Recruiters – Take a CUE From Your Clients

Wondering where to spend your time?  Take a CUE from your clients!

When we get to the heart of things in the recruiting world – it ends up being all about managing our most precious resource – TIME.  Let’s assume you’ve got to make a choice on where to spend the majority of your efforts and have several possible clients to choose from.

C is for COOPERATION.  It is vital for my client and I to share openly and clearly exactly what is going on at all times.  This is not a game to me – and though I enjoy playing hide and seek with my children my clients need to take my call.  I need to be able to discuss the specifics of the opening with the person who is actually hiring for their team.  When a candidate has a question I’d like to pick up the phone and have a discussion with my client contact.  Look for signs of cooperation before going too far down the wrong road.  Send them your fee statement and expect a signed/returned copy before going any further.

U is for URGENCY.  Having a fully cooperative client is a great start but we also must have a client who NEEDS to hire relatively soon.  Without a specific reason to fill the opening the process can often drag on for months at a time.  Don’t get me wrong – knowing of a company that will be hiring 3 months from now is awesome – but you’re not sending them an invoice within the next few weeks. So make sure to fully understand when/why/how they are going to be hiring IN THE FUTURE and move on.  Please don’t think for a minute this means we are looking for “desperate” clients.  Desperation to me suggests problems just under the surface.  The key is being able to discern the difference.

E is for EXPECTATION.  What are they looking for?  Is this person even out there?  Is the salary range right? Is the work itself a reasonable expectation for the new employee? Will they pay for relocation if needed?  What about your fee?  Hopefully they don’t expect you to work at an unrealistic rate.  What kind of interviewing process do they have?  I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve run into an interviewing process so riddled with tests, psych evaluations, 3 and 4 interviews, group lunch meetings, etc.  Those processes are not impossible – but they’re clearly not optimal either.

The above are just the tip of the iceberg in each category .  You know what you need to be successful.  Take a CUE from your clients and THEN decide where to spend your time!  Can you check off the C?  The U? The E?  If yes then you’ve got a great place to start.  If no then you know what you need to work on before moving ahead.

People lie. You know that. Don’t you?

Polygraph

Changing jobs is tough on people. They’re usually not comfortable with it – no matter how caring, transparent and helpful you are. Quite often the very people who say they’re interested decide during the process it is easier to lie to you than face their fears.

Sure – the thought of a new desk, brand new company and a clean start are appealing. We all enjoy being wanted. It’s human nature. But once we begin moving from theory (talking about a change) and into reality (you have an interview this Thursday) people begin second guessing things……and they will make up all sorts of excuses to slow things down. They don’t want to tell you what is really on their minds – they’d rather make up a convenient/plausible story as to why they need to “do it later”…….

Why do I bring this up? Simple. I will not ever reschedule an interview once it’s on the books. Period. And I’ll tell you why. After tracking every bit of activity on my recruiting desk one thing became clear – I never placed anyone that had their interview rescheduled. While I have no scientific evidence as to why this is the case I do have some ideas.

When an interview is on the books – and my candidate calls to reschedule I tell them in no uncertain terms: Nope. Either you find a way to make it happen or I’ll tell the client you’re not interested.

I then go on to explain to them exactly why. I let them know the chances of a rescheduled interview turning into a hire are very near zero. If they truly are interested then they need to make the appointment.

Do this. You’ll be surprised at what you find. Once you confirm your position as the professional in the situation – you can have the REAL discussion. This is when the true concerns are brought to the table. It’s a delicate conversation – but one that must occur.

Note: Once I realized this simple fact (roughly 5 or 6 years ago) I stopped rescheduling interviews. Could I have overlooked a placement or two? Possibly, but that’s the risk I decided to take.

(ORIGINALLY POSTED IN 2009 – But Some Facts Never Change……)

Virtual Holiday Party – 12/28/11 – 7 PM EST

Hey, everybody.  Your old Uncle Jerry here.

