June 29, 2012The Best-Kept Secrets of Successful Job SeekersThe Best-Kept Secrets of Successful Job Seekers Jessica Holbrook Hernandez By Jessica Hernandez Do you ever wonder why other candidates are bombarded with calls for interviews and are fielding offers for jobs left and right … while you’re struggling to garner any attention at all from hiring managers? It could be as simple as the resources these candidates have available to them and how they utilize them. (more…)  February 27, 2012How Jim Got a Job, or The Long and Winding Road to EmploymentHow Jim Got a Job, or The Long and Winding Road to EmploymentThis is a thought provoking info-graphic on today’s hiring process. It describes a fictional person’s job search starting online and spending a bunch of time filling out forms, only to get an automated email (Ug, yes another one of those – we use them too!) and a long wait. Success at last, someone from the employer he applied to calls about a different job. Next is a lengthy wait, then interview, then another waiting period, then another interview with an on-the-spot offer, followed by a wait and an official offer with a different title, manager and salary than was verbally offered! While the road to new or re-employment can be long and twisty, does this process ring true for you? What crazy hiring processes have you been subjected to?
January 16, 20126 Ways to Engage Passive Candidates6 Ways to Engage Passive CandidatesAs a small business owner, engaging passive candidates for positions you’re looking to fill can be an important strategy. There are many reasons for this, the main one being that passive candidates – those who are happy with their current jobs and aren’t actively looking for a new job – often possess more skills and experience than those who are actively looking for jobs. This may be especially true when it comes to your small business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, small businesses have more employees (based on percentage) with a high school education or less, and larger firms have more employees with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Get in on that talent when they aren’t necessarily looking for a job with a small business like yours by learning how to engage passive candidates. Here are six options for doing so: 1. Use Social Media It’s no surprise that social media like Twitter and Facebook is one of the top ways to engage passive candidates in today’s job environment. Everybody’s got an account, so why not use that to your advantage? This recruitment strategy has worked out particularly well for companies like Starbucks, which uses Facebook and Twitter to turn fans into partners (employees). Social media can help you in several ways. Use social networks like LinkedIn to get information on potential employees, and use other social networks to brand not just your business but your employment. You can use social media to talk about the various challenges your employees are meeting, and you can even throw out job opportunities on your social media network to reach a larger pool of potential candidates for free. 2. Create a Company Blog Have your employees write blog articles on what they’re currently working on. This can showcase your business and the benefits and challenges you bring to your employees. It can also help brand your business for potential employees as well as for customers. Showing your business as a great place to work can be one of the best ways to bring in passive candidates who are already relatively happy with their current jobs. You may also want to provide industry news on your company’s blog. This can keep potential employees coming back for more information every day. Help them stay on top of the latest standards and news, and once you become their favorite source of information, they’ll view you more favorably and will be more likely to read any job postings you put on your company’s blog. 3. Write Enticing Job Descriptions If you don’t know exactly what a potential job is going to entail, passive candidates are going to pick up on that. Remember, these aren’t people who are actively searching for jobs. That means they’re not going to jump on – or even consider! – a job with a poorly thought-out and poorly written job description. If you’re not much of a writer, consider hiring a freelancer to write job descriptions for you. Just make sure that you spend plenty of time nailing down exactly what the job will entail and then talk over the details with your writer to make sure you get a job description that is both accurate and enticing. 4. Contact them Personally When you find some passive candidates in whom you are interested, try contacting them personally, either through email or on the phone. Often times, they’ll be willing to speak with you, even if they aren’t currently looking for a new job. The key here is to be personal and to be genuinely interested in the person you’re speaking with. You may not get them to come to your company right way, but you could end up having a good conversation that will lead to a hire-on later down the road. 5. Targeted Email or Mobile Updates Provide potential candidates with job updates through email or on their mobile devices. The key here is not to annoy every passive candidate by showering them with updates about jobs that aren’t relevant to their skill set or interests. Instead, target job updates so that they only go to individuals who may be truly interested in the jobs that have come up at your company. 6. Offer Presentations Finally, you can continue to make yourself valuable to employees in your industry by offering free certification, training, or presentations on industry-related topics. This can be a good way to get passive candidates in your door, where you can have face-to-face conversations with them about the benefits your company has to offer them in exchange for their work. Your business can seek to run federal or state certification courses, or you can just host experts to present on industry topics in an informal environment. 