April 30, 2012The Dos and Don’ts of Interview Follow-UpThe Dos and Don’ts of Interview Follow-Up
By Beth Cliff, IT Engineering Recruitment Manager, Redfish Technology When working with a recruiter, let that person know how it went. Give them a call shortly after the interview to give your impressions, discuss anything unexpected that came up, affirm your interest, and discuss next steps in the process. (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?
February 6, 2012Staffing & Employment News: Recovery Gaining SpeedStaffing & Employment NewsRecovery Gaining Speed
The economy produced more jobs than expected in January, with an overall net increase of 243,000 and a private sector addition of 257,000. The last two months of 2011 had a net upward revision of 60,000. Private-sector gains were led by professional and business services (+70,000), leisure and hospitality (+44,000), and manufacturing. Unemployment dipped as well, falling to the lowest rate in three years. The household survey indicated a drop to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent in December. The U.S. Economy grew by 2.8 percent in Q4 2011 according to the Commerce Department. This was 1% higher than A3. The Federal Reserve’s Business Outlook Survey showed regional manufacturing activity continued to expand moderately in January, and firms continued to report hiring increases. The survey’s broad indicators stayed in positive territory again this month. Recruiters in specialized sectors are staying busy. Greg Schreiner, Clean Tech Recruitment Manager at Redfish Technology, reports that 2011 finished off with a bang and January 2012 hasn’t showed any signs of slowing. “The hiring managers I work with a expressing continued optimism overall” stated Schreiner, “it is an exciting time in CleanTech recruiting, especially in Solar, ESCO, and renewable technologies.” A recent survey by Talent Technology reveals that 63.4% of respondents see signs of economic pressure letting up within their organization in 2012, and 51.4% expect to increase in size within the next 12 months (by about 12%). The Vistage CEO Survey reported the largest quarterly gain in confidence since 2009 as of Q4, and the employment picture in 2012 is looking rosy. Starting off the year with strong signs of improvement in the economy, hiring too is on the rise. The Q4 2011 CEO Confidence Index reported 94 percent of CEOs expecting their firm’s total number of employees to increase or remain the same in the next year. 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…) September 5, 2011Staffing & Employment NewsStaffing & Employment NewsLosing MomentumFriday’s BLS economic report clearly shows that momentum in the labor market has stalled: nonfarm private payrolls increased by a meager 17,000, but as government payrolls declined by 17,000 the net job creation for August was nil. This is the lowest increase in private payrolls since February 2010, and the 4th consecutive month of weak growth. In the last consecutive 18 months, the economy did add 2.4 million private sector jobs. What is the problem?The pundits cite: The Verizon Communications strike that caused decline of approximately 45,000 in nonfarm payrolls last month. The recent federal debt ceiling debate fiasco, the S&P downgrade, and the stock market debacle of August. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index published for the month also showed a sharp decline. The lack of demand is by far the largest problem, leading to this slow pace of hiring, especially in small firms in “core” services. And yet, thankfully, for the moment layoffs have not picked up. Staffing Professionals PredictStaffing organizations and recruiters seem to have a more optimistic projection. (more…) August 29, 2011Winning the Tech Talent War, by Andy Nacsin, Executive Recruiter at Redfish TechnologyWinning the Tech Talent War Andy Nacsin by Andy Nacsin, Executive RecruiterIn today’s economic situation, companies are facing multiple new challenges when it comes to staffing. According to Forrester Research, today’s recruiting growth rate prediction is at 8%. Many theorists believe that this is because of the looming talent shortage and disconnect between positions open and skills of candidates applying. Another factor is that companies, while emerging from recession, are still remaining cautious on spending and are very selective when acquiring talent, regardless of their growing need to add headcount. Our nationwide overall unemployment rate has been hovering around 10%, and yet when we take a closer look within technology these numbers are closer to 4%. Other considerations that are affecting this climate are employee turnover, Baby Boomers retiring, more restrictive policies on foreign workers, companies resistant to relocation costs, and overall