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Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:13:00 -0800

Whether it’s a high-profile tech company like Yahoo!, or a more established conglomerate like GE or Home Depot, large companies have a hard time keeping their best and brightest in house. Recently, GigaOM discussed the troubles at Yahoo! with a flat stock price, vested options for some of their best people, and the apparent free flow of VC dollars luring away some of their best people to do the start-up thing again.

Yet, Yahoo!, GE, Home Depot, and other large established companies have a tremendous advantage in retaining their top talent and don’t. I’ve seen the good and the bad things that large companies do in relation to talent management. Here’s my Top Ten list of what large companies do to lose their top talent ...

Courtesy of Eric Jackson of Forbes.com, click on the following link for the full article.
http://ow.ly/8qhRi

When is the best time to hire?

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:15:00 -0700

As a recruitment consultant to Fortune 500 companies along with some of the most dynamic small businesses looking to grow, I get asked this question frequently – When is the best time to hire?
The answer will change depending on your organizational depth, market conditions or future growth plans. The answer is always the same…hire before it’s too late. I have seen so many companies lose out on outstanding talent because they wanted to take their time, wait for conditions to improve, budgets to be approved, organization realignment, etc…the list goes on.
I often find that companies take too long to hire and as a result, they lose their top choices in candidates. They might have lost the candidate to other offers, loss of interest (which can often be attributed to companies taking too much time to make a decision). The result is lost market share, lost sales, lost customers, lost revenue. It costs 3 to 5 times more to get a new customer than it would to keep a current customer.
Three main areas of any organization are the most influential and most at risk when hiring is delayed or eliminated. These are Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service. Of course this is assuming that your product or service is competitive, your R&D is on stream and your pricing is in line.
Sales is your lifeline. If you have inferior sales personnel, managers or strategies you can expect a decrease in sales and profits in short order. The best sales people always win the day. There are exceptions for sure. Does Apple need the very best sales talent to survive? Probably not since they have done an amazing job investing in their staff and have become a world and industry leader in its segment. Alternatively, Microsoft has one of the most proactive recruitment strategies I have ever seen. This allows them to stay on top of their game and access the best of the best worldwide. Have a look at your organization and really be honest, how many of your sales people would you rehire? If the answer is anything less than every one of them then you have potential for growth and additional sales.
Marketing programs, promotions and events are your lifeblood. How do your current customers keep you top of mind? How do your future and potential customers learn and get excited about your products or service? Don’t wait until market share is lost and picked up by a competitor who is investing in the talent to make a difference.
Customer service is the heart of your organization. It does not matter how much you sell or how inviting your marketing campaign is if you cannot deliver and follow up. A positive customer experience is crucial to keeping current customers and to attracting the one time user to be loyal and become a repeat purchaser.

When is the best time to hire? Hire before you lose customers to your competitors, lose market share, lose revenue. Hire before the momentum of all of your hard work and investment is lost. Hire as though you cannot fail, take care of your hiring and the people you hire will take care of your business.

Develop a proactive, cost effective, manageable recruitment and hiring strategy. Talent is in short supply and is not going to improve in the foreseeable future based on the aging population, inconsistent immigration of skills and low birth rates. Don’t wait for a box to open up in your organizational chart or someone to retire. Replace your lowest performing sales, marketing or customer service person with your best just a few times a year and you will grow, prosper and become an industry leader. It is impossible not to.

Hire before it’s too late.

Recruiters Rethink Online Playbook

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:10:00 -0700

As recruiters wade cautiously back into hiring mode, they're throwing out their old playbooks. Rather than sift through mounds of online applications, they are going out to hunt for candidates themselves.

Many plan to scale back their use of online job boards, which they say generate mostly unqualified leads, and hunt for candidates with a particular expertise on places like LinkedIn Corp.'s professional networking site before they post an opening. As the market gets more competitive again, they are hiring recruiters with expertise in headhunting and networking, rather than those with experience processing paperwork.

Inundated by online applicants, McLean, Va.-based government contractor Science Applications International Corp. plans to cut the number of job boards it uses in the coming fiscal year to six from 15 or so, says company vice president Kara Yarnot.

SAIC has asked its 125 U.S. recruiters to find candidates for analyst, engineering, and other jobs on professional social networks instead.

"It's almost a throwback to the old, dial-for-dollars method of recruiting," says Ms. Yarnot. "We need to reach candidates earlier, before they're being pursued by competitors."

About 24% of companies plan to decrease their usage of third-party employment websites and job boards this year, according to a December survey from the Corporate Executive Board Co., a business consulting firm. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of respondents said they plan to increase their use of job-board alternative methods this year, such as employee referrals and other websites like Facebook Inc. or LinkedIn.

Food services company Sodexo USA, owned by Paris-based Sodexo SA, slashed the number of jobs it posts to third-party job boards by more than half since the recession started, says vice president of talent acquisition Arie Ball. The number of applications to some executive openings at Sodexo rose more than 50% to 300 since the downturn started, Ms. Ball says, but the increase brought many unqualified candidates.

"Recruiters had to put in all this extra time to read applications but we didn't get benefit from it," she says. Now, the company is hiring different types of recruiters who specialize in headhunting, including finding candidates to poach from competitors, rather than those who are good at processing and filtering applications.

Companies are adapting their plans as they start hiring again after the downturn. Between November 2009 and November 2010, the total number of job openings rose 32%, according to the Labor Department.

Job seekers who were reluctant to leave their existing jobs—as well as unemployed workers sitting on the sidelines—have begun casting about for opportunities, too. Between December 2009 and December 2010, recruiters saw a 17% increase in applications per opening, according to the Corporate Executive Board.

The trend has in many ways been a boon for job boards, which say they haven't noticed any impact from some companies' pullback. But some of the largest sites acknowledge that the new environment means they must do more to keep customers happy.

In the coming months, Monster Worldwide Inc. plans to roll out technology that ranks candidates based on how well their applications fit requirements set by the recruiter, says chief global marketing officer Ted Gilvar. The product has been available to some customers since late last year.

Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group Inc. remains concerned that relying too much on job boards could be bad for business.

Melissa Mounce, the company's senior vice president of corporate talent acquisition, says the company became concerned that its slow response time to applications was hurting its retail bank's brand. "Someone who applies for a bank-teller position might also be a customer or potential customer, and we were letting those applications fall into a black hole," she says.

PNC has reduced its overall spending on general job boards, such as Monster and CareerBuilder, but still uses niche boards, like Dice.com for tech professionals, when the need arises. "We used to post everything, but in this environment, you have to think strategically," she says.