It’s no secret – I’m a party guy. And I’m an especially big fan of the Office Holiday party….but when everyone else is out having fun with the gang at the annual big do, I’m all alone with my desk and my phone.

You fellow work-from-homers know what I’m talking about: Office Christmas Parties! The one time each year you get to hang out with the boss and let your hair down a bit.

Well – I don’t get to do that. It’s been over a decade since I’ve raised a glass in anticipation of the holidays with my co-workers.

We changed all that last year.  Our first Virtual Holiday Party was a resounding success.  It’s time to to it again!

Please join your fellow Social Media Family of shut-ins and home bodies at 7 PM EST on the 28th of December – (Wednesday) as we celebrate the season!

Bring your favorite office party stories from years past, a few cocktails and something for the virtual gift exchange!

Call in number: 712-432-3066. Conference code: 500176.

Hashtag for the event – #VHP (Virtual Holiday Party)

Also for the more adventurous among us -we will be in a Google + hangout.  It’s a simple video chat.  If you’re not on G+ – this will be a good reason to check it out.  Once you’re signed up I’ll be able to invite you to the hangout.

Gonna have some Holiday Fun!

See you there!

P.S.  If you do actually get up, get dressed and leave your home each morning to work elsewhere – you’re still invited.  Join us!

I Don’t Work with HR….

I don’t work with HR – and I have the Little Mrs. wait in the car while I go into the bank and talk about the important stuff.

How old are you?  Where have you been the past decade?  Watching All in the Family reruns every night?  They call me old school – but I’m starting to wonder if I no longer deserve that label.  Perhaps you’re the one more deserving…….

Don’t work with HR?  What clients do you work with?  The mechanic down the street?  Your cousin’s Insurance agency?  Most companies large enough to use agencies are also sophisticated enough to involve HR in some capacity.  Now I’ll agree – some of those processes are just a mess and I won’t be successful.  But how do you know which is which until you check it out?

Yes there was a time when hearing “You’ll need to talk to HR” meant “See ya later!” but those times have changed.  HR is most likely the department that can shut you down or welcome you to the mission.  I prefer to think of them as the next (or even the first) step in securing a new client.

So when I see recruiters touting the old wives’ tale we were taught decades ago I just have to chuckle a bit.  Throw in the “Well – if we can’t recruit for ya the way we know best – we’ll just have to recruit from ya!” line and you’ve got a real winning business plan! (Not!)

Well that’s all I have on the subject for now……Gotta call an HR guy to see if we can wrap one up this week!

Grass Roots Movement

I’m starting a grass roots effort and could use your help friends. It’s called Occupy Cube Farms. Our first mission is located within a Big Insurance client located in the Midwest. (Michigan)

If you are a SQL DBA and want to be our observer – and even participate in the day to day goings on there – please call me privately to discuss this mission in detail. While you will have to accept a paycheck from them (so as to blend in with the other mindless drones contributing to their bottom line….) I will do my best to make sure it is not any more than enough to barely meet your basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.

Let’s do this!

260-347-1715

Are you a good fit for this job?

Who – me? You’re asking me if I’m a good fit for your job?

Well gimme a minute. You know what I do, right? I’m a recruiter! Nearly every person who follows you is a recruiter, resume coach, PR firm, ATS guy or HR lady. This is one giant fishbowl of people who DO NOT do what your client needs. So why do you keep up the exercise?

Remember waaaaaaaayyyy back a few years ago before social media? Remember how you actually had to put together a presentation? You know – a list of features and benefits? A general summary of reasons your prospect MIGHT want to consider your opportunity? Remember when the goal was to connect with people who know the skills your client is looking for? Remember the phrase “Say what you need to say to people you need to say it to?”

Did that just go out the window? Is “sales” no longer in style? Has anybody (ANYBODY) replied to your job tweets? Ever? Really? (Don’t fib now – it’s just you and me talking here…..)

My guess is no. This is not your “Talent Community.” It’s a Social Media Mutual Admiration Society. We do not know anyone who does what you are looking for.

