Quick Thoughts - Micromanagement

I read an article this week by Suzanne Lucas titled "Why Don't Companies Get Rid of Micro-Managers?"(read the full article here).  The first part of my career, I worked under a couple managers who had this type of management style.  Looking back at this time in my career, I do understand the need for a little micromanagement when an employee is new to a company or new to the workforce.  I believe it is truly the good managers who know when it is time to let their employees loose and trust them to make the right decisions.  In my current position, it is my fear of losing my job if I am not keeping up with the tasks assigned to me.  In my opinion, managers who micro-manage their employees are incapable of flexing to meet the needs of their individual employees.

Everyone skips to the beat of their own tune, some of us need the structure of micromanagement while others will not flourish until they are set free and given the ability to fail.  If you are not failing then you are are not learning, if you are not learning then you are not growing, and if you are not growing then what is the point?

At a Glance - June Unemployment

According to the latest numbers put out by The Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in the month of June has continued to hold steady just under 8%.  This after the Private sector added 202,000 jobs in the month of June.  Below are some quick facts about these numbers published on the Department of Labor Website (www.dol.gov).

Unemployment made simple - June | Create infographics

Happy Independence Day!

On this day 237 years ago, the 13 American colonies came together to sign The Declaration of Independence, and thus giving birth to The United States of America. We as a nation have so much to be thankful for on this day! July 4th is not all about the fireworks and the BBQ, but more about the sacrifices that were made on this day in 1776.

I for one feel truly blessed to be apart of such a great country, and have the freedoms I enjoy on a daily  basis. I'm not saying America is perfect, because that is far from the truth, but I do think the people of this nation are lucky to call The United States home. This is not my typical post, but I thought for this one day we can all sit back relax and enjoy the moment. Lets not worry about work, or finding a new job, or even the interview we have first thing in the morning. Today we can enjoy our family, friends, neighbors, and all fellow Americans.

Sometimes we get lost in the pursuit of happiness, but because of the Nation we live in, we can course correct and take another stab at it tomorrow.  Happiness in this life is not guaranteed, but we as Americans all do have the right to pursue it.

I know for me, happiness is much different from the next person, and it comes in the form of my family.  My wife, my daughter, my son, and my third child who is on the way. Today I am not worried about work, but I am feeling blessed to be an American. Pray for me that I don't burn my house down with fireworks!

God Bless America & Happy 4th of July!!

R3F

The 10 DO NOT'S for Job Applicants

Looking for a new job is one of the top three things most stressing in life.  The other two being the death of a loved one and moving.  No matter the circumstances of why an individual is looking for a position, it is always an emotional process.  When you are the person going through this process, you want to make sure you are as prepared as possible to nail the interview and impress the people you are speaking with.  Just as important, you want to be mindful of some bad habits that will make you appear to be the less desirable candidate.

Having interviewed thousands of candidates during my career, I thought I would give my top 10 list of things to avoid doing while looking for a new job!

1.) Do not apply for every job opening you see at one company!

• How do you think it appears to the company you are applying with, if you are applying for both software development as well as project management?  The best practice when you see multiple positions is to make contact with the company, and express your interest in the multiple positions.  When you are speaking to a live person, you will then be able to express your interest, and explain why you feel you would be a good match.

2.) Do not start your conversation with the recruiter by asking salary/pay rate!

• This is a major turn off to HR professionals as well as recruiters.  The companies we represent have much more to offer than just a salary and/or pay rate.  If you start the conversation with this question, the first thing a recruiter thinks of is that you will jump at the next opportunity offering you a slight increase in salary.  It is best to wait and get some detail about the position before asking this question.  You should also ask it in an appropriate manner such as: "This position seems to be below my current responsibilities.  Can you give me a pay range on this opportunity?"  

3.) Do not list every job you have ever held on your resume!