Additionally, the company is currently reorganizing its recruiting staff to better handle the tens of thousands of applications it receives in a given month. Instead of using senior recruiters to filter through the company's applicants, lower-level screeners process them first and only hand off the most-qualified. A separate set of recruiters actively searches for more experienced candidates who aren't likely to come in through a job board.

Creating Urgency for your Candidates

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:31:00 -0700

*The following article is a great example of the challenges companies and Recruiters face when trying to hire "on-time". When is the best time to hire? Hire before it's too late.

Almost two weeks ago I met a candidate at the airport. He had a great suit, was personable and asked all the right questions on the drive to his interview. He was charming, affable and very knowledgeable. He even brought 3 copies of his resume, excellent references and a salary price tag that the employer wouldn’t balk at. In short, he was perfect candidate for a very tough job to fill. After the interview, the hiring manager loved him too. They indicated to me that they were going to put a job offer together. So it’s two weeks later…where is the offer letter?

Creating urgency for job offers is a fine balance and one that isn’t always successful. In the case of this one, I was assured again and again that a job offer was forthcoming…it was simply going through HR and internal channels for job approval. But when you’ve already done all the right legwork, verified the budgeting and know the position is real, how can you get a stalled deal closed? After all, in the recruiting business, time is not our friend. How do you get a job offer for your candidates fast enough to stay in the game?

You’re Going to Lose the Candidate
Explaining to a hiring manager that a candidate is excited about the upcoming opportunity is one thing. Following that up by telling them that the candidate is actively interviewing for other roles is another. Making sure to communicate both his or her excitement about the job and marketability is key. After all, while the candidate might be very excited for this job, he/she has a responsibility in this job market to cover their bases and not to take any job offer or position for granted.

Negative Company Perception
This can be a tricky concept to use with a company. It’s very effective, but should only be used in a client that is often slow to make a decision. Letting your hiring manager know that their lack of focus on hiring quickly and efficiently can be a reflection on them is both crucial and dangerous. It’s also very true. When a candidate sees an employer dragging their feet and or not coming to a quick decision, it tends to make them question the company and their processes. Are they in such dire straights that one hire can hurt their bottom line? Are they disorganized and chaotic internally? Are they just discourteous and lacking focus? All of these are questions that can and will run through a person’s mind and the company should know that. We all have a tendency to see our side of an equation, and corporations are no different. Bringing the candidate’s perspective to the forefront is often a useful tool in working with dawdling hiring managers.

Confidence Killer
Starting a new job is an exciting and positive thing. You’re starting fresh with a company that valued you enough to bring you on board. You have new co-workers and new responsibilities. All kinds of opportunities are on the horizon. Unless of course, you’re not sure if you’re new company really likes you all that much. When a company drags out the decision making process it can often have unintended results with the new hire. If they haven’t begun to question the employer, they have definitely started questioning themselves. Why haven’t they made a decision? Maybe the interview didn’t go as well as I thought… Maybe they’re not sure they wanted to hire me in the first place… At the end of the day, every company wants new hires to come on board happy, confident and excited. So let them know that their feet dragging may cause rebound effects long after the candidate is brought on board. Dragging out job offers is the first step to a terrible on-boarding experience.

Bearing in mind that employers don’t always consider the external consequences of their actions (kind of like politicians), it’s part of our job as a Recruiter to educate them. Everything they do is a reflection on their company, big or small, and it can have unintended consequences as they move forward. We have all worked with employers that have a negative public opinion out there in the market…and preventing your company or recruiting client from becoming one of them is or should be an imperative.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Job Seeking

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:17:00 -0700

Are you making recruiters cringe? Waiting by the phone to hear back from a hiring manager?

Wake up.

You’re sabotaging your own job search. Take a deep breath and ask yourself if you’ve fallen for any of the 7 deadly job seeking sins:

7) I Have an Unsavory Web Presence: Really? In this day and age? Get that Facebook cleaned up, those Flickr albums locked up. Treat Google and your name like it’s a second resume.

6) I Have Bad Grammar: It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO or an entry level candidate, you’ll be judged by your writing competency. It’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but glaring typos are a bad sign to see on your resume, cover letter, or Thank-you letter. Speaking of which…

5) I Don’t Have a Thank You Letter: You need one. After every Interview. A quick email will suffice, but a personalized handwritten letter says a bit more.

4) I Immediately Want To Know How Much It Pays: Compensation is a tricky subject. If you bring it up too soon, it’ll look like your priorities are misaligned. You’re saying you don’t care about the company, the job itself. Money is immodest, don’t start a conversation with it.

3) I Skip HR and Send My Resume Right to the CEO: This “advice” pops up now and again from those who think there’s a fast-track to the hiring process. You’ve been fed a lie. The CEO is too busy for your gimmicks. Follow the proscribed avenues first – then try going “around” to get into the company.

2) I Don’t Have a Customized Cover Letter and Resume: You should have at least 3 or 4 resumes saved on your computer for different jobs. Never lie about your skills, you’ll be found out – but you might want to highlight different aspects of your career (aside from your transferable skills across industries) and SHOW don’t TELL how you accomplished various goals.

1) I Went On the Interview. I Must Be All Done: Time to sit back and wait by the phone right? No. Keep applying to positions and going on interviews. Nothing is a done deal until you hear, “you’re hired.”

Job seeking is a full time job – one that you probably don’t want for long! Work smarter, not longer and you’ll have that handshake in no time.

Job Search Tips

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:28:00 -0700

Is your job search off to a slow start or getting stuck? Here are some quick time-saving job search tips that will help your hunt for a new job go smoothly.
Be Prepared. Have a voice mail system in place and sign-up for a professional sounding email address. Put your cell phone number on your resume so you can follow up in a timely manner. This job search toolkit will help you get everything you need set for your job search.

Be More Than Prepared. Always have an up-to-date resume ready to send - even if you are not currently looking for work. You never know when an opportunity that is too good to pass up might come along.

Don't Wait. If you are laid-off, file for unemployment benefits right away. You may be able to file online or by phone. Waiting could delay your benefits check.

Get Help. Utilize free or inexpensive services that provide career counseling and job search assistance such as college career offices, state Department of Labor offices or your local public library.

Create Your Own Templates. Have copies of your resume and cover letter ready to edit. That way you can change the content to match the requirements of the job you're applying for, but, the contact information and your opening and closing paragraphs won't need to be changed.

Use Job Search Engines. Search the job search engines. Use the job search engine sites to search the major job banks, company sites, associations, and other sites with job postings for you.

Jobs by Email. Let the jobs come to you. Use job search agents to sign up and receive job listings by email. All the major job sites have search agents and some web sites specialize in sending announcements.

Time Savers. Strapped for time? Consider getting help writing or editing your resume.