7. Use a Recruiter Does this sound like too much to do and run your business? Recruiting is a specialized field and the talent management experts specializing in your business sector can take the weight off of your shoulders. From actively recruiting talent to maintaining an ongoing relationship with thousands of passive candidates, recruiters can find and bring on-board the valuable human assets that your business needs, when you need them. About the AuthorDaniela Baker is a small business blogger and social media advocate at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison website. January 2, 2012Do It Yourself RecruitingDo It Yourself Recruiting Ryan Thomson By Ryan Thomson, Executive Recruiter, Clean Tech DivisionWhen helping new clients on their hiring priorities, I encounter a common thread that some think recruiting fees are costly and somehow easy to earn. Recruiting fees are typically a percentage of the first year’s salary, and yes, that can amount to a large figure when hiring executives and top performers. During a recent webinar on Closing Candidates in a Hot Market, an attendee asked “Why should I use a recruiter, they seem expensive for a job I can do on my own.” (more…) October 3, 2011Secrets to Impressing your Recruiter and Landing the JobSecrets to Impressing your Recruiter and Landing the Job Rob Reeves By Rob Reeves, CEO, President
Whether you are applying directly to a company or working with an independent search firm, you need to impress the recruiter! The recruiter is likely your first point of contact, you need to impress them and do your part to streamline the process. How? (more…) March 9, 2011Things to Know Before Reviewing Your First Resume Shannon Tinker Things to Know Before Reviewing Your First ResumeBy Shannon Tinker Hallelujah! You’ve been given the green light to add employees to your team and not a moment too soon. Your team has been in the trenches since the economy’s infamous downturn and despite your efforts, your hiring budget has remained nonexistent. Your new hiring breakthrough is exciting and it’s tempting to start the candidate search ASAP. Evaluating some key elements before jumping into the candidate pool with both feet can ensure a successful search, and minimize the level of frustration for you and your team. (more…) November 15, 2010When is the Best Time to Look for a New Job? Beth Cliff When is the Best Time to Look for a New Job?By Beth Cliff, Executive Recruiter, High Tech Engineering Talent ManagerThe old adage follows that the best time to look for a job is when you already have one. While this may still hold true, the reality of today’s economic climate dictates that many excellent candidates are finding themselves unemployed and in the midst of a job search. There are pros and cons to both classifications of candidates – those who are employed and those who are not, when it comes to identifying your next career opportunity. What I have found over the years as a Recruiter is that no matter what your motivation for seeking a new opportunity, preparation and attitude are key. (more…) August 4, 2010Credentials, PleaseCredentials, PleaseCredentials? Qualifications? Well, what sort of professional development have you done lately? In today’s uber-competitive, ever specialized workplace having an additional set of skills is absolutely critical for career advancement. Whether it’s LLM, PMP, CCIE or MBA, the acronyms can be dizzying but from my vantage point it takes certified, specialized knowledge and training to really pass muster these days. (more…) April 1, 2010Changing Jobs or Careers. Is now the right time?Changing Jobs or Careers. Is now the right time? from the Redfish Find Your Dream Job Newsletter, April 2010 Recent surveys have shown a lot of dissatisfaction and uncertainty in the workplace, as well as staff cuts, many employees didn’t get a pay raise or bonus in 2009. Is it time to look for another job? First of all, are companies hiring? (more…) March 4, 2010Thoughtful Interview Preparation – Getting Your Dream JobThoughtful Interview Preparation – Originally published in the Find Your Dream Job Newsletter, Issue 2. Getting Your Dream Job You’ve identified an opportunity that you are excited about and well-qualified for. You’ve polished and targeted your resume, and crafted your cover letter. Great news: You are invited for an interview! Now it is time to really gear up. Preparation is key – whether you haven’t interviewed in a decade or if you’ve had ten recent interviews. Whether you end up in a conversational style Q&A or are engaged in a competency based (behavioral) interview approach, spend time in advance thinking about answers to some potential questions in advance so that you are prepared to answer them naturally and informatively. Know your Audience: Research the company and the people. Read about them online, ask your recruiter to share insights into the company culture and strengths, network with current and former employees, read the bios of the people you will be meeting with and upper management. Be prepared to identify what about this company attracted you to them, show that you are someone who will be dedicated and invested in this company. Know the Industry: Who are the company’s competitors, who are their customers and suppliers? What are the key business missions, messaging, and the recent benchmarks? What are the recent trends, challenges and opportunities in the industry? Be prepared to show your knowledge of the industry players/issues and how your experience and skill set is pertinent to the company’s business. Know the Position: Re-read the job description and be very clear on the duties. What examples can you offer of your experience in success at accomplishing these responsibilities? What are the most relevant highlights of your track record? Be prepared to elaborate on how your experience and skill set will contribute to the company’s success. Know your Take Away: Why are you the right person for the job? Why should they hire you instead of other candidates? How can you fit in and contribute immediately? Be prepared to communicate your take away message on why you are the right person for the job. Here are some examples to help you in your interview preparation. Ability and Career Initiative questions:
You want to paint a picture of yourself as a qualified, capable person, ready, willing and enthusiastic about contributing to the company’s mission. If you are looking for a new position because the last/current one was negative, or if you’ve been unemployed for a while, formulate your response carefully. Never share dirty laundry and don’t waste time on negatives. Focus on the proactive and the positive aspects of your interest in the opportunity you are interviewing for and what you can bring to the table. Show career pride and initiative. Competency-based questions:
You will definitely need to have real-life examples ready. Be prepared to explain how you resolved the situation favorably, what you learned, and how that experience could be applied to the work environment of your potential employer. You want to demonstrate your ability to work well with others, accomplish the mission, be accountable and proactive, and problem-solve. Real-life Work Scenario: You may have a real work problem laid before you, and be asked to describe how you would proceed. While this is a little harder to prepare for in advance, you should be thinking about the aspects of the role and draw from your past experience. This is similar to preparing for competency based questions. New-Age questions:
The interviewer is looking for a correct answer of an animal that is efficient, proactive, social, organized, and a fruit that mixes harmoniously in a fruit salad medley. Hopefully no one is ruled out because they say cat (sleeps a lot) or an avocado (doesn’t mix well in a fruit salad). Perhaps the true point is to see how you might react and if you have a sense of humor. Gauging Interest and Engagedness:
There is no wrong answer to these questions except to not have an answer. This is your opportunity to find out more about the company/management culture, goals, strengths, etc. And importantly, this is your chance to show your serious intent and enthusiasm for the company. If you have no more questions, take this time to express that the conversation has touched on all the points you wanted to explore more and that you appreciate the manager’s candor and time; leave them with the impression of satisfaction as opposed to disinterest. Formulate your responses using the STAR approach: When formulating your response, maximize the opportunity to demonstrate your professional success. Situation. Task. Action. Results. For example, if you are asked what you have done in your current position to improve your company’s bottom-line, “As the International Channel Manager (situation) of a company trying to gain market share in international markets (task), I spearheaded and drove an International Distributor meeting with focus sessions on marketing and sales strategies and tools, introduction to add-on products, as well as software localization and OEM technology and coordination (action). The result was 2 additional language versions of the software being produced, strengthened communications and renewed marketing and sales motivation with a 20% increase in International channel sales and a strengthened relationship with our channel partners (results). On the humorous side, YouTube videos: The Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRX0AQKFtwU ABC’s The Middle Mike Heck on an interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_H-jNCaEvI Do you have any funny interview questions or anecdotes? Please share them with us. February 5, 2010What is my return on investment when using a head hunter?
What is my return on investment when using a head hunter? That is a good question! How do you quantify the time and manpower employed to locate top talent with the best company fit? If you are in a smaller company, you probably have to invest you own time, time that you are not working on your business objectives, or you may have an administrative or junior colleague trying to understand the experience and skills you need and balance their own job duties. If you are in a larger company, you may even have an HR or internal recruiter. What is often missing is the ability to access top talent, across industry segments, whether from competitors or partners. One way to put a number on it is to ask yourself what you could have accomplished during the time you were looking for the right person, and how much time you spent with a potential candidate who didn’t meet your hiring objectives. Redfish Tech is a nation-wide recruiter. We specialize in High Tech and Renewable and Alternate Energy sectors. We have 15 years of experience and extensive networks in these industries. We can pull talent from all across the continent, and locate the right person quickly. We qualify candidates in terms of both experience and skills, and as regards company cultural fit. We partner with companies to streamline the process and get the right person within your time frame so that you can focus your time and energy on your core competencies. Redfish has access to top talent who may not be actively looking for a job, and we often are the first to know when experienced people have started looking for their next opportunity to contribute to a new company. We partner with you and put our extensive recruiting experience to work for you. We undertake the advertising, perform background checks, keep you informed as to job market conditions, and offer salary and benefit recommendations based on industry trends. We work on a retained or contingency basis, depending on the needs of your company and the difficulty of filling the position. A partnership with Redfish gives you a greater competitive edge and improved bottom line. Now that is worth taking to the bank. |
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