• You only need to list positions relevant to the position in which you are applying for.  It is wasted space on a resume if you are listing positions you held when you were in college.  Can you really justify how your experience as a fry cook can help you gain employment as a desktop support engineer?  Resumes do not need fillers!  You need to list most relevant experience, and keep it short a sweet.  The main purpose of a resume is to entice the employer to want to ask more questions.

4.) Do not list every skill you think you have!

• Of the thousands of interviews I have completed, I would say nearly 40% of them embellish their skill sets in some way to make themselves appear more desirable to the employer.  Have you ever heard of the bait and switch in retail?  This is the same concept, and it will bite you in the end. If you list something on your resume it may be expected that you will utilize this skill set while employed.  If you are unable or incapable of completing this task, there is a strong possibility you will be back where you started looking for another job and trying to explain why you were let go from your previous position.

5.) Do not show up late for an interview!

• This can go without explanation.  If you are late, you are wasting the time of the employer interviewing you.  I know this can sometimes be a double standard, but at the end of the day it's the company who signs your paychecks.

6.) Do not speak poorly about your previous employer!

• This is a major turn off for hiring managers.  If you are sitting in an interview speaking negatively about a previous employer, what is stopping you from doing the same with this employer?  Further, no one wants to hear you sob story regarding why you were fired or why you feel like you are not treated properly.  Take ownership of the situation and explain how you have grown and become a better person/employee because of the situation.

7.) Do not sound desperate during the interview!

• Explaining to an employer how you will lose your home if you do not get the job offer will NOT give you a better chance at landing the opportunity.  This will actually decrease your chances of being hired.  The time spent in the interview needs to be reserved for selling the employer on why you are a great match for the position as well as the company.

8.) Do not follow up with the company every day demanding feedback!

• If you are following up on a daily basis, then you are showing desperation (see #7)!  Standard rule is to follow up 1 week after the interview. At that time, feel free to ask when it is appropriate for you to follow up again.  If you have not heard anything after 1-2 weeks, most likely, you are no longer in consideration.

9.) Do not forget to thank the interviewing individuals for their time!

• The thank you note has become a lost art!  This is not another opportunity to sell yourself, but it is exactly what the title of the letter indicates...thanking the interviewers and/or hiring managers for their time...this includes your recruiter!  Two-three sentences is all it takes to accomplish this task.  Do not get carried away with details.  With the fast paced world we live in, it is okay to send an e-mail, but a hand written note is always preferred.

10.) Do not get angry if you do not get the position you interviewed for!

• Competition today is very tough.  Rarely is the rejection personal when you do not land the position you are interviewing for.  When you receive the feedback from your interview, take it as a learning lesson on how to improve yourself for future interviews.  Also, it is important to take the time to ask the employer what his/her concern was.  This is invaluable information on how to grow your skill set while simultaneously keeping a pulse on the market.

Nobody is perfect...we all make mistakes.  The more you prepare for your interview, the less likely you will be to make some of the more common errors during the interview process.  Best thing to keep in mind is to stay positive, and take everything as a learning lesson. 

Why I Stay Away from the Job Boards

I will first say that I do see value in job boards, and believe it is a critical tool to become successful as a sourcer/recruiter.  It’s like building a house.  You can not and would not build a house with just one tool.  It takes many tools to build a home.  As a recruiter/sourcer, you need to take the same approach when finding the perfect candidate.  Not only will you be successful, but you will be able to find candidates no one else is working with.  Doesn't it feel good when you get asked how you found a candidate, and you have some great story about the sourcing technique? I believe you can find a lot of value in your internal ATS, while taking advantage of work done by others.

