for the company.
Please read my article on the pitfalls of taking a counter offer:
 Joe Strummer The Sweet Counter Offer, When Your Employer Doesn’t Want You To Go
The great majority of professionals who accept a counteroffer to stay are gone within a year, whether of their own volition or being asked to leave. There are a variety of reasons that staying for a counter offer goes so wrong!
Let me know what you think!
May 6, 2013
Recruiting, Staffing & Employment News – May 2013
Numbers are okay
Employment growth was up over last month, the economy grew 2.5%, unemployment numbers are down to 7.5%, so far so good, the big numbers are looking okay.
Dialing down, job growth was mostly driven in the professional and business services (+73,000), food services and drinking places (+38,000), retail trade (+29,000), and health care (+19,000) sectors.
In April, Redfish Technology’s main placement growth was in mobile video advertising, mobile financial services, mobile application tools, and enterprise content management.
In tech hot spots, such as Silicon Valley, there’s intense competition for tech talent; at the same time there is reluctance to change jobs by many in the sector. “Staffing firms in the technology space are definitely very active today,” said Scot Melland, chairman, CEO and president of Dice Holdings, “and they’re seeing their businesses do pretty well.”
CareerXroads did a source of hire survey recently that shows that as we pull out of the recession, the largest U.S employers report growing usage of retained and contingent recruiters, especially with the harder to fill roles. In 2005, reportedly 5.2% of jobs were filled by external recruiters, compared to 2.3% in 2009 and now at 3.1% in 2012.
The survey further reports that at 24.5% the biggest percentage of external hires comes from referrals; that is the lowest percentage since 2001. In 2011, the companies in the survey said 28% of their external hires were the result of referrals.
April 29, 2013
Become the Solution To The Job Interviewer’s Problem
by Carole Martin, The Interview Coach
The absolute worst way to go to an interview is with the attitude of: “Please, please – hire me.”
When you go to an interview with that attitude you appear desperate. And even though you actually may be desperate in a difficult job market, you don’t want to appear that way.
The demeanor and attitude that you bring to the interview will set the tone for the entire interview.
Let’s look at it from the employer’s/interviewer’s point of view. (more…)
April 22, 2013
 Redfish Technology Inc. Awarded First Place in the 2013 ‘Best Places to Work’
Redfish Technology was awarded first place in ‘Best Places to Work in Idaho’ last night at the awards banquet held by the Idaho Business Review, the state’s preeminent business publication.
“We’re thrilled to be named number one Idaho’s Best Places Work,” says Rob Reeves President and CEO of Redfish Technology. “Cultivating a culture in which we are healthy and thrive personally, as well as contribute to the local community is among our firm’s greatest achievements. We are designed to attract, motivate and retain extraordinary people. This culture is surely one of the main reasons that we, and our clients, are so successful today.”
The recognition was given to the top ten businesses in each of three categories. Redfish Technology, a leading nationwide technology recruiting company, competed in the category of companies with 10-19 employees.
The Idaho’s Best Places to Work is awarded based on employee feedback and achieving excellence in company best practices in employee attraction and retention. Companies competed in three size categories and were measured by the employees in terms of Compensation and Benefits, Employee Growth and Development, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Environment, and Company Management.
When asked what employees liked best about working at the Redfish Technology corporate office, they said:
“Redfish offers a dynamic and proactive environment in which staff can enjoy professional careers in the middle of majestic mountain recreation and lifestyle.” – Logan Knight, IT Recruiter
“I love working at Redfish as it gives me an opportunity to assist people and companies in meeting their needs and every day is a new challenge.” – Jon Piggins, Sales & Marketing Recruiter
“It allows us to live in a place where most people can only vacation, while pursuing a rewarding career.” – Leah O’Flynn, Sales & Marketing Recruiter
“I love Redfish because of the open team environment, and I can wear shorts in the winter.” – Greg Schreiner, Tech Recruitment Manager
Redfish Technology has long cultivated a culture of community and health. The company’s CHO (Chief Humanities Officer), Heidi Clark, is proud of the design and implementation of the corporate culture and philanthropic efforts at Redfish. She’s been instrumental in Redfish’s involvement and financial support of local community events and non-profits. The recruiters have also created their own community service initiative called ‘One for One’ that consists of volunteer hours and a monetary donation program benefitting local organizations.
