Sendouts Blog

What Makes You So Different?

During the Sales process we are frequently asked "What makes you different than your competitors?"  I know the answer to that question but when I turn it around on the client they occasionaly stumble through their words.  Think about how you place yourself and your firm within the industry and what are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses?  Maybe you focus on quality or industry knowledge.  I would love to see more companies (in any industry) focus on Customer Service. 

Tuesday's Child is...Full of Productivity

Robert Half International produced a study that found Tuesday is our most productive day at work. The thought process is that we spend Mondays getting our "to-do lists" in order, so that Tuesday is spent accomplishing the tasks. My question is, what happens Wednesday through Friday?

I recently read an article that reported companies lose an average of two hours per day of employee productivity because of multitasking and related interruptions. The study also found that this loss added up to $588 billion in lost productivity. 

If you are a recruiter, you know what I'm talking about. You've spent countless hours on non-income producing tasks. Here are some things to look out for as well as a few suggestions:

• E-mail A-D-D: We tend to open our e-mails every time it dings. While we might feel obligated to see who's vying for our attention, it completely disrupts our workflow. Here are some suggestions: If your e-mail is more than a few sentences, pick up the phone instead. Also, only check your e-mail three times a day.
• Not working from a "to-do list:" Don't follow in the footsteps of the Robert Half International's study participants. You should have a prioritized "to-do list" every workday. With a prioritized list, you aren't so susceptible to the day's ad hoc events. It also creates a specific, proactive purpose.
• Not finishing what you began: Stop jumping from task to task. Everytime you start and stop, minutes and eventually hours are tacked on. Stay focused on the task at hand. For starters, put your phone on silent and let your voicemail answer calls. Stay glued to your seat until you've worked from point A to point Z. Put a Post-It note on your monitor that states what you're working on. It sounds silly, but believe me, it helps.

The industry's top-producing recruiters have found ways to stay focused and increase productivity. The bottom line for recruiters is focusing on tasks that generate income. 

Hat Tip, Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk

Low Tech 2.0

A couple of blogposts have brought up how Web 2.0 has reached out of cyberspace and is impacting the "real world". Rohit, with the Influential Marketing Blog introduced Nametag 2.0 and has introduced a great way to incorporate social media in a non-PC (or Mac) environment.

A Nametag 2.0 offers more than just your name - it also gives a snapshot of who you are and why people would want to interact with you, as well as giving them the vital "2.0-style"

John Jantsch of the Duct Tape Marketing Blog dug up a clever politician who has brought social media to the front yard campaign sign.

This is a brilliant application of offline social media and user generated content and gives the campaign hundreds of potential marketing messages and a variety of eye-catching signs instead of the same old boring uniform sign that blends into the landscape.

Both of these examples highlight how user created content can leach into everyday life and become useful outside of a web-browser. For the recruiting professional, taking away some of these low-tech options could be an ice-breaker when attending networking events or conferences where prospective clients may be.

Is The Economy Trying To Tell You Something?

Yesterday I spoke with a client who asked me how we are "doing in this economy." I said "Actually we've had several record breaking months this year." That wasn't the response he was expecting but it was the truth. If we are doing well then our clients must be doing well, or maybe they are wisely taking advantage of the economy and investing in software to better manage their day. If you are experiencing slower activity than normal I might suggest using this time to strengthen your relationship with your candidates and to invest in yourself. Everything that previously fell outside of your priorities can now become one. Recruiting and Sourcing Secrets recently listed an array of practical ideas to polish yourself. 

Okay, The economy is slow and you are not hiring or you have just slow down? What you do .. the first thing that comes to mind is that its a good time to build future pipeline. Its a great time to network with candidate, make relationships,  jump into the world of social media or networking , look at the many sites you always wanted to dig deeper, work more on your ATS, above all may now you have the time to organize your outlook folders and clean up all the emails.