What would you need to start your own staffing company? Answer: Telephone and a subscription to a job board.  However, you will soon realize almost every candidate you speak with has 5 other better opportunities he/she is exploring.  I have always been a believer in if you live by the jobs boards you will die by the job boards…

Let me explain a little for those of you who do spend a lot of time on these boards.  What is the first thing you do when you find a good candidate on the job board?  If you are doing your job you most likely put this candidate into your ATS.  As time goes on, this candidate more than likely has either found another job, or decided to stick it out with his/her current employer thus making him/her a non-active candidate.  Sometimes these candidates realize they have made a bad choice, and would be interested in listening to potential better job opportunities.  BAM! This passive candidate is like gold, and where you want to be spending your time.  Chances are they have not been kept in touch with by other agencies, and at times you are the only one they are speaking to about a new position.  However, you will need to be cautious about working with these candidates.  This can be a double edged sword, and you will need to dig into why they would want to make a switch so soon, or why they have again decided to leave their employer.  Last thing you want or need is a candidate who will again leave your position for another better opportunity. 

I know what you are saying at this point….”I dig through the database, and NO ONE is interested” or “I dig through the database and feel like I leave 1000 voice mails.”  You will have days like these when working through an internal ATS, but I guarantee if you put in the work you will yield great results. Stick with what you are doing, and the numbers will owe you (I always thought this phrase was a bunch of crock, but for some reason it always rang true).

It is no secret, passive candidates are the candidates we all want to be working with.  Working with passive candidates gives us a better opportunity to sell them on the position we have, and gives us a better chance to reduce fall off after an offer has been accepted.  Those who succeed in this business, are the ones who can find and sell to these candidates.

The 4 Things to Expect When You Aren't Expecting....Recruiting Style

By no means is this post meant to be a dig at the recruiting industry, nor a gripe on my career choice.  My purpose of this post is to give some of the newcomers into the industry some sound advice on what to expect.  When I first received the call about working for a staffing company, I had no idea this industry even existed.  It was completely new to me! A company would pay another company to find talent for their organization?  When I was initially contacted about this exciting opportunity as a recruiter, my first thought was "how hard can this be?"  Much to my surprise, staffing turned out to be a HUGE challenge.  In my first 6 months, I thought about walking away several times because the reality of the position did not align with my expectations of the position.

Taking a step back, it would have been nice to have realistic expectations as I entered this new career.  Below are are few of the biggest areas where expectations did not align with reality.

1. It's not just as easy as finding the right candidate: You are dealing in people, not with a commodity, people/candidates have the gift of freewill.  They will tell you what you want to hear and at times they will fib about their experience.  They may not show up when they said they will show up, and very often will get "lost" on the way to the interview.  You do your best to prohibit these issues, but the reality is you can not predict everything that could possibly go wrong during the recruiting process.  Not everyone will be difficult to work with, but you should always prepare yourself with as much detail as possible to try and avoid the inevitable "bumps in the road."
2. DO NOT get into the industry because you have been sold on MAKING THE BIG BUCKS: When I was interviewing for my first position in the staffing industry, my future manager told me I had "six figure potential" within the first couple years.  As a recent college grad I said CHA-CHING!!!!  I can tell you that after 7.5 years of recruiting I have never broken the six figure mark.  At this point in my career, I am more motivated by helping people than I am by the earning potential.  If you are someone who is motivated by money, then a different form of sales may be the best option for you.  I am not suggesting it is impossible to make good money in the recruiting industry, but it takes a little luck and some very hard work.  Recruiters can make a lot of money, but more often than not these individuals have dedicated themselves to be the best at what they do.  They become experts in staffing, and provide value to the customer in many different areas.  In some rare cases you will find someone new to the industry who is making decent money, but in my experience these individuals happened to be in the right place at the right time.
3. Most newcomers fail within the first six months: This is plain and simple.  People go into this industry with false expectations, and will be quick to find a new job when things get tough.  If you do choose to start a career in recruiting, you should know right away, times will get tough.  You will go through many highs and many lows, and these variances can come within days of each other.  It is how you deal with the peaks and valleys that will determine how successful you are in the industry.  The key here is to find a way to make the highs not as high and the lows not as low.  Celebrate the wins, mourn the losses, but in both cases move on quickly. 
4. Take recruiting for what it is: In my opinion, the best recruiters in the industry are those who are trusted and well respected.  To these individuals it is truly about finding a win-win for all parties involved.  Those who go through their daily recruiting routine with little regard for how they are treating candidates or hiring managers will never be successful in this type of position.  At the end of the day you are working in the relationship business, and you must know how to develop relationships.  If you do a Google Search on "recruiters" you will most likely find a lot more people who hate our profession than you will find people who love us.  This negative image is created by people who do not care who they step on to get to the top, and do not truly care about the well being of the candidate or client.  They have no interest in a win-win scenario.  If you are just in it for the money, you will lose sight of what is really important, TRUST!