And by they way – before you go on and on about how careful you’ve been about your follow list…..I looked. There’s not a single (fill in the blank) on your list. Or at least in the last hundred of so people that are following you. They’re all guys and gals like me…..and you. It’s us here – not them!

If someone on your list just happens to be a…….C++ Embedded SW Eng in NYC….here’s an idea. Call them. Get to know them! Why just throw out a random tweet or FB update hoping it happens to cross their newsfeed at exactly the same moment in time their eyes are looking at the screen? I mean – you don’t think they’ve got you set up with your own Tweetdeck column, do you? Just hoping, PRAYING that some point in the near future you’ll randomly tweet “Are you a good fit for this job” in front of a list of buzzwords tailored just for them….do you?

So why are you still doing it? Does it make you feel better? Like – you’re really working here? Like – this is business?

Here’s a tip for you – it’s not. You’re wasting your time. “Are you a fit for this job?” is not business – it’s a joke.

Get it? You’ve been had.

Time Kills All Deals? Nope…..

Time kills all deals, right? Or so we’ve been told. That seems to be a theme I see pop up from time to time. Almost as if we are “allowed” to blame “time” for our failures.

My concern with this excuse is quite simple. I do not believe it. Time is not the culprit in most situations – mismanagement is. Mismanagement of expectations, of process and steps along the way kills deals. Time is merely the scapegoat.

It seems over the years too many “enthused” recruiters have always appeared to be in a hurry to make things happen. So excited in fact they create a false sense of urgency for their candidates without having a thorough grasp on the time line in front of them. It’s almost as if by “telling” the client “we better move quick” they somehow change their corporate policies to accommodate your enthusiasm. It doesn’t work that way kids.

I tell each of my clients something that helps me get a handle on the process. I let them know in no uncertain terms I am in no rush. If they have a 4 week process – OK. Now I know. I’ll set the expectations with my candidates. I’m also fully prepared for a quick process. As a matter of fact – it doesn’t matter to me what kind of process (short of absurdity) is involved. I just need to know WHAT IT IS. As long as I know IN ADVANCE then I can do my job.

The key to success with any hiring process is to know WHAT it is: How many interviews, how many people, how long does it take to schedule an interview, when will I get feedback from each step, who has to agree, how that decision is made and what timeframes are involved.

It is only AFTER this discussion that I have a right, an obligation, to keep them on track. Only then can I say “Ms. Client, when we discussed this last week you told me you would be able to give me feedback within a day of the interview” or “My notes indicate there would only be 2 interviews……” whatever the case may be. Whenever things are not as previously discussed you then have the professional authority to say “Something has changed. Can you tell me what it is?”

If you don’t discuss it before it starts – how will you know when it’s not going the way it should?

Time kills all deals? Nope. Mismanagement does……..

Choices….

Choices….

As a small agency – we find ourselves in an interesting “predicament” at the moment: Which assignments should we work on? Now while I’m personally overjoyed with the opportunities at hand – I’ve got to make some tough decisions here.

Normally the clients that get our attention are the ones with the highest CUE ratings. For those that haven’t heard of it – CUE is pretty simple. We look at three things: Cooperation, Urgency and Expectation. When one of these areas is lacking it makes the decision pretty easy. In fact – without either cooperation, a need to hire NOW or a realistic expectation of salary vs. skills vs. availability – it’s nearly impossible to be successful.

But what do we do when there are several clients who need to hire NOW and offer every bit of cooperation we could hope for – combined with having realistic expecations of the talent available?

I’m in a quandary……

So as I’ve thought about our situation this morning I’ve come to the realization that another level of criteria needs to join the CUE. I’m going to add an “S”: Strategic.

What placements (if made) offer the biggest strategic impact for the future? How should we look at this? Multiple hires? Is this client in a marketplace that is expanding? If they are contract roles – which ones should last longer? Are there any critical hires that would help us strengthen our role with the client? What about recruiting on the positions in HR? Or for the leadership team…..placements which may offer a stronger client relationship in the future?