The Art of Interviewing

A few nights ago, my roommate was in tears. It all stemmed from an interview that went terribly wrong. It wasn't her interview; nor was she conducting the interview. She recommended her friend's sister for a position at the company she works for. The candidate met every job qualification, and my roommate had no qualms about recommending her.

Perhaps out of curiosity or maybe as a courtesy, my roommate followed up with the interviewers to see how things went. This quickly turned into one of those situations where "you wish you never asked."

Apparently, her friend's sister was completely unprepared for the interview. For starters, she knew nothing about the company and fumbled and bumbled when trying to disguise her obvious lack of knowledge. Secondly, when asked to see examples of her work, she provided college term papers (the position was a professional writing position). She claimed she hadn't kept copies of her published works.

I'm always surprised to hear about interviews that have gone poorly based on lack of preparation. Mary Elaine Ramos wrote a gentle reminder about the necessity of preparing for interviews. She also included a YouTube video that shows an interview that doesn't go so well.

In this digital age, it's incredibly easy to prepare for an interview. From background information on a company to background information on an interviewer, most prep work is at our fingertips. Just about every company has a Web site. Plus there are social/professional networking sites (like LinkedIn) where candidates can get professional and personal information about the people who will be interviewing them.

Most recruiters use an "interview checklist" to ensure their candidates are prepared for the interview. The checklist is simple reminder of tips that many people consider to be implied understandings. It's rarely a bad thing to be overprepared, so even if you think you're ready for the big day (or your candidate is), check out the checklist, and check into a new career. Unfortunately, in my roommate's case, the basic fundamentals of "being prepared" just weren't understood.

Quite Simply Use Indeed To Get Hired.

Web 2.0 technologies are becoming increasingly accepted as relevant recruiting tools. They allow recruiters a larger web footprint (your reach across the web) to find talent, fill job orders, and build strong networks. Two of these sites that are becoming more and more popular for candidates seeking positions are SimplyHired and Indeed. These sites are known as job aggregators and provide job seekers one location to search jobs from traditional boards, newspapers, and private recruiters. In a post on Altsearchengines.com, Lucas Mast of SimplyHired points out:

It is incredibly important that we search every place imaginable to bring our users all available jobs, whether you are looking for a job as an accountant in Los Angeles or as a tattoo artist in Topeka.  If we can bring job seekers relevant content that they will not find elsewhere in one place, we would consider that a “win”.

SimplyHired and Indeed also power the job search pages on wildly popular sites like MySpace, Facebook, Linkedin, and Vault, giving recruiters' marketed job orders a ton of exposure. Both job aggregators should be considered valuable accessories to the recruiter toolbox. With exposure to millions of job seekers across multiple social platforms, SimplyHired and Indeed could bring real value and save time when making placements.

Getting the Most MPG Out of LinkedIn

Linkedin has established itself as an excellent tool for recruiters to find top talent. With its ever-growing user base, Linkedin has become an excellent networking tool. However, some users may not be utilizing Linkedin to its fullest potential. Leo Babauta put together an excellent list on Web Worker Daily highlighting 20 ways to use Linkedin more productively.

1) Increase freelance work. If you’re a freelancer, or you want to be, getting work can sometimes be a challenge. Or perhaps you get a lot of work, but you want to focus more on quality work that gets you the highest pay per hour. Set up a profile that shows what you can do, your experience, what you have to offer. Link up with others you know, and you’ve got a free way to market your services. It could take awhile before the jobs start rolling in, but it can’t hurt to start now.

2) Find your dream job. You’ve already got a job, but it’s far from perfect. What you really want to do is create the perfect widget. Well, you’ll never get a job doing that if you just sit on your keister. Put yourself out there on LinkedIn, search for companies that are looking for perfect widget makers, and contact them. The search for the dream job starts with a single click.

3) Boost your business. Got a small business but want to generate more customers? Perhaps you’re not connecting with the right people. LinkedIn can increase your chances of hitting that big deal that puts your business exactly where you want to be. Again, this can take some time, but it doesn’t hurt to give it a try.