References Ready. Have a list of three references including name, job title, company, phone number and email address ready to give to interviewers.

Use Your Network. Be cognizant of the fact that many, if not most, job openings aren't advertised. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for work. Ask if they can help.

This tip isn't a time saver, but, it will broaden your online job search resources.

Don't Stop. Don't limit your job searching to the top sites like Monster or CareerBuilder. Check the smaller niche sites that focus on a particular geographic location or career field and you will find plenty of job listings.

Mistakes Job Seekers Make - Resumes

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:49:00 -0700

What would a discussion about job seeking be without talking about the resume? The resume is the most tangible aspect to job hunting and seems to be the place everyone runs to first.

Creating an effective, powerful resume is within everyone’s grasp.
I’m going to focus this article not so much on a list of issues, but rather on a philosophical element that seems to be missing in the job seeker when putting together their resume. I will quickly list the most prevalent issues first, then get to the element I’m discussing.

•   The most common problems I see with resumes:
o   Too long. Longer than 2 pages; or it’s 2 pages with small font in an attempt to cram as much as possible in 2 pages.
o   Too vague. Uses vague terms, doesn’t really tell the reader what position they’re after or leaves you guessing what they actually did.
o   Says almost nothing. So brief it looks like they spent 5 minutes whipping it up. Suggests that either the applicant has nothing to offer, never really worked or is incapable of understanding their own assets.
o   Doesn’t really tell the story. Talks about responsibilities, nothing about accomplishments.

Now that we have that out of the way, I’d like to outline the philosophical aspect to this that I think will be far more helpful. The philosophical piece I’m talking about is this: you are selling yourself to a hiring manager. You have to appeal to the hiring manager, not only at a logical level, but also at an emotional one. Let’s break this concept down:
•   Selling Logically. You are selling yourself. You are trying to help the hiring manager solve a problem, which is that they have work that needs to be done. That work will help move the business forward in some manner. The logic you are appealing to with your resume is that they want to know the following things:
o   Do you have the background that would suggest you can perform the job?
o   Will you be able to perform in other areas of the business? I.e., can you either learn new things or have a depth to you that suggests you can work beyond this immediate scope of work?
o   Are you a risk? Risk can vary. The hiring manager would like to think you will stay on board long enough for it to be worth hiring you.
•   Selling Emotionally. Decisions to hire are like dating and marrying. Once the initial screening has taken place and they decide you might be worth serious consideration, the emotional part kicks in. As with any selling, there has to be a reason to consider buying in the first place (the logic), but the decision gets made at an emotional level. You are appealing to aspects like: avoiding pain – gaining pleasure – ease of doing things – solving a problem – being cool (ego) the list goes on.

When you are appealing to the emotional side of the decision, they want to know the following:
o   Will we like working with you?
o   Does your history suggest you perform well and consistently?
o   Will I/we work well with you?
o   Do you have a good work ethic? Shared values?
If you are truly thinking about this process and what the hiring manager is thinking about, then you need to do the following in your resume:
•   Use key words. If you are responding to a posting or a discussion, make sure you repeat some of the key words they use. Your resume will be found easier and will capture their attention.
•   Emphasize. Don’t just list your responsibilities, but put size, shape and texture to them.
•   Emphasize. Tell them about your accomplishments. They want to know you can deliver and just how well you work. Again, size, shape and texture by adding in things like volume, numbers, results, and commentary from higher ups, customers or peers.
•   Weave your story. Who are you? What are you known for? Make that obvious in your resume. Don’t make the hiring manager work to figure out how great you are. They don’t have the time to do that. Answer their questions before they toss out your resume.

Most of the time your resume is the first point of contact with your potential place of employment, which means you want it to capture their attention. Don’t be inhibited in letting it tell a powerful story – your story. We tend to be a bit shy when it comes to “blowing our own horn,” but you have to look at it differently. You aren’t bragging. There is a big difference between bragging and telling your story so it draws the manager in at both the logical and emotional level. If you don’t do it, who will?

What Are You Worth?

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:54:00 -0700

What are you worth?

In today’s competitive market, you need to know your worth. What is your going rate as an employee? What should employers pay for your skills?

Whether you’re negotiating a starting salary or looking for a raise, you should know how much you’re really worth.
To help you figure out your fair share, check out some online salary calculators.

They all work in similar ways. Enter a job title and location (or select from a menu), then get a base salary calculation or a range. To refine your calculations, you can add variables like years of experience, responsibilities and education. You can also compare the same job in different locations, or see what a related job is worth.

Here are some places to start:  
http://www.payscale.com/wizards/choose.asp

http://www.canadavisa.com/canadian-salary-survey.html

http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/lss/labour/wage/

http://www.salary.com/salary/index.asp

http://www.workopolis.com/work.aspx?action=Transfer&View=Content/Common/ResourceCentre/RCSalaryGuideView&lang=EN

Why Counter Offers are Lose-Lose

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:50:00 -0700

Why Counter Offers are Lose-Lose

You may receive more pay but your reputation could be spoiled forever by this perceived blackmail tactic
Before accepting a counter offer from your employer, consider whether you’ll be the winner or the loser in the employment maneuver.
Although no statistics are available, may employees who give notice are receiving counter offers from their current companies to encourage them to stay. These proposals can include one or more of the following:
•   A pay increase.
•   A promotion and/or added responsibility.
•   A promise of a future raise, promotion or other incentive.
•   The creation of a new, more appealing reporting structure or organization.

An employer may accompany its offer with an added motivator, such as a special call or visit from the vice president or CEO and other flattering gestures. Or it may try to manipulate a departing employee by heaping on a sense of false guilt.

The Prevailing View

Now suppose that after months of interviews and negotiations, you accept a position with a new employer. When your current company makes a counteroffer, you decide to renege and stay where you are. The popular notion is that you’re the winner. After all, you’ll be paid more money, keep your tenure and possibly receive a promotion.
Obviously, the jilted company loses. It must restart its search from scratch. Other good prospective candidates, who might have jumped at the job earlier, have long since accepted different positions or lost interest. The company has lost months of productivity and perhaps million of dollars in unrecoverable revenue because the position has remained unfilled for so long.
Any executive recruiters involved in the search lose as well. Counteroffers are a headhunter’s nightmare. A recruiter can lose face with a client company, a substantial amount of time and allocated resources and possible income when a candidate backs out after accepting.