Oh my. So many things to consider. I love this profession!

Thoughts anyone?

A word about one of the best recruiters I’ve ever met……

Her name is Holly. In all my years of recruiting she has been one of the (very) few who is somehow able to come up with a great candidate for any position – anywhere – any time. She’s been a partner for quite a while – and on our team full time since the beginning of last year.

I wanted to just take a minute and give her the recognition she deserves. Here is a quick rundown of what she’s been able to accomplish in just the past month or so. Note: This is by no means her entire contribution – just some highlights!

We’ve been working quite a few searches for one of the more “discerning” clients to cross my desk in years. We’ve been hunting for an HR Manger in Southern Wisconsin for months. Many more months that I personally would have wanted to stick with it. But Holly doesn’t give up! Our client’s new HR Manager starts on the 14th. Thank you Holly!

Last week another client gave us a 48 hour exclusive for a PLC Software Contractor. I’ve never placed anyone in that field – neither has Holly……that is….until this morning! Her guy started at 9 am today. Thank you Holly!

In January a dear friend and split partner asked for our help in another area – a Computational Linguistics/Machine Learning Software Researcher. Are you kidding me? What is that? I still have no idea. But guess who does? Holly! Her guy starts in a few weeks. Thank you Holly!

Not impressed yet? Well – how about the call I got during the Animal show last week. A new client needed some immediate PC/Networking help for a few months. They need someone to start right away. After describing our service – (wherein the resume also has a play button on the top – and he will be listening to the candidate describe his/her background while he reviews the resume) – he was looking forward to hearing someone describe their experience fixing printers, working with Group Policy and their background with Windows 2003 and 2008.

Guess what? Within 3 hours he was listening to a fully qualified and interested technician describe the exact experience and background he is looking for. They’ll be interviewing tomorrow at 9 am.

Thank you VERY MUCH Holly!

Would you borrow $12K knowing you had to pay back $150 – $300K?

Of course you wouldn’t! That would be out of the question in anyone’s opinion, right? Well – that’s exactly what you are going to do when you go to work for another agency.

Sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Believe it or not that is happening throughout the staffing world! As the economy rebounds and jobs start opening up – many recruiters are now looking at either changing agencies or getting back into recruiting from being off for a while.

Let me be clear: When you get hired into an agency you are expected to generate business. In most cases you’ll be expected to go find an opening and then fill it. That’s what we do. There is no magic box awaiting you at your new desk. Probably a computer, a phone and a few new pens. YOU are the one bringing the magic!

So there you are. Let’s say you have a reasonable draw. $4k would be a good starting point. So you dive in – ready to make something happen. By the end of your first month you have a few sendouts. Ending the second month you’ve probably got a placement or two in the pipleline. By the end of the 3rd month you’ve made a placement and are heading toward your next. Right? You bet I am.

But what if you don’t have anything happening? You’ll be canned. You didn’t bring the magic. Your desk will be cleaned out and another hopeful staffer will be brought in to replace you. And you get to go try again.

What I’m getting at is this. You HAVE TO MAKE A PLACEMENT EITHER WAY! Get it? So why borrow 10-12 thousand dollars to get started when you will then be paying back 50-60% of every placement you make for eternity? See the math here? Over the course of 2, 3, 4 years just look at how much money you will be paying back for the initial loan to get started? The numbers are staggering!

When I got my start in recruiting (1987) it would have been impossible to start working for myself. There was no internet. Boolean strings were not a common term being thrown around. Client names were found only in the Harris Directory and what we called the Blue Book. Our database was a giant cluster of drawers filled with candidate folders. You HAD to be with an agency. There was just no way around it. And the phone bills? Outrageous!

It is such a wide open world now. Everything you could want is right at your fingertips. Candidates, company names, no long distance charges – you name it. If you’ve been in recruiting a few years and are looking for something new you should consider becoming an independent recruiter. Do yourself a HUGE favor – hire yourself!

Feel free to call me directly if I can help in any way! 260-347-1715. (Confidentially of course!)