4) Improve your Google results. When someone Googles you, do you really want the first thing they see to be your posts on the fly fishing forum? As your LinkedIn profile will have a fairly high Google PageRank, it should rank fairly high in your search results. And you can fill it with stuff you want people to see.

Buzzword Overkill

In a Digital Recruiter blogpost, Rob Humphrey wrote a hilarious piece about sitting through a three-day Applicant Tracking System (ATS) vendor evaluation. Apparently Rob was bored, so he started counting how many times certain buzzwords were being used.

No matter what industry you are in, chances are you are subject to buzzword overkill. The fact that "buzzword" is such a popular word in itself suggests a horse has been beaten to death.

The truth is, we are all guilty of using them. I'm guessing a sans-buzzword world is fairly idealistic. It's unfortunate, because I truly think that buzzword-free language will help build more personal relationships with clients and candidates.

I do have some ideas on how to get around using buzzwords.

• Use simple language.
• Give anecdotes. Try telling a compelling story instead.
• The less time you spend conjuring up new buzzwords, the more time you can spend with your candidates and clients.

The last bullet point is my favorite because simply spending more time with candidates and clients will give you the best ROI for time well spent. Anyone spot the obnoxious buzzword in that last sentence?

Career Hopscotching

Recruiters know them well. I am referring to the infamous "serial hoppers" --  those who can't stay in one job long enough to produce anything of value that covers the company's onboarding expenses.  Fistful of Talent's Tim Tolan (also a skilled recruiter) discussed these candidates, who he jestfully suggests have career Attention Defiicit Disorder. Tim writes:

I'm just not sure how much hiring managers will relax their standards when considering an executive who has the entire package -- but has no ability to land anywhere long enough to prove they have what it takes to lead.

A 2007 silicon.com article noted that in the IT sector, the average job stint was three years (according to IT recruitment consultants, Robson Taylor). Some candidates are looking for better wages and some just want to move into a new area of technology.

Either way, in the face of our current economic downturn, candidates need to be reminded that playing hopscotch with their careers can be quite detrimental. While there are certain sectors that are still pining for talent, Tim Tolan warns (even IT candidates):

No more excuses for the short hops. Hoppers need to stay and hang out for awhile. Period! I am brutally honest with candidates who are 'serial hoppers,' and I let them know they have to find their pond and stay for awhile.

Recruiting Passactive Candidates – No, That’s Not A Typo

It's widely believed that there are two types of candidates -- passive and active. Passive candidates form the "A-List." Active candidates form the "C-List." Can there not be "passactive" candidates meandering between the two lists?

Here's an analogy: Compare passive and active candidates to wine. Some are divine, and some are not-so-great. If you went to the store to choose a bottle, the "active" wine would be widely displayed, screaming, "Choose me!" As a recruiter, you'd ignore the display. Instead, you'd cherry pick a bottle less strategically placed. The sad part is the "active" wine might have been delectable.

Recruiters have learned to turn on their auto-sensors. They filter out active candidates because they are a waste of time. Right?  Not neccessarily, says Maureen Sharib. Maureen wrote a perfectly on-point piece about passives versus actives that was a continuation from a July 2005 ERE discussion she spearheaded.

There are passives who really aren't passive at all. They know what they're doing to market themselves - they know how to glisten beneath all that fallen snow that assures they'll be the first snowflake picked out.  I'm talking about the person who is active on the net, who does a lot of posting (or a little) that includes a lot of biographical information that, at first glance, appears extraneous...The question to ask yourself is this: "If I found them, who else hasn't?

She's referring to the voluminous amount of potential candidate data on social networking sites. Just because a person doesn't have their resume posted to Internet job boards, doesn't mean they are a passive job seeker. The point is, social media is marketing. Marketing is selling.

In addition, candidates change their motivations and desires. At any point they could switch gears. Out of the blue, a "passive" candidate may decide to seek a new position. The next day, an "active" candidate might decide the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and delete their resume from Internet job boards. The best recruiters will have a diversified, easily searchable database complete with "passactive" candidates.