What Really Happens

If you’re considering a counteroffer, why should you care about the jilted company or the headhunter? Aren’t you still so far ahead of the game that their misfortunes are just a small setback? Not really. In business, your reputation can be your most valuable asset. By backing out of a commitment to a perspective employer, a candidate loses all respect from the firm’s leadership.
Consider the experience of a Seattle-based pre-IPO software company, which had recruited an executive for a Midwest regional manager’s role after months of searching. After the candidate accepted the offer and committed to a start date, the firm stopped its search and announced the hiring to its staff, customers and alternate candidate, says Sterling Wilson, chief financial officer of the company. The finalist then reneged on his acceptance.
“It was devastating to our organization and our progress,” says Mr. Wilson. By reneging, the candidate serious jeopardized the company’s relationships and credibility and the alternate candidates were no longer available.
“The search had to start over,” says Mr. Wilson. “It caused a serious momentum loss for us, and didn’t reflect well on the candidates personally.”
Candidates who renege after committing to start dates are called “no-shows.” One spurned vice president was so angry with a candidate who reneged that he shredded the person’s resume, The Wall Street Journal reported recently. Another hiring manager complained of how draining it had been to lose a candidate at the final hour.
Why should a candidate care what a recruiter thinks, especially if they had never met previously? The value of a good search professional shouldn’t be underestimated. He or she can do more for you during a career lifetime that you might realize. But out of concern for client companies, reputable recruiters avoid candidates whose word can’t be trusted.

It’s Never the Same Again

The current employer gains back its staffer may seem to be the big winner. Initially, it may appear to lose ground because of the pay increase or promotion it extends. However, these costs are minimal compared to the loss of momentum on a project or the expense of recruiting a replacement.
Still, winning back an employee is only a short-term fix, and the move may ultimately cause worse personnel issues. First, the company’s relationship with the employee is never the same. Most employees who accept counteroffers leave within six to 12 months, merely deferring their inevitable replacement.
“We know the person is mentally ‘out-the-door’ and it’s probable that he or she will leave in the not-too-distant future anyway,” says a Dallas-based former partner of a Big-Five consulting firm. “We never quite trust them, and immediately begin contingency planning for a replacement-on our timeframe.”
Second, the line of previously loyal employees threatening to leave to gain a raise begins forming at the door. “If someone isn’t committed to being here, it compromises our team and causes broad, negative ramifications far greater than losing that person,” the former partner says. Ultimately, the integrity of the employer, manger and indecisive recruit can all be irreversibly damaged.

Perceived Blackmail

Does the “no-show” really win? He or she may earn a bit more money, but the increase is borrowed form future earnings. An employer may make or attempt a few improvements, but will rarely change its culture for one employee. The employee’s integrity, loyalty and commitment are forever in question after this perceived blackmail tactic.
He or she will never be trusted or consider a member of the inner circle. Grudges will most certainly be held, whether overtly or covertly. Future advancement becomes more difficult, and the company will begin to seek a replacement.
A former division president of a major software company relates the consequence of accepting an employment counteroffer. “After receiving and accepting a competitive offer, I announced my resignation,” he says. “The response from more-senior executive was, ‘you can’t leave, you have too much to offer the company.’”
The firmed offered him a sizable compensation increase, a promotion to corporate officer and multiple stock options to stay, which he accepted. Nine months later, after a major project was nearly finished and his replacement waited in the wings, he was fired without explanation.
“I’m sure they thought that I was no longer a ‘company man,’” he says.
Cathy Norris, president of the Norris Agency, a Dallas-based search firm, says a candidate who accepted a counteroffer called three months late to say he regretted the decision.
“Despite all the promises, none of the things that caused me to want to leave in the first place have changed,” he told her. “And the big raise they gave me has since been cut back, due to budget problems. Once I’d made the decision to leave, I should have followed through.”

What Should You Do?

It’s naive for executive to be surprised by counteroffers these days. In fields where talent is at a premium, the offers are a popular retention tactic. But why would a company wait until the eleventh hour to keep someone it claims to value so highly? Obviously, the move is purely defensive. You may feel flattered, but don’t be fooled. A counteroffer isn’t about what’s best for you; it’s about what’s best for the company.
If you expect to receive an offer to stay with your firm, how should you deal with it? First, don’t allow a counteroffer discussion to occur. Leaving the door open for discussion induces the company to invest time and resources into enticing you to stay. This can make you feel guilty, which makes it more difficult to stick to your decision to leave, even though you know you should honor it.
Take an active part in your own career management. If your company is interested in your progression, you’ll know it before you decide to resign. If you change you mind and stay, your motive and methods will always be suspect. Keep a steady course and don’t look back.
Submit a courteous, positive and final resignation letter that leaves no room for discussion. By behaving honorably, you may have the option of re-employment with the company or to join a former boss elsewhere later on. You’ll also have a chance to start a promising new role with additional challenges, an expanded network, an untarnished reputation and a clear conscience. Everybody wins.

Why would any company hire you?

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:35:00 -0700

WHY WOULD ANY COMPANY HIRE YOU?

If any company is to survive and prosper in today’s economy, they need top-notch employees. Now, more than any time in history, companies need to hire the right talent.

So why do companies hire the wrong employees? More often than not, candidates don’t know what they are looking for in a company or a career. Often companies hire people because they were the best of the ones that applied, that is not the equivalent of being the right fit for the job.

The cost of hiring the wrong employee is enormous. The cost of taking the wrong career path is astronomical. Do you have a career plan? If you do, is it written down? If it is, how often do your read it and revise it? It is alarming that most people spend more time planning their vacations and weddings than their careers.

Once you graduate you will spend more time in your life at work than any other place. It would make sense to make an informed career decision, do some research into industries and companies to see what is available. Check out their financials. Is their marketplace growing? Are they an industry leader? What kind of people do they typically hire? What is the turnover rate?
How do they attract talent? If they are cutting corners on hiring talent, where else are they being cheap? Good companies invest in their growth and attract the best of the best. That is the company you want to work for. They have an on boarding process, they have talent retention programs, they have an organizational development plan and succession planning is part of their natural growth. These companies are not easy to find, but they are worth seeking out if you are serious about being challenged, respected, rewarded and mentored.

Ask yourself the following questions to better prepare yourself for your next career move. Why would any of these companies hire you? Do you have a well thought out career plan? Do you know what you are good at? What experiences do you have that they could benefit from? Do you know what kind of leadership you offer or like to work under? Do you know what you are worth in today’s marketplace? Do you have criteria for your next career move? Do you interview well? Can you describe the ideal culture fit for you?

Be prepared, have a career plan, invest in your own personal development, interview well, be well researched, build strong relationships, work harder than you get paid for, help others with no expectations, be positive, and above all be honest. Take this advice and soon every company will want to hire you.

