Sirona Says

How do you successfully extract people from 'happy jobs' to fill your role?

This week I have had three particular conversations with people I know well that have all ended with me (for once) being lost for an immediate answer to their problem!  The cause for my dilemma has been the current employment landscape!!

All three conversations have been along the same lines, so let me para-phrase the scenario:

Large blue chip company looking to recruit senior sales and marketing roles. They are well established, have a solid financial track record, have a good reputation and are paying good salaries. They do have high standards (as you would expect) but not unrealistic, and there is proven career progression.
These companies have been trying to recruit these roles for several months, and have even got to offer stages (all of them), but were all counter offered, and subsequently lost their candidates.

The question I was asked was this, "What do we have to do to find great people that actually want our jobs, and extract them from their current employers?"

Now as you might expect, I have covered many things with them in trying to help them understand why they are having problems such as; salary, package, location, spec, profile, company profile, brand, career, training, development, employment brand, understanding candidate motivation, approach of the recruitment agencies, which agencies they use, products they are selling, travel, market perception etc etc

I would just like to say that they are all being realistic and prepared to be flexible where they can, but there does come a point where you draw the line!
The impression that these people have been left with, is that yes there are many candidates 'looking for a job', but when it comes to the crunch they won't make the ultimate commitment and leave, citing the economy and 'maybe in six months time' as reasons.

WHY?

This is where you come in!
A question for all you recruiters or candidates out there - how do companies like the ones above entice people away from a good job? What can they do to make them take the final step and actually leave their current company?
I would really like to hear your ideas?

Innovation or Madness? New Recruitment company, Playfair and Noble, pay 50% of their fee to the successful candidate!

Do you ever get emails from companies looking to 'sell you' their company? Probably like you, I get a fair amount arriving in my inbox each week. So you could probably say that I am a little sceptical (too long in the recruitment world, I am afraid!!)

So it was a really pleasant surprise to see a recruitment platform (from non-recruitment people I might add) that is daring to be different and placing its big kahuna's right there on the middle of the recruitment table to be chewed at!! (Metaphorically of course!)

Now before you think I am over dramatising this a little, let me tell why it is so different - This company actually pays the successful candidate  50% of the fee they get paid from their clients!!  And before any of you recruiters say it won't work (like I did before I spoke to them), they have done their maths, and they believe it will.

Now that I have your attention let me tell you the company - Playfair and Noble - and with a name like that, and the offering they are proposing, it won't surprise you to guess that ethics are a HUGE part of what they stand for.
Basically they have a real issue with recruitment agencies.

A great new Twitter tool for job seekers - TwitterJobSearch

I came across this a couple of days ago, and it seems to have taken the Twittersphere by storm with its interest and simplicity!
It is a web site called TwitterJobSearch and it is a fantastcially simple, yet brilliant, website for searching all the jobs placed on Twitter by companies and recruitment agencies alike.
The screen shot above shows how simple it is - you search for job title or location etc, hit search and bingo all the jobs that meet the criteria materialise, instantly.
What I like is that the integrity of the individual tweets are maintained, so you can go off and follow those companies or agencies that seem to be posting jobs on Twitter that suit your needs.

TwitterJobSearch is clever in that it draws in every vacancy posted on Twitter, and the new web-based service analyses and restructures the data, extending each job’s reach and visibility to everyone online. Developed by Workhound, the UK’s leading job search engine, TwitterJobSearch will be joined by a whole suite of smart, semantic search services for recruitment in other social media channels over the coming months.

(Although they may have some fun with Facebook!!)

Also, there is an RSS feed created for any search you might want to do, which is very useful if you want to track certain job titles, locations etc. This will immediately become an important tool for anyone looking for a new job!

I know it is very new, but already I think it is just brilliant - well the simple ideas always are aren't they?

Ten Ways to use Facebook to find a job

There are many tools out there in the social media space, and you could be confused by trying to cover all of them - especially if you have recently lost your job and need to find a new one. But for me it is about getting a balance with using a smaller number social media tools that stand the most chance of being effective AND suit you to engage with on a regular basis.
So for me they are LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogging and of course Facebook. This then gives you an even spread across the business focused LinkedIn, the immediacy and 'freshness of Twitter', the personal brand building of blogging and the social networking that is Facebook.

Up until recently Facebook has been the preserve of social networking only, with any overt activity on the job front being somewhat frowned upon. However, two things have changed that - the first being the recession and the need for many people to find new employment, and second, the sheer speed at which Facebook is growing globally - literally millions every week! So now individuals, companies and recruiters are becoming more focused on using Facebook, both from candidate searching and job finding perspective..

I have looked at how you can use Facebook in the most effective way to to help job seekers find a job, and recruiters find the job seeker - both of which are very important in the proactive part of the job marketplace.
So here are ten ways to use Facebook to find a job:

1. Don't forget the public nature of Facebook
While I am sure you do appreciate the public nature of information on the internet, don't forget that just because you are looking for a job. You must assume that everything you write is available for public consumption, and that means any future employers. Many companies now do some internet searching and check the validity of their future employees - yes I know they will all tell you they don't, but I can confidently tell you that's rubbish, they do!
So if you have a profile on LinkedIn and other sites, make sure they all tell the same story! Also make sure your details are all accurate. As I tell everyone, don't put anything on your online profile that you wouldn't want an employer to see.