I could not have fallen into a better career, and I am very appreciative of all the people I have met along this journey.  I did not have the best first manager/mentor, but in reality I would not be where I am today without him.  If you are one of the fortunate ones to find a career in talent acquisition, be sure to keep in perspective why our industry even exists. Companies spend millions in their budgets to fund talent acquisition as well as third party agencies, and they can easily replace you with another recruiter or agency.

Those Who Can't Do...TEACH

I have heard this saying many times in my life, and recently I have realized this is the reason why I am in the recruiting industry.   One thing at this point in my life I have never been good at is selling myself to a potential employers!  I know for those of you who have trusted me to help find you a new job, this might scare you a little.  Some of you may be saying; "I knew that's why this guy could not find me a job!" The reality is because of this fact, I am MUCH better at my job.  I have done the wrong things in many interviews in the past, and with these interview bloopers, I am able to steer my candidates in the right direction.

PUNCTUAL: One thing I have always been good at, which is crucial to starting an interview on the right foot, is coming to the interview on time.  If you are late, you are wasting the time of the person who has decided to interview you for the open position at the company.  Think about this for a minute, if you are the one who is late for a job interview that is an immediate strike against your application.  If the hiring manager is having a tough time deciding between two or three candidates, then this strike against you will be an easy disqualification and will end you up in the NO pile.

CONFIDENCE: Here is an opportunity to show why you would be the best choice for the position.  You may want to avoid one of my interview answers in the past.  After being asked why I am the best fit for the position:.  My answer: "Well I am definitely not the best recruiter, but I work really hard."  Not really the correct way to answer that question.  My downfall was that I was not prepared for the question, and ever worse I did not show confidence during the interview to back something like that up.  It was a situation where the answer sounded MUCH better in my head, and after I said it I knew immediately it was the wrong thing to say.  If I would have had confidence, and had been prepared for this question, I would have been able to provide a good answer that showcased the confidence in my background.

QUESTIONS:  Be prepared to ask questions to the employees who have used their time to interview you. People love to speak about what they do, and why they are successful in their position.  A simple question such as; "why do you enjoy working here?" or "why do you feel you are successful at your position?"  These are both very simple questions, and it could lead to more dialogue about your background.  These are very simple questions you may want to ask at the least, but you still want to come to the interview prepared to ask questions.  Basing these questions around research you have done about the company is a great way to show your interest in this position.

FOLLOW UP/THANK YOU:  This part of the process does not need to be anything over the top.  A simple Thank you e-mail stating your appreciation for everyone's time is sufficient enough.  In my opinion, a thank you note is NOT another opportunity to sell your skills.  You have had plenty of opportunity to do this, and should not be mentioned again in the follow up/thank you e-mail.  This thank you e-mail should be sent to each individual employee, and should NEVER be grouped together.  During the interview you can ask each person for a business card so you will have contact information.

You should never go into an interview thinking you have the position in the bag.  If everyone was sold on you as the right candidate, then you would have received the offer for the position.  It is not over until you have offer in hand, and this is why it is so important to take the time to prepare as best as possible for your interview.

These four areas above will help ensure you make your application stand out among the other who have applied for the same position.