Why Counter Offers are Lose-Lose

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:35:00 -0700

Why Counter Offers are Lose-Lose
You may receive more pay but your reputation could be spoiled forever by this perceived blackmail tactic
Before accepting a counter offer from your employer, consider whether you’ll be the winner or the loser in the employment maneuver.
Although no statistics are available, may employees who give notice are receiving counteroffers from their current companies to encourage them to stay. These proposals can include on or more of the following:
•   A pay increase.
•   A promotion and/or added responsibility.
•   A promise of a future raise, promotion or other incentive.
•   The creation of a new, more appealing reporting structure or organization.
An employer may accompany its offer with an added motivator, such as a special call or visit from the vice president or CEO and other flattering gestures. Or it may try to manipulate a departing employee by heaping on a sense of false guilt.
The Prevailing View
Now suppose that after months of interviews and negotiations, you accept a position with a new employer. When your current company makes a counteroffer, you decide to renege and stay where you are. The popular notion is that you’re the winner. After all, you’ll be paid more money, keep your tenure and possibly receive a promotion.
Obviously, the jilted company loses. It must restart its search from scratch. Other good prospective candidates, who might have jumped at the job earlier, have long since accepted different positions or lost interest. The company has lost months of productivity and perhaps million of dollars in unrecoverable revenue because the position has remained unfilled for so long.
Any executive recruiters involved in the search lose as well. Counteroffers are a headhunter’s nightmare. A recruiter can lose face with a client company, a substantial amount of time and allocated resources and possible income when a candidate backs out after accepting.
What Really Happens
If you’re considering a counteroffer, why should you care about the jilted company or the headhunter? Aren’t you still so far ahead of the game that their misfortunes are just a small setback? Not really. In business, your reputation can be your most valuable asset. By backing out of a commitment to a perspective employer, a candidate loses all respect from the firm’s leadership.
Consider the experience of a Seattle-based pre-IPO software company, which had recruited an executive for a Midwest regional manager’s role after months of searching. After the candidate accepted the offer and committed to a start date, the firm stopped its search and announced the hiring to its staff, customers and alternate candidate, says Sterling Wilson, chief financial officer of the company. The finalist then reneged on his acceptance.
“It was devastating to our organization and our progress,” says Mr. Wilson. By reneging, the candidate serious jeopardized the company’s relationships and credibility and the alternate candidates were no longer available.
“The search had to start over,” says Mr. Wilson. “It caused a serious momentum loss for us, and didn’t reflect well on the candidates personally.”
Candidates who renege after committing to start dates are called “no-shows.” One spurned vice president was so angry with a candidate who reneged that he shredded the person’s resume, The Wall Street Journal reported recently. Another hiring manager complained of how draining it had been to lose a candidate at the final hour.
Why should a candidate care what a recruiter thinks, especially if they had never met previously? The value of a good search professional shouldn’t be underestimated. He or she can do more for you during a career lifetime that you might realize. But out of concern for client companies, reputable recruiters avoid candidates whose word can’t be trusted.
It’s Never the Same Again
The current employer gains back its staffer may seem to be the big winner. Initially, it may appear to lose ground because of the pay increase or promotion it extends. However, these costs are minimal compared to the loss of momentum on a project or the expense of recruiting a replacement.
Still, winning back an employee is only a short-term fix, and the move may ultimately cause worse personnel issues. First, the company’s relationship with the employee is never the same. Most employees who accept counteroffers leave within six to 12 months, merely deferring their inevitable replacement.
“We know the person is mentally ‘out-the-door’ and it’s probable that he or she will leave in the not-too-distant future anyway,” says a Dallas-based former partner of a Big-Five consulting firm. “We never quite trust them, and immediately begin contingency planning for a replacement-on our timeframe.”
Second, the line of previously loyal employees threatening to leave to gain a raise begins forming at the door. “If someone isn’t committed to being here, it compromises our team and causes broad, negative ramifications far greater than losing that person,” the former partner says. Ultimately, the integrity of the employer, manger and indecisive recruit can all be irreversibly damaged.
Perceived Blackmail
Does the “no-show” really win? He or she may earn a bit more money, but the increase is borrowed form future earnings. An employer may make or attempt a few improvements, but will rarely change its culture for one employee. The employee’s integrity, loyalty and commitment are forever in question after this perceived blackmail tactic.
He or she will never be trusted or consider a member of the inner circle. Grudges will most certainly be held, whether overtly or covertly. Future advancement becomes more difficult, and the company will begin to seek a replacement.
A former division president of a major software company relates the consequence of accepting an employment counteroffer. “After receiving and accepting a competitive offer, I announced my resignation,” he says. “The response from more-senior executive was, ‘you can’t leave, you have too much to offer the company.’”
The firmed offered him a sizable compensation increase, a promotion to corporate officer and multiple stock options to stay, which he accepted. Nine months later, after a major project was nearly finished and his replacement waited in the wings, he was fired without explanation.
“I’m sure they thought that I was no longer a ‘company man,’” he says.
Cathy Norris, president of the Norris Agency, a Dallas-based search firm, says a candidate who accepted a counteroffer called three months late to say he regretted the decision.
“Despite all the promises, none of the things that caused me to want to leave in the first place have changed,” he told her. “And the big raise they gave me has since been cut back, due to budget problems. Once I’d made the decision to leave, I should have followed through.”
What Should You Do?
It’s naive for executive to be surprised by counteroffers these days. In fields where talent is at a premium, the offers are a popular retention tactic. But why would a company wait until the eleventh hour to keep someone it claims to value so highly? Obviously, the move is purely defensive. You may feel flattered, but don’t be fooled. A counteroffer isn’t about what’s best for you; it’s about what’s best for the company.
If you expect to receive an offer to stay with your firm, how should you deal with it? First, don’t allow a counteroffer discussion to occur. Leaving the door open for discussion induces the company to invest time and resources into enticing you to stay. This can make you feel guilty, which makes it more difficult to stick to your decision to leave, even though you know you should honor it.
Take an active part in your own career management. If your company is interested in your progression, you’ll know it before you decide to resign. If you change you mind and stay, your motive and methods will always be suspect. Keep a steady course and don’t look back.
Submit a courteous, positive and final resignation letter that leaves no room for discussion. By behaving honorably, you may have the option of re-employment with the company or to join a former boss elsewhere later on. You’ll also have a chance to start a promising new role with additional challenges, an expanded network, an untarnished reputation and a clear conscience. Everybody wins.

Easy ways to make yourself look really unprofessional

Mon, 31 May 2010 10:05:00 -0700

We’ve all heard the old adage “Looking for work is work”. When applying for jobs it’s important to remain a consummate professional. There is a certain job search etiquette and appropriate behaviour that needs adhering to. How you present yourself could either impress or put off future employers.