2. Pimp your profile.
You need to ensure that you have a full profile, and that it reads akin to a CV or Resume.What you must remember is that when companies or recruiters are searching for candidates, they are 'conditioned' to view prospective candidates in a traditional way (right or wrong). So in the art of stating the obvious - give them what they expect.
It is important to highlight your assets and project an accurate representation of yourself. Make sure your education history is correct, with correct dates; your employment history need to be correct, again with correct dates - and just in case you think you can get away with changing the dates, don't even bother - it is very easy to check! ; list any volunteer work or work done through your degree (sandwich courses); check your group memberships  -you may want to remove some of the more 'seemed fun at the time' groups you joined - would you want an employer to see them?

Facebook is used to recruit a UK World Champion

Facebook, is now being used more widely as a recruitment tool. A recent success story shows just how effective Facebook can actually be for recruitment.

The UK is not renowned for its huge numbers of bobsledder's, so when recruiting for new team members, some creativity was needed, highlighting  the skills needed rather than the experience - please take note employers!
The No 1 women's bobsleigh driver Nicola Minichello, was looking for answers. She knew that her team needed boosting with new talent to challenge for medals, but since it was not forthcoming, she started her own talent search......on Facebook.

From her initial search, she shortlisted twenty candidates, that she felt met her criteria  then she got emailing. Following, some communications and subsequent trials, they found an absolute star, in the name of Edinburgh long jumper Gillian Cooke. She was so good that she went straight into the No 1 team.

After a series of top 3 finishes in various World Cup races, they capped it all with a Gold Medal, by winning the recent Bobsleigh World Championships in Lake Placid in New York.

So if anyone says to you that you can't use Facebook, to successfully find very specific skills, then let this story be a great example of how good Facebook can be as a recruiting tool. 

Don't **** off the recruiters before you start - the little details count!

How many times have you pressed send, and then sworn out loud at your computer screen? I bet it has happened many times!!

Maybe you didn't notice the mistakes straight away.....but I guarantee one thing - the person you have just sent your CV to, whether it is the agency recruiter or the company HR person will notice.
What you have done is just finished you application before you have even started. And with today's tight market, it is the attention to detail that is going to make the difference in your communications with agencies and employers.

Having received many CV's over my career, I personally get really ****ed off when job seekers, make the silliest mistakes when doing something so important like applying for a job. It is madness, and usually means an instant reject. This may seem a little harsh, but if a job seeker can't be bothered to get the little details right, then for me, it is an indicator of things to come.

So it is absolutely crucial that when you communicate with people via email, to either submit the CV or make the job application (which is invariably by email) that you get your details right.
Just as an aside - how mad do you feel when you get emails that have typo's, wrong names and even inappropriate suggestions?
The Guru that is Seth Godin ( @LisaHoffman - great post but I think Seth is an exception and is a true expert) says that you should question yourself, every time, before you hit the send button on your email. Here are a selection of things that Seth says you must make sure you check before you send your email:

1. Have you got their name spelt correctly, and I mean correctly. My biggest beef!!
2. If it is a cold-call email, and you're sure it's welcome, and you're sure it's not spam, then don't apologize. If you need to apologize, then yes, it's spam, and you'll get the hurt you deserve.
3. Am I angry? (If so, save as draft and come back to the note in one hour).
4. Could I do this note better with a phone call?Totally - pick up the phone!
5. Am I blind-ccing someone? If so, what will happen if the recipient finds out?
6. Is there anything in this email I don't want anyone seeing? (If so, hit delete).
7. Is any portion of the email in all caps? (If so, consider changing it.)
8. Is it in black type at a normal size?
9. Do I have my contact info at the bottom? Don't send it without this!
10. Have I included the line, "Please save the planet. Don't print this email"? (If so, please delete the line and consider a job as a forest ranger or flight attendant).
11. Could this email be shorter?
12. Is there anyone copied on this email who could be left off the list?
13. Have I attached any files that are very big? (If so, google something like 'send big files' and consider your options.)
14. Have I attached any files that would work better in PDF format?
15. Are there any :-) or other emoticons involved? (If so, reconsider).
16. Am I forwarding someone else's mail? (If so, will they be happy when they find out?)
17. Did I hit 'reply all'? If so, am I glad I did? Does every person on the list need to see it?
18. Am I quoting back the original text in a helpful way? (Sending an email that says, in its entirety, "yes," is not helpful).
19. If this email is to someone like Seth, did I check to make sure I know the difference between its and it's? Just wondering.
20. Are there any little animated creatures in the footer of this email? Adorable kittens? Endangered species of any kind? Funny, but it does happen!

This is why Seth is so brilliant, he takes everyday tasks and strips them down to make you think.

Has he missed anything?