 Best Places to Work Winners The company motivates its staff in large part by providing superior work-life balance which includes traditional-type benefits such as a matching 401K plan, as well as inspired perks such as fun employee activities. The company takes an annual camping trip to (but of course!) Redfish Lake, there’s an annual night out to see The Second City, golf and ski days, and gym membership reimbursement.
Redfish Technology has also been recognized as one of the top Executive Search Firms of the United States in 2011 by the Leading Providers and in 2008 by GoldLine Research.
About Redfish Technology
Redfish is an award-winning, nationwide technology search and talent acquisition firm. Founded in 1996, the company provides services nationwide and has offices in the Silicon Valley, the East Coast, and the Intermountain West. Redfish’s high tech division specializes in recruiting top talent in the mobile, software, security, digital, cloud, saas, e-learning, and big data sectors. The cleantech division focuses solar, wind, renewables, energy efficiency, green technology, and alternative energy. www.RedfishTech.com
April 15, 2013
 Top Ten Best Places to Work Redfish Technology Inc. Honored on 2013 ‘Best Places to Work’ List
Redfish Technology was named among the “Best Places to Work” in Idaho. Winners are companies that reflect exceptional performance in the areas of Compensation and Benefits, Employee Growth and Development, Work-Life Balance, Workplace Environment, and Company Management.
(more…)
April 8, 2013
Recruiting, Staffing & Employment News – April 2013
Slow Spring It Would Seem
In March, Redfish Technology hit its 20,000th job order and reported high tech has been especially hot in the e-learning, software-as-a-service, cloud, disruptive software and gamification sectors.
The development side of hiring has been predominantly for product managers, quality assurance and delivery managers, and on the sales and sales support side for managed services, account executives, and client services engineers. (more…)
April 1, 2013
7 Different Ways You Can Be Job Searching Today 
A nationally recognized resume expert, Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast and a former human resources manager and recruiter.
http://www.greatresumesfast.com
So you have this great, marketable resume that showcases your potential as an employee. You’re ready to launch your job search and start using your new resume as vigorously as possible. But where do you start and what do you do? I recommend starting with reading one of my most recent articles: I Have A Great Resume, Now What Do I Do With It? It shares advice on how to start social, professional, and in-person networking to jumpstart your job search. But what else can you do besides jumping on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and networking with people in person?
Here are some additional ideas to really help you diversify your job search and make the most of your job search time (more…)
March 25, 2013
 John Stevens, Executive Recruiter, IT Engineering The Craft of Scouting for Tech Talent or Hockey Talent
You’d be surprised at the similarities…
By John Stevens, Executive Recruiter, IT Engineering
Hockey scouts live in a secretive world of prospecting, some have said it is a world more akin to Cold War-era spying than a casual day in the stands. Faced with bad coffee, long periods in cold rinks, and remote locations, the job isn’t as sexy as you might think.
As a long-time recruiter in the tech sector, is also an avid hockey player and coach. He notes many similarities between scouting for hockey talent and recruiting top tech talent. (more…)
March 18, 2013
The Reality TV Career Shows for Job Seekers
The last thing anyone would suggest to a recent grad or seasoned professional is to spend their free time watching TV when they should be out building a new career, but the truth is most of us are going to watch from time to time.
Reality shows grew to become one of the most popular genres on television, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The “reality” within these shows needs to be taken with a bit of skepticism, but there are some lessons to be learned in the world of business if you know where to look.