For example, always turn off your cell phone during a job interview. Not just for the sake of being polite, but also if you are someone who enjoys eclectic ringtones, an interview is not the time to show them off.

Having “Bow-chicka-bow-bow” ring out from your phone while trying to impress a future employer is not only embarrassing, but may give the interviewer a sordid impression of how you spend your time out of the office.

You never want to open the door to the question: What does your ringtone say about you?

From answering your phone, to the message you leave, it is important to be aware of how you are representing yourself.

You only need to make this mistake once to learn your lesson

Here are a few more job search etiquette tips:

Have a professional sounding voice mail message. No jokes or celebrity impersonations, please. (I once heard a very poor Yoda impression telling me that, “Patient, you must be. A message you must leave.”)

Don’t apply for jobs with an email address that reflects your hobby, your entire family or your sexual prowess. (golfmaniac@email.com, TheHendersons@email.com, or Ladiesman69@email.com) Create one that’s just your name, or as close as possible. JohnSmith500@email.com is fine.

It’s fine to have a sense of humour, but you have to be aware that not everyone is going to share it. If you misjudge your audience before you get to know them (or they get to know you), you stand a high chance of looking unprofessional or immature.

Find a job where you can be yourself. On the job hunt, however, it’s better to be the polite, respectful version of yourself that you send to dinner with your significant other’s parents.

Salary Negotiations - Know When to Hold 'Em

Tue, 25 May 2010 09:56:00 -0700

Negotiating effectively with a prospective employer is a little like winning at poker. Both necessitate you to play your cards close to the vest, maintain a poker face, know when to hold and know when to fold. Just don't take the poker/negotiating comparison too far when you enter the career casino.

Unfortunately, many job seekers do just that. Questions asked by job seekers clearly indicate that job seekers view negotiating as an adversarial game of them versus us. The best approach is to be fully prepared with reasonable salary expectations based on demonstrable experience, ability, training, and education that match the job's requirements. Your ultimate goal should be to reach mutually agreeable terms that set the stage for a positive working relationship.

Nevertheless, there are steps you can take to play your cards right:

Deal with the Dealer

The dealer in poker is the player who gets to decide the rules of the hand being played. In salary negotiations, the prospective employer often inherits that role. In poker, the dealer may require the players to ante up one or more chips into the pot to play. In salary negotiations, the employer may require the job seeker to ante up his salary history or requirements. If you want to stay in consideration for the job, you may have to put these chips on the table.

Know Your Hand

In poker, a hand's value depends on the cards in it. The highest hand is called a royal flush, and the lowest hand has no two cards of the same value. In salary negotiations, if you have unique skills or experience, highly valued training or highly specialized education, you may be up in the royal flush range. Or you may have very little to offer, except the willingness to learn and work hard. You need to know what's in your salary-negotiating hand and what it will likely be worth to the employer.

Bluff at Your Own Risk

In poker, bluffing occurs when a player raises a bet on a weak hand, forcing out players with stronger hands. As in poker, bluffing is a dangerous tactic in salary negotiation. For instance, lying about previous salary in an attempt to bluff the prospective employer into a higher offer may get you tossed from the table.

Raise on a Strong Hand

When playing poker, a player may either call by matching the amount already bet or raise by adding extra chips. The player also has the option to fold by throwing his hand face down. In salary negotiations, the job seeker can call the job offer by accepting it, raise the bet by proposing a higher counteroffer or fold by opting not to further pursue the job prospect. How aggressively the job seeker plays at this point depends largely on how badly he needs or wants the job, whether or not he's currently employed and his qualifications. The job seeker who is currently employed has a much stronger hand to play than someone who's out of work.

Call Your Salary Range

In poker, it's often a good strategy to at least stay in the game and call the last bet when you know you have a solid hand. If the other players lose confidence in the strength of the hand they're holding, they may fold and you'll come out the winner. In salary negotiations, holding your salary requirements within the range you've established, especially if you and the prospective employer know you're a good match for the job, can often be a successful strategy.

Fold in the Face of Reality

Even the best poker players don't win every hand. In salary negotiations, if you know your skills, abilities, training, education or experience aren't an ideal match for the job or you're going after a job that 50 other equally qualified candidates are seeking, you may not have much room to negotiate salary, especially if you need a job. Simply accepting the offer on the table may be the best bet.

Attracting top talent will take hard work

Wed, 12 May 2010 09:15:00 -0700

Candidates 'back in the driver's seat'

New surveys looking at hiring intentions in the next decade suggest potential employees will be in the power position and companies will have to do more than wave generous paycheques under their noses to attract them.
In the coming decade companies will have to work harder to recruit and retain employees, and won't be able to count on top talent coming to them, according to a survey conducted by Harris/Decima for Workopolis.
While the recession saw a glut of workers on the market, with the economic recovery comes a "long term talent shortage," says Gabriel Bouchard, president and chief brand officer of Workopolis. "The day is done when a company could post a job and take their pick from the responses. Now it must sustain an ongoing campaign to court and entice the best talent over a period of time."
Highly skilled people in today's job market are clear about what they want from employers - opportunities for development and promotion, good compensation and having a good work/life balance - and are unwilling to settle for less.
"Candidates are back in the driver's seat and are looking for opportunities where they can shine - they want to excel and feel fulfilled in their jobs," says Bouchard. "That means employers have a much more complex message to communicate about their employment opportunities to encourage candidates to send their resumes."
A second survey, conducted by the Human Resources Professionals Association in partnership with Workopolis, suggests that "the best candidate are almost always employed," meaning companies need to find ways to recruit those who might not be looking for a job. That will often mean using tools more often associated with marketing than with human resources.
"Employers have to sustain a compelling employer brand in the marketplace at all times," says Bouchard. "An employer brand can create the idea, even for employed workers casually browsing the website that you are an employer of choice, an organization they would aspire to join and want to stay in touch with."

Headhunters

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:27:00 -0700

Many people ask how they should go about selecting a professional recruiter (otherwise known as a headhunter). They frequently ask if we can recommend a few good recruiters that specialize in a particular field.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Recruiters select you. You don't select them. Understanding this will allow you to get the most out of recruiters.

The process you will want to apply when utilizing recruiters is opposite the process a company uses when they use recruiters. A company may use one or two trusted recruiters when they do a search. On the other hand you will have to use a large number of recruiters (>500) that you probably know very little about.

That's probably not what you wanted to hear.

Before you contact recruiters, you must know what type of work it is that you are looking for.
When you look for a recruiter, unless you are paying him or her out of your own pocket, or unless you are an extremely hot property, no single recruiter can afford to focus on you. The best you can hope for is to get into their database, their filing system, or better yet into their minds.