Recruiters giving good customer service - a thing of the past or a need for the future?

 
Where is all the service going today? I have just gone to buy a newspaper today, and while it was being scanned the sales assistant started reading the damn paper - she even opened it up to get the relevant page to get the end of the story!! When I said something she just grunted and carried on with the shopping - no apologies what so ever!! (I did keep calm and I carefully removed the embedded axe from her head before paying and leaving the store :-)) It did make me think though, about the service level analogy within the recruitment sector.

How many times do we hear of companies complaining that recruitment consultants are crap at this and crap at that? Admittedly there are a few dodgy ones out there, but there are also a great number of good quality consultants as well.

The recruitment marketplace is proving a challenge to many recruiters out there. The belief of many 'experts' is that many recruitment agencies and consultancies will cease to exist in the form they are today. They may go under, merge or just give up and get a 'proper job!', but one thing is for certain - they are going to have to improve their levels of customer service.

The ones that plan to be around for the post recession boom, need to understand how to operate in in an increasingly buyer-dominated environment. There is very stiff competition between the recruiters for new business (yes there is still companies hiring out there!), and with the job boards weighing in to pitch at the companies directly as well, the recruiters are going to have to adopt different ways of working.

Here are my suggestions about what recruiters are going to have to do to to start maximising their customer service levels:

1. Think like the customer. Empathy and understanding of the customer’s business objectives will be at the heart of future recruiting assignments.

2. Relationship building. Creating a long term partnership across the customer organisation rather than the traditional adversarial sales based relationship.

3. Team work. Recruiters will need to collaborate openly with colleagues across their own organisation to ensure the best possible service to their customers.

4. Knowledge. Successful recruiters will have an in-depth knowledge of their customer’s business and overall market that allows them to find opportunities to deliver value.

5. Customer service. Providing consistently excellent customer service is critical to retaining business. Therefore recruiters will need to be closely involved with ensuring ongoing customer satisfaction.

If they don't change, then like some job seekers, the companies will just stop using recruitment agencies for anything other than absolute emergencies. (Mind you some could say many companies are doing that now!) 

Can you add to my ideas? More importantly, do you agree?

Who is actually helping the unemployed find a job?

Every single day in the media there is news of more redundancies - even the BBC have put a job loss tracker on their website - but have you ever taken a minute to think who is actually helping these people find a job. And when I mean helping them get back to work, I don’t mean assistance in filling in a form at the local Job Centre!

What I mean is proper and honest advice from professionals that can actually help and advise these people that have lost their jobs - people that can actually add some real value to helping the unemployed find work.

This post came about from an article of Fistful of Talent that I read earlier today concerning the trend in the USA for people to charge circa $2000 to write CV’s for executives looking for work. This particular post started my cogs going and I then started to think about the UK, and how people are actually going to find work again.

So what are the ways that people can get help in writing a CV, interview skills, using the internet job boards as well as many more areas of job hunting? Where do they go and what chances of success should they expect?

So who is helping the unemployed find a job?

Schools/Colleges career advisors
Suffice to say that, in my opinion, the majority of these people are just way off the mark. I have seen the advice they have given out to a good number of people and quite frankly, it is mostly common sense and a waste of time. They are usually too far detached from the real world and the harsh realities of the working world. There will of course be some very good advisors out there who care passionately about their students finding work, and if you have been exposed to them then you are very lucky.
Chances of them helping you with finding your first job – Nil – zero. (But they can recommend a nice university course that will put you £15k in debt though!)

Are Job Seekers wasting their time with Recruitment Agencies?

Every day now there are seemingly endless amounts of people ending up in the queues at the Job Centres. Even today, the Government are trying to help the middle classes who have found themselves out of work in this recession, with special initiatives to help them find work.

So, as someone who has spent their career in the recruitment sector, I find myself asking questions of the industry and whether there should be some evolution in the way that job seekers are advised to find a job. 

I have recently questioned if it is right, to pay a career consultant to help find a job, which prompted some interesting discussion.

Today, I want to focus on recruitment agencies - are they a waste of time for job seekers?

Are Job Seekers now having to deal with Interviewers that have returned to the Dark Side?

Just like Star Wars has been enjoying a resurgence of popularity with the good that is, Luke Sywalker fighting the evil that is, Darth Vadar, it seems like the Evil has returned to the job market!

There is one simple reason why this is happening - the global credit crunch.
The unfortunate effect of the recession is that many more people are looking for, and applying for jobs. And this has given the interviewers too much choice!

So why is this a problem?

Many interviewers - and I include both corporates and recruitment agencies in this - don't possess a fantastic array of interviewing skills. They have probably taught themselves through experience, and it is unlikely that they will have had much training at all. For approximately 12 months prior to the start of the credit crunch, these interviewers were really 'trying hard' to up their game when interviewing new candidates - they had to as there were very limited job seekers out there. So we saw them working hard at learning new skills like competency interviewing, taking advice from colleagues and, dare I say it, actually doubting whether they had the skills to be able to interview in the first place! Then came the credit crunch......

Now there is more choice and some ugly habits have returned!