‘The Job’
The new competition show from CBS pits job seekers against each other to compete for spots with companies like the Palm Restaurant Group and Cosmopolitan. One of the twists in the show is that a trio of related businesses can swoop in and hire a candidate out from under each week’s featured company. (more…)
March 14, 2013
Recruiters Square Off to Settle the Redfish Office Squabble Once and For All in “The Run Off”
 The Run Off – One Recruiter Will Be Left Standing Win a $100 Starbucks Gift Certificate
Eight days from today, the recruiters at Redfish will settle the office squabble once and for all. The Redfish debate “Who Can Run Farther” will be settled in “The Run Off”. Play on Redfish’s Facebook page to enter drawing for a $100 Starbucks gift certificate.
Office squabbles are common-place enough, but at Redfish Technology the squabblers are taking it to the street. In an all-out race to the finish, Greg Schreiner and Logan Knight, IT Recruiters, will face off to settle the question of who can run farther once and for all in “The Run Off” on March 22. The last man running will earn eternal bragging rights.
You can win! As the recruiters at Redfish Technology prepare a race to the finish, the public is invited to participate – the lucky winner will receive a $100 Starbucks gift certificate. (more…)
March 12, 2013
Recruiting, Staffing & Employment News
While sequester is dampening employment, the technology sector sizzles on!
It’s not a great moment to be working for the government, but the private technology sector is sizzling. The coals are hot in disruptive software, digital media, mobile content distribution, HD internet and satellite technologies. Product Management, Development Operations, and Quality Assurance were the hottest hires recruited by Redfish Technology last month.
Mirroring Redfish’s pipeline, employers in the Silicon Valley area plan to increase hiring through the second quarter of the year, according to the latest economic survey by the West Valley Staffing Group. The survey includes hiring managers from industries such as tech, manufacturing, electronics, finance, semiconductor, medical, aerospace and alternative energy. (more…)
March 11, 2013
 Rob Reeves, Recruiter, President, CEO Negotiating Yourself Right Out of an Offer
By Rob Reeves, Executive Recruiter, President, CEO
So you fancy yourself a skilled negotiator? That will hopefully serve you well, just don’t negotiate yourself right out of an offer. We recently had a fantastic candidate who did just that.
It is important to understand that negotiating a job offer is the beginning of an important relationship between hiring manager and employee. “Don’t lose sight of the human part of negotiating.” cautions Rob Reeves, executive recruiter and CEO of Redfish Technology for over 17 years.
Salary negotiations can be challenging. The market is heating up for great sales, marketing and engineering talent in the technology sectors. Candidates often want a step up in salary when making a move. Even if you are the greatest thing since sliced bread, and you’ve got negotiating in your blood, listen up! (more…)
March 4, 2013
 Anna Mathieu, Marketing Communications Giving Good Phone
How to Perform Well on a Telephone Interview
By Anna Mathieu, Marketing Communications Manager
Almost every tech company these days will hold phone interviews before any onsite is scheduled. While this means you can keep you comfy slippers on, it doesn’t mean you should get too cozy. To perform well on a telephone interview, first you must prepare in much the same way as for an in-person interview (slippers aside). Next, you must put on your phone etiquette and your listening ears. (more…)
February 25, 2013
4 Ways to Customize Your Resume Based on the Job Posting
By Jessica Holbrook Hernandez
I’m sure you’ve heard me say before that it’s critically important to customize your resume when applying for positions—especially to online job postings. Hundreds of candidates apply to positions posted on job boards, and employers have become very savvy at weeding out those candidates who are not qualified. Or who at least do not appear to be qualified because of what is or is not (in most cases) on their resume. So I’m going to share some tips for making key adjustments to your resume to target it exactly for the position based on the job advertisement.
Search for keywords
Look for keywords throughout the job posting related to the position and then include those keywords on your resume. For example, customer service resume keywords might include: account relationship management, customer retention, customer management, order processing, process simplification, relationship management, or service benchmarks.
Incorporate Required Skills
Most position descriptions include required skills or qualifications. Ensure that you address within your resume your ability to meet and exceed these required skills. For example, if one of the position requirements is service delivery, don’t just say “responsible for service delivery”. Show the employer how you successfully delivered this by saying something similar to this: Restructured service delivery procedures, improving staff field time by 35% and increasing customer satisfaction ratings by 92%.