Since you don't know which positions a recruiter might be trying to fill, and which companies a recruiter is working for, you need to contact a large volume of recruiters in hopes of finding one that has an interesting position, in your area of expertise, and at an interesting company.

You should select recruiting firms based on the fields they specialize in. When you do your research a recruiter, you will get a feel for whether they might cover your type of work. When in doubt put them on your mailing list. Worst case they will reply stating they don't cover your field.

Remember your goal is to make yourself known to as many recruiters as possible. When you receive a call from a Recruiter you will have to make a good impression within the first minute or two. If you do a good job in the first few minutes they may want to conduct a longer phone interview. If you get past that stage they will either want to meet you in person, or they will line up an interview with the employer. Worst case they will make a few notes and put you in their database.

You should take the initiative to stay in touch with the few recruiters that do call you. Market yourself by positioning your name and your career plan in their minds.

New BlogEntry

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:05:00 -0700

There are many misnomers and falsehoods about the business of recruiting. This quiz is to test your knowledge of the industry and its day to day operations. Watch out! There may be something here you did not know.

1) A good recruiter treats a retained and contingency search the same?

False! On a retained search, a recruiter will find the best 3 candidates for their client and hold those candidates specifically for that search. The recruiter will also dedicate project coordinators to the effort, getting the best possible person for the position. On a contingency basis, a recruiter is and should be free to send the candidates to any position open that the candidate is a fit for and is interested in. If a company is truly dedicated to finding the best candidate for a position, a retained search guarantees the most attention in the least amount of time.

2) A candidate who withholds information (such as compensation) from the recruiter is not likely to have their resume submitted to the client for consideration

True! When a recruiter submits a resume to their client, it is a recommendation from the recruiter. If a candidate will not be upfront and honest with a recruiter at the initial point of contact, a recruiter has no guarantee that the same will not happen when the client has questions about background, previous employment, etc.

3) Recruiters do not care about confidentiality when it pertains to a client, candidate or a search?

False! A good recruiter wants to build a relationship and rapport with their client and candidate. This ensures a positive working relationship during the search and will also benefit both client and recruiter when the needs of the company change and more positions need to be filled. It is much easier to maintain a business relationship than it is to build a new one. It is also easier to maintain good relationships with candidates by respecting their wishes, such as not calling at work or at certain specified times.

4) It is a good idea to build an ongoing relationship with a recruiter, even if you are not searching for a job?

True. Having a working relationship with a recruiter is like having a good mechanic. In the event the unexpected happens, you know exactly who to call in that time of crisis. You may also know of someone who has career challenges of their own and can help them out of a tough situation by making that connection.

5) A good recruiter, like a baseball team, should know their stats?

True. A recruiters job is to source, screen, and submit candidates for consideration. Tracking statistics, such as resumes to a hire, ensures the firm has its own set of checks and balances in place. Other ratios like job orders to a placement and calls to a job order provide the client with necessary information about the firm and what it can expect while doing business with the firm.

As many companies have found, using the right search firm is crucial in keeping up with todays fast-paced, high-demand business world that we live in. Companies, who are willing to invest in a recruiter, are ultimately making a deposit into the savings account of their own future.

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2010

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:31:00 -0700

These past couple of years have been challenging to say the least. From a global recession, to the collapse of financial institutions, to automotive recalls, it is a miracle we survived at all.
Unemployment, right sizing, reorganizing, employee rationalization, centralizing and early retirement became the buzz-words we grew accustomed to hearing. Headlines focused on high unemployment rate, company bankruptcies, and job panic in general.

Despite it all, we’ve made it through to see the beginnings of a recovery phase.

How do we know we’re in a better place? Look no farther than the miracle that was the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. There was a strong sense of belief, passion, and achievement that blanketed the country with positivity and patriotism that transcended age, class and culture. Even the most pessimistic amongst us has to admit it was a sporting and emotional success for Canada.
After the winning times, when scores are long forgotten, what will we remember and take away with us? We will remember how athletes, fans, volunteers, and icons made us feel as they provided the perfect backdrop to create our own stories and memories.

You, like many others, will take that feeling of excitement and success back to your everyday lives and maybe set the bar a little higher, maybe make the extra effort, maybe lend a lifting hand, maybe embrace your competitor and see them in a better light.
The people you have on your team will be the difference between missing the podium and winning gold. The Olympics have shown us that the difference between having your flag raised and catching an early flight home can be measured in slivers of time, circumstance, luck and effort. Take this opportunity to assess whether your company, your product, your service, and your team are going to finish in the medal round.

So how do you make sure you have a winning team? The most common theory about today’s job market is that unemployment is up, and therefore there must be lots of talent available, lots of people to choose from – It’s an employer’s dream come true!
In fact, the opposite is true. The truth is that companies that are forced to downsize do not let go of their top performers first. If you had to reduce your sales or marketing team from 10 people to 5 people, are you letting go your top 5 people? The truth is employers are holding onto their top performers like never done before! In my 20 years of recruiting, I haven’t seen such a high rate of retention bonuses, performance-based commissions, and lucrative benefit programs. Ask yourself what you would do to keep your very best employee during these difficult times. Your competitors are doing the same. Maybe more.

What does this mean for your business? You need a proactive recruitment strategy that secures winners, leaders, and gold medalist that will lead your team through these times of challenge and cutbacks. These high level candidates are not on job boards or applying on-line; They cannot be contacted by in-house recruiters or catchy chat rooms. Your winning strategy and your company’s ultimate finishing position will be directly linked to the caliber of talent you put on your team. Are you investing in your company’s future by making an investment in your people or are you cutting costs at the cost of your company’s future.

This year more, than other year in recent history, will lay the foundation for years of success to come, to lead the way, to gain market share, to increase distribution, to build an attractive bottom line.

The winners, the Gold Medal companies in 2010 will invest in their own future and win the race.

Thank you for your belief in SearchWest as we continue to grow your bottom line by “bringing people and opportunities together”.

Rethinking the modest recovery story: Is Canada's economy poised to take off?

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:18:00 -0700

OTTAWA - Foreigners are buying up Canada, the loonie is heading for parity with the American dollar and recent economic indicators are off the map. Could the recovery be outracing expectations?

