Following my article about LinkedIn for beginners, several people have asked what the next stage is with LinkedIn. Fortunately I don't have to write that one as there is a very good video below by Geoff Peterson - a global Top 150 linker - that explains very well how to further expand your network.
In a business world where communication is key, via websites, blogs, newletters, RSS feeds etc, recruiters are now more accountable than ever - not just to the companies that they provide a service for but also for candidates that they are interacting with every day. I therefore have a a nice question for all you recruiters out there that will get you thinking........ "Do you know who your clients are?"
In a sweepingly broad statement, recruitment organisations sit in two camps;
1. Client Driven (ie retained search). Specific targeted recruitment, aimed at finding well defined candidates. The clients engage the recruitment company and pay fees up front for this method (usually anyway!).
2. Candidate Driven (contingency | success only recruitment). Much larger volume based recruitment where it is focused on finding roles for the candidates. Payment is only forthcoming when the right candidate is found by the recruitment company.
So far you, as a recruiter can at least define which 'camp' you sit in. I think you would agree that in 1, the company that have engaged you are definitely your client. But with 2, is it the candidates you are working for or the companies who have vacancies that are your clients?
Just to muddy some waters here, just add to the mix the level of direct recruiting that is now going on with companies. They have been slowly (way too slow in many cases in my humble opinion!!) building their own direct resourcing capabilities, with the creation of Talent Pools of candidates interested in working for their companies. This change of focus has also been driven by the candidates themselves. Due to the level of information, career sites, Google, newletters etc candidates (especially the Y and soon to be Z generations - the employees of the future)) now actively target companies they want to work for themselves. They don't wait for recruitment companies to come knocking on their door with 'suitable' vacancies, they go and find these vacancies themselves.
So as a recruiter, who is more important to you - the companies looking for staff, or the candidates looking for a new job? They are both clients - but which one is your client?
Remember the chicken or the egg question?
I wanted to pose you a question, that I find myself regularly asking when speaking to companies. While HR and resourcing teams can happily recruit staff (well some of the time anyway!), do they actually know when a really good candidate - a category 'A' top talent individual - is presented to them?
If you asked an HR or resourcing person this, then of course they will say they would instantly recognise top talent. But from my experience I am not sure many of them do. Either through training resourcing teams or doing recruiting for companies, I have noticed that they are more focused on time saving, 'tick-boxing', actual CV processing and business pressures, rather than actually looking at the potential quality that they have in front of them (whether that be a CV or a candidate interviewing).
The question is whether this is down to a) the wrong people doing the recruiting? b) these people not actually understanding what they are looking for? c) bad (or lack of) training? d) they haven't 'bought into' their company and are focused on helping look to the future? or e) all of these points?!!
Of course there are some very good companies who do identify and recruit these top individuals, but I would put them in a minority (unfortunately!). So, do you have any ideas on my initial question posed?
Getting it right will win you business, but get it wrong and you can kiss that deal goodbye! What am I going on about? simple really, body language. This follows on from my previous post, and shows you all the positive and negative indicators that will show you where you need to improve, before you go into that 'big meeting'. Positive body language is all about how you make other feel. The most 'attractive' people in a room know how to make everyone else feel attractive and interesting, but the converse is unfortunately also true! Body language centres around clusters of gestures and expressions. These patterns of movement can be most revealing and show our true inner feelings. Test yourself - imagine the most recent meeting and see whether you are more positive or negative when it comes to other people.
Here are the positive body language movements that say "I like you" - it will also tell you if they're interested in you as well.
Continue reading "How to say, "I like you" without even speaking a word" »
I recently wrote a post about handshakes and their meanings, that attracted an incredible amount of interest, so I thought I would continue this theme. We all meet people everyday, whether it be candidates, colleagues, clients or or even prospective employers. We usually get just one chance to make that impression, and while many people focus on what needs to be said, there needs to be equal attention paid to your body language. Whether you are a blinker, a sloucher, a baboon or simply pushy, you need to aware of the characteristics that you are showing physically. This post deals with the body language we all use every day - some good, some bad! My other post on this subject shows the positive and negative indicators of body language.
There are ten main areas, defined by Robert Phipps that will identify your own body language and what you should be doing to make that right impression.
Continue reading "Are you a sloucher, a baboon or just plain pushy?" »