Include Education & Credentials
Is a degree required for the position? Then make sure that you put this information front and center on the resume. Especially if you recently obtained the degree or credential required. If you possess an M.B.A.—and it’s required for the position—a great way to showcase that is to put the degree next to your name at the top of your resume.
Always Address Requested Information
If the job ad requests that you provide salary requirements, be sure to include these on your cover letter. Additionally, if the posting asks for any other additional information such as hours of availability, samples of your work, etc., make sure you always provide what they are requesting so as not to exclude yourself from consideration.
Additional job search and resume-related advice is available on our blog or by following us on Twitter or Facebook.
About the Author:
A nationally recognized resume expert, Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast and a former human resources manager and recruiter. Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com
Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.
February 18, 2013
 Nathan Stuller Ranking Yourself: Be Confident yet Self-Aware
By Nathan Stuller
A common interview tactic is to ask you, the candidate, to rank yourself on acquired technical skills, attributes, and aptitude. The interviewer may run through a list of them, asking you to simply “rank yourself from 1 to 10 on:”
• Leadership ability
• Getting along with coworkers
• How hard-working you are (more…)
February 11, 2013
Recruiter Fees: What Are You Paying For?
The hiring process is a long one, most of the time. Recruiting the talent you need is an art form in and of itself. Whether your company is a start-up under the gun to bring in revenue or obtain funding, or a seasoned organization launching a new product or ramping up in a competitive market, the opportunity cost of being stalled out in job posting mode is enormous. But what do you get when you contract the services of a search firm?
Recruiting fees cover a range of services, each tailored to the needs of the company.
Generally, a contingent search firm’s services may include:
Pre-Hire Process Streamlining
- Help with crafting a job description; Defining the skills and attributes needed for a successful hire
- Understanding priorities, timeline, process, department needs, company culture
- Setting up communication & feedback loop methodology (more…)
February 4, 2013
 Recruiting, Staffing & Employment News
Contingent Recruiter Confidence Growing; Jobs Report Good Not Great
Redfish made placements at the Director, Executive and Project Manager levels in January. The preponderance of the hiring was in the Cloud, Software-as-a-Service, Enterprise Systems & Network Management, Intelligence Software, and Solar Technology industries. The biggest challenges to January hiring was candidates receiving multiple offers. “We expect to see this trend continue,” states Logan Knight, IT Recruiter at Redfish. “The pool of talented candidates is drying up with all the current growth, leading to good engineers getting multiple offers.”
Execunet reports that a recent survey found that recruiter expectations of job creation increased in at the end of 2012, recruiters indicated that they anticipate approximately one in five companies adding executive jobs in the next six months. Contingency search firm confidence reached 41 percent in December, its highest in eight months; retained recruiter confidence dropped to 31 percent, its lowest since the debt limit crisis in late summer of 2011. (more…)
January 28, 2013
 The Type of Employee That Employers WANT to Promote
Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.
Are you the type of employee that your employer wants to promote?
I heard an interesting statistic on the radio awhile back that really sparked my interest … it stated that 90% of people who do this are promoted. (more…)
January 21, 2013
 Jon Piggins – IT Recruiter, Sales & Marketing 6 Tips for Building a High Quality Management Team
By Jon Piggins, Executive Recruiter, IT Sales & Marketing
When recruiting new management, or professionals who can be groomed to move into leadership positions, it is imperative to get the right combination of skills and qualities. When building a team, from the outset recruit new employees with the skills and abilities that will strengthen the department. And additionally look for these qualities in candidates in order to build a high quality management team:
1. Big Picture Thinkers
Of course a candidate must be excellent at what he/she does, and must be a strong contributor to the team or department. Moreover they must fundamentally understand the business, the industry, the competition, and the economy at large. Those who can take your group to the next level must be strategic thinkers who have a grasp of the big picture. (more…)
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