reluctance from employees to change jobs. So our challenge is how to cope with a growing talent shortage within the high tech and green tech industries. The battle for top sales people and engineers is extraordinary in Silicon Valley and New York – These are our Talent War battle zones. The majority of technology growth occurs in these two large geographic regions and they also typically house the greatest number of top tier talent. (more…) August 8, 2011Jobs Growth Anemic, yet Senior Talent in Shortage in Certain SectorsJobs Growth Anemic, yet Senior Talent in Shortage in Certain SectorsADP/BLSLeading up to the BLS employment report on Friday, ADP estimated private payrolls rose 114,000 in July. The BLS figures came in 117,000 nonfarm employment and 154,000 in total private employment. Gains were seen in health care, retail trade, manufacturing, and mining; while Government employment continued to decline. Manufacturing employment increased in by 24,000, professional and technical services increased by 18,000, Government employment decreased by 37,000. The unemployment rate stayed put at 9.1% (13.9 million people). AESC / Executive SearchAccording to the Association of Executive Search Consultants’ (AESC), 66% of search professionals have a positive prediction for their industry in the second half of the year. The biggest growth in demand for senior talent is in the Energy/Natural Resources sector. The United States is experiencing a “sustained resurgence of demand” according to AESC President, Peter Felix. Worldwide, the General Management/CEO/COO functions are anticipated to experience the greatest shortage of talent, followed by Business Development and then Engineering. (more…) July 14, 2011Market and Talent Competition Heating Up, Redfish Introduces Webinar on Closing Candidates in a Hot Job MarketMarket and Talent Competition Heating Up, Redfish Introduces Webinar on Closing Candidates in a Hot Job Market“As the market heats up, candidates no longer go months without returned phone calls, but rather, quite the opposite,” reports Executive Recruiter Joanna Edwards. “With a positive shift in the economy comes a new set of challenges that hiring managers must be prepared to combat.”  Closing Candidates: A How To in a Hot Job Market
As a corporate matchmaker, it is Redfish’s mission to help companies find their ideal candidates. In response to changing market conditions, Redfish has been advising companies on evolving talent acquisition strategies. The dialogue continues in the first of a new series of webinars for hiring managers in the High Tech and Green Tech industries: “Closing Candidates: A How To in a Hot Job Market.” July 11, 2011Staffing & Employment News from Redfish TechnologyStaffing & Employment NewsGloom and confidence, contradictory predictions on hiring and profitsGloomy employment report numbers a surpriseThe Employment Report for June has been called “moribund” and “abysmal”. On the eve of the report however, ADP predicted month-to-month strength in private payroll data, estimating a 157,000 gain. Other analysts also predicted better gains, projecting 125,000 in June. Instead, the BLS reported private payrolls at 75,000 and overall nonfarm payrolls at 18,000 due to declines in government sector employment (39,000 in June, 48,000 in May). Confidence down despite projected rise in profitsThe Conference Board measure of CEO Confidence dipped in the second quarter to 55, after rising in Q1 to 67. Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center said: “CEO confidence cooled considerably in the second quarter, a reflection of a sluggish U.S. economy. Looking ahead, expectations are that this slow pace of economic growth will continue. Regarding the outlook for profits over the next 12 months, the news was a bit more favorable, with about 70 % of CEOs anticipating profit increases.” (more…) April 25, 2011Revisit Your Mission: Strengthen Corporate Culture and Better Serve Your Employees and Clients.Revisit Your Mission: Strengthen Corporate Culture and Better Serve Your Employees and Clients. Heidi Clark By Heidi Clark, COO,CHO, Redfish Technology, Inc. Change. It’s something that we naturally resist and yet is a very important part of any organization. Redfish is, has been and always will be changing. Since we opened our doors fifteen years ago, we’ve seen many cycles and shifts of the market – from the Dot Com to the Dot Bomb to the 2007 Recession. We’ve seen the highest highs in the tech market and the lowest lows. As Redfish has grown, so have we and in that growth there has been a deepening of purpose. In our efforts to embrace and reflect this change, reviewing our mission statement becomes our first priority. (more…) December 22, 2010Happy Holidays from Redfish Technology
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