The prime minister is a skeptic, and so too are economists at the TD Bank, who released a forecast Thursday of moderate growth for the next two years.
The bank says Canadians shouldn't get overly excited about the surprisingly strong five-per-cent fourth quarter of 2009 jump, and likely strong number coming for the first three months this year.
"The basic story is the economic recovery is real - we are not going to have a double dip (slump) - but the economy is not going to boomerang," said TD's deputy chief economist Craig Alexander.
In an address to G20 bureaucrats Thursday morning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper voiced a similar message, saying the recovery is "by no means fully assured.
Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty have been cautious for months, saying it's too early to tell whether the economy is producing enough new jobs to sustain lasting growth. Since last summer, the economy has produced 159,000 jobs, replacing just over a third of the 417,000 jobs wiped out during the 2008-2009 recession. The unemployment rate has dropped half a point since August but is still at 8.2 per cent.
But while analysts say it is wise for governments to remain cautious about the recovery, a growing number of economic observers are also starting to rethink the modest, steady growth scenario.
Merrill Lynch chief economist Sheryl King says she would not be surprised if Canada experienced a "triplet" of five-per-cent quarters - last quarter of 2009, first and second quarters of this year. Although King says things must slow after that.
And the Bank of Montreal's Douglas Porter believes if there is an economic surprise this year, it's that growth will be significantly stronger than the official forecasts of about three per cent.
Certainly the world believes Canada is going great guns at the moment.
Foreign investors bought up $11.8 billion in Canadian bonds and stocks in January, bringing the total for the last year to a record $111 billion. That's seven per cent of gross domestic product, notes Porter.
The conventional view, as stated by the TD Bank, is that Canada still faces considerable headwinds that will slow the economy after the initial sprint forward.
A cooling housing market, rising interest rates, the end of government stimulus spending and the high loonie will all act as brakes to growth, TD economists say. So too will slow growth in the U.S., Canada's key export market
Businesses may have psychologically made their peace with a dollar at par with the U.S. currency, but it still will mean that exporters will find it harder to sell abroad.
And rising interest rates, which the bank said could start as soon as July, will limit the ability of Canadians to keep spending and supporting the domestic economy.
The bank said that by 2013, once interest rates return to more normal levels, the average household debt service costs will rise to 9.3 per cent of income from the current six per cent and households will have to devote a greater share of their income to servicing their debt.
As a result the economy will advance 3.1 per cent this year, slightly higher than the Bank of Canada projected a few months back, and 2.9 per cent next year.
That level of growth will produce about 20,000 to 25,000 new jobs each month, a moderate rate of job creation.
"An average of three per cent growth is not a terrible outcome, but it is a little disappointing given the depth of the recession," admits Alexander.
That's still the consensus analysis, says Porter, and he has expressed it as well.
The alternative, which he says is gathering steam, is that the U.S.'s 5.9-per-cent advance in the fourth quarter is no fluke.
And to date, the U.S. economy has yet to create net new jobs, but many are predicting that employment growth likely began in March and could add two million more workers by the end of the year.
That will help Canadian exports recover, since three quarters of what Canada sells to the world heads south of the border.
As well, Canada's budget calls for another massive round of infrastructure stimulus this year, which is giving the economy an additional boost.
The icing on the cake, adds King, is that Canadian businesses have yet to ramp up on depleted inventories, something that gave the U.S. a four-per-cent bounce at the end of last year. That could happen in the second quarter in Canada's case.
"We haven't had it yet and we always get it," she said of inventory build-up following recessions.

Hiring for Dummies

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:12:00 -0700

All of a company’s employees add value and contribute to its success – some in small way, others in large measure. Because sound recruitment and retention strategies provide a competitive edge, hiring should be done carefully, methodically and strategically. Here are eight ways to attract top prospects to your company and retain them once they’re on board.

Candidates take note too! Knowing your future employer’s hiring strategies will prove beneficial and advantageous in your next job search.

1) Recruit Continuously: Aggressive companies are always on the prowl for talent. They have a sense of what skills they need now and in the future, and what type of person will be a good fit. They look even when there are no current openings, because one can never predict when an employee might leave.

2) Know What You Need: Know the skills and personality traits that will make a person successful in a given job, so you can develop job descriptions when you’re hiring. This helps in framing interviews with potential applicants, who in turn learn in advance more about the skills needed for the position.

Initially, a job description facilitates the selection of the right employee. But a good job description also ensures that he or she has a clear understanding of responsibility, authority and expected results, so it also becomes a useful training outline.

3) Ask Probing Questions: The only way to find out if candidates will be a good fit for your company is to ask a lot of questions to discover whether:
•   they possess a positive attitude.
•   they have high energy.
•   they are trustworthy and possess good character.
•   they feel good about themselves and life.
•   they take responsibility without making excuses.
•   they desire to keep learning and hunger for growth.
•   they are willing to follow the leader and work with the team.
•   they have a good track record.
•   they are able to flow with the organization and accept change.

4) Check References: Today’s employment laws are extremely strict on how much information can be obtained regarding past employment; previous employers are not supposed to give out any information other than the length of employment. They cannot give out any information with regard to skills, attitude, attendance or anything else in the applicant’s job history while employed there.

5) Clarify Expectations: New employees seldom know exactly what is expected of them, how they will be measured, or with whom they will work the most. It’s important to communicate expectations and metrics clearly and succinctly from Day One.

6) Offer Attractive Compensation: Money buys the house and the bacon, but it also represents recognition and fairness. Talented people expect their contributions to be acknowledged and their compensation to reflect their impact. If necessary, do a competitive compensation survey.

7) Develop People to their Full Potential: Every company leaves a tremendous amount of human potential untapped because its people are inadequately developed.

Provide informal feedback and coaching, cross training and opportunities for advancement. Train all new employees thoroughly in job requirements immediately upon hiring. Putting a new employee on the job to “sink or swim” results in frustration, sloppy work habits and omission of important details. Reinforce the attitudes and behavior patterns you want. A new employee is usually highly receptive to suggestions and eagerly assimilates and readily accepts the organizational vision, mission and goals.

8) Conduct Exit Interviews: Retention of talent often begins at the end of the process. Chances are, an employee who is walking out the door will be more honest and forthcoming than a person who still depends on your company for a paycheck. But in order to ensure truly effective exit interviews, a leader must establish a climate of trust long before he receives the letter of resignation.

SearchWest is moving back downtown!!

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:23:00 -0800

We take our clients' and candidates' feedback seriously. And that's why we are moving back downtown!

Our stint in Burnaby was fun. But sadly all good things must come to an end. We had a beautifully renovated and furnished office in a central location...but nothing beats downtown as the hub of all things business in Vancouver. We are looking forward to being downtown where we can easily connect with our clients and candidates.

As of January 18th, 2010 our new address will be:
Suite 2000 - 1066 West Hastings
Vancouver, BC V6E 3X2

Don't worry, our phone number, emails and website will remain the same. Connect with us today to visit your recruiter in our new offices!